Republic of Ireland national football team{| align="right" border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="250px" style="margin:5px;font-size:smaller"\n|-\n|align=center| \n|- style=background:#efefef\n!Team colours\n|-\n|align=center|\n{|align="center" width="100%"|\n|align="center"|\n\n|align=center|\n\n|}\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!Association\n|- align=center\n|Football Association of Ireland\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!Current coach\n|- align=center\n|Brian Kerr, 2003-\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!Most capped player\n|- align=center\n|Steve Staunton: 102\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!Highest goalscorer\n|- align=center\n|Niall Quinn: 21\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!First International\n|- align=center\n|Italy 2 - 1 Republic of Ireland(Genoa, Italy; 1926)\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!Largest win\n|- align=center\n|Republic of Ireland 8 - 0 Malta (Dublin, Ireland; 16 November 1983)\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!Largest defeat\n|- align=center\n|Brazil 7 - 0 Republic of Ireland (Uberlandia, Brazil; 27 May 1982)\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!World Cup\n|- align=center\n|Finals appearances: 3 (First: 1990) Best result: Quarter-finals 1990\n|- style=background:#efefef\n!European Championships\n|- align=center\n|Finals appearances: 1 (First: 1988) Best result: Round 1, 1988\n|}\nAlthough football has being played in Ireland since the 1860s, it was restricted to Ulster and the rest of the country had to wait until the 1880s before the game started to spread. Indeed, the first club outside of Ulster was formed in 1883, this was the Dublin Association Football Club. At that time, the Irish Football Association (IFA) was the governing body of the sport on the island. This was based in Belfast and found it difficult to promote football throughout the country. The game was popularised in the greater Dublin area with the foundation of the Leinster Football Association in 1892. The FAI was created due to political tensions within the country and the feeling of nationalism that swept the south of the island in the aftermath of the First World War. Clubs in what is now the Republic of Ireland often threatened to break away and in early 1921, three Dublin based clubs: Bohemians, St. James's Gate and Shelbourne all withdrew from the Irish League. However these clubs decided to remain involved in Cup competitions. The matter reached crisis-point when later that year, the IFA reneged on a promise to play the IFA Cup final replay between Shelbourne and Glenavon (an Ulter based club) in Dublin and scheduled the match for Belfast. Shelbourne refused to comply and forfeited the Cup. A meeting of southern associations and clubs was arranged and on June 1 1921, the Football Association of the Irish Free State (FAIFS), a predecesor to the current FAI, was formed in Molesworth Hall in Dublin. A Free State League was hastily organised, with eight teams taking part. Originally all eight teams were from Dublin, but Athlone became the first provincial club to join the league the following season. St. James's Gate won the first title, and they were also winners of the first FAI Cup, then called the Free State Cup, in 1922. The FAIFS had greater difficulty in arranging international fixtures. All the home nations' associations (the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) had blacklisted the FAIFS, but the Association had better fortune in their dealings with FIFA (the international governing body). France's relations with Britain were poor at the time, and they defied the home nations wishes and sent Athletic Club of Gallia to Ireland in 1923 to play challenge matches against Bohemians and Pioneers. In August of that year, FIFA accepted Ireland's application for membership and the FAIFS joined the international community. However, it was another three years, before Ireland fulfilled its first international fixture. Although a Free State side did compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics, it was under the auspices of the Olympic Council of Ireland. The first fixture organised by the FAIFS was in March 1926 against Italy in Turin. The game ended in a 3-0 defeat, but the first steps had been taken. At the time, both the FAIFS and IFA selected players from all over Ireland meaning that many footballers won caps for both Associations. It wasn't until 1950 that FIFA intervened. The following April, the Italian Federation sent their 'B' team to Dublin for Ireland's first ever home fixture. 20,000 people were at Lansdowne Road to see Bob Fullam put Ireland in front (According to footballing folklore, the Italian team were so scared of Fullam's fearsome shot that they begged the Irish team to stop him taking free kicks), but Italy still ran out 2-1 winners. The following year, Ireland won their first ever match - against Belgium in Liege. Trailing 2-0 at half time, Billy Lacey brought Ireland back into the match before two goals from Jimmy White and a penalty from Jack Sullivan earned the team an historic victory. The return match did not take place until 14 months later, and Ireland ran out 4-0 victors as John Joe Flood bagged a hat trick to earn Ireland their first win on home soil. With these small steps the football association of the Irish Republic started out on the international stage. Ireland came close to qualifying for major tournaments during the mid to late 20th century. FIFA invited Ireland to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, but the FAI was forced to turn down the invitation due to financial constraints. In the 1960s Ireland saw one of its finest generations of footballers denied their chance to shine on the world stage. Most Irish players played for clubs in England, and the clubs oftern refused to release the players for Irish international matches in Dublin, nevermind away matches on the continent. Never the less, the Irish team managed to get into a playoff against Spain for a place at the 1966 World Cup. A full strength Irish team had previously beaten the Spanish that year, and the playoff match was set to be held in London, which would mean that the England-based Irish players would have no problem making it to the game. Strangely though, the FAI decided at the last moment to accept a a venue change from the Spanish FA, which meant that Spain routed what was essentially an Ireland B-team to qualify for the World Cup. In 1982, Ireland would just miss out again, despite beating the Netherlands and Michel Platini's France. A disputed late equaliser against Belgium in Brussels meant that the Irish were forced to miss out on the World Cup by virtue of goal difference. Jack Charlton was appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland in February 1986. He had won the World Cup with England in 1966 and came with an outstanding management record at club level. He was also the first Irish manager not born in Ireland. Although his first game, against Wales, ended in defeat, he soon enhanced his reputation by guiding Ireland to victory in the Icelandic tournament against Czechoslovakia and the host nation. It was the first tournament Ireland had ever won. Things got even better as Ireland qualified for the 1988 European Championships - their first ever major finals. An early Ray Houghton goal gave Ireland an opening game victory over England and this was followed by a 1-1 draw with the Soviet Union. In the final group match against Holland, Ireland only needed a draw to progress to the semifinals but a late Wim Kieft winning goal meant the Irish returned home. Over 200,000 people lined the streets of Dublin as the players and management returned as heroes. Ireland then qualified for 1990 World Cup in Italy, where they progressed to the quarterfinals. After drawing all three of their opening group matches, against England (Kevin Sheedy scoring Ireland's first ever goal at a World Cup finals), Egypt and Holland, Ireland faced Romania in the second round. Ireland emerged victorious 5-4 in a penalty shoot out with goalkeeper Packie Bonner and David O'Leary writing their names into Irish folklore by saving and scoring the vital penalties. In the quarterfinals, Ireland faced hosts, Italy, in Rome. In the buildup to the match, the team had an audience with Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, but even with divine help, Ireland still lost 1-0. Once again, the players and management returned to Ireland as heros. Despite not losing a game in the qualifiers for the 1992 European Championships, Ireland only finished second in their group with England traveling to Sweden as group winners. 1992 also saw Ireland enter the US Cup for the first time, though the team didn't perform as well as expected, losing to the USA and Italy before beating Portugal in the final match of the tournament. Ireland qualified for their second World Cup finals in succession in 1994 as they edged out European Champions, Denmark, by virtue of having scored more goals. The finals were in the USA, and Ireland were to be based in New York and Orlando, Florida. With many Irish immigrants living in New York, the two matches at Giants Stadium were expected to be like home games for the Irish and so it turned out. Ireland got revenge on Italy in their opening match with Ray Houghton grabbing an early goal, though that turned out to be Ireland's only win of the tournament. A defeat by Mexico was followed by a goal less draw with Norway. It was enough for Ireland to progress to the second phase, where they were beaten 2-0 by Holland. The 1996 European Championship qualification series was to be Jack Charlton's last campaign in charge as Ireland missed out on qualification after a play-off match with Holland in Liverpool. Charlton resigned just after Christmas to be replaced by his captain Mick McCarthy. For many Irish fans it was a sad end to a wonderful era in Irish football. Mick McCarthy had made his name as a tough tackling defender during the 1988 European Championships and 1990 World Cup. As a manager, he had turned Millwall into one of the most attractive footballing sides in the English lower divisions, and it was to the former Irish captain that the FAI turned when searching for Charlton's successor. However, McCarthy faced a difficult task. The team that Charlton built was getting old and was in need of repair. The new man set about the task with relish blooding plenty of youngsters, and, as can be expected in these instances, results were erratic. Ireland still progressed to a World Cup play-off match with Belgium. After drawing 1-1 at Lansdowne Road, their hopes of qualifying for a third successive World Cup were ended by a 2-1 defeat in Brussels. At the same time as McCarthy was building a senior team, Brian Kerr was establishing Ireland as one in the best in the world at underage level. In 1997, Ireland finished third in the World Under 20 Championships in Malaysia and the following year, Brian Kerr led both under 16 and under 18 teams to victory in their respective European Championships, making Ireland the only country to ever win both championships in the same year. The Ireland fans were also getting some long overdue credit as FIFA honoured the fans with a FIFA Fair Play Award in 1997. The Senior side again missed out on qualification for a major finals, this time the 2000 European Championships, after an away goals play-off defeat by an emerging Turkish side. The pain was made even worse by the fact that Ireland were on course for automatic qualification until the dying moments of the group stages. Ireland just needed to hang onto a one-goal lead against Macedonia to guarantee qualification in the final match, and force Yugoslavia into a play-off. However, with almost the last kick of the game, Macedonia equalised and reversed the roles. The 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign looked ominous for Ireland after they were drawn against Holland and Portugal, semifinalists at the 2002 European Championships, but Ireland, who were unbeaten throughout qualification (including a memorable win against the Dutch in Landsdowne Road), finished second in the group behind Portugal to set up a play-off date with Iran. After beating the Asians 2-0 at Lansdowne Road, Ireland progressed 2-1 on aggregate to qualify for their first World Cup finals in eight years. The World Cup started controversially with captain Roy Keane being sent home after an arguement with McCarthy, but Ireland then went on to reach the second round as they drew with Cameroon and Germany while beating Saudi Arabia. In the second round, Ireland drew 1-1 with Spain before going out on penalties. However, the squad still returned home as heros with Robbie Keane and Damien Duff proving they will be superstars for many years to come. The start of the 2004 European Championship qualifiers was disappointing with Ireland losing the opening two games to Russia and Switzerland and was soon followed by McCarthy's resignation bring to an end a 17 year association with Ireland both as player and manager. The 90s saw an improvement for the game domestically. Facilities at grounds throughout the country improved, and, the standard of football was also excellent. Shelbourne and St. Patrick's Athletic dominated the decade, winning four league titles between them, with Shelbourne also winning three FAI Cups. The turn of the century saw a number of clubs go professional (though others are struggling financially) and the reemergence of Bohemians. The clubs have also agreed , the league season will be played during the summer. Kerr's new beginning McCarthy's successor as senior manager is Brian Kerr who came to the job with an outstanding track record at Youth Level and in the League of Ireland. Undoubtedly the people's choice as manager, Kerr had a perfect starting as Ireland won 2-0 against Scotland. He then set about turning around Ireland's fortunes in the Euro 2004 qualifiers and after a promising start as Ireland took four points from difficuilt trips to Georgia and Albania, Ireland picked up maximum points from the return legs meaning they went into the final games in a healthy position. But a draw at home to Russia, meant Ireland went into the final game in Switzerland needing a victory and the Irish team put in a nightmare performancee on the night as they lost 2-0 in a game which also ended Kerr's nine-game unbeaten start as manager. Adapted from the FAI website: www.fai.ie
|
||||
"Hell is a half-filled auditorium." - Robert Frost (1874-1963) |
