25 Years ago - Happy Anniversary!

[ArdeeBhoy]

I'm trying to think of my first memory of watching Ireland play. A game against Wales with Ian Rush playing springs to mind. I think it was played in snow with an orange ball. Probably around the 1989/90 period.
Can anyone remember if that happen?

There was one in 90 and another in 91. Both friendlies. The first a 1-0 win in Landsdowne, the second a 3-0 in Wrexham. You may be right about the snow nearly getting one called off, I remember the orange ball on a hard white surface now you say it. Cant be sure if it was Wales, but it was definitely around that time. I seem to remember Bernie Slaven scoring Vs Wales in one of these games but may well be wrong.

http://www.fai.ie/international/seni...1982-2010.html

T'was Wrexham with the, er, orange ball.
Perhaps we should use one more often...

[ArdeeBhoy]

yeah AB email me as well man!!!!

On my Fbk page...

[IsMiseSean]

I'm wrong about it being my first memory of Ireland playing so, I thought that game came before Italia 90, which I remember watching.
I'm mixing it up with Slaven's debut game.

[pineapple stu]

There was another game against Wales played in Tolka; Kevin Sheedy's last game. Finished 2-1 in early 1993. Can't remember if there was an orange ball though. Would that be the one?

Info from post 174 here might help

[tetsujin1979]

There was another game against Wales played in Tolka; Kevin Sheedy's last game. Finished 2-1 in early 1993. Can't remember if there was an orange ball though. Would that be the one?

Info from post 174 here might help

that might be the one I'm thinking of, we went 1-0 down IIRC?

[pineapple stu]

Yep (except for the Liam O'Brien free kick bit) - details here.

I remember Ronnie Whelan being subbed on and odd; might be the only time that's happened in an Ireland game? Probably the first anyway, given you need to be able to use two subs for it to happen, and that didn't arrive till relatively recently.

What's the story with Coyne for McLoughlin on 0 minutes? A very early injury, or an injury in the warm-up? That's not usually marked as a sub though. Or is it just a typo?

[Charlie Darwin]

I'm sure there have been players who were subbed on and then got injured in recent history. It would be strange if it hadn't happened over the hundreds of internationals since substitutions were brought in.

[gastric]

I'm sure there have been players who were subbed on and then got injured in recent history. It would be strange if it hadn't happened over the hundreds of internationals since substitutions were brought in.

Just on that, I remember in the 80s when Bulgaria were our nemesis in terms of WC qualification, and two Irish players and and two Bulgarians were sent off for fighting. One of the Irish players had just come on to the ground when he got his marching orders.

Edit:
Just found this website which gives great info on such incidents.

http://www.soccer-ireland.com/footba...ccer-facts.htm