Favourite Charlton Era Abiding Memories

[gspain]

Amazing that you'd have that carry on in 1989.

Never came up against any of that small minded nonsense but I can remember a teacher was refusing to let me leave school early to attend the Bulgaria match in 1987.

I had forgotten a note from my parents and it wasn't looking like he was going to let me go. He let me worry about it for about an hour and let me go then. Great result that day too

We had a school halfday cancelled at short notice when somebody blurted out that a Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland football match was live on tv from windsor Park that afternoon (1979). As the teachers were already promised the halfday all the school were supervised by one brother in a big hall. Thankfully the guy left at the end of that school year.

Liam Brady was expelled from school for disgracing his school. He captained the Irish schoolboys v Wales at some dastardly foreign game.

[Dr. Ogba]

Also Windsor Park 1993 when Alan Mcloughlin scored I remember I could not watch it (was only ten and nervous as hell) and went to my room I heard a noise from TV and my Dad was quiet so I presumed Norn Iron had scored and think I cried myself to sleep. All I remember next was my dad came in and told me we were through the sheer joy I felt and also the fact I got to stay up till about 11.00 on school night my parents did not care even my Dad told me I could take day off next day if I liked which I could not turn down )

very similar to myself, was 11 at the time and could barely watch after Jimmy Quinn struck to put them ahead.
I remember it being the first ever time that I cried while watching a football match when McLoughlin popped up for the equaliser...bloody hell it still gets me a little emothional to this day!

[gspain]

My favourite memerios of the Charlton era

1) Stuttgart - no contest.

2) Genoa and reaching the quarter finals of the World Cup.

3) Beating Italy in New Jersey

Best home game - Spain 89 (Holland 2001 did come close) - home games in the early 90's were full of suits and disappointing atmosphere.

Some fantastic away trips - communist Hungary in 89, Albania 93, Wrexham 91 in the snow, 1,000 Irish fans singing Daniel O'Donnell songs at the U21 game in Copenhagen in 92 (you needed to be there ), realising I'm the only one in the north Stand at Windsor Park in 1993 celebrating THAT goal. outsing the home support just about everywhere, the parties with the Dutch fans, getting Louis Kilcoyne arrested in Turin,

Disappointments - throwing away our Euro92 group - failing to win at Wembley then throwing away a 3-1 lead in Poznan, Jack going to Belfast to watch NI v Latvia 4 days before the Austria game in Dublin and the subsequent happenings in Limerick that cost us the Austria game. Drawing with Liechtenstein, FIFA forcing us to play Mexico in the midday heat of Orlando.

[RogerMilla]

highs, paul mcgraths goal against hungary. michel og and the 1-0 win , timofte, fishing with jack and his engine broke down and spending the day in the boozer with him, his mate , my dad ,the barman and I. every time we beat northern ireland , mcloughlins goal.

lows , holland game in 94 , that was gutting , poznan , utter disaster. far more highs really.

[OwlsFan]

Gary MacKays goal as it was the start of the party, after that so many you could write a book

Agree with that. Never got so excited than after that game. We had arrived at last and unlike many here, I and my friends had waited a LONG time.

Next best was under Mick beating Holland at Lansdowne. I remember going home from that game singing "My mamma always told me there'd be days like this".

[Block G Raptor]

....really catches the National mood at that time when the football team was rockn and all seemed well .We literally became intoxicated with the recognition and reflected glory of their exploits on the pitch.Every failure to qualify subsequently, brings with it the fear that my own kids will never experience that unique tournament atmosphere, flags on houses, cars, pubs, World Cup songs, being literally sick with excitement and fear in the days leading up to a game, watching through your fingers or behind the couch....sound familiar?.My own favourite memory was Stuttgart '88.Leaving the stadium that day we were high on life, the **** up that followed included several rounds bought by Germans, who were almost as pleased as we were.

Dito. My little one was born in september 2002 so during the world cup I made up a time capsule type thing for the impending baby with posters, stickers, an Ireland world cup 2002 football, news paper cuttings etc to show her when she gets old enough

[gustavo]

Genoa

[Kingdom]

They just could not handle an argumentative opinionated 11 year old into soccer.

We still have to listen to him on foot.ie

[Wangball]

The penalty shootout against Romania sticks out for me, I watched it sitting on the floor in front of a projection screen in the Hartstown House in Blanchardstown with my whole family there, I was 9 years old & wearing a very snazzy short & t-shirt combo emblazoned with Jack's face & my own face was painted green - Good times

[NeilMcD]

We still have to listen to him on foot.ie

Ha ha fair play. I stuck my paw out waiting for that.

[NeilMcD]

[QUOTE=OwlsFan;890520]Agree with that. Never got so excited than after that game. We had arrived at last and unlike many here, I and my friends had waited a LONG time.
/QUOTE]

Fair play to you for being born before some other people.

[Greenforever]

Dito. My little one was born in september 2002 so during the world cup I made up a time capsule type thing for the impending baby with posters, stickers, an Ireland world cup 2002 football, news paper cuttings etc to show her when she gets old enough

My little one was born in 89, dressed her up in all that gear for Italia 90, now she hasnt missed a game home or away in years! Worse fanatic than me

[OwlsFan]

Fair play to you for being born before some other people.

Yes, I am from the generation that waited many years for an Irish team to qualify for anything while many now in their 20s/30s think it is our divine right to qualify having seen or remember us playing in 4 tournaments.

We honestly thought the day would never come and when it did, wow! Not just qualifying but giving us so many highs at the same time, and only the few lows from Gelsenkirchen, Rome, Orlando and the game against Spain in Suwon, all of which apart from Rome (couldn't make that for sad family reasons) I was at.

This is the saddest though of that lot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfU_0xcZ7Gg

Spain miss two and we still go out. Apart from the fact that we just scored 2 of ours, Given was really poor going the wrong way everytime. The last kick by Mendieta is poor, just goes up the middle. Still get disappointed everytime I see it.

[NeilMcD]

That is the way Mendieta takes his penalties, if you watch how he took the penalities throughout his career for Valencia you would see that he waits until the keepr dives and then puts it down the middle.

[Block G Raptor]

The penalty shootout against Romania sticks out for me, I watched it sitting on the floor in front of a projection screen in the Hartstown House in Blanchardstown with my whole family there, I was 9 years old & wearing a very snazzy short & t-shirt combo emblazoned with Jack's face & my own face was painted green - Good times

That's my local. watched all the previous games there until me aul-lad heard there was an even bigger screen and a kiddies-disco type thing on in the Spa Hotel

[OwlsFan]

That is the way Mendieta takes his penalties, if you watch how he took the penalities throughout his career for Valencia you would see that he waits until the keepr dives and then puts it down the middle.

Should Given not have known that as well

[blobbyblob]

I was 12 when Euro 88 came around. Never forget when Houghton scored against the English. My father who is an out and out old school GAA head started screaming and my brother ran outside and did a lap of the garden roaring. The neighbours were out sunning themselves (it was a scorching afternoon) and thought something terrible had happened and came running in to make sure everything was alright. Sure things could not have been better.

Spent many an evening that summer with friends trying to recreate Ronnie Whelan's goal in a farmers field across from my house using two color gas cans for goals.

I remember I got a poster that summer with all the team and their signatures underneath. It was my pride and joy. It stayed up on the wall until I moved out 6 years later. I think my mother still has it in the attic. I also had a Kevin Moran soccer skills poster which instructed you on the proper way to head the ball according to Kevin. Clench your teeth and keep your eyes wide open he said. Sure i looked like a freak in the school yard with bulging eyes and flashing teeth but Kevin Moran said so, so i was happy.

[Kingdom]

very similar to myself, was 11 at the time and could barely watch after Jimmy Quinn struck to put them ahead.
I remember it being the first ever time that I cried while watching a football match when McLoughlin popped up for the equaliser...bloody hell it still gets me a little emothional to this day!

Did it make you develop a lisp too???

[geysir]

I'd go along with Owls, Scotland beating Bulgaria was the biggest sporting high in the Charlton era, it was my 8th qualifiers since '74 wcq. By 1987 my tether was then hanging on by some invisible magic thread.

Beating Holland 2001 comes next but just tempered by the background noise of the (indelible) nagging doubt of a play off looming.

[paul_oshea]

I was 12 when Euro 88 came around. Never forget when Houghton scored against the English. My father who is an out and out old school GAA head started screaming and my brother ran outside and did a lap of the garden roaring. The neighbours were out sunning themselves (it was a scorching afternoon) and thought something terrible had happened and came running in to make sure everything was alright. Sure things could not have been better.

Spent many an evening that summer with friends trying to recreate Ronnie Whelan's goal in a farmers field across from my house using two color gas cans for goals.

I remember I got a poster that summer with all the team and their signatures underneath. It was my pride and joy. It stayed up on the wall until I moved out 6 years later. I think my mother still has it in the attic. I also had a Kevin Moran soccer skills poster which instructed you on the proper way to head the ball according to Kevin. Clench your teeth and keep your eyes wide open he said. Sure i looked like a freak in the school yard with bulging eyes and flashing teeth but Kevin Moran said so, so i was happy.

great post blob, great post.