15 Years to the day

[crc]

I was 8 too!

I don't remember much about the game, or even the penalty shoot-out, but I remember everyone going crazy in the streets of Buncrana - hanging out of cars, sitting on the roof and the bonnet!

[Ash]

And heres a video clip, scroll down the page

http://netsoc.ucd.ie/~justy/90s.html

[Danny]

was this game not on the 25th June ?

Clickity Click

Twas a great one though

[Stuttgart88]

Ha Ha. You're right actually! the Italy game was 30th, 5 days later.

[Colm55]

At a friend's little sister's birthday party (I was about 8 at the time). We watched the game in the back garden and when Dave O'Leary scored, we all went out onto the road and everyone started beeping the horns on cars. Not much of a story but what a memory...

Was at something very, very similar myself, only I was nine at the time, some memories though,
didn't know too much about Germany 88 only what my brother told me at the time cos he had the sticker album, and i asked questions about it. but Italia 90 and all the qualifiers, getting off early from school to watch the home qualifiers cos lansdowne had no floodlights, the feeling of nostalgia is quite amazing...

[Junior]

Anyone seen the picture of O'Connell street during the penalty shoot out (uts in the book Whats the story). Not a soul on the street - eerie...............


Myself, I watched the 90 minutes in the Grove in Manchester with about a 1000 other paddies, I was about 16 at the time and had thoroughly enjoyed watching the games so far in the tournament.

At the time I had a Part Time job stacking shelves at Tesco's. And being the consciencous young soul that I was, I wnet to do my evening shift, not getting home till about half ten that night totally unaware of how extra time etc... had gone.

My mum met me at the door with a big grin and couldn't believe I didn't know the outcome.

Funny, the things you find important when you are young. I had a commitment to Tescos and I wasn't going to let them down, jaysus if it was now, I wouldn't miss any of the game and would probably have missed work for the next 2 or 3 days!!!!!!!

[strangeirish]

I was watching the game over here and it was the first time US tv showed the world cup. Settled in at a pub with about 20 local sawker lads. 10 mins into the game they break for a fcuking ad. This went on during the whole broadcast! Talk about nearly having a caniption and listening to the yank announcers was really p***ing me off. By the time O'Leary scored I was sh**faced on the floor and don't remember too much after that!!!! Anyway, when I woke up and got to my house, I rang home and my brother said that the whole town of Newbridge was out on the main street going mad and causing traffic to be at a standstill.

[Donal81]

I remember the qualifiers for the 1990 World Cup. I was more of a GAA fan at the time but remember staying up late while my da watched Spain v Ireland when we got beat 2-0. He had the radio on as well because the connection was so poor on RTE. I kept asking my da what it meant, "why aren't we winning," etc. I was so young and so used to associating us with winning that I genuinely didn't understand how we could actually lose. Oh the innocence of it...By the end of the qualifiers, GAA had been relegated to second place where it's remained ever since compared to following Ireland.

Christ, I've read some accounts of the whole 1988-1990 thing as being the dominant factor in creating the Celtic Tiger, never mind Charlie Haughey, the IFSC, corporation tax, etc, etc. The tricolour also became fashionable again, after decades of being associated with coffins at IRA funerals. Some famous quote goes "we took the flag back from the Provos." I wish I had been a bit older at the time to take it all in.

Didn't make it out to see the team home from Italy. Kerry were playing Cork in Pairc Ui Caoimh on the same day and the old man brought me down. I wouldn't be so bitter about it today had the Rebel b*stards not hammered us.

[Fergie's Son]

I was watching the game over here and it was the first time US tv showed the world cup.

Not to be a pedant but the major U.S. networks have been showing at least the quater finals onwards since 1982 (1986 for certain).

I was 16 at the time and I watched it at my Granddad's house. Amazing stuff. Right after the penalty though my Uncle got a call that his Uncle had fallen and was in a bad way. So we all went over to help him out which put a bit of a downer on the day.

[ccfcgirl]

I was 11 ,i watched the game at home with my dad.I remember when david o L WENT UP TO TAKE PENO ,my dad was cursing saying not him ,but he scored and we were screaming .

[strangeirish]

Not to be a pedant but the major U.S. networks have been showing at least the quater finals onwards since 1982 (1986 for certain).

No worries. I should have said it was the first time they showed all the games.

[Cowboy]

Met some lads from ballyfermot out there and queued up for two hours in sweltering heat for tickets. There were stories going round that Dr Tony O' Neill has some Italian official by the throat in order to get more tickets. Stayed in a small hotel out on the coast where the wonderful host actually loaned guys some lire when we arrived as all the buros were closed. Also remeber a guy who is now an LOI referee dancing in the fountain afterwards.

****e game for the neutrals though

[lopez]

Sad to hear about your dad OwlsFan, but the support was packed full of daytrippers although I'm not too sure it was muted (lot louder than most recent games). I was in a bank with Conchita in Genoa when this banker asked me for my shirt. He had an Italian replica except this one was minus the diadora (the Azzurri shirt did not carry this logo but all replicas did). It was like being offered an Irish shirt without the eircom cr*p.

Anyway I swapped but it wasn't long before mingling among the Irish I was getting some dirty looks. One Dub comes up to me and says: 'Why don't you Italians leave our f*cking women alone?' They thought Conchita was over for some boloney as well as the football. Got myself an Ireland scarfe to look a bit more Irish but it didn't seem to work that much. The shirt ended up being theived in a place called Latina, down the coast from Rome while it was hanging out of my hotel window after being washed. Great times all the same.

[sligoman]

I was nearly 2 years old so my memories are slightly faded

[Dotsy]

Had to come home after the first round as we had run out of cash and were due back at work. Watched the match in the pub. Couldn't bring myself to watch O'Leary take his peno. Shed a tear or two when we won. Every body bailing out of the pub at full time and the brilliant atmosphere on the streets.

[wallis]

Had my maths A-level that afternoon. Rushed through a 3 hour exam in 45 minutes. Asked to be excused and ran home in time for the kick off. Got the beers out of the fridge and screamed the house down during penalties.

August 18th 1990 - A level maths result - 'U' (for ungraded , didnt even get enough marks to get an 'N' (for Nearly graded))

[Green Army Girl]

I think this pictures sums up what were all felt that day. Mind u ive seen better similes. Is it true that up in Donegal they named a boat Timofte.

www.clubi.ie/fpage/history/pics/90irevrom2.html

[Baker]

[QUOTE=Green Army Girl]I think this pictures sums up what were all felt that day. Mind u ive seen better similes. Is it true that up in Donegal they named a boat Timofte.

QUOTE]
I think thats one of Jimmy Magees stories alright.

I think it was before the last world cup one of the Sunday papers printed an interview with Timofte. He now owns a bar in his home town back in Romania called Penalty!