Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The inspired appointment that heralded a golden era for football.. Big Jack, an Ireland legend
IRISH SOCCER LOSES ITS FAVOURITE SON
JACK CHARLTON’S intense love affair with Ireland began in bizarre fashion.
Bob Paisley, who had managed Liverpool through a golden era, was the chosen one when Eoin Hand vacated the national team hotseat in 1984.
The 19-strong FAI Council’s task was to vote for Hand’s successor, picking from a shortlist of three – Johnny Giles, Liam Tuohy and Jack Charlton.
Paisley was added to the ballot at the 11th hour. The move split the council. Ten votes were required to win, and in the first count Paisley got nine.
But when Tuohy and Giles were eliminated, Charlton’s votes went from three, to five, to nine. And then to 10.
One of Paisley’s original supporters changed sides. The man who had guided Liverpool to three European Cups and six League titles was out.
Instead, in February 1985, Ireland’s new boss was a gruff Geordie, a lanky former World Cup winning centre-back with England who spent his 21 years as a player with Leeds United before managing Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday.
The man who would become the most famous honorary Irishman.
Big Jack or Saint Jack – or both.
A force of nature had arrived. In an era lasting just two weeks shy of 10 years,
Charlton changed Irish football irrevocably for the good.
“I can talk, you know that for a start,” he quipped after his controversial international coronation. “But can I manage?”.
The results, the qualifications, the ensuing celebrations, the street parties, the raucous homecomings and the seismic impact on the country that his near decade long reign provides the answer.
No wonder the news of Charlton’s passing at 85 yesterday morning after a long illness generated such a deep feeling of grief throughout the country.
A low profile start introduced a new approach that was alien to fans used to a cultured approach from Ireland teams with John Giles and then Liam Brady in the playmaker role. Although Charlton had arguably the most talented squad in Irish football history at his disposal, ‘Put ‘em under pressure’ became the mantra for his tenure.
“It took a while for us to believe in it,” admitted Kevin Moran. “But when we got success it made it easier to go along with it.
“He said, ‘I don’t mind if you play football’, but if it led to an opposition goal, he’d say, ‘That’s why we don’t mess around and play’.” Some football people grumbled– but the revolutionary change in tactics worked.
“It was crude, but very effective,” said his greatest critic, Eamon Dunphy. “He was an evangelical figure, bringing the game to rural Ireland.”
Though ruthless, Charlton was instilling belief. A thrilling 2-2 draw in Brussels and an enterprising 1-0 win in Glasgow in the Euro ‘88 qualifiers.
Ultimately, qualification for Euro ‘88 was achieved on a dark evening in Sofia thanks to Gary Mackay’s unlikely winner for Scotland against Bulgaria.
The real start of the fairytale was when Ireland beat England in Stuttgart.
“You could see the emotion in his face,” said Packie Bonner (inset) of Charlton, who never forgave the FA for not replying to his application for the England job.
But for the wicked spin on Wim Kieft’s header, it would have been Ireland in the semi-finals in Germany. Kieft’s Holland went on to be champions.
More than anything, Charlton made his players believe. And the country went into a football frenzy for the next six years as Ireland’s first-ever World Cup qualifications followed.
Remarkably, Ireland made the last eight of Italia ‘90, negotiating their path through a group that included England and the Dutch, before Bonner’s save and O’Leary’s penalty secured passage to Rome and the quarter-finals, but Italy was a game too far.
Four years later, in US ‘94, Ray Houghton’s winner against Italy in New Jersey was the highlight as Charlton’s side made it to the second round.
Decline set in over the next two years and the roller-coaster ride ended in Anfield in the Euro ‘96 qualifier play-offs, with the Netherlands again breaking Irish hearts and ending Charlton’s magical era.