Down memory lane with Roddy Doyle

[OwlsFan]

The last game of the Eoin Hand era. You had to have the resolve of a person facing the firing squad to attend that game.

I was one but as a follower of Sheffield Wednesday I was inured to hardship. It was one of the first time I heard Irish fans booing their team. I remember individuals getting stick (Mick Martin in 3-3 at home to Spain) but seldom had I heard a team getting the bird.

The team for the Denmark game was:

McDonagh (Wichita Wings), Moran (Manchester Utd.), Beglin (Liverpool), Lawrenson (Liverpool), O'Leary (Arsenal), Brady (Inter Milan), McGrath (Manchester Utd.), Grealish (W.B.A.), Cascarino (Gillingham), Stapleton (Manchester Utd.), Sheedy (Everton). Subs: P. Byrne (Shamrock Rovers) for Grealish, Robinson (Q.P.R.) for Sheedy

9 of them (if you include O'Leary) would go on and make a name for themselves under Charlton

[Stuttgart88]

What was the result in Denmark? I remember us blowing a 3-1 lead in Copenhagen, but thought that was much earlier than 84/85.

[Stuttgart88]

Yes but it was no cameo. Maradona played a full part in 1979 at Lansdowne. My error, I thought he only came on as sub.

[geysir]

What was the result in Denmark? I remember us blowing a 3-1 lead in Copenhagen, but thought that was much earlier than 84/85.
A generaton before, around 1977.
0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 3-3.
Denmark just coming out of imposed amateur status. Simonsen, remember him, tiny, brilliant midfielder, one of the best,..... wore a red shirt :)

[Dotsy]

Hear hear.

And yes, there were loads of full houses in the pre-Jack days. Spain 3-3, France 3-2 spring to mind. I think the 1-1 against Holland also. Plus even more in the 70s. But equally there were loads of poor turnouts.

Wsan't the Argentina friendly when Maradona made a cameo as a teenager played in front of a full house?

The Argentina match was my first Ireland match as a 12 year old. I remember it as been full but the memory of it is a bit vague at this stage. Most matches I was at since then were well attended with the exception, as others have noted, of the Brazil and Denmark matches.

The Brazil one is a strange one but by thetime we played the Denmark match we were well out of contention and it was a miserable day if my memory is corrrect. To be fair to the fans that turned up that day and booed the team it was one of the most miserable performances I have seen up until the end of the last campaign from an Irish team.

[OwlsFan]

What was the result in Denmark? I remember us blowing a 3-1 lead in Copenhagen, but thought that was much earlier than 84/85.

Yep, the 3-3 draw was an earlier game. We lost 3-0 in the 1984-5 campaign. Not a bad Irish side either :(

http://www.kickinmagazine.ie/international/141184denmark.htm

Wednesday, November 14th, 1984

World Cup qualifier

Idraetspark, Copenhagen

Denmark 3 (Elkjaer 2, Lerby)
Republic of Ireland 0

Ireland: Seamus McDonagh (Notts County), Mark Lawrenson (Liverpool), David O'Leary (Arsenal), Mick McCarthy (Manchester City) Jim Beglin (Liverpool), Liam Brady (Inter Milan), Tony Grealish (West Brom), Kevin Sheedy (Everton), Tony Galvin (Tottenham Hotspur), Frank Stapleton (Manchester Utd) capt, Mickey Walsh (FC Porto)

Subs: Kevin O'Callaghan (Ipswich Town) for Galvin 45 mins

Manager: Eoin Hand

Denmark: Qvist, Sivebaek, Nielsen, Olsen, Busk, Bertelsen, Lerby, Arnesen, Berggreen, Elkjaer, M Laudrup

Subs: Molby for Bertelsen 57 mins, Brylle for Elkjaer 63 mins

Referee: Wurtz (France)

[Stuttgart88]

weather was OK at home to Denmark is my recollection. late september I think, no? The Danes had most of the East Upper and were in party mode. We had nothing to play for and moreale was non-existant.

Notable crap weather Ireland games include*:

3-3 vs Spain
0-0 vs Norway and it was in June (costly weather, Norway were minnows then)


God knows how many games at Lansdowne have been ruined by wind though.

* utterly pointless list I know but I've an hour left at work & nothing to do.

[geysir]

The away game against Denmark 0-3. We were still in the Group. Hand's tactics were to hold them out for 20mins. then take the game to them.
We looked good and solid for 20mins. and as soon as we took the game to them we looked even better, then they counter attacked and stung us.
The sure sign of desperation was O'Callaghan coming on.

[Dotsy]

It was such a depressing game it probably coloured my recollection of what the weather was like.

Conversely I remember a match against Poland just before the Euro 88 tournament (possibly our last game at home). We won 3:0 and I remember it as been a scorcher of a day. Drinking cans in Herbert park after the game with a couple of stunners we met after the match. Oh happy innocent days.

[OwlsFan]

The sure sign of desperation was O'Callaghan coming on.

O'Callaghan was the great white hope of the time. Woner where he went to ? He disappeared off the radar quite quickly I think.