Tony Grealish RIP

[Stuttgart88]

Tony Grealish has died at the very young age of 56.

His beard and O'Neill's cotton jersey are iconic images of my childhood following the BIG and Tony was a stalwart of our midfield. I seem to recall an absolute screamer against Cyprus too.

I look forward to memories being added below.

RIP Tony.

[Bungle]

RIP Tony.

[paul_oshea]

Only 56. I saw he played Gaelic football growing up too.

RIP Tony.

[Junior]

Too young to have seen him line out for the B.I.G but I have obviously read about him over the years. Funnily enough my memory of him was watching him playing for Brighton vs. Man U in the FA Cup final in '83 on the TV. They should have won it, but Gary Bailey made a point blank save in the last minute, it went to a replay and Man U won 4-0. Think Michael Robinson was playing for Brighton that day as well.

I remember him purely because he had a beard.

Too young.

RIP

[tetsujin1979]

RIP Tony, read on his wikipedia page today that Example is his nephew

[Junior]

http://e2.365dm.com/13/04/660x350/grealish_2934352.jpg?20130423125122
http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/194346/article_660c5396bda33f29_1366717913_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg
http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4878508276516014&pid=1.7

[Junior]

Here is a piece published in the YBIG fanzine a little while back. Im sure they won't mind me posting it here.

Sounds like very much the Kevin Kilbane of 25 years earlier....


Donal Cullen
Given the recent posts on the YBIG forum about the lack of passion amongst the stars of today and especially the vilified response to the announcement of the retirement of Steve Finnan, it is nice to look back at a time when playing for Ireland was not as high profile as it is today, and at a player who gave his all when he was in the team.
The year 1984 was the fourth of Eoin Hand's Irish term of office and so far things had been going well enough. He had inherited the job from Johnny Giles and a group of players who were to be Ireland's golden generation. However, like England's Steve McClaren discovered with his golden generation, having the players does not mean success. Hand had a wonderful 1982 World Cup campaign which almost got us to Spain but fell at the last hurdle to France and Belgium. There followed a disastrous tour to South America and the Caribbean and a poor showing in the qualifiers for Euro '84. His last chance was the 1986 World Cup and his attempt to get us to Mexico began well with a 1-0 win over the Soviet Union. Then things began to go wrong when Ireland lost their next match in Norway, who were useless then. The final match of 1984 was in Copenhagen against Denmark.
Ireland's team for the Denmark match had some of Irish great soccer names. Mark Lawrenson, David O'Leary, Kevin Sheedy, Frank Stapleton and, perhaps the greatest, Liam Brady and confidence was high. However they ran slap dab into one of the best teams Denmark ever had and were played off the field. Ireland lost 0-3 and had but one chance on goal - a weak volley by Sheedy. To the television viewers back in Ireland, accustomed then to defeat in away games, the result was not so much of a disappointment as the poor showing by the players. The one abiding memory of the night was when Ireland were totally taken apart by a brilliant Danish move for their second goal, scored by Preben Elkjaer, and one player so totally devastated and disappointed by the whole thing that he threw his arms up in the air and walked back to the centre circle shaking his head in frustration. His show of emotion was not directed at team-mates, or even the Danes, it was because he was passionate about Ireland and wanted them in the finals. That player was Tony Grealish who was a somewhat limited player (compared to his illustrious team-mates) but one who was loved by the fans.
Anthony Patrick Grealish was born in Paddington, London, to Irish parents. His dad was a fervent GAA fan and young Tony took up football - representing London GAA in the All-Ireland (if that isn't a mis-nomer!). However it was the foreign sport which grabbed a hold and at 18 he joined local club Orient. It was while playing as a right-back for the London club that he came to the attention of Irish manager Johnny Giles who called him up for a friendly with Norway in 1976. He was one of three players to make his debut in the match and all three (Grealish, Ray O'Brien and Mickey Walsh, who scored) impressed but only Grealish was to enjoy anything close to a decent international career even though his first two caps were awarded at full back. There was a break of two years before Grealish got another chance in the Irish team, this time in midfield in Norway. He made his first competitive start three days later in a 3-3 draw with Denmark when he scored his first goal. Grealish then played at full back in the 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland before he then established himself in Ireland's most difficult position in the time, midfield.
For a younger readership, Grealish is possibly not that well know from an era which had Brady, Gerry Daly and Johnny Giles in midfield for Ireland but at the time Grealish was Ireland's Lee Carsley. He could not hope to compete with the skills of a Brady or Giles or the scoring prowess of Gerry Daly but he was in the team on merit. Grealish was a battler and always gave his best. He also tried to keep up with Daly in the goalscoring stakes and his 8 goals was second only to team-mates Daly and Stapleton at the time he finished playing for Ireland. If the YBIG was around at the time and they asked the fans then to pick a team it would more-then-likely include a midfield trio of Brady, Grealishand Daly (Giles was about to retire from playing). Ashley Grimes, Mick Martin and Kevin Sheedy were around at the time but Grealish was to retain his place in the team until 1985, by which time he was only 29.
In 1981 Grealish moved from Luton to Brighton to join an increasing Irish contingent at the South Coast club. It was while at Brighton that he played in the FA Cup final and the team nearly pulled of the shock of the century when they almost beat Manchester United. At 2-2 Michael Robinson burst into the United box and squared the ball to the unmarked Smith who should have scored but fluffed it. Grealish captained the Brighton side in the replay but they lost 0-4.
Grealish left Brighton to join WBA who were then managed by Johnny Giles. Giles did not last long but Grealish did until he got an offer from Manchester City which he could not refuse. However he made only 11 appearances before moving on to Rotherham for a few seasons and then Walsall. He even ended up in Portugal with Salgueros on loan before finishing his playing career at Bromsgrove Rovers and Halesowen Harriers.
Grealish was 40 then but it was with Ireland that he is best remembered. He played in Eoin Hand's last match in charge of Ireland, a 1-4 home defeat by the Danes and of the 13 players used in that game was only one of two (Seamus McDonagh the other) who did not get a look in when Jack Charlton took over. Charlton had plenty of options in midfield when he arrived on the scene but Grealish never got the chance to prove his worth even though he would be playing on for another 8 seasons in League football and a further 4 in non-League.
Anyone who remembers the time before Big Jack brought Ireland places we could only dream of at the time would remember Grealish and he goals for Ireland. He played with and against some of the best players around at the time and would be best described as "an honest pro". He did the work, scored the goals and had a passion for Ireland which marked him out as a fan favourite at the time. That and his Captain Birdseye beard would mark him out as one of Ireland's better players from our own failed golden generation.

[paul_oshea]

Too young to have seen him line out for the B.I.G but I have obviously read about him over the years. Funnily enough my memory of him was watching him playing for Brighton vs. Man U in the FA Cup final in '83 on the TV. They should have won it, but Gary Bailey made a point blank save in the last minute, it went to a replay and Man U won 4-0. Think Michael Robinson was playing for Brighton that day as well.

I remember him purely because he had a beard.

Too young.

RIP

Don't lie....you weren't too young.

[Stuttgart88]

Junior is too young to have seen Tony play for Ireland whereas I'm too old to know who Example is.

[Yard of Pace]

Top 5 of coolest looking Irish players ever. I was only very young when he was playing but I fell in love with him while watching that video of Ireland v USSR from the mid-80s on Youtube. May he rest in peace and may there be a worthy tribute from us fans at our next home game.

[Stuttgart88]

Here is a clip on Tony in action versus Netherlands, and a legendary Lawrenson goal. The match was played in near darkness IIRC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JVAl5XgOxiQ

I've no sound at work but I'm 99pc sure the Dutch goalscorer was a guy called Simon Tahamata.

[Stuttgart88]

"Paddy" Grealish is really fondly remembered on this Leyton Orient forum:

http://s16124652.onlinehome-server.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9890&sid=9af492080ed4fc9b977866cf1fe6d390

[EastTerracer]

Tony Grealish was one of the mainstays of the team during my early years following Ireland. One of my most memorable Grealish moments was when he scored the second goal on a glorious sunny day in Lansdowne Road in June 1985. There were many more moments besides that but it just stuck in my mind as I clearly remember seeing it from the South Terrace.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

uGgJZgArSgM

[geysir]

Very sad to hear about his premature decline. Tony Grealish was an enigma and has left an indelible memory of one players' pride and uncompromising commitment in playing for Ireland.
One game that stands out was against Holland away in 1981, we had beaten them at home in 1980 and needed to beat them away. Brady was being given all the attention by Holland and it was left to Grealish to take on the mantle. After we had made our 2 subs, I think the game was held up for while for Tony to get splinters strapped on one leg, there was no danger of him coming off. Unfortunately it ended 2-2, a result that virtually killed the hopes both teams. Those were the days when the top teams worried about our midfield.

[KK77]

Very sad news.

My dad started bringing me to the games at the start of the Mexico 1986 campaign so i can remember Tony well from that time. He always seemed to me (a kid at the time) as a real tiger in the midfield. God bless him.

RIP

[Stuttgart88]

Tony Grealish was one of the mainstays of the team during my early years following Ireland. One of my most memorable Grealish moments was when he scored the second goal on a glorious sunny day in Lansdowne Road in June 1985. There were many more moments besides that but it just stuck in my mind as I clearly remember seeing it from the South Terrace.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

uGgJZgArSgMMy God, two of our goalscorers that day with bowel cancer in their 50s.

[ArdeeBhoy]

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/tony-grealish-dies-56-881246-Apr2013/?utm_source=shortlink


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAl5XgOxiQ&feature=youtu.be

[SkStu]

Very sad news. RIP Tony.

[RiffRaff]

Very sorry to read about this. He didn't have the ability of some of his international team mates but he was often the best player on our team. When I was reading Trap and co making excuses about not being good enough to take on the top teams, Tony Grealish came to my mind. We could use someone like him nowadays. RIP

[Drumcondra 69er]

RIP Tony Grealish. He scored the first goal I ever saw Ireland score in the flesh to kick start a comeback a minute after we went 2 down at home to the USA in 1979. The Americans crumbled after that and Don Givens and John Anderson scored not long after to turn what could have been an embarrassing defeat into a victory, always loved him as a player after that, was only a nipper on me Da's shoulders at the time but it's always stayed with me. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Few more memories and thoughts on his passing there if anyone's interested.

http://afalsefirstxi.blogspot.ie/2013/04/do-you-remember-first-time.html

[CraftyToePoke]

Greatly saddened by this news today, too young to properly remember his performances in green at the time, but as said above, the bearded player in the now old retro kit was one of my first iconic memories of an Irish player.

He had that bit of presence.

RIP

[gastric]

Here is a clip on Tony in action versus Netherlands, and a legendary Lawrenson goal. The match was played in near darkness IIRC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JVAl5XgOxiQ

I've no sound at work but I'm 99pc sure the Dutch goalscorer was a guy called Simon Tahamata.

Jeez Stutt, you brought back memories. It was certainly Tahamata who came on as a sub and scored. Little bloke of Surinamese origin. He was talked of as being the next big thing in Dutch football, but it wasn't to be. Showing my age again!
Grealish was always consistent for Ireland and his wonder goal against Cyprus is one I will always remember, IMO, among the best Irish goals ever scored.

God bless you Tony.

[Crosby87]

Some more reaction from former manager:
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/tributes-paid-to-former-republic-of-ireland-captain-tony-grealish-1.1370068

[eitoof]

Desperately sad news.
Tony and Dave Langan were my two favourite Irish players when I was a kid.
RIP.

[OwlsFan]

I heard Gary Stevens, Sligo Rovers Football CLub's (as he kept calling them), assistant manager, talking about Tony G on RTE Radio and he paid great tribute to him. He spoke about how Tony G wore Steve Foster's headband when he captained Brighton in the Cup Final against Manchester United in 1983. This opened old wounds for me as Brighton had beaten Jack Charlton's 1st Division Sheffield Wednesday at Highbury in the semi-final with Michael Robinson scoring the winner. Stevens said in those days you had to be a good player to get 40+ caps for Ireland. Not sure if he was having a dig at the current players.

I used to have a picture of Tony G on my wall in an Irish jersey which appeared in a football magazine called GOAL. Shame he just missed out on the Ole Ole era. Respect!

[paul_oshea]

Jeez Stutt, you brought back memories. It was certainly Tahamata who came on as a sub and scored. Little bloke of Surinamese origin. He was talked of as being the next big thing in Dutch football, but it wasn't to be. Showing my age again!
Grealish was always consistent for Ireland and his wonder goal against Cyprus is one I will always remember, IMO, among the best Irish goals ever scored.

God bless you Tony.

Outdone Stutts.

[Stuttgart88]

It's not a competition, jeepers.

I think we all wish we had a Grealish in the fold these days, a player whose commitment, honesty and hard work is something missing from today's generation. Often these terms are a euphemism for lack of real talent but Grealish was an integral part of our team, in a way he was our Didier Deschamps. 8 goals from 45 caps is an impressive haul for a midfielder in any event. I think there's a bit of the Grealish attitude and spirit in the likes of Kilbane and Andrews. It's a shame we don't have more of them.

[Noelys Guitar]

Very sad news. Definetely a hero of mine. The goal against Belgium at home when it seemed to take an lifetime to get over the line. Very popular player with the fans.

[geysir]

In later years I was talking about that game with a few Dutch fans and I asked them who was that guy who scored for the Dutch, back came "Ruud Gullit".

There was another game that Grealish played against Iceland at Lansdowne Rd 1982, I can't remember what the game was before that in the qual group but it was a downer and Hand asked the players to make a 'statement'. It was unmerciful from the kick off as the tackles went flying in, Grealish in particular was relentless, no quarter was given, the Icelanders were kicked up and down the park, the crowd were roaring for more blood. Grealish scored 2, one was disallowed.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fir1dWC0k9k

[Stuttgart88]

The Gullitt game was at Dalyer. We were 2 up and I think Gullitt scored twice and we lost 3-2. There were scores of people on the shed roof and the PA announcer was begging people to get off the roof. As a consequence half the crowd missed one of Gullitt's goals.

[Irwin3]

RIP. Read plenty of good things about him on a Luton forum. Here are his two goals for them.

Nods in the second goal vs. Charlton
http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist//ITN/1980/04/04/FS040480093/?s=david+moss++luton+town&st=0&pn=3#1

Cracker from 30 yards vs. Chelsea.
http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist//ITN/1980/04/07/FS070480008/?s=luton+chelsea&st=0&pn=1

[OwlsFan]

It's not a competition, jeepers.

I think we all wish we had a Grealish in the fold these days, a player whose commitment, honesty and hard work is something missing from today's generation. Often these terms are a euphemism for lack of real talent but Grealish was an integral part of our team, in a way he was our Didier Deschamps. 8 goals from 45 caps is an impressive haul for a midfielder in any event. I think there's a bit of the Grealish attitude and spirit in the likes of Kilbane and Andrews. It's a shame we don't have more of them.

Glen Whelan ?

[Drumcondra 69er]

Glen Whelan ?

I'd never be as critical of Whelan as many are but to my mind Grealish had more impact in midfield when he played. You could argue that the respective managers tactics have something to do with that mind you.

[Stuttgart88]

I singled out Andrews because he has a bit of Grealish's bite. In terms of commitment I'd certainly be happy to include Whelan but I don't think Whelan has the same impact, though as D69er says, Trap probably accounts for a lot of that. Kinsella is another with Grealish's attributes.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Condolences to the Grealish family. A great servant of the green jersey taken too young.

[geysir]

There was a bit of a tribute to Grealish on the RTE CL program, they included a montage of some of his action on the pitch.
Clearly Brady was somewhat shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the passing away of a friend, he hadn't a clue that he was ill, never mind the seriousness. Tony probably kept his illness within the family.

[paul_oshea]

Do you think that "Football friends" just lose touch after a while?

[geysir]

Brady did say that Tony was good friend, probably means more than a football friend. He also said that Tony was in Spain the last time they had contact.
It's normal enough for even good friends to lose regular contact, especially when one moves country.

[Drumcondra 69er]

There was a bit of a tribute to Grealish on the RTE CL program, they included a montage of some of his action on the pitch.
Clearly Brady was somewhat shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the passing away of a friend, he hadn't a clue that he was ill, never mind the seriousness. Tony probably kept his illness within the family.

Anyone got a link, not up on the RTE player.

[tetsujin1979]

John Giles discussed his passing last night on Off The Ball - http://media.newstalk.ie/listen_back/newstalk/22_Thursday_part1.mp3
Starts at 23:40

Interesting comments from Giles about what he thought about calling up players who had qualified for the side, and how Mark Lawrenson was given his call up

[Stuttgart88]

Giles seemed to get himself tied up when trying to describe Grealish. He started by saying unconvincingly that TG would be known as a holding player today, but that he had more than that to him, he was also a box to box player with a handy shot on him too. Only then did he really accurately describe what Grealish was about, getting about the pitch and putting tackles in.

He was the type of player that Wenger feels is unnecessary but that Arsenal have missed since Flamini left. I heard the head of youth deveopment at the NDSL use the term "soldiers and artists" in this context recently. It's no slur to say that Grealish was a soldier whereas Brady was an artist. But all good teams need their soldiers. Old soldiers never die, they only fade away.

[EastTerracer]

I was searching online for Eamonn Sweeney's piece in today's Sunday Indo when I found the photo below. I think it is from the first Ireland v N.Ireland game in Lansdowne Road in September 1978 (finished 0-0). It was Tony Grealish's fifth cap and the full line-up was:

Mick Kearns (Walsall), Tony Grealish (Orient), Mark Lawrenson (Brighton), Noel Synnott (Shamrock Rovers), Jimmy Holmes (Tottenham Hotspur), Gerry Daly (Derby County), Johnny Giles (Shamrock Rovers) capt, Liam Brady (Arsenal), Steve Heighway (Liverpool), Paul McGee (Queen’s Park Rangers), Frank Stapleton (Arsenal)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e8TuucMncNE/UX0kWJSmMTI/AAAAAAAAA2U/Pcvk6hhAwiA/w601-h428-p-o/image.jpg

[ArdeeBhoy]

Great old picture that, props ET.

[Stuttgart88]

Nice obituary in the (UK) Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tony-grealish-ireland-footballer-who-also-played-in-the-fa-cup-final-8590596.html

[Junior]

I was searching online for Eamonn Sweeney's piece in today's Sunday Indo

Not sure if you found it but here it is, a nice read it is too.


EAMONN SWEENEY – 28 APRIL 2013

There was something special about Tony Grealish, something different. The sight of him in an Irish shirt evoked peculiarly warm feelings of affection and pride in Irish football fans of a certain generation. Last week the memory of those emotions flooded back when we learned of his death at the age of 56 from cancer.



Tony Grealish, you always felt, gave everything for Ireland. His appearance helped. The unruly mop of ginger hair, the bristling beard and russet complexion made Grealish look a bit like a Marvel Comics attempt at creating a Hibernian superhero to rival Captains America and Britain. But describing him as 'iconic,' that contemporary cliché for someone who looks the part and little else, is to gravely under-estimate Tony Grealish. Because he really was a terrific player, one of the finest midfielders ever to represent this country.

Irish fans saw Grealish's best. He belongs to that band of players who rose to the occasion when they pulled on a green shirt, finding ten or 20 per cent extra over their club form. Richard Dunne is like this, so were Shay Given, Mick McCarthy, Don Givens, Dave Langan and the lad from Hammersmith who was 19 when he pulled on the Irish shirt for the first time against Norway in 1976 and was pretty much ever-present for the next 10 years.

For much of that time his midfield partners were Liam Brady and Gerry Daly, the former one of the biggest names in Europe, the latter a consistent top-flight performer whose natural gifts far outweighed Grealish's. Yet Grealish shone in this company and had many days when he was unquestionably the outstanding member of the trio.

He was a classic product of the London Irish community, born in Paddington in the west of the city in 1956 at a time when an economically banjaxed country was exporting its citizens to England in astounding numbers. Grealish's father was from Athenry and his mother was of Irish parentage and as a youngster he played Gaelic football and hurling at underage level for London. I can remember his brother Brian going on to play senior football for the 33rd county.

Amid all the cynicism which came to surround Jack Charlton's exploitation of the parentage rule, a serious point was overlooked. The rule was there for people who felt culturally connected to the country of their parents. Born in England, a part of them would always be Irish. You met them in pubs in London, listened to their stories about growing up, the RC Schools, the Irish Centres, the dancing, the football and hurling, the summers spent 'back home,' and knew that only a very ignorant person would tell them they weren't in some sense Irish.

And sometimes you met them supporting the Irish soccer team. Tony Grealish was one of them, a sporting representative of a resilient emigrant community which maintained its spirit despite discrimination and marginalisation, the community of Shane MacGowan, Kevin Rowland and a horde of great traditional musicians, the likes of John Carty, Mike McGoldrick and Jacqueline McCarthy. If he played like the Irish jersey meant something special to him, maybe that was because it did.

Grealish was never better than during one of the great heroic campaigns of Irish sport, the attempt to qualify for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. The draw placed Ireland in with Holland, runners-up in the previous two World Cups, Belgium who'd just lost the final of the European Championship and France, the most promising team in Europe who had Platini, Tigana, Six, Rocheteau et al poised to explode on to the international stage. It's the equivalent of the current side being thrown in with Italy and, well, Holland and Belgium. Ireland missed out on goal difference. It was a tremendous effort. And a tragic one for reasons we'll come to shortly.

With Brady having become a marked man who didn't always have the necessary freedom, it was often Grealish who came through when the team needed it most. In the very first game in September 1980, Ireland trailed Holland 1-0 12 minutes from time at Lansdowne Road when he picked up the ball, played a one-two with Frank Stapleton and drove into the Dutch box with grim determination etched on his face. As the defenders converged on Grealish, the ball broke loose to Daly who slotted it home. Seven minutes later, Mark Lawrenson scored the winner.

But for some reason my abiding memory is of Grealish flying through the air as the Dutch tackled him en masse, leaving Daly unmarked. It was an image which seemed to epitomise his determination to risk all for the cause. A month later, Ireland were 1-0 down at home against Belgium coming up to half-time and struggling. Grealish came to the rescue once again, beating the normally ultra-efficient Belgian offside trap to latch on to a through ball, calmly rounding 'keeper Jean Marie Pfaff and slotting home.

Later during the campaign Grealish found time to power a Brazilian-style long-range rocket to the top corner of the net in a 6-0 home win over Cyprus, another example of the eye for goal which enabled him to notch eight goals in 45 internationals. In the end Ireland came up just short, largely because of refereeing decisions. The disallowing of a Michael Robinson goal in Paris at a time when Ireland were 1-0 down was a game-changer. Reprieved, France hit Ireland late on the break to win 2-0. But any referee can make one mistake, right?

March 25, 1981, on the other hand, has a fair claim to be the most galling night in the history of Irish sport. Ireland were magnificent against the Belgians. Just before half-time, Frank Stapleton gave us the lead only for Portuguese referee Raul Joaquim Fernandes Nazare to disallow the goal for no reason apparent to man.

Worse was to follow. With three minutes left, Senor Nazare awarded Belgium a free on the edge of the box after a dive by Eric Gerets that Greg Louganis would have been proud of, and any actor would have been ashamed of for its lack of realism. The ball hit the crossbar and as Seamus McDonagh went to claim

the rebound he was blatantly fouled, enabling Jan Ceulemans to score the winner which ultimately meant that Belgium went to the World Cup and we did not.

The mother, who with my father travelled to that match at a time when all the Irish fans fitted comfortably into one plane and one hotel, to this day remembers the huge roar of 'Belgique' which greeted that goal. I'm not sure she's over the trauma yet.

So Eoin Hand's Ireland didn't grace World Cup 1982, a tournament which saw a French team we looked every bit as good as go all the way to the semi-finals where they lost on penalties. We could have done something similar and Tony Grealish could have taken his place on the world stage where I'm sure he'd have done himself proud. He always did.

Meanwhile, the knowledgeable Irish fan has had to endure know-nothings telling him that before 'Jackie's Army' we were no good at all at soccer. Spare me. That 1980-1982 team might well have been the best side we ever put out. All it needed was a bit of luck.

It had Dave O'Leary imperious at the back, Mark Lawrenson flitting between full-back, centre-back and midfield and doing a job in each role, Brady in his pomp, Langan busting a gut, Robinson and Stapleton dovetailing perfectly up front. And it had Tony Grealish, Captain Ireland in his green cape zooming in to save the day against overwhelming odds.

We loved him. Everyone loved Tony Grealish.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I was searching online for Eamonn Sweeney's piece in today's Sunday Indo when I found the photo below. I think it is from the first Ireland v N.Ireland game in Lansdowne Road in September 1978 (finished 0-0). Does look like LR but odd that we'd be wearing an away strip for a home game against NI. I was 5 at the time and have never seen any footage of it.

[EastTerracer]

Does look like LR but odd that we'd be wearing an away strip for a home game against NI. I was 5 at the time and have never seen any footage of it.

I am fairly certain that it was that game given that team wouldn't have played together again (Grealish played at full-back I believe).

Given that it was the first ever game between the FAI and the IFA I suspect that great efforts were being taken to lower tension ahead of the game. It would not surprise me if the FAI made a gesture to wear white as a means of diffusing a potentially controversial issue.

[Junior]

John Giles discussed his passing last night on Off The Ball - http://media.newstalk.ie/listen_back/newstalk/22_Thursday_part1.mp3
Starts at 23:40

Interesting comments from Giles about what he thought about calling up players who had qualified for the side, and how Mark Lawrenson was given his call up


More from Off The Ball with Kevin Moran and Eoin Hands memories of Tony.......

Starts at 08:15 and goes through to 17:20
http://media.newstalk.ie/newstalk/media_uploads/upload_mp3/2304_fs.mp3

Have to say the more I listen to and read about Tony, the more I wished I could have seen him play in the flesh for Ireland. I mentioned earlier he sounded like a Kevin Kilbane only a couple of decades earlier. However, he played in a time where we were less successful and it sounds like he was much more of a leader on the pitch. The passion and commitment he showed sounds inspirational. No doubt if he was playing today he would be a firm favourite with all Ireland fans but particularly the 2g/3g striking the chord that KK has done in more recent times.

[Grafter]

In light of Tony's death last month I was taking a look back at his era in the Irish team.
I happened upon 12 minute long extended highlights of an Ireland away game to Norway for WC86 that really illustrated
the era for me... amazing players, decent team spirit and some woeful luck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvGvkbZx5Xc

[geysir]

That's a bad memory game, I can't watch it.