Down memory lane with Roddy Doyle

**NeilMcD** · 18/05/2006, 12:47 PM

No I am not a politician

**geysir** · 18/05/2006, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by KarlosIRL

I've met him in Searsons on Baggot Street before many a game down through the years.
As he says in the piece itself "remember nothing about the '86 qualifying games even though I went to all the home ones."

Then I suspect he spent too much time on the barstool in Searsons before the '86 qual games

His opinions are of course open to debate and I disagree with some of them but I don't believe because he watched a major tournament at home like so many of us for many reasons that he should be labelled a barstooler.

The attitude that Doyle expressed re the EL is condescending, derogatory and ultimately defeatist. To bring it into the public domain in the manner he did sets himself up to receive a barrage of boll�cking. It wasn't just an off the cuff attempt at humor, but an expression of a belief.
I enjoyed his books but strange enough not the bit in the VAN about Italy '90, i thought it was contrived, clich�ed sporting memory a la Joe O'Connor and I didn't relate to it. In this piece he doesn't set himself up as an expert just somebody who shared and wrote about the moment in a pub along with a million others.

**stojkovic** · 19/05/2006, 1:11 AM

Doyle's books are ok but his timing was good. This was the start of the Tiger with all things Irish being embraced all over the world - U2, Cranberries, Riverdance FFS. And the Irish team was viewed as a nice novelty with their English manager. Charlton was more famous than all the players put together.

I went to Euro88, I was earning �100 a week and the trip cost �800 EXCLUDING spending money. The equivalent of �5000 plus spending money today for an eight day trip. I saved for eight months. Upon my return a member of the newly formed (now outlawed) Ole Ole Brigade told me that I missed all the craic in the pub !!!!

Don't know why I bothered going to support my team.

For Italia 90 I bought an inflatable hammer and stayed at home.

Just before 88 we played Brasil in a friendly at Lansdowne. Brasil now, not Malta. 17,000 fans turned up to see Romario and his mates. Two years later 50,000 (and 12,000 inflatable bananas) turned up to see Malta. I was at Brasil game and couldnt get a ticket for Malta. Ole ole ole.

**OwlsFan** · 19/05/2006, 9:59 AM

Or the 14,000 (5000 of whom were Danes) for the final game at Lansdowne of the Eoin Hand era in 1985 against Denmark (1-4 defeat). A mere 3 years later hundreds of thousands welcomed the team back from Germany. The power of TV - that's life.

**gustavo** · 19/05/2006, 10:02 AM

Its just a fact of life that the more successful a team is the more fans it attracts. Would have been stranger if we still only pulled crowds of 14000 post 1988

**OwlsFan** · 19/05/2006, 10:13 AM

That said, I remember Dalymount bursting at the seams with 40K + inside (and on top)

for a friendly against Italy in the 1970s - how anyone wasn't killed that night I'll never know. So the latent support was always there - it just needed the catalyst in "wor" Jack.

**NY Hoop** · 19/05/2006, 10:17 AM

The Italy friendly was in February 1985. Remember the night well. Was also at the Brazil game but thats the football culture in this country.

KOH

**Stuttgart88** · 19/05/2006, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

how anyone wasn't killed that night I'll never know.

Hear hear.

And yes, there were loads of full houses in the pre-Jack days. Spain 3-3, France 3-2 spring to mind. I think the 1-1 against Holland also. Plus even more in the 70s. But equally there were loads of poor turnouts.

Wsan't the Argentina friendly when Maradona made a cameo as a teenager played in front of a full house?

**stojkovic** · 19/05/2006, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Wsan't the Argentina friendly when Maradona made a cameo as a teenager played in front of a full house?

Yes but it was no cameo. Maradona played a full part in 1979 at Lansdowne.

Going back to Brasil 1987, we were in a great position at the time to qualify with i think 2 games left. The real fans were there but the Ole Ole Brigade weren't formed til summer 89. Italy in 1985 were world champions at the time and the fai had to play it at Dalymount because Lansdowne was getting the 'new stand' built. Can you believe that it was 'pay at the door' that night and not all-ticket. Only positive thing that night was McGrath making his debut.

**geysir** · 19/05/2006, 12:21 PM

The last game of the Eoin Hand era. You had to have the resolve of a person facing the firing squad to attend that game. Morale was as low as a Dunphy blow. The Brasil friendly was freakishly low attended.
In the main, support has been from very good to the packed house and roof from 1969 onwards.
I do remember some friendlies, one of which in 1978, absolute meaningless tripe against a cr�p Turkey, mid week, day time ko, attracting an amazing 20,000 plus.

**OwlsFan** · 19/05/2006, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

The last game of the Eoin Hand era. You had to have the resolve of a person facing the firing squad to attend that game.

I was one but as a follower of Sheffield Wednesday I was inured to hardship. It was one of the first time I heard Irish fans booing their team. I remember individuals getting stick (Mick Martin in 3-3 at home to Spain) but seldom had I heard a team getting the bird.

The team for the Denmark game was:

McDonagh (Wichita Wings), Moran (Manchester Utd.), Beglin (Liverpool), Lawrenson (Liverpool), O'Leary (Arsenal), Brady (Inter Milan), McGrath (Manchester Utd.), Grealish (W.B.A.), Cascarino (Gillingham), Stapleton (Manchester Utd.), Sheedy (Everton). Subs: P. Byrne (Shamrock Rovers) for Grealish, Robinson (Q.P.R.) for Sheedy

9 of them (if you include O'Leary) would go on and make a name for themselves under Charlton

**Stuttgart88** · 19/05/2006, 3:08 PM

What was the result in Denmark? I remember us blowing a 3-1 lead in Copenhagen, but thought that was much earlier than 84/85.

**Stuttgart88** · 19/05/2006, 3:09 PM

Originally Posted by stojkovic

Yes but it was no cameo. Maradona played a full part in 1979 at Lansdowne.

My error, I thought he only came on as sub.

**geysir** · 19/05/2006, 3:20 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

What was the result in Denmark? I remember us blowing a 3-1 lead in Copenhagen, but thought that was much earlier than 84/85.

A generaton before, around 1977.
0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 3-3.
Denmark just coming out of imposed amateur status. Simonsen, remember him, tiny, brilliant midfielder, one of the best,..... wore a red shirt

**Dotsy** · 19/05/2006, 3:22 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Hear hear.

And yes, there were loads of full houses in the pre-Jack days. Spain 3-3, France 3-2 spring to mind. I think the 1-1 against Holland also. Plus even more in the 70s. But equally there were loads of poor turnouts.

Wsan't the Argentina friendly when Maradona made a cameo as a teenager played in front of a full house?

The Argentina match was my first Ireland match as a 12 year old. I remember it as been full but the memory of it is a bit vague at this stage. Most matches I was at since then were well attended with the exception, as others have noted, of the Brazil and Denmark matches.

The Brazil one is a strange one but by thetime we played the Denmark match we were well out of contention and it was a miserable day if my memory is corrrect. To be fair to the fans that turned up that day and booed the team it was one of the most miserable performances I have seen up until the end of the last campaign from an Irish team.

**OwlsFan** · 19/05/2006, 3:26 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

What was the result in Denmark? I remember us blowing a 3-1 lead in Copenhagen, but thought that was much earlier than 84/85.

Yep, the 3-3 draw was an earlier game. We lost 3-0 in the 1984-5 campaign. Not a bad Irish side either

http://www.kickinmagazine.ie/interna...184denmark.htm

Wednesday, November 14th, 1984

World Cup qualifier

Idraetspark, Copenhagen

Denmark 3 (Elkjaer 2, Lerby)
Republic of Ireland 0

Ireland: Seamus McDonagh (Notts County), Mark Lawrenson (Liverpool), David O'Leary (Arsenal), Mick McCarthy (Manchester City) Jim Beglin (Liverpool), Liam Brady (Inter Milan), Tony Grealish (West Brom), Kevin Sheedy (Everton), Tony Galvin (Tottenham Hotspur), Frank Stapleton (Manchester Utd) capt, Mickey Walsh (FC Porto)

Subs: Kevin O'Callaghan (Ipswich Town) for Galvin 45 mins

Manager: Eoin Hand

Denmark: Qvist, Sivebaek, Nielsen, Olsen, Busk, Bertelsen, Lerby, Arnesen, Berggreen, Elkjaer, M Laudrup

Subs: Molby for Bertelsen 57 mins, Brylle for Elkjaer 63 mins

Referee: Wurtz (France)

**Stuttgart88** · 19/05/2006, 3:28 PM

weather was OK at home to Denmark is my recollection. late september I think, no? The Danes had most of the East Upper and were in party mode. We had nothing to play for and moreale was non-existant.

Notable crap weather Ireland games include*:

3-3 vs Spain
0-0 vs Norway and it was in June (costly weather, Norway were minnows then)

God knows how many games at Lansdowne have been ruined by wind though.

* utterly pointless list I know but I've an hour left at work & nothing to do.

**geysir** · 19/05/2006, 3:38 PM

The away game against Denmark 0-3. We were still in the Group. Hand's tactics were to hold them out for 20mins. then take the game to them.
We looked good and solid for 20mins. and as soon as we took the game to them we looked even better, then they counter attacked and stung us.
The sure sign of desperation was O'Callaghan coming on.

**Dotsy** · 19/05/2006, 3:54 PM

It was such a depressing game it probably coloured my recollection of what the weather was like.

Conversely I remember a match against Poland just before the Euro 88 tournament (possibly our last game at home). We won 3:0 and I remember it as been a scorcher of a day. Drinking cans in Herbert park after the game with a couple of stunners we met after the match. Oh happy innocent days.