Jack’s reign started off a Wales of a time
MORE than 30 years on, the little grey cells are hazy in their recollection but snap-shots stand out. The pitch was awful, the match was awful, and the result, 1-0 to Wales, was awful.
It was Jack Charlton’s first match as Republic of Ireland manager on an underwhelming afternoon at Lansdowne Road.
Neville Southall, the Welsh goalkeeper, broke his leg when he landed in a divot, while Irish newcomers Ray Houghton and John Aldridge did nothing out of the ordinary to suggest they were destined for Irish football folklore.
The FAI fixed the friendly for the larger capacity Lansdowne, perhaps anticipating a strong take-up for the new World Cupwinning ‘gaffer’ but only 16,000 die-hards turned up.
As a callow reporter on the football beat, I was asked to do a vox pop with fans on O’Connell Bridge after the match.
Finding someone who (a) knew there had been a game and (b) actually gave a damn about it, wasn’t easy.
In the end, a couple of friends who were with me at Lansdowne Road were quoted — can do better, was their verdict.
We played Wales quite a lot back then. Five times under Big Jack and I was at them all.
Prior to that, the teams kept their distance despite the geographical proximity of Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead.
Why was this so? While nothing was ever said publicly, there was a element of distrust towards the FAI from the FA of Wales, and the Scottish FA too.
Both associations were happy to arrange annual fixtures with the Belfast-based IFA but the Dublin-based authorities were snubbed.
Improbably, the Republic of Ireland didn’t play Wales at senior level until a friendly in 1960 while Scotland’s friendly debut was three years later.
By the time of Charlton’s appointment, relations between the FAI and the FA of Wales had thawed which led to a succession of friendly internationals in 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993.
They were staged at such diverse Dublin venues as the RDS and Tolka Park and all came wrapped in a chilly spring theme — fittingly, it’s nippy again for the first World Cup meeting between the sides on Friday.
The 1990 friendly saw debutante Bernie Slaven stamp his ticket to the finals, after Big Nev saved Kevin Sheedy’s penalty. Slaven didn’t play in Italy and staved off boredom by talking to his dog down the phone.
A year later, timbers were shivered on the Wrexham curling rink as Ireland skated past the Welsh whose leggy defender, Eric Young, was famously described as ‘Bambi On Ice’.
Somehow, numb fingers tiptapped out a report on a new fangled gadget called a laptop.
In ’92, the RDS atmosphere was as flat as the Shrove Tuesday pancakes being sold in Bewley’s as Ireland lost for the first time at home in six years.
Roy Keane, the current Ireland assistant manager, had the ball in the net late on — see, he did do friendlies — but it was disallowed.
A year later, the Welsh guide to quirky Dublin venues continued at Tolka Park where Ireland were served by three captains on the night, two of whom never played at senior level again — Dave O’Leary and Kevin Sheedy.
It was also the last hurrah for an increasingly creaky Tolka as an alternative venue for internationals while Charlton was marked absent — he was in Tirana checking out World Cup opponents Albania and Northern Ireland.
By now, it was time for the Welsh to reciprocate and, in 1997, the teams played out another drab bore draw in Cardiff, memorable only for the 83rd and final appearance of Paul McGrath, the finest all-round footballer I had the privilege to cover on the international beat.
A team of McGraths, at the great man’s peak, I reckon, would have beaten anyone in the world.
There was a bizarre post-script to that game as the alarm went off in the Cardiff hotel where the FAI delegation and Irish media were staying.
At four in the morning, we were all turfed out on to the chilly streets, some more disheveled than others, while the hotel was given a security once-over.
After six friendly games in 11 years, it was time for a breather and the teams didn’t meet again until drawn together for the 2008 Euro qualifiers.
Then, as now, there are parallels.
Once again it is Group D and once again Ireland are playing their fifth qualifier in Dublin on March 24 against the Welsh.
Ten years ago, Ireland won 1-0 on their historic Croke Park bow, and later drew 2-2 away in Cardiff in their final qualifier.
Martin O’Neill, you sense, would gleefully accept a similar return.
The Welsh FA regularly snubbed us