Ireland's longest serving fans

[joe_barry80]

First game was against Spain in 89 1-0

Away game stuttgart 06

Best Memory was Scoring the equalizer against England 91. And Scoring the "winner" in 95

[Sumac]

First home game was Liechenstein (think it was '94 or '95)
First away game was Macedonia (when they scored at the end to put us in the play offs)

Best memory at home is Jason Macateer(dodgy spelling) against the Dutch and Robbie Keane against the Germans in Japan

[pineapple stu]

Best Memory was Scoring the equalizer against England 91. And Scoring the "winner" in 95
Jayz - didn't know we had TonyCascarinoNiallQuinnDavidKelly in our ranks! :p

[WexDec]

Argentina at Lansdowne 1998 (Robbie's debut?)

Czech Republic that was as remember him debuting with Duff and we were on the East Terrace and the latter looked like a right proper winger (am a big believer in real wingers) just standing at the apex of the halfway and side lines waiting for the ball to be delivered to his feet to do his stuff. We were all surprised that Keane progressed far quicker than Duff did after that but he obviously eventually came through (at one stage worth the ticket price alone I felt) before the chavs set him back a bit.

Spain '89 for me after won a ticket in a school "voluntary" contribution draw, the only ticket I've ever won. Surrounded by Leaving Certers when I was a little 1st yearer. Possibly counts as an away trip at that age coming from Wexford up and back on much much sh1ttier roads back then :rolleyes: Did get a free half day off school to boot :D ;)

[Paulie]

Czech Republic that was as remember him debuting with Duff and we were on the East Terrace

I might be wrong here but while I agree that Keane and Duff made their debuts against the Czech Republic I thought that was away from home with their home debuts coming against Argentina.

[Jamjar]

heard 2 guys on a bus in san marino saying they've been going to all of the games for 60 years.

...And no doubt they remember when "it was all fields 'round here".

[Superhoops]

I might be wrong here but while I agree that Keane and Duff made their debuts against the Czech Republic I thought that was away from home with their home debuts coming against Argentina.
You are spot on. It was in an out of the way place called Olomouc, the game was played in the afternoon.

Gary Breen put Ireland ahead early on. The Czechs scored just after half time through Smicer and one of their subs (dont know his name) scored the winner about 15 mins from time.

There were six players winning their first caps that day;
- Damian Duff started and played for about an hour
- Alan Maybury played the first half
- Mark Kinsella played the full game
- Robbie Keane played the second half
- Rory Delap came on after about an hour
- Graham Kavanagh also came on late in the game

[gspain]

A friend of my Dad's claims to have had block bookings as far back as 1956 for the WC58 qualifiers. My Dad's first game was England 57.

I met a guy in Limerick about a decade ago who travelled up with 3 friends in a car from limerick to Belfast on a saturday for Northern Ireland (All ireland in those days) v england and then on to Dalymount on the Monday for Rep of Ireland v England.

[geysir]

The first time I heard YBIG being sung was by 4 guys on the sth. tce. at Landsdowne v Belgium 1980, it didn't catch on that day, I thought it sounded shíte.
Dalymount was hard core compared to Landsdowne.

[joe_barry80]

Jayz - didn't know we had TonyCascarinoNiallQuinnDavidKelly in our ranks! :p

ha ha :D

[Condex]

19-Nov-1980
DUBLIN
Republic of Ireland:Cyprus
6:0 (4:0)
Lansdowne Road

[WexDec]

I might be wrong here but while I agree that Keane and Duff made their debuts against the Czech Republic I thought that was away from home with their home debuts coming against Argentina.

Yeah you're right Argentina was the "home debut" and thats the one I was at, must've subconsciously subsituted in Czech when during pub convo they were mentioned ("I'll betcha X pounds....") as the debut team without thinking that was away, unusual actually so many debuting away......well unusual for us to play friendlies away up until now, about to be rectified I do believe.

[OwlsFan]

Dalymount was hard core compared to Landsdowne.

Yes, I remember thinking how much of the atmosphere dissipated when we moved from Dalymount to Lansdowne and the results also went downhill as well in the early stages playing in a 2/3 full stadium.

The only songs (chants) I remember in the late sixties and 70s were "Molly Malone" and "Ireland, Ireland"" and that was it. YBIG and FoA came much later. I remember getting goosebumps in Stuttgart in 1988 when the Irish crowd started singing Molly Malone just before the game. We HAD arrived on the world stage at last..

[onenilgameover]

A few Northsiders might remember "ShoeMacs" in Finglas Village was a great little gaff for tickets.

I remember my Da assuring me he'd get us tickets for the Ireland v Brazil (in '87) no problem on the morning of the game. He did too.

(Its all gone a bit Bill Cullen.........dose were de days, so dey were an dat......)

there was only 17,000 at that no wonder he had tickets...

[lopez]

there was only 17,000 at that no wonder he had tickets...England were playing Scotland that day, live on the TV, if I remember correctly. Who said the bar stools only came in with SKY?

[Wolfie]

there was only 17,000 at that no wonder he had tickets...

Very true. Supply still outstripped demand in 1987. But not for long...........

[woodie]

there was only 17,000 at that no wonder he had tickets...

I hate to contradict people but there was just over 35,000 at the game.
There was only 17,000 at the Luxemborg game though when we scraped a win at home but went on to beat England in the European Championships (will history repeat iself... i doubt it!)

[Superhoops]

I hate to contradict people but there was just over 35,000 at the game.
There was only 17,000 at the Luxemborg game though when we scraped a win at home but went on to beat England in the European Championships (will history repeat iself... i doubt it!)

The official attendance for the Brazil game is listed as 17000 and for the Luxembourg game as 18000.

[NY Hoop]

17,000 at the Brazil game. I was at it and there was loads of room in the south terrace. 35,000 my arse.

Just bought your tickets in Tony Ward's back then.

KOH

[Wolfie]

About 35,000 people have claimed to have been there over the years but the ground was half full alright.

[gspain]

Just to point out that there were quite a few sellouts too. Brazil was a friendly against a team in decline really. The Belgium game a few weeks earlier was totally soldout.

My Dad and I were up for a Limerick game at Richmond on a Wednesday in April and went into Merrion Square to buy our tickets for Belgium to be told "sorry sir it is soldout". He was quite taken aback asked for somebody he hardly knew and after a little fuss was sold 2 tickets but looking back it was a chastening experience and we never took home tickets for granted again and got back on block bookings etc. We were also told you'd better buy Brazil now too as that was selling fast which we did.

France 81 was definitely soldout as were Northern Ireland and England 78. I remmeber France 77 as being full but I was very young then. However there was always a public sale for these and you could get them with a little planning.

Spain 89 was the first time there was aserious shortage of tickets. i know of people who got caught then and left off lists and never really went back.