Your own favourite mental reaction to an Irish goal?

[BonnieShels]

Same goal for me

I was about 8 rows directly behind the Italian goal which the ledge scored into

About 30 mins earlier Italy scored a goal which put them 2-1 up.....but unknowingly to me it was ruled offside as my head was in my hands.
However about a few seats over from me and my mates there was a group of 3 17/18 yr old irish lads who started cheering.....Regrettably I took this as a some smartarse irish lads were cheering cos the opposition scored against us in a MUST WIN game. I was fuming.....so I went over to them and told them that if they want to cheer for Italy then to F&&k off up to the Italian end.

The poor lads looked so confused at me as I went on my rant. As my rant ended ....one of them said "mate we're cheering cos it was ruled offside" to which I replied "What???". I looked at the scoreboard and saw it was still 1-1.
Apart from feeling like a grade A **** , I was very relieved - after the lads kindly accepted my very humble apologies, I went back to my seat as my mates looked very confused at me.

Fast forward to 86th min, Hunty who had come on and was causing the Italians all sorts of trouble to the Italians, was standing over the ball after Mcgeady won a free kick. As he stood over the ball , Croke Park roared with chants of IRELAND , IRELAND.....every fan was on their feet.
Hunty took the free kick sublimely into the Italian box.....from where I stood , I could see ledger had gotten away from his marker and then he did this forward dive at me ....his head hit the ball and it nestled into the Italian net

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzsdfQghqUo

I just remember ...pure elation..Croke park was literally shaking with ppl going crazy in the stands. After I went mental with my mates....I hopped up and my seat and managed to get over to the 3 young lads from earlier where I embraced all 3 of them and the 4 of us just celebrated like crazy together.


Ive been to the Holland game in 2001, I loved when Keane scored against Yugoslavia in 1999 in Lansdowne and france in paris in 2009 but for some reason that night in croke park and that goal and amazing atmosphere always gives me goose bumps

That was one of the greatest Irish games ever. Stunning watch. Kennedy's goal was sublime.

[back of the net]

That was one of the greatest Irish games ever. Stunning watch. Kennedy's goal was sublime.

Ah I remember the flares going off and just going crazy in the stands ...............what a brilliant game.

And it was played with some really good football by both sides.
That Yugoslavia side was an excellent side.
I believe im right in saying that after the game...the Yugoslav coach said something to the effect of "football won tonight" due to what a great game it was

But as great as kennedys goal was ....I loved quinns flicked header on to Robbie, whose sublime run on and half volleyed finish into the bottom corner.....BRILLIANT GOAL

For your viewing pleasure Bonnie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTERrBF2gRs

[BonnieShels]

Ah I remember the flares going off and just going crazy in the stands ...............what a brilliant game.

And it was played with some really good football by both sides.
That Yugoslavia side was an excellent side.


But as great as kennedys goal was ....I loved quinns flicked header on to Robbie, whose sublime run on and half volleyed finish into the bottom corner.....BRILLIANT GOAL

For your viewing pleasure Bonnie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTERrBF2gRs

I'd forgotten how good Robbie's goal was. They were some pair together.

Stankovic's goal was pretty special too.

I would love to watch that whole game again and see if it was as good as I remember it to be.

EDIT: No wonder it was a cracker. Collina was ref.

[back of the net]

I'd forgotten how good Robbie's goal was. They were some pair together.

Stankovic's goal was pretty special too.

I would love to watch that whole game again and see if it was as good as I remember it to be.

I was 20 when I saw it ......I honestly believe it was as good as u remember it.
Remember it like it was yday

[BonnieShels]

I was 20 when I saw it ......I honestly believe it was as good as u remember it.
Remember it like it was yday

Jaysus. I was 15.

That was some qualifying campaign all-in-all. Some great results. But that Suker goal still sticks in the craw.

And the less said about Skopje the better. That was my most violent reaction to a goal against us ever.

[back of the net]

Jaysus. I was 15.

That was some qualifying campaign all-in-all. Some great results. But that Suker goal still sticks in the craw.

And the less said about Skopje the better. That was my most violent reaction to a goal against us ever.

As great as we were in that campaign and as much as it kills me to say it - we threw that campaign away

That night in Macedonia in 1999 and Gilardinos goal that night in Croke Park - still haunt me!!!

[BonnieShels]

As great as we were in that campaign and as much as it kills me to say it - we threw that campaign away

That night in Macedonia in 1999 and Gilardinos goal that night in Croke Park - still haunt me!!!

Yip. Both killers.

And yes we completely bottled that campaign.

That we could lose that night against Croatia and still be in with a shout at winning the group at the end speaks volumes as to how close us, Croatia and Yugoslavia were in quality.

[paul_oshea]

It was text and then they revealed in twitter.

#properfam botnet

[SkStu]

I'd forgotten how good Robbie's goal was. They were some pair together.

Stankovic's goal was pretty special too.

I would love to watch that whole game again and see if it was as good as I remember it to be.

EDIT: No wonder it was a cracker. Collina was ref.

Was at that game too and it is always up there with the best games I've been too. It had everything and the atmosphere leaving the ground was electric. I said to my friend and brother leaving that night that the good times were back. We'd missed 96 & 98 at that stage. Brilliant game.

I think Keano v Germany has to take it though for sheer elation. As someone earlier said they were, I too was doing the maths about how we would progress, then bedlam. Spilled out of a pub in Blackrock and ran along Main Street.

[back of the net]

Was at that game too and it is always up there with the best games I've been too. It had everything and the atmosphere leaving the ground was electric. I said to my friend and brother leaving that night that the good times were back. We'd missed 96 & 98 at that stage. Brilliant game.

.

Jesus what I would give to have those nights back at Lansdowne road...........its been way too long - heartbreaking

Think that's why the Italy game in croke park means so much to me - was the first time in along time we had such a big game and with such a special atmosphere

[DeLorean]

I'm surprised to see the Italy Croke Park game get so much attention. The fact that a win wouldn't have been much more use than a draw in terms of qualification has it well down the pecking order for me. It would have been great to win and all that but wouldn't rank alongside some of the others, for me, even if we had held on. That said, I wasn't at the game so maybe I would have felt it more if I had been.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'm surprised to see the Italy Croke Park game get so much attention. The fact that a win wouldn't have been much more use than a draw in terms of qualification has it well down the pecking order for me. It would have been great to win and all that but wouldn't rank alongside some of the others, for me, even if we had held on. That said, I wasn't at the game so maybe I would have felt it more if I had been.

I'd say a lot of it has to do with how long it's been since we got a win over one of the big teams, plus it was at home.

[back of the net]

it was more - the belief and the passion was back , - the crowd turned out in their droves and they expected
The return of the old atmosphere.
I remember the teams walking out onto to the pitch and croker erupting....Glenn Whelan crying into his jersey as he celebrated his goal - bloody excellent!!
Tardelli going crazy on the sideline celebrating and ledger going bezerk when he scored against the advertising boards on the davin stand end of croker.

"Were all part of jackies army" blaring out over the tannoy - brilliant

Have always loved the below photo from that game - the expression on keanos face when the ledge scored and croke park went into meltdown
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/...92_468x333.jpg

[Charlie Darwin]

Is that Martin Rowlands?

[back of the net]

Is that Martin Rowlands?

Yeah it is - he came on as a sub with about 5 mins left as far as I can remember

[paul_oshea]

I remember that the two Italians in front of me getting really angry with me when I was jumping and slapping them on the back and trying to get them to celebrate with me . idiots. ...

[tetsujin1979]

Yeah, I know I love it when a complete stranger hits me and starts screaming at me in a language I don't understand

[back of the net]

Yeah, I know I love it when a complete stranger hits me and starts screaming at me in a language I don't understand

But they should have understood ......it was PAULISIO O'SHEASIO afterall

[paul_oshea]

They had perfect English. They should have completely understood me and what going 2-1 up in croke park meant.

besides I was saying forza irlanda. ..and I wasn't on about some political movement or party!

[pineapple stu]

But you were hitting them at a time when they'd rather you'd ****ed off? (Having just conceded a goal and all that)