FAI - fact or fiction?

**geysir** · 04/05/2007, 3:59 PM

I have heard so many stories over the years that the lines are blurred.

Andy McEvoy (Limerick?) decided it was raining too much and refused to go on as a sub.
Travelling from Poland to West Germany the train was overbooked so the players sat in the luggage wagon and the officials went Roy Keane class.

Giles was dropped for a game by Charley Hurley for not trying.

**Jerry The Saint** · 04/05/2007, 4:07 PM

The bunfight incident is my absolute favourite story of all time.

"Twenty-five years ago, Eoin Hand defeated Paddy Mulligan by just two votes. One FAI official told Hand later he'd opted for him purely because he suspected Mulligan once threw a bun at him on an away trip."

I LOVE IT!

Possibly the best part is that the FAI dipstick told Hand about the demented reason he voted for him. It must have been something like

Watch yourself Eoin - you wouldn't even BE the manager if Paddy Mulligan hadn't thrown a bun at me that one time! At least... I think it was Mulligan...

**Wolfie** · 04/05/2007, 4:21 PM

There's a story along the lines of..............

Ireland played Russia away twice in quite quick succession under Eoin Hands reign. (one a friendly and the other a qualifier).

On the first occasion - some of the team picked up food poisoning.

To avoid this happening on the second occasion, Hand requested that the FAI provide the squad with their own catering.

The FAI refused.

To try and embarass them into agreeing , Hand suggested he bring his wife to provide the catering.

The FAI agreed.

**geysir** · 04/05/2007, 4:34 PM

Once upon a time officials use to outnumber the players by 2 to 1 on away trips.

**Dotsy** · 04/05/2007, 6:00 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

I have heard so many stories over the years that the lines are blurred.

Andy McEvoy (Limerick?) decided it was raining too much and refused to go on as a sub.
Travelling from Poland to West Germany the train was overbooked so the players sat in the luggage wagon and the officials went Roy Keane class.

Giles was dropped for a game by Charley Hurley for not trying.

The train story is definitely true. I have heard Giles tell it a few times.

**Noelys Guitar** · 04/05/2007, 9:38 PM

The best one I've heard and it could well be pure fiction. The FAI appointing some bloke from Walsall to manage the team. Up there with UFO"S and Nessie! The FAI official spouting off to Kevin Moran about how do these guys (us fans) get the bread to travel to away games. The FAI "board meeting" in Zaragoza. Held after midnight in a club that rhymes with ducky ducky club. 2 secretaries to every official. The infamous sugar bowl incident. The Italy game at Dalymount. The south American tour under Hand. Playing Poland every week away.

**livehead1** · 04/05/2007, 11:42 PM

the best one i heard was one me mate told me when we were shteaming one night. he reckoned the chief exec had a sherry to many and blurted out in an interview that he wanted to get a world class manager. word has it a week later he turned up wit this bucko who used to play for the team and called him the boss. i dont know whether its true like

**fergalr** · 05/05/2007, 1:11 PM

Originally Posted by Wolfie

There's a story along the lines of..............

Ireland played Russia away twice in quite quick succession under Eoin Hands reign. (one a friendly and the other a qualifier).

On the first occasion - some of the team picked up food poisoning.

To avoid this happening on the second occasion, Hand requested that the FAI provide the squad with their own catering.

The FAI refused.

To try and embarass them into agreeing , Hand suggested he bring his wife to provide the catering.

The FAI agreed.

All true except that the idea came from Eoin seeing Denmark's preparation for an earlier game in Moscow.