Full Videos of Old Irish Matches

[DeLorean]

Not the first time I've noticed it either - as above, Aldo had good goals disallowed against Holland and Romania.

Yeah, I remember you saying this actually, I wasn't sure if they were definitely wrong calls though.

[Fixer82]

I remember Aldridge had a perfectly good goal in WC94 qualifier in Seville ruled out for offside also.

Would have won us the game 1-0

[geysir]

RTE showed the extended highlights of the 1974 game v Soviet Union, when irish football was invented. I think the video quality was restored, it looked cleaner. Though the pitch was muck, yet Brady could glide effortlessly past defenders. I had never seen Don Givens sprint so fast as he did after the ref blew the ft whistle.
It was an afternoon kick off, probably because the Dalymount lights were a few lux candles short of being acceptable. I mitched off school without even trying to hide it. I remember being very excited before this game, even confident. I can't remember if it was a normal excitement with foolish confidence or something extra was in the air. It was Giles' first competitive game as manager, not only was he was a football God but whenever interviewed he talked about football with such an intensity, with intelligence, a clarity of opinion and maturity. From a footballer perspective, possibly only Beckenbauer had that natural aura and the universal respect that went along with it. I hadn't seen any footage of Brady with Arsenal, we only had RTE at home. I'd say most there hadn't seen him play but the word was out. Still, nothing could have prepared the crowd for that Brady performance on his debut and I don't recall a top nation team being so thoroughly outclassed by Ireland as that day.

[DeLorean]

"Arguably our greatest ever performance", claimed Jimmy McGee in commentary. Judging from the highlights, it would be easy to believe. He also mentioned that we had conceded six against the same opposition three years earlier. We looked on a totally different level to the USSR, footballing wise. Was a pretty feisty affair too.

Brady stood out a mile alright, hard to believe it was his debut. Highway was very lively and Giles still had it. Seems we didn't raise much of a gallop thereafter though? Needless to say we failed to qualify (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_1976_qualifying_Group_6), a tough looking double header doing for us in the second half of the campaign. CCCP, instead, advanced to the (pre-final tournament) two legged quarter finals, where they lost to eventual winners Czechoslovakia.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiU9xhHwBZQ

[geysir]

Ireland had the Soviet Union in the preceding qualifiers, for the Cruyff WC74. The Soviets topped the qual group but had a play off v Chile, they refused to play the away leg in that stadium.
Our Eamon would not have had such qualms being the practically minded protestor, i.e. if you don't get your way, then surrender your principles straight away.

[geysir]

1973 France 1-1 ireland WC qualifier
Footballia.net (https://footballia.net/matches/france-ireland-world-cup-qualification-1973) or You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dF-yAOy_58)

I have never seen so much hair on an Irish team, complete with impressive bushy sideburns. 1973 (pre mullet) must have been the last golden year of the hair, If you didn’t have hair you were square,
Mulligan, McConville Holmes, Hand could have filled a skip had they shaved off their hair.

France were playing for their WC final spot. Ireland were playing for honour and could only field a weakened team. Paddy Mulligan was immense, leading by example, cajoling etc.
Ireland played very well, tried to play football at all times despite technical limits and deservedly achieved the result.
One passage of intricate play out of defence around the hour mark had the partisan crowd burst into some applause.
The ref gave some ridiculous decisions the way of the French in the 2nd half, played on after a 2 footed studs up lunge on Martin (I think).
Liam Touhy’s last game as Ireland manager, he had dragged Ireland 3 or 4 big steps out of the dark ages and had he not been so occupied with his day job managing a dairy, a large family and being a LOI manager, he would have been fine as team manager going into the next qual campaign.

[geysir]

Hagi was suspended for the quarter final anyway after picking up his earlier yellow, according to George in commentary.

I'm just after listening to RTE's Tommie Gorman wax lyrical (amazing considering his location deep inside a part of Roy's anatomy) about Roy Keane's performance after he got booked v Juventus, which hypothetically ruled him out of the CL final.
Did Hagi's active role diminished an iota after he picked up that booking? No, what we witnessed was a class player on his way up the ladder doing the right thing as per his suprema role in the team, regardless of personal concern.

[Fixer82]

I'm just after listening to RTE's Tommie Gorman wax lyrical (amazing considering his location deep inside a part of Roy's anatomy) about Roy Keane's performance after he got booked v Juventus, which hypothetically ruled him out of the CL final.
Did Hagi's active role diminished an iota after he picked up that booking? No, what we witnessed was a class player on his way up the ladder doing the right thing as per his suprema role in the team, regardless of personal concern.

There was about 5 minutes of extra time left though when Hagi got booked

[tetsujin1979]

Italy game from USA 94 is on TG4 tonight
1268543280104562696

[tetsujin1979]

And Ireland - Germany from 2002 on eir Sport on Sunday
1268836341317599233

[Fixer82]

"Arguably our greatest ever performance", claimed Jimmy McGee in commentary. Judging from the highlights, it would be easy to believe. He also mentioned that we had conceded six against the same opposition three years earlier. We looked on a totally different level to the USSR, footballing wise. Was a pretty feisty affair too.

Brady stood out a mile alright, hard to believe it was his debut. Highway was very lively and Giles still had it. Seems we didn't raise much of a gallop thereafter though? Needless to say we failed to qualify (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_1976_qualifying_Group_6), a tough looking double header doing for us in the second half of the campaign. CCCP, instead, advanced to the (pre-final tournament) two legged quarter finals, where they lost to eventual winners Czechoslovakia.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiU9xhHwBZQ

Love the massive tricolour on the halfway line

[seanfhear]

Love the massive tricolour on the halfway line
Some good Irish players on the field there.

Jimmy Holmes; A very good player for Spurs . He broke his leg a few years after this and he was never the same player afterwards. Which was a big loss to Spurs and Ireland.

Giles, Brady ; Well everybody knows about those two, Brilliant.

Steve Heighway ; Great Player for Liverpool. I don’t think he always got the credit he deserved for being part of that Great Liverpool Team.

Don Givens; Had a great few years for QPR and Ireland.

Ray Treacy; Maybe not top quality but I’d say he’d give you a days work marking him and him marking you !

Paddy Roche was a young goalkeeper trying to make the Grade at Man Utd but he dropped some clangers and his career sort a petered out after that. He played well that day for Ireland.

Joe Kinear had a great game against Oleg Blokhin (?) in that match. Blokhin was a big star for Russia. Yet to my mind he never quite produced what we were always told he could do. Still Good though.

Paddy Mulligan and Mick Martin; Give it all Type Fellas and who doesn’t need those.

I never saw much of Terry Mancini. Obviously he wasn’t going to take any messing from the Russian. Its very hard not to call him Henry Mancini and attempt to say something smart !

Had we got lets say five years together, of the Best of Brady and the Best of Giles we would have had some midfield. I suppose that would have been too much for the Gods to give to a small Country like Ireland at the same time ! !

[seanfhear]

Just wanted a bit of refresh of the Jimmy Holmes story. What such a serious injury can rob a player of.

He broke his leg playing for Ireland.


https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/coventry-city-legend-jimmy-holmes-12988326

[NeverFeltBetter]

Extended highlights of Ireland/Holland in 01 on RTE right now, it'll be on the Player later probably. Whatever about the quality of that side, they had a confidence we've struggled to replicate consistently since. But how did the Dutch not score?

[DeLorean]

RTÉ 2 are tucking into Euro '88 next, starting on Saturday:


21:30 Euro '88 - The First Time (Darragh Maloney and guest Ronnie Whelan with a look back at the Republic of Ireland's historic first appearance in a major tournament at Euro 88)

22:30 Euro '88 - England v Republic of Ireland (Highlights of Ireland's famous win over England in Stuttgart)

23:30 Euro '88 - Dutch Masters (The official UEFA film on the tournament that shot Dutch football to the top of Europe)


I think they're doing the subsequent tournaments with Irish involvement over the next few weeks.

[DeLorean]

Extended highlights of Ireland/Holland in 01 on RTE right now, it'll be on the Player later probably. Whatever about the quality of that side, they had a confidence we've struggled to replicate consistently since. But how did the Dutch not score?

A miracle really.

[NeverFeltBetter]

There was some serious attacking talent in that Dutch side: Overmars, Van Nistelrooy, Kluivert, Hasselbaink, Van Hooijdonk, not to mention Davids, the de Boers, Stam and Van Der Sar elsewhere. It's astonishing they couldn't get it together to make it to South Korea/Japan, or to win the tournament they co-hosted two years later.

I'd actually love to see a few hours dedicated to that qualifying campaign on RTE. Would it be fair to say it's the best Ireland have played consistently in the last few decades? The Iran play-off is one that I haven't actually seen any highlights of since it was played.

[DeLorean]

I'd actually love to see a few hours dedicated to that qualifying campaign on RTE. Would it be fair to say it's the best Ireland have played consistently in the last few decades? The Iran play-off is one that I haven't actually seen any highlights of since it was played.

Not quite a few hours but this was the programme RTÉ did on that qualification campaign. 'How many Yen to a Euro?' was the official title if memory serves.
It's been uploaded to YouTube in three parts.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_THU8BXw-AE

Part 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xj-oLckKX0)

Part 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faC5lMPvtFs)

[Fixer82]

A miracle really.

They really should have. Their penalty shout seemed a sure fire penalty initially too but the replay showed it was more Van Nistelrooy running into the back of Given.

Would we still have qualified if they’d gotten the equaliser?

[pineapple stu]

A draw would have done us alright.

They lost away to us and Portugal. All the other matches between the top three were draws.

[seanfhear]

Was Van Gaal’s tactical genius that day ? Just throw on forwards from the Bench ?

[pineapple stu]

In fairness - van Nistelrooy, Kluivert, van Hooijdonk and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink up against Richie Dunne, Steve Staunton and us down to ten men.

I'd have done it.

[seanfhear]

In fairness - van Nistelrooy, Kluivert, van Hooijdonk and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink up against Richie Dunne, Steve Staunton and us down to ten men.

I'd have done it.

I wouldn’t have given you the Utd job on the back of that particularly when you did not get the Result !

[geysir]

Was Van Gaal’s tactical genius that day ? Just throw on forwards from the Bench ?
Of course Kelly banjaxed one winger who had to be replaced but suprisingly Van Gaal replaced the other winger Zenden (with Hassselbank?), he was also missing two or three starting players. I think that Nederlands squad had the bones of Van Gaals classic Ajax team from the mid 1990s.
That had to be one the poorest back 4s that ever took the field for us, Kelly was muck all the game, Stan was arthritic, Dunne was almost a virgin and Harte looked like he could be skinned when one on one with Zenden in a nano second.
I had forgotten how much we hoofed the ball up field, we badly needed a player like Houghton in midfield.
The ref was also good to us that day, his good decisions went in our favour, the penalty shout (also a Dunne hand ball?). He then played advantage, not just once but twice in a row in the lead up to our goal, normally a ref would have blown up for the 2nd foul but this German ref had vision.

[Real ale Madrid]

We were lucky in the home leg but the same was true for them in the reverse game at the start of the campaign.

https://youtu.be/sVV-f9LoSLw

[Colbert Report]

The match against Holland at home in September of 2001, I seem to remember watching it in a pub and there was a replay of the Dutch keeper handling the ball just on the outside of the box. Can anyone who has seen the recent replay confirm? Also, is there any way that someone in the USA can watch some of these old matches?

[jbyrne]

The match against Holland at home in September of 2001, I seem to remember watching it in a pub and there was a replay of the Dutch keeper handling the ball just on the outside of the box. Can anyone who has seen the recent replay confirm?

yes, he carries the ball outside his box a few minutes from the end. it was more in a rush to get on with the game than anything. none of our players were near him at the time.

no doubt we were quite lucky that day but some of our individual performances (roy in particular) were outstanding

[DeLorean]

The match against Holland at home in September of 2001, I seem to remember watching it in a pub and there was a replay of the Dutch keeper handling the ball just on the outside of the box. Can anyone who has seen the recent replay confirm? Also, is there any way that someone in the USA can watch some of these old matches?

Good memory. That was in the dying minutes when Van der Sar was eager to get the ball moving back up the pitch. He carelessly ran the ball to the edge of the box in his arms, and probably did step slightly outside before releasing.

Edit: or what jbyrne said!

[geysir]

Much ado about very little.
Van de Saar's indiscretion was marginal, if at all and if there was any doubt usually goalies got the benefit of it.

Why didn't RTE show the whole game?

[DeLorean]

Don't think there was any fuss about it really, bar the natural roar from the home crowd at the time.

RTÉ have just been going with an hour long show each week, with various 'classics' from different sports. Take out the ads and it's barely 40mins I'd say. TG4 have been going the whole hog.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Of course Kelly banjaxed one winger who had to be replaced but suprisingly Van Gaal replaced the other winger Zenden (with Hassselbank?), he was also missing two or three starting players. I think that Nederlands squad had the bones of Van Gaals classic Ajax team from the mid 1990s.
That had to be one the poorest back 4s that ever took the field for us, Kelly was muck all the game, Stan was arthritic, Dunne was almost a virgin and Harte looked like he could be skinned when one on one with Zenden in a nano second.
I had forgotten how much we hoofed the ball up field, we badly needed a player like Houghton in midfield.
The ref was also good to us that day, his good decisions went in our favour, the penalty shout (also a Dunne hand ball?). He then played advantage, not just once but twice in a row in the lead up to our goal, normally a ref would have blown up for the 2nd foul but this German ref had vision.

You know it's funny, in the moments leading up that Dutch penalty shout (and I agree with above, Van Nistelrooy runs into Given when the keeper isn't even looking at him) Ireland are trying to play out from the back and get caught. And Jim Beglin is annoyed: "We're acting like Brazil" he says.

That's what I mean when I say the side had a bit of confidence we've often lacked. Plenty of hoofball back then, but more today. We could do with more playing out.

[geysir]

Are edits required to remove any George Hamilton stereotypical remarks about McGrath, Babb or Phelan's 'engrained' ability to handle the humid heat of USA 94 better than other teammates?

[Fixer82]

Are edits required to remove any George Hamilton stereotypical remarks about McGrath, Babb or Phelan's 'engrained' ability to handle the humid heat of USA 94 better than other teammates?

no ....

[seanfhear]

Did George Black up to cope with the heat himself ?

[geysir]

I suppose we can safely say without accusation of stereotyping, that Mexico handled the heat of Orlando much better than Ireland.

You can get a sense of the optimism around the team's potential to perform at USA94 in the aftermath of the first game in the BBC post match interviews (https://youtu.be/otloR0Av45o) with the players and pundits, more so with Liam Brady.
With Cas injured and Quinn out, the attacking (and tactical) options were more limited in later games v Norway and Netherlands.
Though I haven't watched the last 16 game since that fateful day.

[DeLorean]

Watched the Euro 88 programmes back there. Was kind of funny when Charlton was knocking Bonner after the England game, saying he saved us a few times but was generally making up for his own mistakes. He basically wanted Bonner to act as a sweeper keeper to compensate for McCarthy's lack of pace against Lineker. Bonner kept holding back but ended up saving the few one on ones.

The save from Lineker's header at the death was seriously close, his positioning looked questionable and was very fortunate to push it around the post rather than into the corner of the net.

There was a programme with Houghton and Whelan chatting to Darragh Maloney before it. Whelan was basically saying we'd gone as far as we could go, that they were spent against the Holland. He blamed the sessions after first two games a bit too, without being critical of them. Seemed very acceptant considering we were shafted by a late offside goal!

Houghton was similar, he said they got what they deserved overall... a win, a draw and a defeat. Reading between the lines it seems he thinks we should've lost to England, beat USSR and drew with the Holland. Saw a programme with Frank Stapleton a few weeks ago and got the same kind of vibe, amazing really there isn't a bigger feeling of injustice amongst them. Even Wim Kieft admitted the goal shouldn't have stood recently apparenty.

Houghton also said the performance against the USSR was the best he was involved in. Given the earlier discussion on this thread we seem to save our best for the Soviets. All the more impressive with Paul McGrath unavailable for the match, Sheedy slotting in instead.

[jbyrne]

Watched the Euro 88 programmes back there.

watched it on Saturday and while I enjoyed it i thought they should have shown far more action. That performance against the USSR was brilliant with a number of great chances created and at least one stone wall penalty not given to us but they barely showed anything of the action from that game. wasted opportunity i thought.

I remember all the talk being how tired we were going into the Holland game but we played quite well and limited the eventual winners to few chances.

[geysir]

Watched the Euro 88 programmes back there. Was kind of funny when Charlton was knocking Bonner after the England game, saying he saved us a few times but was generally making up for his own mistakes. He basically wanted Bonner to act as a sweeper keeper to compensate for McCarthy's lack of pace against Lineker. Bonner kept holding back but ended up saving the few one on ones.

The save from Lineker's header at the death was seriously close, his positioning looked questionable and was very fortunate to push it around the post rather than into the corner of the net.

There was a programme with Houghton and Whelan chatting to Darragh Maloney before it. Whelan was basically saying we'd gone as far as we could go, that they were spent against the Holland. He blamed the sessions after first two games a bit too, without being critical of them. Seemed very acceptant considering we were shafted by a late offside goal!

Houghton was similar, he said they got what they deserved overall... a win, a draw and a defeat. Reading between the lines it seems he thinks we should've lost to England, beat USSR and drew with the Holland. Saw a programme with Frank Stapleton a few weeks ago and got the same kind of vibe, amazing really there isn't a bigger feeling of injustice amongst them. Even Wim Kieft admitted the goal shouldn't have stood recently apparenty.

Houghton also said the performance against the USSR was the best he was involved in. Given the earlier discussion on this thread we seem to save our best for the Soviets. All the more impressive with Paul McGrath unavailable for the match, Sheedy slotting in instead.
Where was the offside?

[DeLorean]

Where was the offside?

Van Basten was a mile offside. I don't think the 'not interfering with play' thing carried much/any weight back then?

[DeLorean]

watched it on Saturday and while I enjoyed it i thought they should have shown far more action. That performance against the USSR was brilliant with a number of great chances created and at least one stone wall penalty not given to us but they barely showed anything of the action from that game. wasted opportunity i thought.

Yeah that's true. Even 15/20 minute highlights of each of the three games would've been decent. The USSR match is here with Russian commentary I think, must check it out myself - https://footballia.net/matches/ireland-soviet-union-euro

[geysir]

Van Basten was a mile offside. I don't think the 'not interfering with play' thing carried much/any weight back then?
How was the offside rule at that time, there was a Dutch player offside when the ball was struck forward into the box but he looked to have scarpered himself onside by the time Kieft got his head on the ball,
or was Van Basten off camera (mostly)?

I thought it was handball early on when the ball rebounded off the Dutch post to hit a defender on the arm, the (timeless) unnatural position argument, well seeing as the defender lunged at it, sort off.

[pineapple stu]

Van Basten was a mile offside. I don't think the 'not interfering with play' thing carried much/any weight back then?
Don't forget if we go with that, Sheedy's goal v England was offside too.

Swings and roundabouts a bit

[tetsujin1979]

Wasn't Kieft himself offside by the law at the time?

[DeLorean]

Don't forget if we go with that, Sheedy's goal v England was offside too.

Swings and roundabouts a bit

Probably but you wouldn't expect Houghton & Whelan to be thinking along those lines, having been ten minutes away from a European semi final. I was just surprised at how level headed they are about the whole thing, almost to a fault!

[DeLorean]

How was the offside rule at that time, there was a Dutch player offside when the ball was struck forward into the box but he looked to have scarpered himself onside by the time Kieft got his head on the ball,
or was Van Basten off camera (mostly)?

I was informed that the rule at the time was that once the ball was kicked forward (by Koeman) that if a player was offside, then it's offiside. Can't confirm or deny for sure. But Van Basten was a few yards offside at the time Koeman struck the ball forward. He does seem to have wiggled back to an onside position by the time Kieft gets his head on it.

Kieft himself seems pretty sure too - https://www.independent.ie/sport/when-a-nation-held-its-breath/it-was-such-a-pity-for-ireland-dutch-striker-wim-kieft-on-the-goal-that-ended-our-euro-88-dream-39267208.html


“But on this day, I needed to wait for crosses from the side. Just one. That was my job. That was all I needed to do. I came in even earlier than expected. Just to stand in front and wait for a ball. Wait for a chance. And then it came.

“As,” he adds almost apologetically, “you already know.”

EVEN though he is still involved in football, the talk of THAT goal tires him; he scored nearly 200 at the rate of a goal every other game in a gilded career (11 in 42 for his country); but for Irish people, it is the only thing he is remembered for.

“I thought it was going wide,” the 57-year-old says, almost wanly.

“The ball had such a strange effect. Ronald Koeman didn’t hit the shot that well and it had an enormous spin on it. I was just hitting it on a reflex, more or less. I thought it was going wide but then it spun back. I watched it all the way. It was such a strange feeling. I guess sometimes you need a bit of luck, eh?”

And then he looked at his strike partner, standing, offside. And then the linesman, standing, inert.

“Van Basten was offside,” he confirms. “Definitely offside.”

A job for VAR, you suggest? “Nee, Nee, Nee!” he protests in his native tongue.


Wasn't Kieft himself offside by the law at the time?

Kieft was okay I'd say. Best angle here at 1:25:30 - https://footballia.net/matches/ireland-netherlands-euro

[pineapple stu]

I guess it was the olden days as well.

eir Sport were showing England v Argentina from 1986 at the weekend; I caught the last ten minutes. Terry Fenwick cleaned out someone (don't think it was Maradona) and wasn't even booked. Jimmy Hill on co-commentary was quite calm in saying that it was a ridiculous challenge which needed to be stamped out of the game, and was disappointed Fenwick wasn't sent off for it. I know it's not entirely comparable, but you'd never hear that sort of balanced un-hyped commentary these days. Add in 30 years of distance, and I don't think it's a big deal for the players to be relaxed about it.

The full game is here (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3garde) btw; goal is from 1:23:30. Two angles - side on and the replay from behind the goal. Kieft isn't in shot in either angle for the initial shot, but it does seem from his movement in the replay that he's onside. Van Basten doesn't appear in the main angle either, but he's behind the main defence in the replay and you've to assume (from other camera angles) that there was no full-back playing him on. I don't think there was, which would make him offside, but that's hardly scientific or clear. I don't know what the exact offside rule was back then either (but I think there was no "interfering with play" alright - hence McLoughlin being offside for Sheedy's strike). You can also see someone (Moran?) collapse to the ground when the goal goes in, so it certainly hurt at the time.

Interesting also to hear Jimmy Hill about two minutes before the goal comment on the Dutch bringing on four strikers to chase the win. Maybe that was the inspiration for van Gaal in 2001?

[DeLorean]

Edited my post there Stu as some new information was brought to light during my investigation. :D

[pineapple stu]

My link has no sign in requirement :)

But yeah, agree Kieft was almost certainly onside and van Basten was probably offside.

That said, having seen the offside decisions in the Italia 90 repeats, it seems they weren't far off random tbh

[DeLorean]

Add in 30 years of distance, and I don't think it's a big deal for the players to be relaxed about it.

A big deal? no. Surprising? I would say definitely yes. These things often haunt fans forever, let alone the players involved. I don't mean to go all Roy Keane on it but the overriding feeling was that they were delighted they didn't just make up the numbers, and very little regret. Just think it's a little unusual given how close they were, not once but twice. Beating England probably made up for an awful lot!

[pineapple stu]

These things often haunt fans forever
That's a bit hyperbolic I think. OK, I was young enough at the time (it was my first finals), but I think if it haunts you as a fan forever, you've got your life priorities a bit wrong!

The players, sure, it would impact them more. But what's the point in being angry or irritated 30 years on?