21 Years Ago Today - Where Were You?

**Drumcondra 69er** · 19/06/2009, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by gspain

If June 12th is Ray Houghton day then this is Paul McGrath day. Ray scored the goal but Paul was magnificent.

Great day but not a patch on Stuttgart - huge Irish support but way too many corporate types ("do you have to shout so loud?" ) Although the touts were struggling to give away free tickets in the end there were many genuine fans left at home who waited a week before coming directly to Florida for the Mexico game.

Although I enjoy a day out at an American sports event the result appears to matter a lot less than here in Europe. You have your beers, hotdogs, enjoy the experience won or lose. It wrecked my head during the world cup though.

Singing one team in Europe (there was one of those EU referenda in the news) and screaming "Arrivederchi Italia" x 50 at an RAI tv crew who were lapping it up were the highlights from afterwards.

Yeah, that was my first World Cup and much as I really enjoyed it the attitude of the locals (bemusement mainly) was a let down. Japan / Korea was streets ahead from the point of view. I did like the way they held a rake of tickets back till the morning of the game though although they could have been more public about it. Plenty of people I met over there had just strolled up to the stadium and bought tickets for that game despite all the news stories stating that tickets were going for 10 and twenty times their face value. A lad we met over there got one for the Norway game at the ground in the same box office for that game.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 19/06/2009, 3:17 PM

I set the reminder on my phone to go off at 20.12 last night. Thought of Pagliucia frozen in the moment, contorting like a roman candle in thin air and the profanities he must have blurted when he saw how far off his line he was, and dark realisation settled that the ball wasn't going to sail harmlessly over the bar.

**Drumcondra 69er** · 19/06/2009, 3:56 PM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

I set the reminder on my phone to go off at 20.12 last night. Thought of Pagliucia frozen in the moment, contorting like a roman candle in thin air and the profanities he must have blurted when he saw how far off his line he was, and dark realisation settled that the ball wasn't going to sail harmlessly over the bar.

Cue disbelief and then pandemonium! Can't believe it was 15 years back. We were up top level behind that goal and all, cracking view of it drifting in! Terry Phelan's face during the celebrations is still one of the funniest things I've ever seen! He was clinging onto people for dear life! Not even a hint of a smile!

**Noelys Guitar** · 20/06/2009, 3:14 AM

Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er

Cue disbelief and then pandemonium! Can't believe it was 15 years back. We were up top level behind that goal and all, cracking view of it drifting in! Terry Phelan's face during the celebrations is still one of the funniest things I've ever seen! He was clinging onto people for dear life! Not even a hint of a smile!

I always wondered how we would have done if Quinn and Cascarino had been fit. Huge loss for 94 not having those two available.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 20/06/2009, 8:55 AM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

I always wondered how we would have done if Quinn and Cascarino had been fit. Huge loss for 94 not having those two available.

Aye ...though not as much as Quinny wonders I'd say. There was a story at the time that Citeh had received a �4M bid from Roma for him the week he did his knee. S*** for luck.

**stojkovic** · 21/06/2009, 2:57 PM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

I always wondered how we would have done if Quinn and Cascarino had been fit. Huge loss for 94 not having those two available.

When you consider the heat, I dont think it would have made any difference. Tommy Coyne was more mobile than the two of them and it allowed us to play 5 across the middle and try to slow the game down.

I know Cascarino didnt play but he was in the squad wasnt he ?

**paul_oshea** · 21/06/2009, 8:20 PM

Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er

Cue disbelief and then pandemonium! Can't believe it was 15 years back. We were up top level behind that goal and all, cracking view of it drifting in! Terry Phelan's face during the celebrations is still one of the funniest things I've ever seen! He was clinging onto people for dear life! Not even a hint of a smile!

ray is as brown as terry there!

**Drumcondra 69er** · 22/06/2009, 8:45 AM

Originally Posted by stojkovic

When you consider the heat, I dont think it would have made any difference. Tommy Coyne was more mobile than the two of them and it allowed us to play 5 across the middle and try to slow the game down.

I know Cascarino didnt play but he was in the squad wasnt he ?

YEah, think he got half an hour against the Dutch but he was clearly unfit. Quinn was actually fit but Peter Swales the Man City chairman wouldn't let him go as he hadn't got fit before the end of the premier league season.

Always thought Coyle could have been brought in to give us the option to try and change things if the 5 man midfield wasn't working, think Jack thought we'd get away with it in the group stage (which we did in fairness) and that Cas would be fitter then he was for the knock out phase. Unfortunately we fluffed our lines against the Dutch with howlers from Phelan and Packie....

**Metrostars** · 22/06/2009, 12:22 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRRt8Pwv3cY

That was a hot and humid day at Giants Stadium. Best individual performance I've ever seen in an Irish shirt that day by McGrath.

**Deckydee** · 02/08/2014, 10:21 AM

I know this is an old thread but was looking through Youtube recently for irish videos and found this gem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH0iUW-HBjo

Shocked about the smug and quiet demeaning comments of Clough.

The laughing on the bus shows how much respect they had for Ireland. They never saw it coming.

**Eminence Grise** · 02/08/2014, 11:25 AM

Enjoyed Kenny Sansom's party piece (11.28 - 12.45) ... but not as much as the presenter's wish that he make the same impression on the pitch.

Not the wisest thing to say when Sansom's impressions included Frank Spencer and Harold Steptoe, but the England team obviously took him at his word!

**Crosby87** · 02/08/2014, 2:38 PM

Saint and Greavsie recorded their highest ever ratings over this.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 03/08/2014, 9:39 PM

Can someone change the thread title...

**OwlsFan** · 14/10/2016, 1:27 PM

35 years today and where were you as we beat France 3-2 in one of the great games at Lansdowne and these were the kids that did it. Probably all playing Division 1 at the time but not sure in today's multinational EPL whether McDonagh, Langan, Moran (even), Martin and Robinson would make it.

Ireland v France.jpg

**Stuttgart88** · 14/10/2016, 3:25 PM

Brilliant game, one of the very best.

**OwlsFan** · 14/10/2016, 3:31 PM

We would have finished top of the group which included Belgium, Holland and France but for that 88th minute goal in Belgium by Ceulemans - Italia 90 might have been old hat

**Stuttgart88** · 14/10/2016, 6:38 PM

...not to mention Stapleton's header ruled out for no apparent reason.

We were 3-1 up at one stage against France. Wouldn't a 3 goal margin have qualified us too?

Edit: no...4 might have

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1 Belgium 11 8 5 1 2 12 9 +3
2 France 10 8 5 0 3 20 8 +12
3 R. Ireland 10 8 4 2 2 17 11 +6
4 Dutch 9 8 4 1 3 11 7 +4
5 Cyprus 0 8 0 0 8 4 29 −25