20 years to the day that.....

[Wolfie]

Luxury:) I could only dream of being in such surroundings then.

I was doing a job in an isolated fjord north west of Iceland, I came home with absolutely not the slightest hope of a Scottish victory but I couldn't get a reception for the BBC WS on my SW radio, in a semi blizzard I climbed a 400m hill and managed to get the 17.45 sports news headlines, hiding behind a huge rock, frozen snot all over my face.

I'd say the heart warming news was worth the trek!! :)

Enjoying the thread folks, keep the "where I was tales" going.

A welcome relief from the dreaded and joyless Norn Iron "debates".

I know the obvious rule, if you don't like a thread - don't read and don't post - but that eligibility yoke....Christ.

[fergalr]

Working in Holland at the time. Didn't bother keeping track as I knew the campaign was going to end in heartbreak (had lived through Sofia *2, Brussels and Paris 81, etc). Came in from work and got a phone call from home with the news. Never been as stunned in my life - took ages to sink in. Loved it when I later heard all the stories about people hearing the result on the radio and winding down windows in traffic to tell all and sundry. Con Houlihan's story in the pub with the dog also priceless.

Would love to see that betamax tape on youtube!

[Wolfie]

Con Houlihan's story in the pub with the dog also priceless.

Con Houlihan's articles on the Irish team that appeared in the Evening Press are sorely missed. Great wit and insight.

I remember he once wrote "John Sheridan surpassed himself. He worked like a beaver and tackled like a tiger. PS - I have seen neither animals play football" :D

"The current Irish Manager has been known to refer to his goalkeeper as Bonny Packer".

[RogerMilla]

was only young but was in the pub and there were only a few in watching the game , my dad was delighted ,have to admit i didnt really grasp the significance at all , all i know is that pub changed beyond belief over the next few years as the revenue from the celtic tiger rolled in and from being packed for all those games, roddy doyles book the van describes those times very well indeed,

[Kingdom]

was only young but was in the pub and there were only a few in watching the game , my dad was delighted ,have to admit i didnt really grasp the significance at all , all i know is that pub changed beyond belief over the next few years as the revenue from the celtic tiger rolled in and from being packed for all those games, roddy doyles book the van describes those times very well indeed,

Was that pub the Submarine? :D

[SÓC]

OK Anderlect were proven to have bribed referees at the time.

We never lead in Holland. We trailed twice and came back. That was a fantastic draw. It was my first away game and we were expecting a tanking.

The referee in Brussels was Nazare and a different ref from the one in Rome. Although we had dodgy refereeing decisions in the past we were never really totally done as in Brussels. Sofia 77 may come close although the French were done there too.

I remember at the time discussions saying if this was someplace Bulgaria we'd be sure the referee was bribed but the Belgians wouldn't bribe a referee. Now it is obvious they clearly did.


Posted this (http://foot.ie/showthread.php?p=105106#post105106) here before, its long but a great piece on Mr. Nazare done by the Tribune about five years ago AFAIK

[Metrostars]

Yeah it was a special feeling alright. The whole mood of the country just lifted with the success of 88 and 90. Does anyone think that the success of that team had anything to do with the sparking of the so called Celtic Tiger?

[OwlsFan]

Con Houlihan's articles on the Irish team that appeared in the Evening Press are sorely missed. Great wit and insight.

Very interesting that you mention Con Houlihan. I agree he was a great writer but on Thursday, March 27 1986, he wrote a review of Jack's first game in charge. He used this wording: "I am tempted to sell my property in Spain...and give the proceeds to the FAI. Then they could pay off the manager they should never have appointed....As I forecast exclusively, Jack is no giant killer".

That night I cut out the article to keep because I firmly believed he would be wrong and in 1990 I sent him a copy of the clipping. He never replied ;) I still keep it here in my office desk, now a fading mustard colour.

[geysir]

He was right at the time, except for the prediction :)
Con's mood improved immeasurably in the Autumn with Brady´s last minute penalty in Belgium.
He could smell an omen.

[Wolfie]

was only young but was in the pub and there were only a few in watching the game , my dad was delighted ,have to admit i didnt really grasp the significance at all , all i know is that pub changed beyond belief over the next few years as the revenue from the celtic tiger rolled in and from being packed for all those games, roddy doyles book the van describes those times very well indeed,

http://www.dermothardy.com/jackies%20army.html

The above link is to a piece written by Roddy Doyle. It's his take on Ireland during Italia 90.

[RogerMilla]

Was that pub the Submarine? :D

no , down the country , but I'm sure nearly every pub in ireland changed over the period!

[RogerMilla]

http://www.dermothardy.com/jackies%20army.html

The above link is to a piece written by Roddy Doyle. It's his take on Ireland during Italia 90.

ONE ROGER MILLA :):p:)

[Kingdom]

no , down the country , but I'm sure nearly every pub in ireland changed over the period!

I can guarentee there are a couple of pubs here in Laois haven't changed since esb was introduced.

[Jerry The Saint]

I can guarentee there are a couple of pubs here in Laois haven't changed since esb was introduced.

Bit unfair to expect them to have changed in two months.

[Wolfie]

ONE ROGER MILLA

You'd a great tournament in '90 Roger!!!

You must be about 57 now? ;)

[Traps Cat]

http://www.dermothardy.com/jackies%20army.html

The above link is to a piece written by Roddy Doyle. It's his take on Ireland during Italia 90.


A fantastic piece of writing - was originally called "Republic is a beautiful Word" - actually , wolfie , think you have my copy of that book!!!

[jmurphyc]

Any chance of a link to that article? Pretty meaningless result for Scotland so not sure how it could have changed his life, unless it was my Christmas cards ;)

Only saw this now. I was looking for the article online but couldn't find it. It was from the Sunday Times. Funnily enough Gary Mackay was saying that he got a sh*tload of Xmas cards and Hearts started getting a massive Irish fanbase and when he was on holiday he was always approached by loads of Irish people. Can't really remember the rest of it unfortunately. The article was called "A Night In November" btw.

[OwlsFan]

Only saw this now. I was looking for the article online but couldn't find it. It was from the Sunday Times. Funnily enough Gary Mackay was saying that he got a sh*tload of Xmas cards and Hearts started getting a massive Irish fanbase and when he was on holiday he was always approached by loads of Irish people. Can't really remember the rest of it unfortunately. The article was called "A Night In November" btw.

There I was thinking I was the only one sending him Christmas cards :eek: Never got one back mind!

[Scratchy]

I was 12 years old at the time and I remember watching Yugoslavia 1 England 4 on ITV which was being played at pretty much the same time as the Scotland Bulgaria game. Then Brian Moore mentioned that Scotland had beaten Bulgaria and that we were through and I went berserk in my front room with my bemused parents and sister wondering what the hell I was doing.

A very happy day. :) God bless Gary MacKay. I wish the footage of that was on Youtube so that I could see that goal one more time.

[Wolfie]

A lot of people picked up the free "The Charton Years" DVD with a Sunday Tabloid last year.

Stand corrected, but I think the MacKay goal is featured on that.

[OwlsFan]

As I said (sounding like Dave O'Leary these days), I have the full game and panel discussion on betamax tape. I will investigate getting it transferred to dvd and keep you posted.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Great memories on this thread. remember the day well, was 17 years old and in college but as part of the course that year had to do a days work in an office on a Wednesday. Given that I was only working one day a week I couldn't get the time off but was allowed leave at around five to five . Tore down to the 51 on Haddington Road where my oul' lad was watching it and got in with 10 minutes to go. The place was packed. Had just got a pint and found a spot in front of the TV when the goal went in and the place errupted! Couldn't believe it!

Was David Kelly in the studio by any chance? He'd made his debut the night before and bagged a hat trick against Israel at Dalyer. Am sure he was interviewed, congratulated on his debut and told 'Now, you're off to Germany' and he replied that he mightn't make the squad.

The Da made it to Germany but wouldn't take me, the swine! Had to wait till US 94 before I could afford a major tournament after not making Euro 92. Was great watching the Euro 88 games over here though, was up in the fountain on O'Connell St after losing to Holland and there when the team came back the following day, happy times despite being gutted over that late goal....

[OwlsFan]

We should also have been awarded a penalty late on against Holland after Aldridge was shoved in the back in the penalty area. Not sure how many people spotted that one.

[Drumcondra 69er]

OK Anderlect were proven to have bribed referees at the time.

We never lead in Holland. We trailed twice and came back. That was a fantastic draw. It was my first away game and we were expecting a tanking.

The referee in Brussels was Nazare and a different ref from the one in Rome. Although we had dodgy refereeing decisions in the past we were never really totally done as in Brussels. Sofia 77 may come close although the French were done there too.

I remember at the time discussions saying if this was someplace Bulgaria we'd be sure the referee was bribed but the Belgians wouldn't bribe a referee. Now it is obvious they clearly did.


Moran had a perfectly good goal disallowed in Paris in that campaign and all, remember watching the match when I was around 10 and the picture went for a few minutes. We still had commentary but the 'goal' went in then and the commentator had no idea why it was disallowed. Can't remember if therte was footage of it after the game. Would have loved to have seen that team at Spain 82, have memories of Argentina 78 but the Spain WC was the first one I watched every game possible, would've been class had we been there.....

[fergalr]

Moran had a perfectly good goal disallowed in Paris in that campaign and all, remember watching the match when I was around 10 and the picture went for a few minutes. We still had commentary but the 'goal' went in then and the commentator had no idea why it had been disallowed.

Wow - I remember that! We were dancing about the living room to a blank screen when we heard the commentator shout "goal". Took ages to realise that it was disallowed.

Ah the good old days when the reason we didn't qualify was because we always got robbed.

[stojkovic]

Moran had a perfectly good goal disallowed in Paris in that campaign and all, remember watching the match when I was around 10 and the picture went for a few minutes. We still had commentary but the 'goal' went in then and the commentator had no idea why it was disallowed.

Kevin Moran was penalised for an alleged foul when he headed the ball down but it was Michael Robinson who scored the 'goal'.

[CollegeTillIDie]

I remember that game between Bulgaria and Scotland . A combination of biased refs and skulduggery had aided the Bulgars in being unbeaten at home in competitive games for something like 20 years before hand. Gary Mackay became an Irish hero that day and the bar he owned in Edinburgh was a pilgrimage site for visiting Irish fans for years afterwards. He was mobbed at the St. Pat's match the following season in Dublin. And was cheered every time his name was announced on the PA. But the same can be said for Daniel Timofte the Romanian striker who missed THAT penalty in World Cup 1990 against Ireland in the Quarter -finals.
Anyway we had more than our share of bad luck over the years but the incompetence of Dave O'Leary away to Poland in the Euro 1992 when two balls he gave away resulted in Poland coming from three-one down to equalising and putting us out despite being unbeaten ranks as the worst luck we ever had.

Our bad luck in qualification pales in comparison to some teams. IN the 1974 World Cup Qualifiers , Belgium failed to make the finals despite being unbeaten and get this FAILING TO CONCEDE A GOAL in the qualifiers. They drew 0-0 home and away with Holland who topped the group.

[Metrostars]

I uploaded the famous goal:

cA5vwZxVzqw

[osarusan]

I uploaded the famous goal:


Great stuff Metrostars.

"......or was it Bulgaria?":D

[mypost]

What if the ref had awarded the free kick instead of advantage?? :confused: :D

[OwlsFan]

Can't believe he thought it was Romania :D He mustn't have sat down and watched it 30 times like me.