Originally Posted by Gather round
September 7th 2005. Windsor Park - David Healy scored. Some of your fellow fans may still remember it.
I was in the west upper stand at Lansdowne as we were playing France - now that's one I'd like to forget.
At home with my father, when houghton scored he went out the front door and done 3 laps of the house shouting his head off, usually the neighbours might think you were mad, but they knew the significance.......
I was only 9 at the time but i remember it well, happy days.............
Hi guys,
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I was 16 years old and me and a couple of friends had managed to save up enough to interrail over to Germany for the games. We got the tickets from Ray Tracy travel for about 20 quid each belive it or not. I was behind the goal when Razor scored. I still remember it now. Time seemed to slow down. I remember watching the ball loop into the net and then looking at the linesman expecting it to be a foul or something. Then going absolutely mental for what seemed like a lifetime. I watched most of the rest of the match through my fingers, I still can't believe that Lineker didn't manage to score.
That night in Stuttgart will live long in my memory. What a laugh... I've been to a lot of away games since but nothing comes close to that (Including beeting Italy in new York). On my way out of the stadium I managed to buy a tee shirt with "We beat the brits in Deutschland 88" on the front and "Houghton 12mins" on the back. I still have no idea how they made them so quickly. I still have it but it doesn't fit anymore!!
What a day!!
The only downside for me from the whole 88 experience was that it suddenly became very difficult to get tickets for games any more because everyone jumped on the bandwagon and the FAI started all the corporate rubbish (I had to queue for 17 hours on D'Olier street to get tickets for the England game in 1990)
Can't believe it's 20 years ago. Good times, great memories
http://www.christymoore.com/lyrics_t...tail.php?id=45
Joxer Goes to Stuttgart
Christy Moore
It was in the year of eighty-eight, in the lovely month of June,
When the gadflies were swarming and dogs howling at the moon,
Ah with rosary beads and sandwiches for Stuttgart we began,
Joxer packed his German phrase-book, and jump-leads for the van.
Ah well some of the lads had never been away from home before.
It was the first time Whacker put his foot outside of Inchicore.
And before we left for Europe, we knew we'd need a plan,
So we all agreed that Joxer was the man to drive the van.
In Germany the Autobahn was like the Long Mile Road
There was every make of car and van, all carrying the full load
Ford Transits and Hiaces, and an old Bedford from Tralee,
With the engine overheating from long-hauling duty free.
There were fans from Ballyfermot, Ballybough and Ballymun
On the journey of a lifetime and the craic was ninety one
Joxer met a German's daughter on the banks of the River Rhine
and he told her she'd be welcome in Ballyfermot anytime
And as soon as we found Stuttgart, we got the wagons in a ring
Sean Óg got out the banjo and Peter played the mandolin.
Oh there were fans there from everywhere, attracted by the sound
At the first Fleadh Ceól in Europe and Joxer passed the flagon round
But the session it ended when we'd finished all the stout
The air mattresses inflated and the sleeping bags rolled out
As one by one we fell asleep, Joxer had a dream
He dreamt himself and Jack Charlton sat down to pick the team
Joxer dreamt they both agreed on Packie Bonner straight away
And that Moran, Whelan and McGrath were certainly to play
Ah but tempers they began to rise, patience wearing thin
Jack wanted Cascarino, but Joxer wanted Quinn
And the dream turned into a nightmare, Joxer stuck the head on Jack
Who wanted to bring Johnny Giles and Eamonn Dunphy back
Ah well the **** crew in the morning, it crew both loud and shrill
And Joxer woke up in his sleeping bag many miles from Arbour Hill
Ah next morning none of the experts gave us the slightest chance
They said that the English team would lead us on a merry dance
Ah with their union jacks all them English fans for victory they were set
Until Ray Houghton got the ball and he stuck it in the net
What happened next is history, brought tears to many eyes
Oh that day will be the highlight of many people's lives
Well Joxer climbed right over the top and the last time he was seen
Was arm-in-arm with Jack Charlton, singing 'Revenge for Skibbereen'.
Ah now Whacker's back in Inchicore, he's living with his Mam
And Jack Charlton has been proclaimed an honorary Irishman
Listen do you remember that German's daughter on the banks of the River Rhine
Ah jeez, well didn't she show up in Ballyfermot last week ....
Out on Lough Ree getting the course ready for the Athlone Boat Club rowing regatta while the lads were watching in the nearby pub. Got somebody to video it for me but think I have never actually looked at it.
I was 8, and was on a sponsored 10km walk for our parish, of all places. I still have vivid memories of our parish priest walking past myself, my mum and my brother with a radio held to his hear saying "Ireland are winning", and having no idea what he was talking about! I wasn't really interested in football until Italia '90
There's a short interview with Ray Houghton on the Colin and Jim-Jim Euro 2008 podcast here: http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2008/pc/p...mandjimjim.mp3
Ray comes on at about 11:50
You'd imagine there will be something done about it on rte tonight
I was only 11 when that game was on. I was never into football much at that time, it was GAAH for me. That game sealed it for me.
'Fascists dress in black and go round telling people what to do, where as priests.....'
I was 15 watching it at home. I remember when houghton scored I ran out of the front door and celebrated with the rest of the neighbours who'd done the same thing.
After the match I remember loads of cars driving arround with flags and horns beeping.
What a day!!
I watched it at home alone, study break from the dreaded Leaving Cert.
"Must you tell me all your secrets when it's hard enough to love you knowing nothing."
http://worddok.blogspot.com
Yeah, never realised when I started this thread it would get such a response. Hopefully Bill and the lads will do something it on it tonight during Euro 2008.
Great days indeed and fantastic to have those memories. We were priveliged to be part of it !
Ten years of age, kitted in my green shirt, crowded round a screen with all my family at my Grandad's in Coventry. I remember my old lady terrified that the deafening roar which followed Houghton's Goal would have us lynched by the neighbours. Although my Grandad, a proud Mayoman and fervent Irishman, had never looked prouder at our reaction to the goal against the country of our bith.
Blood was spilt on the streets & playgrounds in the weeks after, having hearlded our victory so much in the face of my fellow english neighbours. It toughened the soul and there was no going back.
That match was the start of something beautiful.
I was 15 and was out in the shed weltering my drumkit -probably to a Sex Pistols or Deep Purple tape -when my bro stuck his head out the door and told me to shut the fcuk up 'the match has started.
I extracted myself from behind the kit, the shower rails and old curtains contraption that acted as volume dampeners that surrounded it, the wall of tacked up carpets that lay beyond and finally the shed itself and arrived into the TV room just as the cross came in. Cue mayhem.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
radio commentary captures the moment ... and the roar at the end.
funny how a lot of people ran out of the house that day after the goal or after the final whistle .. I did the same. had to be let all out!
10min highlights... Enjoy!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...08/7429395.stm
Bloody hell, thats where I was too !!!!! Was over visiting my 2 brothers and sister with my mam and dad, so the brothers brought Dad and I down there to watch the match as it was their local at the time (the only place that would cash the cheques for them). mad. I was only 11 at the time but still got drunk !!!
An uncle of mine wrote a play about the Euro 88 experience tying it in with the whole emigration thing that was on-going in Ireland in the 80's. It was called 'In High Germany', if there's ever a production of it on anywhere neor you I'd recommend it, It's excellent. It was on the box years ago, think I have it on tape somewhere at home....
http://irishplayography.com/search/play.asp?play_id=278
He used to be on the arts council in the 80's and arrange readings and the like in cities when we were playing away so he could arrange a grant for himself to get to the matches on government money, nice touch!
I would have guessed that to be honest. /
In Trap we trust
Did anyone ever hear of the "Singer" Brendan Shine.He had a pub in Athlone and thats where we were.Though only 17 years of age we could get served alcohol and this was one of the first(if not the first time) I got intoxicated so any time im now hungover I think back to Ray Houghtons goal and blame him for my drinking habits!!!!!!!!!!!!(I told him this story when I met him in later life and it raised a laugh)
On a different note I read in The Daily Tar today that the goal was scored at 306pm,my memory tells me it was 236pm...can anybody please confirm?cheers
5 and no recolliction whatsoeverI can remember Italy 2 years later like it was yesterday. Guess it cant get any better beating England in the first ever game in a major tournament.
Anyone able to download this? I can only stream it - I suppose it's only available during the Euros...
Posting Permissions
Quote
Bookmarks