He has Gone to Meet the Long Ball In Football Heaven.
RIP.
RIP Jack. He gave us Euro 88 and Italia 90 times, it was a time of excitement never seen before or since really.
Qualifying for 3 out of 4 tournaments (88, 90, 94) is something we haven't been able to achieve since either, and it's easier to qualify now.
Put football on the map really, and sent out a generation of supporters to put the supporters on the map also.
A giant. We'd be nowhere without what he gave to the team.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
Whatever about his tactics he was a fantastic man motivator.His name will always be associated with happy days.RIP.
And you look at who was in those groups too - Belgium in Euro 88; they'd reached the semi-finals of the previous World Cup, while Bulgaria and Scotland had been at the 1986 competition as well. Spain, Hungary and Northern Ireland in Italia 90 - all had played in the 1986 World Cup. Denmark in 1994 - the reigning European Champions. And the Albania-Latvia-Lithuania triple header away day was a tough one given the circumstances of collapsing communism too.
I'm too young to remember any of Charlton's tenure (born in 91) but as an Irish football fan, I have watched and read a lot about his time and the successes of 90 and 94. He seemed to create competitive sides with fantastic spirit which captured the nation's imagination.
Rest in peace, Big Jack.
He was a big man in all ways, a formidable presence in any company, he could inspire and make you laugh.
It’s almost like losing our national grandad. A generation who grew up with a genuine, heartfelt, belief that Ireland could win the World Cup. A belief that arguably inspired the economic development and growth that was unimaginable in the 80’s. I’ve shed a few tears today, a part of our childhood has died, some of the happiest days we’ll ever know.
As an old fan compared to many on here, he was the man who gave belief to Irish people in general. The first time I went to a pub to watch a game where others showed interest. He didnt care about his lack of knowledge about Ireland, but his passion abouT football was always evident. Football in Ireland was consolidated by him and except for Mick no one has matched his passion or success. A legend and national hero. Vale Jack.
The greatest manager we've ever had, and in many ways a grandad to the nation. I grew up in the late 80s and 90s, it was an incredible time as an Irish football fan. It felt like getting to the knockout stages of major tournaments was par for the course, we know (quite painfully) that isn't the case, but Jack's ability to get the most out of the players made it happen time and again. Under him we always felt we had a decent chance no matter how good the opposition was on paper.
He's responsible for so many happy memories, Stuttgart 88, Quinn sweeping the ball past van Breukelen, the brilliant chip by Houghton over Pagliuca in Giants Stadium, Jack doing a cheeky commentary on live TV for the Norway game and circumventing the ban (which followed the Mexican game in Orlando).
In my opinion someone who contributed so much to Irish sport should get a state funeral a major statue (I know there is one in Cork airport) or a stadium named after him, but it will be difficult to do some of those things with the virus situation. You'd hope the FAI could arrange some kind of tribute to him when we next play, the Austrian FA did a very touching tribute to Ernst Happel in their next game after he died in 1992.
How about a Thread merge. Tighten things up a bit :lol:
Not blogged in a long time but had to put a few words down to make the passing of such a legend.
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RIP Jack, more Irish than the Irish!
Thanks for the memories, Jack.
Rest easy big fella '...
RIP.
PS. Did Jack Charlton's Politics Actually Cost Him The Chance To Manage England? | Balls.ie
https://www.balls.ie/uncategorized/j...england-352128
Last edited by ArdeeBhoy; 12/07/2020 at 10:15 AM.
What can I say about Big Jack ? I was of a generation who thought we'd never qualify for anything. I think my first match was in 1964 when I was 10. We had good sides with big names in English football but couldn't quite get there. World Cups and Euros were for other nations and then Jack was appointed: a winner. I remember that great sports writer, Con Houlihan, wrote a scathing article about his appointment. I kept it because I knew he'd be wrong as I had seen what Jack had done at Sheffield Wednesday. On the way to be relegated to the old 4th division, he turned everything round and when he left they were challenging to be promoted to the old 1st division. I sent the article back to Con after Italia 90 but he didn't reply. Even great writers can be wrong sometimes.
I will never forget the Scottish game in Sofia and the unbelievable excitement that we HAD QUALIFIED for a tournament at last. I rang my friend (subsequently to fall out with over Saipan) with whom I had travelled to all foreign parts supporting Ireland and we immediately agreed we were off to Germany. I can still remember that Aer Lingus plane carrying the team landing in Germany for the tournament: how emotional was that? Ireland was on the world stage.
The rest is history and it's all down to Big Jack. It irked me a bit that the team I had followed through thick and thin with the hardcore supporters suddenly became a national phenomenon. It was like as if someone came up to me and said you're now following Manchester United. But that support was always there really. It just needed a catalyst. I had almost been crushed to death at internationals in Dalymount well before Jack and even FAI Cup Finals (e.g Rovers v Waterford in 1969). The attacks by the RTE Panel on him also sickened me but that's what we do in Ireland for ratings. It can never be taken away from Jack that he was the first to fulfill my and thousands of others dreams. To sing Amhrán na bhFiann at a major tournament and for the team to perform at those tournaments was just unbelievable. I had always intended to go to his funeral wearing the green top but it is now to be. There aren't many people in the world about whom you can say they fulfilled your dream: Jack was one for me. Thanks Jack
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
The Euro 88 campaign was when i started going to the games, i was at italia 90 and stood on the kop in 95 when we sang him off the pitch when it was obvious his term was at an end. what a journey it was...... lived and loved every minute of it.
his tactics were often criticised but for every Egypt 90 performance there was an Italy 94, England wembley 91 and USSR 88 performance where we played supposed superpowers of the game at the time off the park with no small amount of excellent football. in 94 we beat holland (with a greatly depleted team) and germany away before beating Italy at the WC..... incredible run of victories really.
RIP Jack.
the new Lansdowne road stadium lacks character. often thought a couple of statues remembering the greats of our game just outside the ground would be a great addition. couldn't think of a more appropriate candidate for this than Jack
i had thought that mythical black book that Jack kept was just an amusing anecdote but in fact it was a tsunami of a witchunt carried out against Jack in 1970. The media conducted a campaign demanding Leeds sack him, The FA said he would not play for England again, he had to answer to 3 charges. His saintly brother even stuck the boot in, in a newspaper article.
Off the Ball on Newstalk had a series of interviews with high profile players of Jack's yesterday- Mick McCarthy, Ray Houghton, Kevin Sheedy, Kevin Moran, Jason McAteer, Mark Lawrenson, as well as Johnny Giles.
John Duggan is on interviewing duty and doesn't appear to be very well prepared or capable of coaxing the interviewees into expanding on certain points or stories. Still worth a listen, if only to your own selections. I enjoyed Moran, McAteer, Giles, Houghton and Mick a lot.
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