COME WITH US on a journey through space and time, football fans. To get us all in the mood for tomorrow night’s big international friendly between Ireland and England at Wembley, we once again fired up the Delorean and landed back in Cagliari in June 1990.
We went minute-by-minute on the Italia ’90 showdown between tournament new boys the Boys in Green and Bobby Robson’s English. Here’s how it unfolded.
Full-time: Ireland 1 England 1
YouTube: mafiakk
Hello 2013, this is a message from the past.
We’re about 30 minutes away from kick off in Cagliari (disclaimer: we may not have actually travelled in time or by Ryanair to Italy) in what will be Ireland’s first outing at the World Cup finals. ‘Citing. Jack Charlton’s side have been drawn in a tough group with the English, European champions Holland and unknown quantities Egypt. We’ll never get out of that one right?
So this is the scene in Toner’s on Baggot Street at the moment:
Pic: Inpho
And that’s just for Billo and the lads.
Good tunes on the tannoy before kick-off:
YouTube: RhinoUK
YouTube: BigNoel12345
That video may contain spoilers. Somehow.
10 minutes to kick off. Just enough time for a battered burger, Ireland.
And let’s have those predictions.
Okay, are we all seated? Let us know where you’re watching (in 1990). Also, when are we ever going to have a lady president?
2 mins: And we’re off! And for some really grim reason we have to watch it on Eurosport rather than RTÉ. I’m sure it’s all very civilised in Montrose though.
Let’s have the teams shall we?
Ireland<: Packie Bonner, Chris Morris, Steve Staunton, Mick McCarthy, Kevin Moran, Paul McGrath, Ray Houghton, Andy Townsend, John Aldridge, Tony Cascarino, Kevin Sheedy.
England: Peter Shilton, Gary Stevens, Stuart Pearce, Des Walker, Terry Butcher, Bryan Robson, Chris Waddle, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Barnes, Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley.
Four minutes: Not long in and Ireland have already hinted at what their approach will be. Mick McCarthy’s first throw in was launched right in on top of Peter Shilton with Aston Villa target man Tony Cascarino lurking. The English seem a little nervy with Chris Waddle already wasting possession it has to be said. Paul McGrath seems to be picking up the young Paul Gascoigne, which could be a good battle.
Whoever had five minutes for the first reference to Kevin Sheedy’s ‘educated’ left foot, collect your prize at the side of the stage. The Everton winger just had his first range finder on the English goal but he never really got a hold of it. Gazza moments later latched onto a free-kick but headed just wide.
GOAL! England 1 Ireland 0 Lineker 8′ Heart-breaker. The Irish defence go to sleep when they think the ball’s gone out for a throw-in. Waddle bends it in from the sideline and the Spurs forward gets in between Chris Morris and Mick McCarthy to bundle it in. What a sickener.
And then this lad Clio (?) slides across the screen and makes a little squeel. I don’t remember that.
How are things in Toner’s now?
Pic: Inpho
Looks serious craic.
Back in Italy, Bryan Robson is up and down that pitch like no one’s business while Gazza, we’re told by the British broadcasters, has lost ‘two stones in weight over the past year’ because he cut out the chocolate and the pints of that ‘funny stuff’. Those Curly Wurlys will be his undoing, mark my words.
This game is muck. If this was an introduction to football for an Irish generation, no wonder I just spent an hour at five a side rooting the ball halfway up the pitch.
But we live in hope. England aren’t doing much either.
Peter Shilton equals Pet Jennings’ record of most international appearances tonight and he is earning his most recent and 119th cap. The island of Sardinia seems to be at the centre of a gathering storm as both teams battle a really strong wind meanwhile. It looks like Ireland are going to head in at half-time a goal down. But hey! At least we’re not Scotland — they were beaten by Costa Rica earlier today.
Half-time: Well holy God. That was tough going. Jack Charlton will earn whatever the Merrion Square chiefs are paying him in the next 10 minutes. Ireland’s Plan A isn’t working in tough conditions and they don’t seem to have a Plan B. England haven’t set the world alight either, only taking the lead because of the Irish defence switching off. Paul Gascoigne has impressed on his World Cup bow though.
What do you think? Can the Irish nick something?
50 mins: I once spent a night on a train with a station-full of English fans at the World Cup in Germany, singing repeatedly: we’re on the train, we’re on the train, we’re on the train, we’re on the train, we’re on the train. Top, tune tune.
Back at Italia ’90, they’re taunting the Irish with a ’1-0, 1-0, 1-0′ chant now in Cagliari. On the pitch Tony Cascarino very nearly punished a slack square ball across his own box but Shilton was equal to it.
TONY CASCARINO FACTFILE TIME!
Paul McGrath just had a strong shot on goal but it fizzed over Shilton’s bar. Moments later Chris Waddle slalommed into the box after cutting inside and seemed to be tripped but penalty shouts are waved away by the West German referee. The game’s opening up now and, as I type, Maurice Setters is giving last-minute instructions for Alan McLoughlin who’s about to be introduced.
65 minutes: Swindon Town’s Alan McLoughlin trots on for John Aldridge after 64 minutes. Did I mention this game is poor?
We’ve just had the Gary Lineker toileting-himself incident. Not pleasant even through the remove of two decades.
GOAL! England 1 Ireland 1 Kevin Sheedy has scored Ireland’s first ever goal at a World Cup! The travelling Irish fans are going thermo-nuclear in the stands thanks to the Everton man’s 71st-minute strike out of the blue. Sheedy looked like he’d lost possession to Steve McMahon but it broke to him again despite the Liverpool midfielder’s efforts and he arrowed it past Shilton.
How are we feeling out there now Ireland?
Pic: Inpho
KABLAMO!
Steve Bull is on for Gary Lineker by the way.
Two minutes to go. The little, state-of-the-art information graphic just flashed up to tell us this will be the first draw of the tournament. Well stick with us, Italia ’90, if you’re looking for more of the same.
Full-time: Ireland 1 England 1 Peep peep! The West German ref blows his whistle and the nation can celebrate a World Cup point. It wasn’t pretty — God, it wasn’t pretty- but Jack Charlton’s band of brothers are off the mark in their pool and will turn their attentions to the Egypt game with new confidence. That should be more entertaining right?
Thanks for your company and memories tonight. Join us tomorrow night when we’ll be back in 2012 — DeLorean permitting — for Ireland’s visit to Wembley. Ciao.
Ireland, unbeaten against England in 28 years. That’s a nice sounding statistic.
Just read today that the English FA gave caps for the game against us that was abandoned in 1995 but put it down in the official books as 0-0. It will always be 1-0 to Republic of Ireland in my books.
Sure it was 1-0 to Ireland. David Kelly
Sure it was 1-0 to Ireland. David Kelly
Classic 1.21 – a patronising “maybe the Irish are expecting too much”, 10 seconds later it’s in the back of their net
Never gets old.
You guys are onto something here Score.ie. Classic games minute by minute, and in all the other sports too. keep ye busy in the off seasons. Make it happen lads.
nice one
That Mick McCarty fella will make a great Ireland manager when he get older
I was in the bar in UCD (classy), with the “to be” biological father of my daughter who is now 21, and flew to America on her J1 today. He (the biological) was in the bog for the famous goal…
amazing
I left for my J1 that very day! Gas
John Barnes*
A great footballer in fairness
But only ever played a cameo role for England
That clip of Gary Lineker crapping himself and wiping it in the turf is equally disgusting and entertaining.
Kevin Sheedy – GET IN!!
What a summer, never to be forgotten. I’ve never seen the country so electrified, so united behind one cause, before or since. A one off summer surely, never again will we have the excitement of the first outing and the innocence of the adventure that gripped the whole country.
I strongly propose that some major street in Dublin is renamed for Jack Charlton.
Fingers crossed we get a good result here!
@21.16 – the little lad’s name was “Ciao” and he used to do different celebrations on Eurosport’s coverage of the game.
The stuff that stays with you through out the years…
thanks!
Was at that game in Lansdowne – we would have walloped them and the English thugs knew that too
Was at that game in Lansdowne – we would have walloped them and the Engkish thugs knew that too
Forgot what a great song ‘World in Motion’ was, just played it here at work and got a few funny looks, no taste in music my workmates :)
All this time travelling appears to have screwed up this space time continuum as the match tonight will take place in 2013 and not 2012 according to this article.
I’ll never forget it. Was in Plough & Harrow in Leytonstone. Atmosphere was electric. 3 English lads walked in displaying their colours. Were advised to leave (right or wrong). Took the advice and no trouble just drink & craic
I didn’t remember the English fans drowning out the Irish anthem with their God Save the Queen. How rude!
Ah nostalgia. You can’t beat it when your team is currently absolutely crap and going nowhere.
Don’t forget it was that England team went on to have the better chances against West Germany in the semi-final and would surely have beaten Argentina in the final even without Gazza. Overall a very good result.