Greatest Irish game - biggest high

There have been a few but what I'm talking about is the sense of euphoria you felt at the end - not the greatest result or greatest performance but the greatest high at the end of the game:

For me it was the 1-0 over Holland at Lansdowne. They had done us so many times before, we were down to 10 men, qualification depended on the result and the crowd were really up for it. It was a truly great day. Still hard to believe it really happened

Probably biggest high ever didn't involve an Irish team. I took the day off work to watch Bulgaria vs Scotland in the small hope that the Scots might do it and we'd qualify for the first time for a major championship. It was unbelievably tense stuff after Scotland scored with the ball cleared off the line, Bulgars hitting the post and Hamilton talking about opening the champagne bottle while the ball was fizzing around the Scottish goal (he almost did my head in).

for the biggest 'high' at the end, it would be hard to beat the germany match in ibaraki. last minute goal, around 10,000 irish fans celebrating for around half an hour after the match in the stadium. dutch game was better match and more enjoyable during it, but we were 'relatively' comfortable for the last 5/10 minutes as realistically they needed to score twice to change the inevitable results of the group.

romania, would probably have been even better, but i was only yound and the high of a football match didn't mean so much back then ;)

Agree it has to be the Holland game, never seen anything like it when the final whistle went, absolutely brilliant.

My top three would be:

Keane V Germany - last minute goal which pretty much prevented us from going out in the 1st round

McAteer V Holland - how we won that game I'll never know. The goal was scored directly in front of me and kinda happened in slow motion as I remember it

Quinn V Denmark - awful performance against the European Champions at the time. I couldn't see where the equaliser was coming from until Quinner flicked in a header

I've only included games I was at but Mcloughlin in 1993 was also pretty special.

Another strange one I forgot was Staunton's free kick away to Malta. We were 2-0 up next thing I know it's somehow 2-2 and Malta are the only team in it. Then with about 15 or 20 minutes left (I think) we get a free kick about 30 yards from goal which Staunton puts into the top corner. At that stage of the game it was the only way we could have scored. I was watching it at home and when the goal went in I jumped up and gave the leg of a chair a kick forgetting that I wasn't wearing any shoes. Nearly broke my toe....ah memories.

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Originally Posted by Paulie

Another strange one I forgot was Staunton's free kick away to Malta. We were 2-0 up next thing I know it's somehow 2-2 and Malta are the only team in it. Then with about 15 or 20 minutes left (I think) we get a free kick about 30 yards from goal which Staunton puts into the top corner. At that stage of the game it was the only way we could have scored. I was watching it at home and when the goal went in I jumped up and gave the leg of a chair a kick forgetting that I wasn't wearing any shoes. Nearly broke my toe....ah memories.

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When was that game? I don't remember Malta ever scoring against us, I must have erased that one from the memory!

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Originally Posted by Donal81

When was that game? I don't remember Malta ever scoring against us, I must have erased that one from the memory!

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It was in the campaign for Euro 2000 (it was the group with Croatia & Yugoslavia) so it would have been played in 1999. Robbie Keane and Gary Breen (I think) put us 2-0 ahead. Then Malta scored to make it 2-1. Shortly after they got a penalty to equalise.....but then up stepped Stan! Just to put things into persperctive as to how bad we were Alan Kelly was man of the match by a mile.

Tough call between the Dutch and Germany game.

I was in a sports bar in Limerick for the Holland game, I can still remember watching the ball come out to Finnan on the right, and thinking "hang on, someone's free on the far side of the box...." the rest is history.

For the Germany game I was working in a hotel that was being renovated, the place was gutted, little more than a building site, the manager told us if we got a tv working he'd lay on food and drink (minerals!!) for us, in the 5 weeks I was there, nothing went up so fast as that telly! With us 1 down and injury time just starting, I was staring into my helmet thinking about the work I didn't want to face after losing, looking up, Finnan's hitting a long ball, Quinn, Keane, pandemonium in the room we were in!

1-0 v Holland 2001
You could sense the anticipation before the game then deflation when Jimmy Doyle got sent off and then Jasons goal and watching the Dutch huff and puff with four strikers and no wingers was funny.
1-1 v Germany 2002
Robbie's equaliser because it was late and we was going home.
1-0 v England 1988
When the final whistle eventually went. Some Ingerlund fans even applauded us.
1-0 v Italy 1994
Walking through Little Italy with the blacks and hispanics helping us slag the fcuk out of the linguine eating muthafcukers.
2-2 v Holland 1981
Needed a result in Rotterdam to keep hopes alive. Lawrenson crossed for a Stapleton diving header to equalise.

Raymondo's goal against England at Euro 88. I've never experienced such a euphoria amongst Irish fans since then. I imagine it must have been similar in Giants stadium in 1994.

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Originally Posted by Paulie

It was in the campaign for Euro 2000 (it was the group with Croatia & Yugoslavia) so it would have been played in 1999. Robbie Keane and Gary Breen (I think) put us 2-0 ahead. Then Malta scored to make it 2-1. Shortly after they got a penalty to equalise.....but then up stepped Stan! Just to put things into persperctive as to how bad we were Alan Kelly was man of the match by a mile.

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That really is bizarre. Actually, that was my Leaving Cert. year, I remember not being able to make it to a couple of games or even watch them, such was the pressure. F*cking Malta, blimey, glad I missed that!

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Originally Posted by Donal81

That really is bizarre. Actually, that was my Leaving Cert. year, I remember not being able to make it to a couple of games or even watch them, such was the pressure. F*cking Malta, blimey, glad I missed that!

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Apart from Staunton's goal you didn't miss a lot. It really was a great free kick. If they had 2 goalies it still wouldn't have been saved.

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Originally Posted by stojkovic

1-0 v Holland 2001
1-0 v Italy 1994
Walking through Little Italy with the blacks and hispanics helping us slag the fcuk out of the linguine eating muthafcukers.
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deadly ha ha, would love to have seen that! :D . i first experienced irish football at the age of ten watching that memorable game against Romania, although young, i felt strongly about it and will never forget watching that with my family, so proud that Ireland were doing so well.

Ray houghton's against Italy(94) was a cracker, so fun to watch that goal and to beat the 'invincible' italians!!!

robbie's late goal v germany(02), nearly got me sacked from a summer job in a call centre as i kept going to the break room where the tv was and staying there for long periods of time!!! :eek: the screaming when the goal went in alerted my boss as to where i was :o thank God he was understanding, i said, come on, if scotland was in the wc, u all would be at the telly, no work done! he couldn't disagree!!

i really can't decide, maybe romania, because it introduced me to something i love so much.

No Contest - Ireland v England Euro 88

Changed a nation forever - culminated in the current crop of home grown talent

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Originally Posted by blobbyblob

No Contest - Ireland v England Euro 88

Changed a nation forever - culminated in the current crop of home grown talent

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Agree 100% - all that is good came from that game.

As an aside, best ever game at home has to be the win over the Dutch (2001 not 1980).

The Dutch game 2001 for me but also the second playoff game against Iran, I was on tenderhooks the whole game and when the final whistle finally went, it was euphoria all round, it was certain, we were on our way to japan !
We also went straight to the bar and didn't leave till ... well we woke up the next morning not knowing what had happened the day before ... was it true ? ? ... yes it was ! ! ! ! !

In terms of home games the matches with Portugal (for Euro '96) and Yugoslavia (for Euro 2000) are up there as well.

The Nethelands (01), England (88), Italy (94) and Germany (02), were good, but the one I pick is the Iran game away in November 2001.

I was in Belgium, and kept having to dart out of meetings to keep an eye on the game (I was quite lucky we were able to get BBC over there). For the whole 90 minutes, I couldn't concentrate on anything except whether we were going through.

This was at a time when we'd lost all the previous playoff games we'd played, so it was never sure that we wouldn't bottle it and throw the whole 2002 World Cup qualification away.

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Originally Posted by Donal81

That really is bizarre. Actually, that was my Leaving Cert. year, I remember not being able to make it to a couple of games or even watch them, such was the pressure. F*cking Malta, blimey, glad I missed that!

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Missed that myself with College repeats! :mad: Knew I was going to fail (and did) and was half tempted to skip the exam (or at least leave as early as possible) and head out, but didn't in the end. Don't know whether I'm happy or not that I didn't go in the end!

Denmark v. Spain has to be up there as well - the five minutes after the Ireland v. NI game finished... Very tense - Spain down to ten men with a debutante in goal holding on to their lead...Schmeichel up for the corners...everything riding on a match we weren't even playing in...

Funnily enough, I wasn't nervous at all during the Iran game for some reason. Watched it in work, saw how poor Iran were and knew there was no way they were going to win by enough. The first game though...!

the result of the iran game was a high, but it was a very nervous game for me, i couldn't enjoy it. the away leg was intimidating and you just did not know what was going to happen.

Dutch 2001. Couldn't get a ticket to the game but saw the second half on the big screen in Slane before U2. Atmosphere was tremendous, and the relief when it hit the back of the net

Had gone out and bought a pocket TV type thing so I could watch the first half. About a hundred people crowded around a 4 inch screen :D

Hands down it was McLoughlins goal in November 1993 against the North. The atmosphere was electric, it was Binghams last match if I remember correctly.

has to be the holland match. I too saw it on the big screen at Slane. Was bloody brilliant. Can still remember the scene turning around up the hill at 60,000 odd fans all going ape **** after the goal went in!

Have to say the German match in 2002 simply because of the circumstances. We hadn't played bad, we were disheartened big time by the German goal, we were down and out, people were guaranteed to be going home, it was the last minute, disbelief when Robbie got in, was it side netting? was it offside? No flag, sheer elation. Midday and a hell of a lot of celebrating to do. Has to be my No. 1.

I should also give an honourable mention to Quinner's goal against the Dutch in Italia 90. Again, it was looking bleak, but the huge Irish crowd raise another chant of "Come on you boys in green", Bonner kicks long (for a change :) ), the keeper fumbles, Quinn follows up - goallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!! I was behind the goal with a huge swathe of Irish and the local Italians looked on bewildered at the celebrations. The rest, as they say, is history.

most of the key games have been covered. Another though would be Quinners equaliser against the English at wembley to make it 1-1 (either WC90 qualifiers or Euro92 qualifiers). A sweet side foot with the left peg - left a very impressionable 15/16 year old getting slaughtered for the rest of the evening, the place went mental - brilliant!!!

Has to be the 1-0 against Holland. I was in a pub in Amsterdam and the Dutch media were going on all week about how Ireland were going to be given a beating.

The match in the Arena was great too, when I was sitting in the Dutch section and we were 2-0 up. Pity we ****ed that one up.

Germany 2002
Personally this was great. Because we were in Kashima the day before. And there was nobody about - it seemed pretty much all supporters travelled from Tokyo just before the game. Anyway we met this German journalist who interviewed us for radio. I said words to the effect... "that we were good, because we now played like the Germany of old, with tremendous self belief. The blood and thunder stuff was gone. We'd play right until the end and that they'd need to be careful of Keane and Duff". And when Robbie scored, who just happened to be beside me as we nearly jumped off the stand... Helmut himself. Couldn't get the microphone out quick enough. God knows what I sounded like in Germany! Helmut was good though, he later shouted a few beers.

USSR 1974
Liam's dubut. Don's hat trick. Big Terry Mancini. Cool Steeeeeeevey Heighway. I was sitting on a barrier, behind the goal at the shopping centre end. I'd watched football terraces on tv, been to games before (with memories of losing 2-1 at Lansdowne a year or so earlier to the Soviets). But this was real life. I was hooked. My life has never been the same since.

England 1991
Wembley. We were in the "English end". Quinn scored. There's a split second and then there's people on their feet everywhere. There are no words to describe how I felt but "Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss" is about the closest I can get. And Ray should have buried that chance in the second half.

Belgium 1997
I know we lost this, but for my greatest "10 minutes of away support" - would have to be jsut after Ray scored. It was game on then. But the rest is history.

Latvia & Lithunania 1993
Actually these games were average enough. But we had great overnight train trips. And we ended up in Talinn and this tall blond Finnish girl... well the thread's about greatest "high" at at Ireland game? I remember a great line from a bloke from Clare, Sean, who worked in Germany "An bhfuill tu ag marcuiocht anocht?" [pardon spelling as gaelige, it's been a while].

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Originally Posted by Cav

has to be the holland match. I too saw it on the big screen at Slane. Was bloody brilliant. Can still remember the scene turning around up the hill at 60,000 odd fans all going ape **** after the goal went in!

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Yeah I know, a friend of mine, who is Canadian originally and isn't big on sport, was working security and you guys scared the hell out of him.

I would narrowly have that ahead of Robbie Keane vs Germany.

I remember watching the Dutch game with a few lads in one of their houses, went nuts for McAteer's goal, and even more so for the full time whistle.

The Germany match, man I was in Scotland with a bunch of Scots and English watching the communal tv in our res and was getting more and more depressed, then Robbie scored and I jumped on a random Scot behind me (sorry Calum) ran around the room before sliding, quite painfully, on the concrete floor and screaming out something wonderfully offensive that I won't repeat here.

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Originally Posted by gypsydownunder

Belgium 1997
I know we lost this, but for my greatest "10 minutes of away support" - would have to be jsut after Ray scored. It was game on then. But the rest is history.

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Yes, those few minutes after we scored will remain long in the memory. Then the Belgians get a throw than should have been ours and they score. What annoyed me about that game also was the pathetic Belgian support and the loud music they played at the start to drown out our singing. Mick Mc cried in the tunnel after that game.

I have to admit being in the South Terrace having a perfect view of Houghton's crisp finish and Cascarino's header v Northern Ireland in a 3-0 win in October 1989 was perfect. We were all standing then and the atmosphere was great.

Btw does anyone ever remember in a freindly match v Wales in february 1990 Jacobs gave away hunderds if not thousands of inflatable shamrocks, teh south terradce was littered with them,

i have to say holland at home in 2001. my dad deals with people from holland and they brought him and a few other irish to the ground but the were in the north terrace with the dutch. at the time i didnt even remember the ball hitting the net. just remember finnan crossing and mcateer with acres of space. as soon as he hit it i was out of me seat and hugging me brother.i wrecked me shins hitting the seat in front. the atmosphere in the pubs before hand was great.after the game we went down to the house between the south terrace and west stand and saw the team. was talking to some dutch people and they were totally deflated.we left the ground about 2 hours after the game. we taped the game so we went home and watch the whole lot again.me da came in just as we finished it and then he watched it himself. my mother was going mad :D got such a buzz from that game.

another one was against germany in japan.i didnt return home for 2 days and i had just started work full time the day before the game. watched in the a pub and the atmosphere was great. i could not believe that we could actually outplay the germans. i thought it was one of our best performances under mc carthy.

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Yes, those few minutes after we scored will remain long in the memory. Then the Belgians get a throw than should have been ours and they score. What annoyed me about that game also was the pathetic Belgian support and the loud music they played at the start to drown out our singing. Mick Mc cried in the tunnel after that game.

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My mate still has the same issue with Belgium fans, whenever he's ****ed he goes on and on and on and on about the 'boring' belgium fans that night.


It's getting kinda boring really!

The most memorable match for me was vs Italy in 1994. We were down in Cape Clear off West Cork and packed into a small little pub. Brillant atmosphere and then that famous Cork singer Jimmy Crowley took out his guitar and there was a massive sing-song.

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Originally Posted by davros

Agreed! We beat the Brits/Tans/scum etc...................






& I was the last person out the ground;got locked-in......only out an hr.or so after game! :o To see a near naked Packie Bonnar & Dave O'Leary :eek: ,throwing bottles of beer down to Irish fans(& missing!),whilst shouting abuse about 'the neighbours'!

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Dvae O'Leary wasn't at Euro '88, was he?

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Originally Posted by Glapots

Dvae O'Leary wasn't at Euro '88, was he?

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Correct. He made his 'debut' under Charlton in 1989 at home to Hungary or Malta.

Davros obviously wasnt there either :)