19 years ago today

[NeilMcD]

It was 19 years today that Ray Houghton put the ball in the English net.

[Torn-Ado]

It was 19 years today that Ray Houghton put the ball in the English net.

:D:):D

[beautifulrock]

Wow, that is amazing, time flies and I am now feeling very old :(

[OwlsFan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr06XshcNtg

[Sligo Hornet]

They'll have the flags out in "Ray Houghton Way " in Stuttgart!! :)

[Sheridan]

Not long until the third anniversary of this! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP2HR3PZX-M)

[OwlsFan]

Or if you prefer the PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES version with Skinner & Baddiel. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP2HR3PZX-M

[geysir]

Packy has gone up in my opinion.

[fergalr]

I commemorate the day every year - the greatest day in Irish football history and am privileged to have been there.

June 12th should be declared a national holiday and we should have a minute's round of applause at 3:06.

[Wolfie]

It was 19 years today that Ray Houghton put the ball in the English net.

Will never forget it. The ecstatic celebration of the goal by Houghton, Aldridge and Whelan is classic. :)

[billybunter]

fergalc, - I believe the minutes applause would be more appropriat at 2.36pm..

[youngirish]

That Phoenix from the Flames sketch is class. Wonder will Baddiel and Skinner be back for another series of Fantasy Football during the next Euros even if England don't qualify.

[gspain]

I commemorate the day every year - the greatest day in Irish football history and am privileged to have been there.

June 12th should be declared a national holiday and we should have a minute's round of applause at 3:06.

It was 2.36pm Irish time as has already been pointed out.

"the greatest day in Irish football history"

your quote has one word in it that is unneccessary - football.

[Calcio Jack]

Packy has gone up in my opinion.

I thought Sheila D'arcy played in goal for us that day;)

[osarusan]

It was 19 years today that Ray Houghton put the ball in the English net.

That means it is 19 years to the day since my uncle, in a unique expression of joy, banged his head repeatedly against the floor, where he had been since dropping on his knees upon hearing the final whistle, and when I, in a moment of insanity, picked up my "Maradona themed" football, and in attempting to kick it straight up in the air, actually kicked it into a pile of bushes and briars next to the house, from where it has never been recovered.

[shelbourne1904]

And Tommy O Brien from Shannon,a woodmachinist ,who loose fingures as a traditional hazard of their trade,jumped up on the fence in Stutgart and when he jumped back he caught his ring and pulled his finger off.He was rushed to hospital where he woke up next day with his finger sewn back on.A German policeman had spotted the finger inside the fence on the pitch wrapped it in ice and put it in the ambulance.The nurses and doctors had champagne for him to celebrate the win!!!:eek::D

Oh Happiest Day

[Wolfie]

That means it is 19 years to the day since my uncle, in a unique expression of joy, banged his head repeatedly against the floor, where he had been since dropping on his knees upon hearing the final whistle, and when I, in a moment of insanity, picked up my "Maradona themed" football, and in attempting to kick it straight up in the air, actually kicked it into a pile of bushes and briars next to the house, from where it has never been recovered.

:D :D

Maybe you could arrange for someone to salvage the ball for the 20th anniversary!!

I spent the rest of the '88 Summer trying to re-enact the Ronnie Whelan volley against Russia. Sometimes on concrete. Possibly with a car approaching!! There wasn't a window safe on the estate.

[shakermaker1982]

I was 6 just turning 7 when this happened!!!!

[paul_oshea]

and i dont know what day how long ago this all happened, but its definately worth another look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pazh__1Kuus&mode=related&search=

we are great at looking stupid as a nation when ye look back on it, but its still worth it. "The nation holds its breath", that old man crying, jack charlton looking more proud than he did on the day he won the world cup.....brilliant all of it.

Was it the same show on reeling in the years where it showed the two gardas jumping up and down with the supporters and the hat comes flying off one of them? Ill never forget that day though, it took us about 2 hours to get out of dublin.....and my father would usually be going mad with busy traffic but it didnt matter that day.


oh ya and gay byrne standing behind yer man as well......and i doubt tony ward iss too happy with himself looking back...

[OwlsFan]

That Phoenix from the Flames sketch is class. Wonder will Baddiel and SKinner be back for another series of Fantasy Football during the next Euros even if England don't qualify.

Houghton should have a bit more dignity though. I do like the Shane McGowan sketch.

[NeilMcD]

I am going to watch the game tonight in full with a few beers I think.

[geysir]

Houghton should have a bit more dignity though. I do like the Shane McGowan sketch.
Ray can't act, no big deal.
It's a punchline sketch, the build up is just foreplay :)

[Torn-Ado]

I was 6 just turning 7 when this happened!!!!

Me too

Dont remember it

:(

[pineapple stu]

19 years since I watched my first football match!

17 years yesterday since the 1-1 draw.

Those YouTube clips are class. Such naivety - no worries about getting out of the group or drawing a match or anything...we'll never see those days again. I almost pity those who weren't around for it.

[Sligo Hornet]

I am going to watch the game tonight in full with a few beers I think.

I thought your "drinking head" was in the garage for a major overhaul ahead of the Autumn session!!:D

[Noelys Guitar]

Slept on street in Frankfurt on the Friday. Can't remember anything of the Saturday. Roasting on day of match. And then watched as if everything went into slow motion when Rayo headed the ball. Shilton staring behind him in disbelief. Then absolute madness. Ended up 5 or 6 rows down fans swinging out of each other going mental. Time for a Weiss bier!

[SkStu]

Packy Bonner put himself close to world No. 1 at the time with that display alone (Dassayev with USSR was widely considered the best keeper in the world at the time). His saves from Linekar are up there with Houghtons goal. I was 10 i think but i remember it so well. Great days.

[Noelys Guitar]

Packy Bonner put himself close to world No. 1 at the time with that display alone (Dassayev with USSR was widely considered the best keeper in the world at the time). His saves from Linekar are up there with Houghtons goal. I was 10 i think but i remember it so well. Great days.

The Lineker saves. The last minute save from "Atilla"! right on the goal line. Packy the only Irish player to make into the championship select 11. Remember reading the English papers on the way to the Stuttgart. 3-0 to England and other such crap.

[onceahoop]

Was sitting behind the corner flag with my head under a tri-colour. Couldn't watch and missed Packies save. The best part was driving back to Heidelberg after the game and laughing at all the brits giving us the fingers. They were apoplectic with rage. Oh happy days.:D

[paul_oshea]

would that have been the scottish or the welsh?? im not too sure the scots would have been giving us the fingers!!!!

[Mento]

ah razor way

http://www.bebo.com/PhotoAlbumBig.jsp?MemberId=3629825866&PhotoAlbumId=3663729836&PhotoId=3663746693

[macdermesser]

I prefer Gabriel Egan's commentary and Noel King's laughter in the background to Hamilton's dry 1-0

okqR2zEIJHY

Worth a listen, its on the rte website along with Genoa

http://www.rte.ie/laweb/smil/t07/t07_gegan_ecup_1988_radio.smil
http://www.rte.ie/laweb/smil/t07/t07_gegan_wcup_1990_radio.smil

[Block G Raptor]

19 years since joxer climbed over the top and headed off into the sunset arm in arm with big jack

[Lionel Ritchie]

lump in my throat. Brilliant.

I was 15 at the time, learning to play drums and if I'm truthful -not particularly interested in football. I was going through the teenage slump many lads who aren't good at team sports have where you just walk away from it basically.

My brother stuck a head out the back door and shouted toward our shed at me to shut the fcuk up with them drums -the match has started. I managed to extracate myself from a shed that was a mess of hanging carpets and curtains (hopeless attempt at soundproofing) and made it to the living room just as the free was taken. Mayhem ...sheer fcukin lovely mayhem!!!

[Lionel Ritchie]

FP2HR3PZX-M

In honour of Ray and his goal ...his appearance on Phoenix from the Flames on Skinner and Baddiels Fantasy Football.

[Sligo Hornet]

FP2HR3PZX-M

In honour of Ray and his goal ...his appearance on Phoenix from the Flames on Skinner and Baddiels Fantasy Football.

Again...............just in case you didn't see it on the previous page!!:D

Brilliant though!!

[Lionel Ritchie]

Again...............just in case you didn't see it on the previous page!!:D

Brilliant though!!

:o

my bad

[osarusan]

anybody know where i can find extended highlights of the game, mainly including some ridiculous saves by Bonner, including, iirc, one at the end which seemed to defy gravity.......i searched youtube but found nothing......any help?

[beautifulrock]

Neil said he was going to watch it again last night, so he must have it although I imagine not on his pc.

[NeilMcD]

Yeah plain old VCR.

[Noelys Guitar]

Right. Now its time to head to Hanover!

[fergalr]

Ta to billybunter and gspain for pointing out the half-hour mistake and yes it is the greatest day in Irish history (and that's why we need June 12th declared a national holiday).

Some other random memories from the day:

The heat - it was baking
Packie - I recall Charlton giving out about him after the game for staying on his line all the time. He kept them at bay more by luck than anything
The misses - Lineker blaming it on jaundice!?
Whelan nearly making it two nil but ball skimmed the bar
The added time - where did the ref get all those extra minutes?
The locals - they were pretty quiet at first but by the end they were on their feet screaming at the ref to blow the whistle
The Scots - if anything they partied even better than we did afterwards (we were shattered!).

[cavan_fan]

anybody know where i can find extended highlights of the game, mainly including some ridiculous saves by Bonner, including, iirc, one at the end which seemed to defy gravity.......i searched youtube but found nothing......any help?

I got this game on DVD from some bloke on ebay a few years ago. He had a collection of games, got Italy 1994 as well.

[Wolfie]

Ta to billybunter and gspain for pointing out the half-hour mistake and yes it is the greatest day in Irish history (and that's why we need June 12th declared a national holiday).

Some other random memories from the day:

The heat - it was baking
Packie - I recall Charlton giving out about him after the game for staying on his line all the time. He kept them at bay more by luck than anything
The misses - Lineker blaming it on jaundice!?
Whelan nearly making it two nil but ball skimmed the bar
The added time - where did the ref get all those extra minutes?
The locals - they were pretty quiet at first but by the end they were on their feet screaming at the ref to blow the whistle
The Scots - if anything they partied even better than we did afterwards (we were shattered!).

Liam Brady interviewed ay half time by ITV and telling Brian Clough to eat his words.

Bob Wilson: "Enjoy the second half, Liam".

Liam Brady: "Don't worry. I will."

[tetsujin1979]

The misses - Lineker blaming it on jaundice!?
It's been a while since I read Mick McCarthy's "Captain Fantastic" but I'm pretty sure he mentioned that Lineker blamed it on having hepititis, but Mick's knees were strapped up and noone was saying anything about that.

[NeilMcD]

Is Hepititis not an adult form of Jaundice.

[Stuttgart88]

Was it not 2.06 Irish time? If not, the routine text messages around the world at 2.06pm every 12th June among my network of mates needs to be amended.

On Tuesday my mate contended that it was arguably the day the Celtic Tiger was born. I'm not so sure, but it was unarguably the day we beat the brits!

[macdermesser]

Was it not 2.06 Irish time? If not, the routine text messages around the world at 2.06pm every 12th June among my network of mates needs to be amended.

On Tuesday my mate contended that it was arguably the day the Celtic Tiger was born. I'm not so sure, but it was unarguably the day we beat the brits!

Its an interesting contention .. but I think U2 making it to number one in the US (when that was a big thing), Stephen Roche doing the treble .. maybe even Eamonn Coughlan's grin at the superpower of Russia and then legging it to the line in Helsinki in 85 all sowed the seeds of a new confidence in being Irish after all the negativity from the British press and the Troubles. Stuttgart certainly was the cream on the cake.

I remember watching it when I should have been studying for the Inter cert, and when Houghton scored my mother ran into the room and saw myself and by brother hysterically screaming and hugging each other for no good reason. She thought we were fighting again. We both got a clatter, not that we felt anything. :-)

[NeilMcD]

Well in 1987 The Joshua Tree was released, Stephen Roche won the Tour De France and the Republic of Ireland qualifed for its first major football championships.

But what was the biggest selling album that year.

[Stuttgart88]

Sinead O'Connor?