Italia 90

4leto · 13-10-2011 01:06PM #1

Let's reminisce, let's be nostalgic.

Watching reeling in the years and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, I remember those 2 weeks as the best time I ever had on a holiday, I didn’t go away, I was on my holidays from the job I had at that time and I stayed in Dublin.

A brief time when the nation was truly happy, united, we all draped ourselves in green, the women were amorous and the drinking was only celebratory.
The world loved us, the pope blessed us, our away fans gave us pride, we loved Jack and we all hated Dumpy, we had a hell of a team, and a hell of a time.

It all for me culminated for me at my brother’s wedding and Salvatore Schillaci and that sneaky goal, then the final when west germany won, then Pavorotti sang that song.

Will we ever have that again? What was Italia 90 like for you

chin_grin · 13-10-2011 01:08PM

Ah nostalgia, it's great isn't it? <stares in to distance>

force eleven · 13-10-2011 01:09PM

Toto Schillaci. Bastid.

FatherLen · 13-10-2011 01:10PM

I was two so I was probably playing with toys and doing other baby related activities

old hippy · 13-10-2011 01:10PM

Jeez. It's beginning to grate, isn't it. Not quite as bad as the usual suspects over here banging on about '66

ScumLord · 13-10-2011 01:10PM

I need to wait for these to arrive before I can appreciated this thread.

mikemac · 13-10-2011 01:12PM

There was an album you could buy and you could collect coins for every nation
Anyone remember these? People would be trading for what they needed
Costa Rica were impossible to get

Gateaux also had a wallchart and gave cards with every cake, I did my best to get the full squad
Plenty of cakes were eaten that summer

SEPT 23 1989 · 13-10-2011 01:12PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v24UKqJIKm8

Acidflash · 13-10-2011 01:12PM

4leto wrote: »

then the final when Italy won

what now?

migozarad · 13-10-2011 01:14PM

The shoot-out with Romania stands out for pure drama.Excuse the pedantry,but the OP referred to Italy winning the final when they lost the semi to Argentina;in fact West Germany beat Argentina in the final 1-0 after an Andreas Brehme converted penalty after Klinsmann had characteristically dived.
The last WC without the backpass rule.

deathrider · 13-10-2011 01:15PM

For those of you who still can't let it go:
http://356803.spreadshirt.de/****-schillaci-A6542228

Wertz · 13-10-2011 01:15PM

I was waitering in a hotel in Dundalk that summer...was a pisser working during it and the place was thronged and pretty tough to get around with a tray of drinks, but there was very few fights and everyone had a smile on their face. I did manage to watch some of the games when I wasn't working though...supping pints as a 16 yr old in a smokey old man's pub....them were the days.
Still recall the huge impromptu street parties after the group win and IIRC the weather was good too...Schillaci ruined it all but it was great whilst it lasted...I don't think it's an overstatement to say it was a pivotal period for the nation, we all got a lot of confidence and enjoyment out of it and I think we were saw ourselves in a new light after it...

4leto · 13-10-2011 01:17PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v24UKqJIKm8

Ahhh who could forget those anthems, IMHO the best soccer sporting songs EVER.

foxyboxer · 13-10-2011 01:20PM

I'd side with the Roy Keane school of thought.

You get knocked out of the quarter finals of the World Cup playing ugly football and celebrate as if you won it????? Would the Germans have celebrated that?

*i bet someone mentions Saipan - well he was right there too *

4leto · 13-10-2011 01:21PM

migozarad wrote: »

The shoot-out with Romania stands out for pure drama.Excuse the pedantry,but the OP referred to Italy winning the final when they lost the semi to Argentina;in fact West Germany beat Argentina in the final 1-0 after an Andreas Brehme converted penalty after Klinsmann had characteristically dived.
The last WC without the backpass rule.

LOL
Was it that much of a blur for me I better correct that

Lumbo · 13-10-2011 01:22PM

How big was that bandwagon???

foxyboxer · 13-10-2011 01:25PM

"Go out there and compeeeeeete"

do-do-do-do-do-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh

"We've got a game, we've got a game, we've got a game to win"

"We're gonna put em undah presha!"

That should be our national anthem.

foxyboxer · 13-10-2011 01:27PM

force eleven wrote: »

Toto Schillaci. Bastid.

Packie Bonner's ball handling skills. Bastid.

4leto · 13-10-2011 01:28PM

Wertz wrote: »

I was waitering in a hotel in Dundalk that summer...was a pisser working during it and the place was thronged and pretty tough to get around with a tray of drinks, but there was very few fights and everyone had a smile on their face. I did manage to watch some of the games when I wasn't working though...supping pints as a 16 yr old in a smokey old man's pub....them were the days.
Still recall the huge impromptu street parties after the group win and IIRC the weather was good too...Schillaci ruined it all but it was great whilst it lasted...I don't think it's an overstatement to say it was a pivotal period for the nation, we all got a lot of confidence and enjoyment out of it and I think we were saw ourselves in a new light after it...

I agree we went on to the world stage and did ourselves proud, it did something to us, Ireland was somehow lifted from Dev's Ireland and I think it was the beginning of growth years to the boom.

It somehow put Ireland on the atlas.

Dotrel · 13-10-2011 01:30PM

foxyboxer wrote: »

I'd side with the Roy Keane school of thought.

You get knocked out of the quarter finals of the World Cup playing ugly football and celebrate as if you won it????? Would the Germans have celebrated that?

*i bet someone mentions Saipan - well he was right there too *

Roy Keane doesn't know what the **** he's talking about. I reckon the man has psychological issues and 10 years of Sir Alec Ferguson whispering in his ear probably didn't help matter.s

Germany only got to the semi-finals in 2006 and the country went wild and treated them like heroes. In the modern era Germany have probably lost more major finals than anyone (82 86 92 02 08) but the achievement of even getting there does not go unappreciated. It's not just all about winning. It's about looking at what you have and seeing can you exceed reasonable expectations. Ireland in 1990 did just that.

OP as to your original question, no that vibe will probably never be recaptured here. Back in those days Ireland was considered more of a second class nation and the people themselves bought into it somewhat so to see an Irish team match the worlds best at something captured the nations imagination and inspired.

Current generations of young Irish people are as confident/arrogant as any other country and the psychological concept of matching the worlds best at something isn't nearly as impressive as it was during WC90.

I'd say Ireland would probably have to actually win Euro 2012 for it to come close to matching those scenes.

Dan133269 · 13-10-2011 01:31PM

foxyboxer wrote: »

I'd side with the Roy Keane school of thought.

You get knocked out of the quarter finals of the World Cup playing ugly football and celebrate as if you won it????? Would the Germans have celebrated that?

*i bet someone mentions Saipan - well he was right there too *

FúCK Roy Keane. And on the topic of football and patriotism, he never performed for Ireland anywhere near as well as he played for Man United. I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire.

starbelgrade · 13-10-2011 01:32PM

Roy Keane - great player.. in the Top 10 of his generation. I've a lot of respect for him as a person.

But by God, he's one miserable son of a bitch.

30txsbzmcu2k9w · 13-10-2011 01:32PM

Not '90 but still. It's strange cos we were losing and some wouldn't see losing you're temper as something to be proud of but this is one of my fav world cup moments.
Also that white jersey is the nicest strip Ireland ever had. FAI need to go back to Adidas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSJVL74OlQk

Dyr · 13-10-2011 01:34PM

It was like the whole rave explosion from the same era, great times, great memories but jesus, in retrospect the quality of entertainment was muck

4leto · 13-10-2011 01:35PM

Dotrel wrote: »

Roy Keane doesn't know what the **** he's talking about. I reckon the man has psychological issues and 10 years of Sir Alec Ferguson whispering in his ear probably didn't help matter.s

Germany only got to the semi-finals in 2006 and the country went wild and treated them like heroes. In the modern era Germany have probably lost more major finals than anyone (82 86 92 02 08) but the achievement of even getting there does not go unappreciated. It's not just all about winning. It's about looking at what you have and seeing can you exceed reasonable expectations. Ireland in 1990 did just that.

OP as to your original question, no that vibe will probably never be recaptured here. Back in those days Ireland was considered more of a second class nation and the people themselves bought into it somewhat.

Current generations of young Irish people are as confident/arrogant as any other country and the psychological concept of matching the worlds best at something isn't nearly as impressive as it was during WC90.

I'd say Ireland would probably have to actually win Euro 2012 for it to come close to matching those scenes.

I somehow find that depressing because you are probably right. We have all become very cynical. Someone somewhere would find something to complain about and dampen the mood.

maygitchell · 13-10-2011 01:35PM

foxyboxer wrote: »

"Go out there and compeeeeeete"

do-do-do-do-do-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh

"We've got a game, we've got a game, we've got a game to win"

"We're gonna put em undah presha!"

That should be our national anthem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrZAtp157KI

Jimoslimos · 13-10-2011 01:36PM

4leto wrote: »

A brief time when the nation was truly happy, united, we all draped ourselves in green, the women were amorous and the drinking was only celebratory.

Goddammit, I was only 9 at the time:(

Dotrel · 13-10-2011 01:36PM

Bambi wrote: »

It was like the whole rave explosion from the same era, great times, great memories but jesus, in retrospect the quality of entertainment was muck

True. Tho Charltons team played like Brazil compared to the current set-up. I reckon Ireland is going to be the most unpopular team at 2012 if we qualify.

maygitchell · 13-10-2011 01:37PM

Too young in the 90s, 2002 was a great summer, we had such high hopes, united. Shame we squandered our pride with the greed of the celtic tiger and our "houses", not homes but houses.

Curse upon you seanie fitz and you wánker developers

seamus · 13-10-2011 01:37PM

It was pretty much the first time since the creation of the state that any team from this country had gotten up on a world stage of any kind and put Ireland in the top rankings.
Our good show, particularly when we beat England 1-1, for the first time let us think that we weren't just some backwards, backwater minor country, but a country who could actually do things at a global level.

Of course, I was only 8 at the time so I wasn't aware of any of this. All I remember is how fncking awesome that summer was. Heard "Put 'em under pressure" on Today FM the other morning. Brought a big smile to my face.

Anyone who remembers that summer should read Roddy Doyle's "The Van". Good book, but it's set against a backdrop of that summer, great descriptions of the mood of the country at the time.

godscop · 13-10-2011 01:39PM

Dan133269 wrote: »

FúCK Roy Keane. He's a cúnt. And on the topic of football and patriotism, he never performed for Ireland anywhere near as well as he played for Man United. I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire.

As Roy would say..What have you won ? anyone who says he never performed for Ireland, knows **** all about football. clueless..

Italia 90

Comments