QuoteYep, I had a spring in my step this morning until I realised that, give or take a week, 12th June 1988 was the exact midpoint of my life!
Thought thgis desrved a bump today althoygh maybe someone could change the title to 21 years ago today!
Happy Ray Houghton Day!!
Yep, I had a spring in my step this morning until I realised that, give or take a week, 12th June 1988 was the exact midpoint of my life!
Nice one. Deserves to be made a national holiday.Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er
Together with all our hearts.
hmmm The Cat & Cage, memories
Always look on the bright side of life
Agree!.......although it would be a fat lot of use to me over here!
Tact is for people who are not witty enough to be sarcastic
Just to the left of the goal. Ended up many rows down when we scored as was standing on the walkway. Roasting hot day. Singing Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio to the England fans as they left the ground. Drinking and singing that night in "Meatloafs" bar in Cologne. After years of slow torture we had arrived on the big stage. And beat England!
describe noely the songs the ccraic the atmosphere, everything from that day
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
14 of us flew from London to Frankfurt on the Friday before the game. (Was living in Southall at the time). We had our tickets but no hotels booked. Spent Friday night in Saxon Housen? in the center of Frankfurt outside the Irish pub. Great sing song that night with about 50 Irish, Danish and Dutch fans. Many of us spent the night sleeping on the wooden benches outside the pub.
Saturday travelled to Cologne to meet more friends from Ireland. Loaded up with a few crates for the journey and set off for the beautiful City of Cologne. The atmosphere in Cologne was electric. You had fans from almost every team there. We found a "local" and the barman was a ringer for Meatloaf. He was letting Irish fans pull their own beers. Again loads of Danes and Dutch especially would come into our "local" for the craic. An Irish fan from London got us free hotel rooms to crash in charged to his company account. Great gesture. There was some trouble in Cologne (English fans attacking Dutch fans) that night but minor stuff.
It was really warm on the day of the game. We got the train from Cologne to Stuttgart and it was split about 50/50 Irish to English (Mostly Leeds fans). Not much banter between the fans and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. More and more Irish fans got on as we made our way to Stuggart and the chant started up of "We will win, We will win' We will win all the way into Stuttgart and onto the platform. The "We shall not be moved" sung on the Stuttgart train station platform (about 500 Irish fans jumping up and down)still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. We had arrived in more ways than one.
Got into the ground no problems. Some good banter with the German stewards. There was an American militarty band playing on the pitch. They came off and the PA guy started playing mostly Irish songs! He even played Imagine by John Lennon. "Come on you boys in Green" started as more fans came in and the sound seemed to bounce around our end of the stadium. Eng-er-land was all I can remember them chanting. With the teams out on the pitch "Molly Malone" started up. Just a wall of sound. Over and over again. Brilliant stuff.
Last edited by Noelys Guitar; 12/06/2009 at 12:57 PM.
I was 12 at the time and not hugely into football, but 1988 certainly changed all that. (Euro88, Dundalk winning the double in 88 and the Liverpool team of 88) I know I watched the games at home, and I certainly remember watching one of them out in the back garden in the sun with the TV set up just inside the back door.
What I remember vividly from Euro88 is Wim Kieft's flukey winner for Holland, the first but not the last time football tore my heart out!
I was only 5, but funny story - my dad has been to every tournament that ireland have qualified for.
he's only missed 2 matches, Spain in Korea, and the England game in '88. My mum wouldn't let him go because it was the same day as my brothers First Holy Communion. haha. i don't think he's ever forgiven my brother....
Great read Noely, but there has to be another paragraph there or 2 to finish. It reminds me of the scene from Waynes world where he builds up the whole day and then finishes, after being asked what was it like with, "well it rained, and it rained some more"
Unfortunately I cant remember it, I was 6 so No excuse really, but I cant
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
If there was one game I would have loved to have remembered it would have been this one. Was only 5 at time.
My dad tells me the stories but I would have loved to have been old enough to remember and appreciate it.
Stuck in a cubicle with many eyes watching Paul so writng in snatches. Funniest moment for me at Euro 88 was the Danish fans take on our "Who stuck the ball in the Englsih net? Rayo. Rayo.Great read Noely, but there has to be another paragraph there or 2 to finish. It reminds me of the scene from Waynes world where he builds up the whole day and then finishes, after being asked what was it like with, "well it rained, and it rained some more"
Unfortunately I cant remember it, I was 6 so No excuse really, but I cant
Danish version. "who stuck the ball in the Danish net? Everybody. Everybody."
In the corner behind the goal from where Ray headed the ball.
Flew to Paris to meet the car (less than a year working so limited holidays), car broke down near Strasbourg and limped into Stuttgart that night in driving rain. 3 of us slept in the car - too late and too wet to pitch the tent. The car had to be left in Stuttgart but the stadium was walking distance. We had to hire one to get to Hannover and Gelsenkirchen. It got repaired and limped back to Limerick.
Tense atmosphere beforehand but stadium was rocking. The Germans were wary of us beforehand. Afterwards was a different story.
That goal then 84 minutes of torture. Ronnie Whelan did hit the bar circa the hour mark which was the closest anyone else came to scoring although Lineker did have a chance or two all right.
This was by far my best moment following Ireland. All the pain of dodgy disallowed goals. To this day I still look to the linesman when we score. The years when we thought we'd never qualify for anything. This was all washed away by our first game in a major finals against the auld enemy and then to beat them.
It was also one for the Irish football family. There were no prawn sandwiches in Stuttgart. That was one for the fans who followed Ireland everywhere in the 70's and 80's. In particular the London Irish crew who always travelled in great numbers.
Maybe if we put 7 past Brazil in Jo'burg on July 11th next year it may come close to June 12th 1988 but I very much doubt it would top Houghton day.
On June 12th 1988 they wrote Robert Emmet's epitaph.
"When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then and not till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done"
Great Post Gspain!!In the corner behind the goal from where Ray headed the ball.
Flew to Paris to meet the car (less than a year working so limited holidays), car broke down near Strasbourg and limped into Stuttgart that night in driving rain. 3 of us slept in the car - too late and too wet to pitch the tent. The car had to be left in Stuttgart but the stadium was walking distance. We had to hire one to get to Hannover and Gelsenkirchen. It got repaired and limped back to Limerick.
Tense atmosphere beforehand but stadium was rocking. The Germans were wary of us beforehand. Afterwards was a different story.
That goal then 84 minutes of torture. Ronnie Whelan did hit the bar circa the hour mark which was the closest anyone else came to scoring although Lineker did have a chance or two all right.
This was by far my best moment following Ireland. All the pain of dodgy disallowed goals. To this day I still look to the linesman when we score. The years when we thought we'd never qualify for anything. This was all washed away by our first game in a major finals against the auld enemy and then to beat them.
It was also one for the Irish football family. There were no prawn sandwiches in Stuttgart. That was one for the fans who followed Ireland everywhere in the 70's and 80's. In particular the London Irish crew who always travelled in great numbers.
Maybe if we put 7 past Brazil in Jo'burg on July 11th next year it may come close to June 12th 1988 but I very much doubt it would top Houghton day.
On June 12th 1988 they wrote Robert Emmet's epitaph.
"When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then and not till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done"
I think thats for sure - great point.
I have vauge'ish memories from the TV of '88 and much better memories of '90. a few years later, around '93 I started to travel to the games in Dublin and also went to USA94. I suppose at that stage, the popularity of the national soccer team was well on the rise.
All credit to the hard core supporters who travelled in 70's and 80's when a draw let alone a win was deemed a great result and the thought of reaching a tournament was deemed cuckoo land. Stuttgart 88 was for them more than anyone!!!!
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
Funny I recently started a new job and one of the guys was asking me about going down to see ireland in fulham for the nigeria game, anyway hes not that much into soccer, and he recalled a time he was in dublin somewhere around temple bar, and it was after the ireland holland game, not sure he knew of its importance/significance to either team, but he walked into this pub and he thought it was great all these irish singing "rocky road to dublin" and "wild rover", but then he looked around and stared noticing there was an awful lot of Orange in the pub. He was amazed to realise it was a load of Dutch singing all these Irish songs
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
I know what you mean.
Watched it at home with the older brothers. I was 11 at the time. Many of the kids on the street were fairly sure Enlgand were going to comfortably beat us (as were the English media who were fairly dismissive of our chances and generally quite disrespectful but they are still like this when playing what they consider to be smaller teams) but myself and the brothers were of the minority opinion that we could beat them on the day.
There was a massive outpouring of emotion when Houghton scored followed by the next 85 minutes of nail biting, almost constant pressure. Bonner was fantastic on that day and made some crucuial interventions. Once the final whistle blew I remember a huge feeling of relief. All the kids were outside celebrating the win.
Last edited by youngirish; 12/06/2009 at 2:16 PM.
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