i can remember being in the burlington ( I think ) when I was 8 years old, and my brother was there too as my father left us in the pub ( on our own, my brother was about 13 ) to watch the game, as he had something to do, i cant remember too young, but it stopped him watching it ( he would have been the old gaa head too, but he would always make a huge effort ensuring that we got to see these sorta games, i spose he knew how much the atmosphere and everything else would mean to us, not the love of soccer as such ), anyhow i was only ickle and my brother could see and tried putting me up on a stool but i still couldn't see, so this man ( i wonder what age he is now, but he seemed really old then ) saw my predicatment, grabbed me under the arms and swooped me onto his shoulders ( i was always scared of going on peoples shoulders on their back was ok but not shoulders ), anyhow i remember the penalties, watching on this little small screen, and i dont think this man could see completely but i could thanks to him. I wouldn't have been very aware of all the players then, but I remember hamilton saying timofte against bonner, and then wooh i was holding onto the curls from the mans head and pulling htem out of his head with fear and excitement - fear of falling off him and excitement as bonner had saved a penalty. I must have pulled out a few hundred hairs and ruined his curls!! And then oleary scores - but the memory goes somewhat after that. We left the pub sometime after and i remember ( my father hates being behind slow cars, really really impatient ) all the cars beeping and it took us about 2 hours to get out of dublin, and these lads on the street were stopping all the cars and tried to get my sister and cousin out to dance with them/kiss them. It was very funny. But that memory was one of my first footballing memory and from then on I was always very attached to Ireland and never missed a chance ( taking off school etc ) of seeing them play on TV. So thats why I would put it down there as one of the greatest charlton era moments for me. I would also put down the game v Italy, as I was in some crap place in France on holidays ( France is so crap its so boring unless you go to brittany - as a kid i mean ), in some chalet in the middle of nowhere with nothing at all to do, but my Father did his utmost to get a TV ( Cos it was all his fault we were in France and he felt guilty i think!) and we got one, and it was me and my brother watching it again, we stayed up till 2.30 or something like that, and I remember Cantona saying Ireland were giong to win 1 - 0. It was class when houghton scored, that was a great thrill for us given how "far" away i thought i was and thinking we wouldnt get to see it. It was brilliant. Would have been far greater if we were at home thoughI was always away somewhere for the big matches.
In terms of pure enjoyment and relief and excitement it would have to be alan mcloughlins goal against NI, as I was coming to the age where I could watch soccer "sensibly" and understand everything etc. Plus i was in my neighbours and it was great craic.
Originally Posted by Paulie
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