21 Years Ago Today - Where Were You?

[SuperDub]

I watched it with my dad. I was in the middle of the leaving cert and remember the two of us dancing around the house when houghton scored

[Noelys Guitar]

Right behind the goal. Just along from the guy with the drum (believe he was from Bray). Just a fantastic day. Never to be forgotten. In Dublin's fair city never sounded so good.

[The Legend]

at 12 yrs old, i got in trouble after running out of the room and screaming a 3 minute barage of something along the lines "take that u fing mother fing beeeeepp"

[lopez]

High up behind the goal which Ray scored in. A fantastic day. I found a tape of the game recently amongst my late dad's stuff. Was planning to watch it today again - the Euros aren't the same without the tans getting beaten - but the car broke down and had to hang around for the AA. I'll watch it again tomorrow.

[Plastic Paddy]

Ten years of age, kitted in my green shirt, crowded round a screen with all my family at my Grandad's in Coventry.

Sounds kinda familiar. My body was in Watford but the rest of me was in heaven! And the [English] neighbours' insults all just waaashed over me afterwards...

PP

[stojkovic]

The reaction of the Germans afterwards was fantastic too. We were cold shouldered before the game but had little old ladies shaking our hands afterwards, "Thank you thank you so much for beating England".

Yeah I was behind the goal to the left (where Houghton ran to when he scored).

The Germans treated us like lepers (English) from Friday to the Sunday before the game. After the game they lined the streets and cheered as coach loads of Irish fans drove by.

Another memory I have was in Hanover before we played USSR and about 1000 fans crammed into the only bar that had a tv to watch Holland-England. The bar was designed to seat about 100. The only barmaid couldnt cope and closed the bar. Everyone got trays of cans for like 20c a can and drank them in the pub watching van Basten. The Germans walking by were astounded but also amused.

PS Someone mentioned Hoddle. I couldnt believe that Robson picked Webb, Waddle and Sansom instead of Hoddle, Trevor Steven and Pearce. Honestly I KNEW we would win.

[theworm2345]

http://www.shareonall.com/Euro_1988_...8_rwbv_rar.htm
Full Match, RMVB form for those of us who weren't yet born when it happened
credit to original uploader

[Greenforever]

Wishing Well blackrock, the wife was babysitting our eldest, other one not born till following year, what a night fell out of some club very late wearing a tshirt 1-0 Houghton, on one side and We beat the brits on the other! Paid a £5 for it, in those days a fortune but it was worth it

[billybunter]

up behind the goal as well. Will never forget it. Had the pleasure of inter-railing (route took us from Dover to Ostend where we were part of about 150 paddies, and there must have been about 600 english. they were hateful, nasty bas**rds, and that made the win all the more sweet. Greatest day of my life. I will never forget the sight of the ball sailing over Shilton - seemed to hang in the air, and then the net just gave that beautiful ripple. ****n magic. Will we ever have it again?

[theworm2345]

Tommy Smyth talked about the goal today on the ESPN broadcast, but did not mention that today was the anniversary (at least not in this part, I missed most the rest of it). I've emailed him to see if he knew.

http://www.shareonall.com/Tommy_Smyt...r_bofk_avi.htm

Also don't forget yesterday was the day Sheedy scored against them in 1990

Anyone able to download this? I can only stream it - I suppose it's only available during the Euros...

Fred54 posted them on my request
http://www.shareonall.com/Euro88.Eng...4_bwhw_avi.htm

[EastTerracer]

It was the day before my leaving cert Irish exam. I remember the day that Gary Mackay scored against Bulgaria I begged my father to allow me to defer the exams so I could go to Germany - he wouldn't let me. My older brother (RIP) went though and I will never forget the feeling when we won that game. When the Irish exam came along the next day I think I wrote an essay about the match despite the fact that it had no relevance to the question.

For all of us on this forum who had been going to games for years (since 1977 in my case) this was a moment that we had all dreamed of but couldn't quite believe when it happened. It's one of the defining moments in my life (sad but true) alongside the penalties in Genoa and Trigger's goal against Holland.

[OwlsFan]

It's one of the defining moments in my life (sad but true) alongside the penalties in Genoa and Trigger's goal against Holland.

(1) Gary Mackay's goal - I will never equal the excitement of that result. 30+ years of waiting, hoping, disappointment, despair (2) Ray Houghton's goal against England. (3) Alan McLoughlin's goal against Norn Iron. (4) Jason McAteer's goal against Holland. (5) Robbie's goal against Germany. (6) Ray's goal against the Italians in USA.

[gspain]

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

Your memory is 100% correct 2.36pm Irish time 3.36pm local time.

[smasher]

Your memory is 100% correct 2.36pm Irish time 3.36pm local time.

Cant believe the response, great to relive the memories . I was living in London at the time (1988) and went down to The Swan, Stockwell the night Gary McKay scored to put us through but came home to Carrick for finals, especially the England game . What a holiday , loads of beer etc.

[Ronnie]

At home in Longford, hitched back to Dublin aftre game and took about 10 seconds to get a lift. The following day down in the newsagents people buying 6 and 7 papers - I don't think there were any Irish tabloids so everyone wanted to read the main three English ones to see what they were saying. Also, pubs in Ireland closed back then for holy hour but every place was jammed and cops turned a blind eye. Going to work that Monday was a great feeling, the positive vibe around the place was amazing. Also know of an old man hard core GAA, anti english, anti soccer and his one and only game of soccer he ever watched was that game!

[Battery Rover]

I was lucky enough to be in the Neckarstadion Stuttgart behind the goal.

I remember the trip from where we were staying in Heidelburg to Stuttgart and the seas of green flags waving from cars as we travelled along the motorway.

After the goal all I can remember is praying that we would hold out for the win. On the way back to the hotel I recall people on the side of roads waving irish flags and applauding all the irish fans as they passed in cars and buses

I dont recall having to pay for a beer for a week after with everyone coming up shaking hands and giving you beer and the difference at the match against Russia where the police were all in normal uniform shaking peoples hands welcoming the Irish to the game.

One of my greatest ever sporting memorys along with Athlone vs Milan and us winning the league for the first time. It is the though one that still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it

[paul_oshea]

Also know of an old man hard core GAA, anti english, anti soccer and his one and only game of soccer he ever watched was that game!

what did he make of that results then?! I remember later in life hearing robson say he didnt realise how much it meant to ireland, country and team, to beat England.

just a few things to note from teh BBC clip:

Houghtons image in my mind is always the same ( a bit like quinns ) getting into positions, good ones at that, and then fecking up. I never thought much of him as a player from my memory of him from 92 onwards.

Secondly, it looks like gspain, billybunter and the rest started off the mexican wave at ireland matches.

Thirdly, the atmosphere does not sound that good in fairness, so people saying old matches had great atmospheres sounds somewhat misleading. People can have blurred images imprinted in their minds from history....just a thought, though this could be down to tension, nerves etc.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Thirdly, the atmosphere does not sound that good in fairness, so people saying old matches had great atmospheres sounds somewhat misleading. People can have blurred images imprinted in their minds from history....just a thought, though this could be down to tension, nerves etc.

More then likely. There's no doubt that the atmospehere was better back in the day for home games but generally the atmosphere is still great for away games and brilliant at major championships.....

There's no comparison between the old atnosphere at Lansdowne when the terraces were open for the likes of the WC 90 and Euro 92 qualifiers and the atmosphere for recent campaigns (including 02) in Lansdowne or Croker.

Funilly enough the atmosphere in the home Euro 88 qualifiers was fairly subdued because the games were pretty crap (2 nil alls and a scrappy win against Luxembourg) bar the Bulgaria match. I remember there being loads of space on the terraces compared to the following campaign, even at the Bulgaria game the stadium was half empty as people had given uip on qualification at that stage.

[paul_oshea]

More then likely. There's no doubt that the atmospehere was better back in the day for home games but generally the atmosphere is still great for away games and brilliant at major championships.....

There's no comparison between the old atnosphere at Lansdowne when the terraces were open for the likes of the WC 90 and Euro 92 qualifiers and the atmosphere for recent campaigns (including 02) in Lansdowne or Croker.

Funilly enough the atmosphere in the home Euro 88 qualifiers was fairly subdued because the games were pretty crap (2 nil alls and a scrappy win against Luxembourg) bar the Bulgaria match. I remember there being loads of space on the terraces compared to the following campaign, even at the Bulgaria game the stadium was half empty as people had given uip on qualification at that stage.

Ya fair enough, but even for that match people said atmosphere etc was unreal, judging by the 10 mins on BBC the majority of the time the crowd was quiet.

[fergalr]

Behind the goal but in with the neutrals - Irish section was to our left (being part of the "diaspora" at the time we boiught our tickets in Germany).

Agree with Gary that this was the best day bar none. I was with my brother and two mates - we make a point of keeping in touch each June 12th and this is the email I sent to them yesterday:


June 12th 1988, Stuttgart, West Germany.

A lot of water under the bridge since then. Chelsea had just been relegated, West Germany was still West Germany and another country that no longer exists were about to go all the way to the final of Euro 88. Taoiseach Charlie Haughey watched it in the big gaff he then owned. At the game itself were Brian Lenihan (with original kidneys) and Bertie Ahern (happily married). FAI Security man was Joe Delaney (the Da) – no problems with the tickets then. Then it was emigration nowadays it is (or was) the Celtic Tiger. Then it was Gibraltar and Michael Stone with guns and grenades – nowadays it’s the Peace Process and Michael Stone with a grenade (but this time it was “performance art”).

Looking at some old press clippings – two things at random. The mayor of Stuttgart was Manfred Rommel (son of you know who). Back home many watched the game in shuttered pubs – Kick-off was 2:30 on a Sunday – slap bang in the middle of holy hour (but of course the Gardai “generally turned a blind eye”).

And our day? Don’t remember the coach trip there. I do remember the car park and going into the stadium and being in the neutral section with the Irish section to our left. I remember the heat. I think I remember the goal and the celebrations (we must have had a great view of it). I remember counting down (and shouting out) the minutes on the big clock. I remember chance after chance in front of us in the second half. I remember the added time and the last corner - by then even the Germans were rattling the fence screaming for the final whistle. I have no recollection of the final whistle or what we did then. I do recall us being on the coach again – the English in silence, us in silence (we were drained) and the Scots singing. I recall we ended up that night in a quiet pub (I guess it must have been in Darmstad) letting the enormity of what we had witnessed slowly sink in……

800 years of hurt. Rayser put the ball in the English net. Stuttgart 88 was our equivalent of the GPO 1916. It was 20 years ago today. And we were there.