First Away Trip Following Ireland

[Junior]

I was at that too. But it was 94 about 3 weeks before the World Cup.

Yeah you're probably right I wasnt sure of the exact date and it was pre world cup after we had qualified. Got back stage with Oasis the night before the game, they played a gig in Windsor (about 500 people there - think they had just released their first ever single, supersonic?)

I was in the end opposite the Bobby Moore stand, the Centenary stand I think its called. 'Gonna send you a post card..sendddd you a postcard' was one of the ditties we taunted the local hammers with

I bought one of those crappy white t-shirts outside the ground

"Big Jack Cracked it"
"Taylor **** it"

Do I not like that!!!

Still have it somewhere as a momento.......

[Paulie]

Latvia in 1994. A 3-0 win as far as I remember. Aldridge scored his customary brace against them with John Sheridan (I think) getting one from outside the box.

[OwlsFan]

Latvia in 1994. A 3-0 win as far as I remember. Aldridge scored his customary brace against them with John Sheridan (I think) getting one from outside the box.

I was at the one in the previous campaign where we won 2-0. A happy hunting ground

[DeLorean]

Beautiful Bratislava way back in September 2007

[OwlsFan]

Beautiful Bratislava way back in September 2007

Have yet to see the good days then? I patiently waited 34 years before we qualified for anything. Could happen again.

[Hibernian]

I have to say I have enjoyed this thread asd much as any from fans old enough to remember the great, good bad and ugly days in Irish international football

My first experience was France October 2004 (I suppose half the country was there that day) what a great weekend that was and really made me realise what I had missed out on when younger. I was in college in Swansea at the time and myself and 2 mates got bus which was full of O.A.P getting bus tour around Paris for weekend as we were going for the ****up and the football of course.

I remember the french people shaking our hands at end of game saying what great side we were and what a laugh the whole experience was..

My only other away days were the double header against Czech and Slovakia.

One thing that did surprise me was ye guys saying as many as 5,000 people going to some of the Ireland games etc. That sounds like huge crowd considering the luck of the team at the time etc..

Can I ask ye guys what was your feelings after games against Belgium in (1981 I think the one where ref was supposed to have given the home side everything)

Just interested to know what yer best and worst experiences were.

thanks in advance

[NeilMcD]

My first home game was Jack Charltons first game against Wales and my first away trip was Scotland away in 2003 which was Brian Kerr's first game.

[Docboy]

First away game was the 2-2 draw with the Dutch in Amsterdam in October 2000. Remember being up in the stands rather the worse for wear and commenting to my pals that the local smoke was really rather fine as it made it seem as if we were playing the Dutch off the park. And to think Kilbane was through on goal before dragging his shot wide. Happy days even if we should have won

[gspain]

Can I ask ye guys what was your feelings after games against Belgium in (1981 I think the one where ref was supposed to have given the home side everything)

Just interested to know what yer best and worst experiences were.

thanks in advance

There was no supposing about it.

http://www.tribune.ie/archive/articl...win-this-game/

It was subsequently proven years later that Belgium's leading club Anderlect were bribing referees at the time. They beat Nottm Forest 3-0 when Forest were a top european side subsequently proved to be thanks to a bribed referee. I have no doubt Raul Nazare was bribed by the Belgians. I've seen plenty of bad refereeing in my time and even blatant biased referees but nothing even close to this one.

We were done v Bulgaria in 77 thanks to a perfectly good goal being disallowed at 1-1. However France were also done there too.

My worst experience away was definitely Cyprus 2006.

[Hibernian]

There was no supposing about it.

http://www.tribune.ie/archive/articl...win-this-game/

It was subsequently proven years later that Belgium's leading club Anderlect were bribing referees at the time. They beat Nottm Forest 3-0 when Forest were a top european side subsequently proved to be thanks to a bribed referee. I have no doubt Raul Nazare was bribed by the Belgians. I've seen plenty of bad refereeing in my time and even blatant biased referees but nothing even close to this one.

We were done v Bulgaria in 77 thanks to a perfectly good goal being disallowed at 1-1. However France were also done there too.

My worst experience away was definitely Cyprus 2006.

I remember Anderlect getting punished and all for that and remember Eoin Hand mentioning it few times about the Belgium result..If we had got draw in that game would Ireland have qualified for Wc 82..I think they would am I right

same with Bulgaria was that goal disallowed to stand would Ireland have got too Wc 1978?

Were any of ye on the Russia trip in 2002 away when ireland lost 4-2? im sure its been brought up but i heard it was scary experience for many?

[Sumac]

First away game was Macedonia, the night they scored the last minute equaliser - Not the greatest memory!
I thing it was 1999

[gspain]

I remember Anderlect getting punished and all for that and remember Eoin Hand mentioning it few times about the Belgium result..If we had got draw in that game would Ireland have qualified for Wc 82..I think they would am I right

same with Bulgaria was that goal disallowed to stand would Ireland have got too Wc 1978?

Were any of ye on the Russia trip in 2002 away when ireland lost 4-2? im sure its been brought up but i heard it was scary experience for many?

In 82 we would have topped the group and qualified with France had we drawn in Brussels and all other results stayed the same. We still had to gain a draw in Holland and beat France in Dublin after the trip to Brussels so extra pressure and expectation would have ensued. With Stapleton's disallowed goal, Gerets dive and the push on McDonagh a draw was the least we deserved. We deserved to qualify ahead of the Belgians in 82. France also caught a break as they put 7 past Cyprus on their then new grass pitch in Limassol whereas the Dutch, Belgians and ourselves scrambled wins on sand in Nicosia. They only beat us on goal difference.

In the 78 campaign we had another perfectly good goal disallowed in Paris which would have made it 1-1 with 20 minutes to go. However the French were denied by a dodgey last minute penalty in Sofia too. We should have gone 2-1 up in Sofia too. Bulgaria subsequently drew in Dublin but we were already out and they needed 2 draws to qualify but the French beat them. In fairness France were probably the best team in the group then.

WC82 and Euro76 were the two campaigns for me where we deserved to qualify. We blew it in 76 losing to a bad Swiss team and in 82 Raul Nazare takes the blame.

[OwlsFan]

The worst experience away: losing to the Dutch in Gelsenkirchen in Euro 88. For a start the game was right on the Dutch border which was a disgrace and about 8/10ths of the ground was a mass of orange bedecked supporters. We held out for most of the game and then they score with a lucky goal. Heart break. Many Irish fans in tears at the end of that one - so close and yet so far.

I was also at that Belgian game we lost. Miserable night weather wise and result wise. Didn't think we were robbed at the game as you don't see as much. It was only the TV viewers who said so afterwards.

[DeLorean]

the game was right on the Dutch border which was a disgrace and about 8/10ths of the ground was a mass of orange bedecked supporters

Why was this a disgrace? wouldn't the venues and stuff been organised in advance? am I missing something, probably I suspect

Have yet to see the good days then?

I guess. Don't know why I didn't start going to away matches earlier to be honest. Prague made up for Bratislava as a place alright but obviously the result didn't improve

I have to say I have enjoyed this thread asd much as any from fans old enough to remember the great, good bad and ugly days in Irish international football

Excellent thread, completely agree

[mypost]

Moscow 2002. We invaded the place.

Crazy trip in many ways. Only been to Bratislava in 2007 since. I was in Prague as well, but for numerous reasons, didn't get to see the game in the ground, and had to watch it in the hotel room instead.

[Mayo Red]

My first away match was against Norway at USA '94 in the Giants Stadium, 0-0 draw to qualify for the knockout stages. Big Jack was serving his touchline ban for his row with the officials in Orlando, but he got some reception when he came out on the pitch after the match had finished! The match itself was nothing to write home about and I would have loved to have been there for the Italy game, but it was still an amazing experience to be there and see Giants Stadium crammed full of Irish!!

[jbyrne]

Were any of ye on the Russia trip in 2002 away when ireland lost 4-2? im sure its been brought up but i heard it was scary experience for many?

was in russia 02. i heard more bad stories than i actually saw. after the game we were encouraged not to go out of the hotel as there were reports of trouble. at one stage a rumour went round that 2 Irish fans had been stabbed and killed (proved to be untrue) and another rumour went round that a gas canister was thrown through a mcdonalds window were a lot of our fans were eating at the time. think i am correct in saying that the russian government sent a letter to an Irish paper apologising for what Irish fans had to endure. result apart i enjoyed the trip

[Junior]

was in russia 02. i heard more bad stories than i actually saw. after the game we were encouraged not to go out of the hotel as there were reports of trouble. at one stage a rumour went round that 2 Irish fans had been stabbed and killed (proved to be untrue) and another rumour went round that a gas canister was thrown through a mcdonalds window were a lot of our fans were eating at the time. think i am correct in saying that the russian government sent a letter to an Irish paper apologising for what Irish fans had to endure. result apart i enjoyed the trip

Yeah was at that myself with the mrs. Saw zero trouble whatsoever but on the day of the game some Irish fans on our bus had got a beating the night before. Also our hotel foyer had been trashed by some football hoolies whilst myself and herslef were out having a meal. We were just very lucky not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Result was a shambles but we really enjoyed Moscow as a city.....

If you pull up the old thread on this site after the game you can read all about the fans experiences - there was uproar when we got back, most fans claiming they would never set foot in Russia again.......


As for worst experience, well there has been a few but Id say Skopje in 99 probably tops the lot. We went from 1st place automatic qualification to 3rd place nada with the flick of a head in the 93rd minute....absolutely gut wrenching stuff. The Macedonain fans celebrating like theyd won the world cup didnt help, I suppose they had effectively put Yugoslavia through at that point and the majority probably still had an affinity with them (simply put I know!!)

[OwlsFan]

Why was this a disgrace? wouldn't the venues and stuff been organised in advance? am I missing something, probably I suspect

Totally biased choice of ground to favour the Dutch. It would be like, hmmmm, us playing in the Finals in the UK and we get to play our final game (which was always going to be the decider) in Belfast or Newry.

[jbyrne]

Totally biased choice of ground to favour the Dutch. It would be like, hmmmm, us playing in the Finals in the UK and we get to play our final game (which was always going to be the decider) in Belfast or Newry.

but surely the venues were chosen before the qualifiers were known? also, why on earth would the germans want to accomodate one of their biggest rivals?