Full Videos of Old Irish Matches

Yeah, Morris could send in a bloody good cross alright. Easy to forget that.

That was Townsend pressurising to win the ball back against England btw. McLoughlin was the one who was offside and who could have got the goal chalked off!

Looking back actually, some of the officiating is awful. Aldridge had what looked like perfectly good goals ruled out against Holland and Romania (granted, Lung had his hand up for the free and wasn't trying to stop the goal), and a probable penalty denied against Holland. There's some ridiculous offside calls. Yet 30 years on, all of that is forgotten (and it was forgotten a lot sooner than that). Just makes me happier that VAR is just ruining the flow of games to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

(To balance out the refereeing stuff, McGrath and Hagi both elbowed each other in the last minute of the Romania game when on yellow cards, and the ref quite sensibly told them to cop on and not ruin things.)

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yeah, Morris could send in a bloody good cross alright. Easy to forget that.

That was Townsend pressurising to win the ball back against England btw. McLoughlin was the one who was offside and who could have got the goal chalked off!

Looking back actually, some of the officiating is awful. Aldridge had what looked like perfectly good goals ruled out against Holland and Romania (granted, Lung had his hand up for the free and wasn't trying to stop the goal), and a probable penalty denied against Holland. There's some ridiculous offside calls. Yet 30 years on, all of that is forgotten (and it was forgotten a lot sooner than that). Just makes me happier that VAR is just ruining the flow of games to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

(To balance out the refereeing stuff, McGrath and Hagi both elbowed each other in the last minute of the Romania game when on yellow cards, and the ref quite sensibly told them to cop on and not ruin things.)

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Sensible refereeing. Everybody would want to see either player in the next game if their team got through.

That Brazilian ref had the hairstyle of the tournament, his hair was groomed and permed to perfection.

I see now why Giles puts Houghton in his all time Irish 11.

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Originally Posted by seanfhear

Sensible refereeing. Everybody would want to see either player in the next game if their team got through.

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

Watching Romania match and I notice they didn’t have crests on their jerseys.
The goalkeeper didn’t have a crest or an Adidas logo. Was it even an Adidas jersey? Looks totally amateur.
This was surely the last major international tournament where there was a team without a crest

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Watching Romania match and I notice they didn’t have crests on their jerseys.
The goalkeeper didn’t have a crest or an Adidas logo. Was it even an Adidas jersey? Looks totally amateur.
This was surely the last major international tournament where there was a team without a crest

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Just spotted during shootout, the tiniest Adidas logo of all time on Romanian keeper jersey

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Watching Romania match and I notice they didn’t have crests on their jerseys.
The goalkeeper didn’t have a crest or an Adidas logo. Was it even an Adidas jersey? Looks totally amateur.
This was surely the last major international tournament where there was a team without a crest

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Blame communism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaTlAvn9_EM

I recall Romanian fans at the tournament had cut a hole in the middle of their flags, removing the seal with a communist red star on it.

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Just spotted during shootout, the tiniest Adidas logo of all time on Romanian keeper jersey

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At least our players could not be distracted and inadvertently aim at it ! ! !

Just watched the Italy 1990 match. Jeez we were very good alright, a real threat all through but played our better football in the first half. McGrath's performance wasn't far off that of the Giants Stadium. Ref gave a string of fairly soft ones against us for a 10-15 min spell in second half but was okay otherwise.

Couldn't complain too much in that regard as Italy had two perfectly good goals disallowed wrongly for offside. Two poor offside calls against us too but nowhere near as costly, Aldridge (completely ineffective again, poor the whole tournament) had made a mess of one of them anyway. These decisions reminded me of local soccer games where the referee would have to guess himself with no linesman to assist, they really were that bad.

McCarthy slightly lucky to stay on the pitch too given the quantity of fouls against him, most soft but a couple of heavy enough challenges too. Staunton faultless again, had a super tournament, Morris even better on the other side.

Houghton had a quiet first half, but good second half. Our best player of the tournament overall I think, Townsend very busy and effective all through too. Cascarino was a real handful when he came on, probably should've been for Aldo but can obviously understand the reluctance to pair himself and Quinn together.

Great stuff from TG4 showing these games. This was a great little video too :) - https://twitter.com/SportTG4/status/...177570816?s=20

McCarthy fouled more often than any other player in Italia 90, and yet wasn't booked once. :)

Amazing how bad the linesmen are alright. As you say, Baggio and Schillaci had good goals chalked off, and the offside call wasn't even close. And Aldridge was onside for that chance too. Not the first time I've noticed it either - as above, Aldo had good goals disallowed against Holland and Romania.

Also interesting that, given the stick that Irish team gets for negative play and so on (making it through to the quarters without winning a game and scoring only twice), it was Italy who were playing it back to the keeper every few minutes throughout the second half.

Atmosphere sounded incredible too; like a club game with a huge away support. FIFA really ruined that part of the World Cup from 1994 on.

I'd forgotten Carlo Ancelotti played tbh; got a surprise when I heard Magee saying he was being brought on!

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

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

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

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

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.

"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, 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

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.

1973 France 1-1 ireland WC qualifier
Footballia.net or You Tube

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.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by geysir

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.

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

Italy game from USA 94 is on TG4 tonight

And Ireland - Germany from 2002 on eir Sport on Sunday

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Originally Posted by 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, 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

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Love the massive tricolour on the halfway line

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Love the massive tricolour on the halfway line

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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 ! !

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/sp...olmes-12988326

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?

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

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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)

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

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Originally Posted by 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?

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A miracle really.

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.

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Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

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.

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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

Part 3

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

A miracle really.

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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?

A draw would have done us alright.

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

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

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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

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Originally Posted by seanfhear

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

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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.

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

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?

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Originally Posted by 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?

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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

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Originally Posted by 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?

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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!

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?

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.