Has Ireland ever been robbed?

[Donal81]

Despite hundreds of cases of shirt pulling, it was the only one in numerous World Cups that it was given as a penalty. That porn-a-like who refereed the game was probably just settling the score for his penalty against us when we played Turkey in 1999.

That may be true but it stands that if we had gone through on penalties, the Spanish could easily claim to have been robbed by brutal linesmanship.

[brine3]

What happened in 65?

Ireland had to play Spain in a one-off qualifying match and the winner would go through to the World Cup. We had beaten them 1-0 in Dublin and lost 4-0 in Madrid. Back in those days English clubs refused to release Irish internationals for International matches that were far away (and the bigger clubs considered Dublin too far away), hence why we lost to them in Madrid by so much but won in Dublin.

Anyway, we were due to play Spain in this one-off play off game to settle who would go to the World Cup. The match was to be played on neutral ground. Recognising that English clubs didn't like releasing Irish players for away matches, FIFA decided that the match would be played in London, so that the strongest Irish team could be fielded, including the likes of Shay Brennan, Tony Dunne, Charlie Hurley etc. Obviously the Irish players were delighted with the choice of venue. The Spanish FA however wasn't too excited about facing an Irish team even stronger than the one that had beat them 1-0 in a stadium that would be filled with Irish Londoners.

The Spanish FA proposed a financial settlement (bribe) with the FAI blazers to have the match moved to Paris. The FAI accepted the money and agreed to the venue change and an Irish B team with none of our England based stars went to Paris and narrowly lost in front of an all-Spanish crowd.

That's the story of how the FAI denied possibly the greatest Irish side in all time taking part in the World Cup in England.

[Stuttgart88]

I think USSR beat Holland 1-0 in the opening game?

That's right.

I had always used the assumption we beat Russia 1-0 when saying a win would still have left us in third place.


Back to the Spain game: I thought that Spain's offside calls were actually correct. Close, but right. Breen & Staunton played a very dangerous game that day.

We actually got a really bad offside call in the recent game in Basle. Eirebhoy posted the tv pics. We'd have scored from the one where Robbie was through with Morrison beside him.

[lopez]

The Spanish FA proposed a financial settlement (bribe) with the FAI blazers to have the match moved to Paris. The FAI accepted the money and agreed to the venue change and an Irish B team with none of our England based stars went to Paris and narrowly lost in front of an all-Spanish crowd.Doesn't Eamon Dummy - not my favourite person - have a great story of FAI officials mistaking a brothel for a church at one in the morning around the Moulin Rouge, the poor dears? :rolleyes:

[pineapple stu]

Was the match not initially arranged for London as the World Cup was in England?

Minor point though, the rest is true.

[Stuttgart88]

I heard that story too.

Imagine we'd qualified. We might have beaten the Brits in the group stages saving the world from endless years of bragging.

[Donal81]

I heard rumblings of this before. I must say I know next to nothing about that team except that Charlie Hurley was a legend with Sunderland (I think) and Shay Brennan was the first Anglo-Irish to declare for us. What were the names of those traitors in the FAI in the 60s? Anyone called Delaney?

[nlgbbbblth]

My recollection is that a win over Russia would NOT have got us through. We'd have gone out on GD because we only beat England 1-0. We'd still have gone through if England beat Russia (by 2 goals?). My mate, a staunch republican, said that even under those circumstances he wouldn't want an England win!


that attitude of your mate really ****es me off
so he would prefer to see England do badly then Ireland to qualify for the next phase. That's not being a "staunch republican" - more like he has a case of negative nationalism.

[tricky_colour]

Well I don't know about being robbed, but Ireland have done a bit of
"robbing" themselves.

It was rugby not football though.

I don't recall all the facts (perhaps someone with a better memory can enlighten us?), but it was I think at Lansdown road and the referee was
an Aussie I think.

I dont know who we were playing, all I can remember was a try being scored
by Ireland and the referee calling for a video judgement (either concerning
downward pressure or perhaps a foot in touch) anyway it was not a try
(to my eyes, or those of the ref, according to his reaction) however the
try was given!

BBC rugby pundit Jeremy Guscott described the decision
as "disgusting".

I though it was a great decision :D

[M@ttitude]

Foot.ie.... Rugger Out!

[tricky_colour]

Actually I found the match in question.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/six_nations/1175972.stm

[tricky_colour]

Foot.ie.... Rugger Out!

The title of the thread "Has Ireland ever been robbed" makes no reference
to football!!

I know one Northern Irish bank that has been robbed too!!

[Adrianovic]

Well I don't know about being robbed, but Ireland have done a bit of
"robbing" themselves.

It was rugby not football though.

I don't recall all the facts (perhaps someone with a better memory can enlighten us?), but it was I think at Lansdown road and the referee was
an Aussie I think.

I dont know who we were playing, all I can remember was a try being scored
by Ireland and the referee calling for a video judgement (either concerning
downward pressure or perhaps a foot in touch) anyway it was not a try
(to my eyes, or those of the ref, according to his reaction) however the
try was given!

BBC rugby pundit Jeremy Guscott described the decision
as "disgusting".

I though it was a great decision :D

Are you referring to a certain Brian O`Driscoll try against France?

Ade

[lopez]

The title of the thread "Has Ireland ever been robbed" makes no reference
to football!!

I know one Northern Irish bank that has been robbed too!!Yes. Ireland has been robbed. 800 years of it. :D

[M@ttitude]

My car was robbed last year and im irish, can we talk about me for a while?

[pineapple stu]

Sunday Times did a bit today on the top 10 refereeing howlers of all time (football only). Ireland v. Belgium snuck in at number 6.

[MariborKev]

Indo yesterday seemed to merely translate posts in here into an article

If your reading Dave Kelly......

[SÓC]

On the '81 thing I posted a longish article on it a year ago or so.

Reading it each time still makes me wanna puke with anger. That fella had to be on the take

http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=12723&page=2&pp=36

[Stuttgart88]

I'll never ever forget the anger I felt that night and the following days. I was in a rugby school and few people were that bothered by it. But I was a very livid young 13 year-old.

[ken foree]

Also - for a special mention - US Cup 92 and 96 against Italy and Mexico, refereed by an Italian-American and Cuban-American respectively.

ha, i was at that game, it was awful. some irish were shouting 'immigration' at the mexican fans. that ref was demoted after the game thankfully

[lopez]

ha, i was at that game, it was awful. some irish were shouting 'immigration' at the mexican fans. Bet a few Irish cr*pped themselves aswell. :D

[Donal81]

On the '81 thing I posted a longish article on it a year ago or so.

Reading it each time still makes me wanna puke with anger. That fella had to be on the take

http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=12723&page=2&pp=36

Thanks a million for that, I mentioned this article in this thread, I remember reading it very clearly. The team itself was long before my time but the players' reputations were so strong. Moran, Brady, Stapleton...three of our finest. I remember reading somewhere - I think that it was an interview with Eoin Hand, not sure - that Belgian league teams were done for bribery soon after, Anderlecht or some team like that. I can think of few things lower than throwing a game of football.

[Fair_play_boy]

Well done Blobbyblob for starting this very good thread. The only pity is, it brings back such sore memories. My "favourite" bad moment was in USA 94 when Aldo called the 4th official "flucking cheat" and it came over the airwaves crisp and clear. The gob****e would not let him go onto the pitch and poor old Jack was having a canary. Aldo then went on to score a class header. Against Mexico I think?

[Superhoops]

Ireland had to play Spain in a one-off qualifying match and the winner would go through to the World Cup. We had beaten them 1-0 in Dublin and lost 4-0 in Madrid. Back in those days English clubs refused to release Irish internationals for International matches that were far away (and the bigger clubs considered Dublin too far away), hence why we lost to them in Madrid by so much but won in Dublin.

Anyway, we were due to play Spain in this one-off play off game to settle who would go to the World Cup. The match was to be played on neutral ground. Recognising that English clubs didn't like releasing Irish players for away matches, FIFA decided that the match would be played in London, so that the strongest Irish team could be fielded, including the likes of Shay Brennan, Tony Dunne, Charlie Hurley etc. Obviously the Irish players were delighted with the choice of venue. The Spanish FA however wasn't too excited about facing an Irish team even stronger than the one that had beat them 1-0 in a stadium that would be filled with Irish Londoners.

The Spanish FA proposed a financial settlement (bribe) with the FAI blazers to have the match moved to Paris. The FAI accepted the money and agreed to the venue change and an Irish B team with none of our England based stars went to Paris and narrowly lost in front of an all-Spanish crowd.
That's the story of how the FAI denied possibly the greatest Irish side in all time taking part in the World Cup in England.
Brine, just scanning through this thread.

This story right is except for the B team bit. The Irish team that day was:
Pat Dunne (Man Utd)
Shay Brennan (Man Utd)
Tony Dunne (Man.Utd)
Theo Foley (Northampton)
Noel Cantwell (Man Utd) - capt.
Mick Meagan (Huddersfield)
Frank O'Neill (Shamrock Rovers)
Eamonn Dunphy (York City)
Andy McEvoy (Blackburn Rovers)
Johnny Giles (Leeds)
Joe Haverty (Shelbourne)

the strongest team we had available.

[gspain]

Thanks a million for that, I mentioned this article in this thread, I remember reading it very clearly. The team itself was long before my time but the players' reputations were so strong. Moran, Brady, Stapleton...three of our finest. I remember reading somewhere - I think that it was an interview with Eoin Hand, not sure - that Belgian league teams were done for bribery soon after, Anderlecht or some team like that. I can think of few things lower than throwing a game of football.

It was Anderlecht who were proven years later to have bribed a referee to enable them to overturn a European semi final 2-0 deficit and win 3-0 in the early 80's. 84 I think. They got a 1 year ban in the end overturned on appeal. Forest got nothing.

It was unthinkable in 1981 that the Belgians would have bribed a referee. Had it been Bulgaria..... Now of course I don't think there can be any doubt. No referee before or since has even come clsoe to being that bad or that biased.

[Fair_play_boy]

I'm not old enough to remember this btw. we were also shafted in 1965 and then shafted ourselves.

Syria withdrew so we faced Spain in a playoff for a place in the 1966 World Cup. We beat them 1-0 in Dublin and needed a draw for a place in the finals.
We led 1-0 in Seville and Andy McEvoy clipped a lovely freekick over the wall and into the net to give us a 2-0 lead and surely qualification but the referee disallowed it. Spain equalised shortly afterwards and eventually won 4-1.

Then the real shenagins. No aggregate scores in those days and no goal difference so a playoff was needed between us to decide who went to England. Highbury had been the proposed venue and with the world cup in england that seemed logical albeit in our favour. The Spanish were unhappy at the thought or thousands of ex pat Paddys roaring on the boys in green particularly after experiencing the Dalymount Roar and Iribar dropping one into his own net so they offered to let the F.A.I. keep all the gate money if they'd agree to play in Paris in front of 30,000 ex pat Spaniards who lived there and 13 travelling Irish fans. we lost 1-0 to a goal 11 minutes from time.

No dodgey ref in 1957 but still we were robbed. We'd beaten Denmark home and away and needed a win over England to guarantee at least a playoff and possible automatic qualification for Sweden. Led 1-0 and murdered them at Dalymount and were set for a famous win when Tom Finney escaped down the right and crossed for a big bumbling westcountryman called John Atyeo to score. The silence could be heard in Cork and gown men cried their eyes out. Long before I was born but have heard the tales and in Stuttgart in 1988 I thought of that game a few times in the closing minutes aprticularly when another big bumbling centeforward Mark Hately rose to head a last gasp cross but this time Packie got a hand to it. Quite a few in green still cried their eyes out though.

We were 15 minutes away from Italia 34 too leading 2-1 in Holland before collapsing to lose 5-2. A draw would have dione. We would have been strong favourites too having won 2-0 on previous visit in 1932.OK, I give up. If you are not old enough to remember all this, then where in the name of god did you dig it all up from???

[pineapple stu]

My "favourite" bad moment was in USA 94 when Aldo called the 4th official "flucking cheat" and it came over the airwaves crisp and clear. The gob****e would not let him go onto the pitch and poor old Jack was having a canary. Aldo then went on to score a class header.

Jack Charlton was in UCD there a few years ago and was asked about this - apparently, what happened was that yer man in the yellow baseball cap asked who was coming on and Charlton said "Aldridge". YellowCap then radioed up to the control room to confirm if "Eldritch" was a registered player. Which of course he wasn't, as the gombeen had pronounced it completely incompetently. So he wasn't allowed on for a couple of minutes while it got sorted out!


OK, I give up. If you are not old enough to remember all this, then where in the name of god did you dig it all up from???
Fairly standard info really - check out Peter Byrne's "75 years of the FAI" for one - very interesting book unfortunately rendered almost unreadable in long stretches by Byrne's irritating inability to use a comma properly... :rolleyes: :mad:

[lopez]

OK, I give up. If you are not old enough to remember all this, then where in the name of god did you dig it all up from???Quite a number of books have appeared in the past 10 years. Byrne's book is good - like the story of the African students in Paris waving tricolours in 1920 which Byrne claims as one of the reasons the Leinster and Munster FAs broke away from the IFA. Also The Team That Jack Built by Paul Rowan. Paul was a bit fortunate he wasn't picked up after the Rah blew up a bus in Aldwich, central London when he came out of the BBC building there - where he worked - to give an 'eyewitness' interview for TV. Also The Garrison Game by Dave Hannigan. Finally for pre-split times Malcolm Brodie's The History of Irish Soccer and 100 Years of Irish Football: Top heavy on the Irish League and not much about the political side of things but still an indispensable histories on the game in Ireland. Interested readers should try Abebooks for any (perhaps all) that are out of print.

[pineapple stu]

The only one that springs to mind for myself was for linekers goal against us in WC90. We should have had a throw 10 seconds prior to the ball being played in for Salt n Lineker....
Got out the video of that last night (memories! :) ). The ball was never out. Sheedy was claiming the throw ages before Waddle even got near the ball. He clearly controlled it on the line. That all came from our throw too... :mad:

[blobbyblob]

Got out the video of that last night (memories! :) ). The ball was never out. Sheedy was claiming the throw ages before Waddle even got near the ball. He clearly controlled it on the line. That all came from our throw too... :mad:


I stand corrected Pineapple.