Ireland's longest serving fans

[JossCrowley]

How many years have you been attending Ireland matches? Was just thinking about how there must be some of you out there who have been going to games for years and years?

[OwlsFan]

First away game Paris in 1974 (France 2 0 Ireland). First home game. I remember being brought by my parents to an Ireland vs Iceland game at Dalymount I think which Ireland won comfortably but I have no idea when that was. First match on my own might have been Hungary 1-2 in 1969 but I can't be sure. We used to lose them all at home in those days.

First great home victories I remember were the Givens 7 goals in Soviet Union 3-0 and Turkey 4-0. Standing under the shed behind the goal at Dalymount with 100 people on the roof above: now I wonder how it never collapsed but then it wouldn't cast me a thought.

[gspain]

First home game - Switzerland May 1975.

First Away game - Holland September 1981

My first football match would have been Limerick at the Markets Field towards the end of 70/71 season. Not sure which game.

[gspain]

First away game Paris in 1974 (France 2 0 Ireland). First home game. I remember being brought by my parents to an Ireland vs Iceland game at Dalymount I think which Ireland won comfortably but I have no idea when that was. First match on my own might have been Hungary 1-2 in 1969 but I can't be sure. We used to lose them all at home in those days.

First great home victories I remember were the Givens 7 goals in Soviet Union 3-0 and Turkey 4-0. Standing under the shed behind the goal at Dalymount with 100 people on the roof above: now I wonder how it never collapsed but then it wouldn't cast me a thought.

Paris would have been 76. Iceland would have to be 62.

[soccerc]

Home, Poland in '69. Away England '80

[OwlsFan]

Paris would have been 76. Iceland would have to be 62.

Thanks. Correct: 1976 (first time abroad ever). DO you happen to know the Iceland score? Was it 4-1 or something like that.

[OwlsFan]

My first football match would have been Limerick at the Markets Field towards the end of 70/71 season. Not sure which game.

I was going to Milltown in the mid-1960s. Think Al Finucane was the big Limerick star then or he might have been 1970s.

[casso36]

Started going to matches at the age of 7 and that was 30 years ago.
And for the life of me can't remember match.

As you will see i'm not as old as the rest!!!

[paul_oshea]

DO you happen to know the Iceland score? Was it 4-1 or something like that.

what kinda fan are you? were you just going for the craic?!?!

[Wolfie]

Ireland v Switzerland, 1985.

I was ten years old and we won 3 nil.

[gspain]

Thanks. Correct: 1976 (first time abroad ever). DO you happen to know the Iceland score? Was it 4-1 or something like that.

4-2 we won. European Championship qualifier. Did you make the next round v Austria a year later when we recorded one of our greatest ever wins?

Al Finucane first played for us circa 1963 and went to Waterford from 1973-1981.

[gspain]

Home, Poland in '69. Away England '80

Probably being too pedantic but it would have been 1968 (2-2) or 1970 (lost 2-1). We didn't play Poland in 1969.

[soccerc]

Probably being too pedantic but it would have been 1968 (2-2) or 1970 (lost 2-1). We didn't play Poland in 1969.

Gary

You've pointed this out to me before - it was the 2-2 draw and for some reason I have it stuck in my head that it was '69. Then again I was only a nipper and was probably only brought so the old man could have a pint.

[lopez]

Holland away 1981.

[OwlsFan]

4-2 we won. European Championship qualifier. Did you make the next round v Austria a year later when we recorded one of our greatest ever wins?

Don't think so. Never remember going to a game after that with my parents. I think my mother (being a farmer's daughter from Waterford) was a bit shocked by the language used by the "Dublin gurriers" at the game. Never tried to put me off going to games though except after I came back from a Rovers visit to Dalyer with a bloody nose. Told her I had fallen but she checked with my friends' mothers and soon found out that I had taken exception to a Bohs fan deliberately bumping in to me coming out of the ground and ended up with a reddner for my troubles I kept my head down in future at those games. Only other violence I encountered was at the Blaxnit trophy games with teams from Norn Iron when a friend of mine had a stone meet his face inside the ground.

[OwlsFan]

P.S. Al Finucane was a class act.

[geysir]

. Only other violence I encountered was at the Blaxnit trophy games with teams from Norn Iron when a friend of mine had a stone meet his face inside the ground.

Blaxnit Trophy, I'd forgotten what it was called. Still you have to credit those Northerners, they were fearless, into the valley of death and all that, whereas the LOI fans regarded the border as the entry to the gates of hell and stayed at home.
I have a very vague memory of my brother bringing me to a midweek drab draw with Denmark (amateurs then) '68, we conceded a late penalty, the Rovers fans behind the goals were not amused and the toilet rolls/ busrolls flew, maybe even a bottle or two.

[Superhoops]

Probably being too pedantic but it would have been 1968 (2-2) or 1970 (lost 2-1). We didn't play Poland in 1969.

We lost the 1970 game 2-0?

[Superhoops]

I have a very vague memory of my brother bringing me to a midweek drab draw with Denmark (amateurs then) '68, we conceded a late penalty, the Rovers fans behind the goals were not amused and the toilet rolls/ busrolls flew, maybe even a bottle or two.

The 1-1 game against Denmark when we gave away a late penalty was played on October 1969, Don Givens scored for us.

This game was a replay of the game played in December 1968 and which was abandoned just after the second half started when the score was 1-1. In that game Denmark scored first and Giles scored a penalty just before half time.

[onenilgameover]

ireland v brazil 1987. i was 9. brady was clinical.