Which country has knocked us out of the World Cup most?

[tricky_colour]

Ie out of qualifying?

I think it's France.

[Dodge]

Well most of them it weren't really close. I'm guessing Belgium

[Crosby87]

it does seem like the French this last decade.

[tricky_colour]

It was Henri last time too I seem to remember, but that time at least he has the decency to use his boot:rolleyes:

[TheBoss]

How did you mean knocked out ?

Is the team(s) that Ireland lost to in play-offs or the team(s) that stopped Ireland's chances to progressing in groups ?

Or Both

[tricky_colour]

Well basically the team we were play against when we were dumped out of the world cup.
Sometime we might have required another result to go our way but I don't recall that situation.

* which is the next question!!

[pineapple stu]

Who knocked us out of the 86 World Cup when we came bottom of the group?

Or is it only "do or die" games you're talking about?

[gspain]

France have denied us and qualified themselves 5 times

54, 78, 82, 06 & 10. This is easily the most. Belgium would be next with 3 - 34, 82 & 98.

[elroy]

In recent years, the Swiss must be up there as well. Theoretically it was our draw at home to them that saw us out of qualifying for 2006. We also lost away to them on the last game for 2004. Going into both games we still had a chance to qualify.

[Closed Account 2]

It's difficult to answer, because even though we drew away and lost at home to the French in 2006, had we beaten the Swiss or the Israelis (instead of getting 4 draws in those matches) we would have finished 2nd and gone into the play-off (which the Swiss did against the Turks). Even if we'd drawn at home to France I think we would still have ended up 3rd out of the 4 teams on 18 points, as the Swiss and French would have had better goal difference - basically they scored more against the Cypriots and Faeroes

So aside from play-offs there often isn't one team responsible for the elimination.

[Tipp Townie]

Who knocked us out of the 86 World Cup when we came bottom of the group?

Or is it only "do or die" games you're talking about?

USSR and Denmark, though we came second-bottom of the group not bottom.

[pineapple stu]

Second bottom, sorry; forgot about Norway.

Though the question itself was rhetorical, more looking for how to distinguish how to decide who knocked us out. Technically, the result which knocked us out of 1986 was the USSR's 1-0 over Norway. So did Norway's loss knock us out?

[geysir]

We were haplessly staggering in the group after the defeat in Oslo, a moot point after that as to who struck the fatal blow.

[gspain]

We were haplessly staggering in the group after the defeat in Oslo, a moot point after that as to who struck the fatal blow.

That was our 2nd game and we'd beat the soviets in our first one. Sadly you are right though. We got stuffed in Denmark a month later and that was more or less it. There was still hope if we won away in Switzerland that we could beat the soviets in Moscow and denamrk at home but in reality it was never on.


I thought after that win over the Soviets we'd be in with a great shout. We were lucky to win the game but it was a fantastic start. Norway were poor then and it was the equivalent of losing to Iceland now. 0-0 v Norway at home was one of the worst performances ever by an Irish side. We wore a new kit with a yellow stripe across the front. One journalist commented it should have been down the players backs. The kit was never worn again after that game. We then went out and stuffed the Swiss 3-0 a month later in a very
impressive performance. We were hammered at home by Denmark in our last game and I remember Jimmy Magee stating that Ireland would never qualify for a major finals in his lifetime. Back then I thought the same about my lifetime. How wrong we were.

[Calcio Jack]

George Hamilton

[theworm2345]

France didn't knock us out in '06, had we beaten the Swiss at Lansdowne we'd have made the playoff. If only Connolly had been in the team as he had four days earlier!

[DannyInvincible]

George Hamilton

Ha, I'm pretty sure TV3 cost us a campaign or two as well when they came on the scene and covered a few utterly drab affairs. Did we ever even manage to draw a game broadcast on TV3?

[geysir]

Whichever commentator it was, he took his time about realising it.
I was in Oslo at the time and the despair over ever qualifying was overwhelming after that dire game. Nothing has compared to that since. No defeat has been worse than that one. All hope was crushed and exterminated for generations.
Worse was to follow in that group but I had completely detached myself. A team with some 6 or 7 top players just about raised enough to avoid the wooden spoon.
Even if I did watch the Scotland Bulgaria game, I would have held firmly to the belief, up until the final whistle, that Bulgaria would equalise

[Supreme feet]

France didn't knock us out in '06, had we beaten the Swiss at Lansdowne we'd have made the playoff. If only Connolly had been in the team as he had four days earlier!

Connolly wasn't in the team four days earlier. Keane and Elliott started the Cyprus game.

(sorry to be a pedant!)

[Supreme feet]

Ha, I'm pretty sure TV3 cost us a campaign or two as well when they came on the scene and covered a few utterly drab affairs. Did we ever even manage to draw a game broadcast on TV3?

TV3 cost us our place in Euro 2000, by broadcasting our away games; 0-1 in Yugoslavia, 0-1 in Croatia, a nervy 3-2 in Malta and, of course, the 1-1 in Macedonia. Hated TV3 ever since.

[DannyInvincible]

...and, of course, the 1-1 in Macedonia. Hated TV3 ever since.

That was a sickening alright. It was my 14th birthday too. Ruined.

By bloody TV3...

[tricky_colour]

France didn't knock us out in '06, had we beaten the Swiss at Lansdowne we'd have made the playoff. If only Connolly had been in the team as he had four days earlier!

Well that may be true but I distinctly remember France being on the pitch when I realised it was all over.
It's basically the team which issued the 'coup de grace'.

[ArdeeBhoy]

That was a sickening alright. It was my 14th birthday too. Ruined.

Beejeepers, so young!
;)

[elroy]

If the criteria is the game where our hopes of qualifying were mathematically ended, then the list is as follows: (Feel free to add to or correct if necessary)

2010: France (A)
2008: Germany (H)
2006: Swiss (H)
2004: Swiss (A)
2002: N/A
2000: Turkey (A)
1998: Belgium (A)
1996: Holland (N)
1994: N/A
1992: Poland (A) (We actually won our last game away to Turkey, but went out because England drew with Poland. It was really the previous game where conceded two late goals away to Poland to draw that saw us out).
1990: N/A
1988: N/A
1986: Swiss (A)
1984: Holland (H)
1982: Belgium (A)

[ArdeeBhoy]

And before?

[gspain]

We could still have qualified for 1982 after our campaign ended if France and Holland drew. France won 2-0.

Think we were out before Holland H for Euro84 but can't recall for sure maybe not but might have needed Malta to win v Spain and Holland.

[elroy]

And before?

I dont remember! :)


We could still have qualified for 1982 after our campaign ended if France and Holland drew. France won 2-0.

Think we were out before Holland H for Euro84 but can't recall for sure maybe not but might have needed Malta to win v Spain and Holland.

I think technically we could still have qualified if we had beaten Holland at home, we could have been left with a max of 11 points which would see us level with Holland/Spain, if they lost their last game at home to Malta. Realistically it was dead in the water.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_1984_qualifying

[paul_oshea]

George Hamilton

when we went up chatting to him in bulgaria during the last qualifying campaign, he admitted as much saying "statistically, I am at fault for 90% of goals conceded against Ireland"

[TheBoss]

World Cup Q

1934 - Holland (As Ireland lost to Holland, needed Holland to beat Belgium by 4 goals. They won 4-2)
1938 - Norway
1950 - Sweden
1954 - France
1958 - England
1962 - Czechoslovakia
1966 - Spain
1970 - Hungary (Czechoslovakia and Hungary drew to knock Ireland out, Irelands previous game was a loss to Hungary)
1974 - France
1978 - Bulgaria

Euro Cup Q

1960 - Czechoslovakia
1964 - Spain
1968 - Czechoslovakia (Spain beat Turkey which meant Ireland were out)
1972 - Austria
1976 - Switzerland (USSR won their last match as did Ireland but that loss to Switzerland cost them)
1980 - Northern Ireland

[Noelys Guitar]

Sweden, Portugal and the nationality of the guy who reffed the Bulgaria away match in 1977.