Worse than Denmark 1-4 1985 feeling

**gspain** · 18/10/2007, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

We took one point from a poor Norway team in that group. We had Paul McGrath, Brady, Stapleton, O'Leary, Robinson, Galvin, Cascarino, Moran, Whelan. So lets not get foggy memories here. We had more fans at the away 81 WC qualifer in Belgium than at that home game against the Danes. And yet within 3 years of that home Denmark defeat, the Danes lost all 3 games at Euro 88 and we got to within 4 mins of the semi-finals.

The Denmark team that beat us 4-1 qualified for the WC. They beat Scotland, West Germany and Uruguay (6-1) in that tournament. They played some sparkling football. Cyprus's best ever away win was v Malta.

We beat USSR 1-0 at home and Switzerland 3-0 at home in that campaign. 2 wins in our last 2 games would have put us through and we lost both. Yes Denmark was depressing but it needs to be put in perspective.

**Dodge** · 18/10/2007, 1:45 PM

Originally Posted by cheifo

Goodness I loved watching that Denmark team.They played fantastic football.

I've always had a bit of a thing for Denmark due to that team. Preben Elkjaer and Michael Laudrup were little heroes of mine when I first start watching international football

**Piltownpossy** · 18/10/2007, 1:52 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Just to qualify: I was miserable after we drew 0-0 at home to Norway in our Kerry GAA strip. A shot by Dave Langan was all I can remember. But by the time Denmark came around I expected nothing except maybe a half decent game. Man, was I jealous of the huge Denmark support in the East Stand that day!

That night against Norway was grim to say the least. That was my lowest point at an Ireland match ever. Players booed off the pitch then too.

I liked the Kerry jerseys though

**stojkovic** · 18/10/2007, 8:11 PM

Originally Posted by gspain

The Denmark team that beat us 4-1 qualified for the WC. They beat Scotland, West Germany and Uruguay (6-1) in that tournament. They played some sparkling football. Cyprus's best ever away win was v Malta.

We beat USSR 1-0 at home and Switzerland 3-0 at home in that campaign. 2 wins in our last 2 games would have put us through and we lost both. Yes Denmark was depressing but it needs to be put in perspective.

We had an away double-header before the Denmark game. Should have beaten the Swiss away (0-0) and then played very well in Moscow for about an hour but were then torn apart and lost 2-0. USSR were one of the favourites in Mexico and should have beaten France (Rats beats Bats).

Hand was sacked for the results in the games against Norway (0-0 and 0-1).

**cheifo** · 18/10/2007, 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Just to qualify: I was miserable after we drew 0-0 at home to Norway in our Kerry GAA strip. A shot by Dave Langan was all I can remember. But by the time Denmark came around I expected nothing except maybe a half decent game. Man, was I jealous of the huge Denmark support in the East Stand that day!

Was that the game where Brady was subbed to the clear disgust of Frank Stapleton who thew his hands in the air?
Yeh Denmark support was incredible.This was their first good side ever(I think).Their current manager Morten Olsen was brillant the way he use to take the ball out of defence with such ease.I seem to remember him teasing one of our strikers with the ball over in Copenhagen.

**RiffRaff** · 19/10/2007, 8:02 AM

That Denmark team was for me better that the one that won the European Championships in 92. They had also knocked England out of the previous european championships in the qualifiers and i think got to the semi finals and were a great team to watch. I do remember how depressing that campaign was for us, we had some great players who looked completely ordinary when they pulled on the green shirt. The comparison with now is that i think some of them knew that Eoin Hand wouldnt have the balls to drop them, and people were being picked on the basis of their club status rather than what they did on the pitch.

**Stuttgart88** · 19/10/2007, 8:17 AM

Originally Posted by stojkovic

Should have beaten the Swiss away (0-0)

Cascarino's debut?

**geysir** · 19/10/2007, 10:41 AM

There was poison in the air that day the Danes whipped us.

The humiliation of the best generation of Irish footballers was complete.
Bonner Langan Lawrenson O'Leary Beglin Hughton Daly Brady Whelan Stapleton. (McGrath as a sub)
We had a team that could take on the best. We were absolutly woeful in 2 games against Norway (a p�ss poor team).
In previous groups we had taken on the best in Europe at home and beat them and at least fought fiercely in the away games. WTF should we have been feeling inferior to Denmark in the event of having a WC place to scrap over at home. We had beaten better teams than that Danish team.
Considering our team, that group was the most dooable pre- Charlton.

Some of us expected to win a pitch battle to qualify for that WC, It was surrendered meekly and hardly a first shot had been fired.

Many of the same accusations thrown at the team and manager then are being thrown now. But now we have a media intensity multiplied by a hundred. Message boards going on for months about the slip ups

**Ozymandias** · 19/10/2007, 2:38 PM

Originally Posted by RiffRaff

That Denmark team was for me better that the one that won the European Championships in 92. They had also knocked England out of the previous european championships in the qualifiers and i think got to the semi finals and were a great team to watch. I do remember how depressing that campaign was for us, we had some great players who looked completely ordinary when they pulled on the green shirt. The comparison with now is that i think some of them knew that Eoin Hand wouldnt have the balls to drop them, and people were being picked on the basis of their club status rather than what they did on the pitch.

agree with all that..that denmark team underachieved...were brilliant to watch...particularly the denmark uruguay game in the world cup finals.....amazing

**EastTerracer** · 19/10/2007, 6:15 PM

Originally Posted by Docboy

stan is making a mockery out of us

Stan is just the unfortunate victim of John Delaney's mismanagement of the FAI. Yes, he has to go, he was never ready for the job. God bless him, he is doing his best but it's nowhere near good enough.

Delaney should be the focus of the real anger here. He promised us world class and make a complete hames of the appointment. Now he tries to distance himself. To see his media contacts spinning on his behalf (see Bill O'Herlihy's speech in his defence on Wednesday night) is very worrying.

It was only a friendly but losing 2-1 to Trinidad & Tobago is still the worst result (even with a hungover C team).

Denmark 1985 was a turning point thankfully (I was one of about 200 on the East Terrace). We can only hope this will be again but I have no confidence in the FAI ever doing the right thing under this regime.

**stojkovic** · 19/10/2007, 8:30 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Cascarino's debut?

Correct.

Still at Gillingham I think.

**lopez** · 20/10/2007, 2:02 PM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

The only saving grace that day was the Danish women in amongst the Roligans! Tried to speak to some of them but i came out with utter gibberish. Do you come here often or something.

That was also the only good thing about that day for me. I met one young Danish coleen on the boat train from London and we nearly didn't make it to the game, as we both checked into a b&b near Store Street for some 'sleep'. We then missed the boat the next morning and ended going back to our b&b to conclude business.

However, there was a depression about the turmoil in Irish football at the time. I thought we'd never ever qualify for the World Cup (we were now 4th seeds in going into euro 88). Everyone knew that we needed to ditch the amateurish or part time managers and get in someone who could half manage and motivate what was on paper a good team. We did exactly that and that's all we are asking for now.

Whoever said the three worst results for Ireland have come in this campaign is right. Without those two injury time goals against San Marino and Cyprus, we would be probably finishing sixth.

**RiffRaff** · 20/10/2007, 4:31 PM

Originally Posted by lopez

That was also the only good thing about that day for me. I met one young Danish coleen on the boat train from London and we nearly didn't make it to the game, as we both checked into a b&b near Store Street for some 'sleep'. We then missed the boat the next morning and ended going back to our b&b to conclude business.

.

I dont think I would have had any recollection of the match if it was me!!

**CollegeTillIDie** · 20/10/2007, 4:42 PM

A Republic of Ireland team went to play in Brazil and got beaten 7-0 in 1982.
A year or so before that a League of Ireland selection played Brazil and only lost 6-0. When you consider the League of Ireland had no full time teams and only a handful of nominal full time professional players, that puts the two results in context. A lot of players failed to travel on that 1982 tour which also included the woeful Trinidad result.

**tetsujin1979** · 21/10/2007, 9:45 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

A lot of players failed to travel on that 1982 tour which also included the woeful Trinidad result.

Did they just not travel, or were they refused permission by their English clubs, because of the Falklands war?

**CollegeTillIDie** · 22/10/2007, 7:29 AM

Some might well have done on that grounds. Brady to his credit did travel but was one of the few first choice players to make the journey.

**RiffRaff** · 22/10/2007, 7:49 AM

As far as i can remember, most of the top english clubs refused to allow their players to travel. The squad was made up of players from the lower divisions in England and a few from the league of Ireland. Brady was playing in Italy at the time and wasnt affected by this.