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O'Neill the player in 1978. S&G/S&G and Barratts/EMPICS Sport

QUIZ: How well do you know Martin O'Neill?

The new Ireland manager is unveiled tomorrow so it’s about time you brushed up on him.

ANSWERS

1. What county is Martin from originally?
Answer: Derry

2. Who was his favourite footballer growing up?
Answer: Former Ireland and Sunderland defender Charlie Hurley

3.What GAA club did he play for?
Answer: Padraig Pearse’s Kilrea. The club founded by his father Leo

4. Why was he banned from playing a Gaelic football match at Casement Park?
Answer: Because he was playing soccer with Distillery at the time

5. Which Spanish team did he score against as a 19-year-old for Distillery in the European Cup Winners Cup?
Answer: Barcelona, during a 3-1 defeat at Windsor Park in 1971

6. In which year did he agree to join Nottingham Forest?
Answer: 1971 for £25,000

image

The Forest team in 1973 with O’Neill second left in the back row. Credit: Peter Robinson/EMPICS Sport

7. What was Martin studying at Queen’s University when the offer to sign for Forest came in?
Answer: Law

8. What did O’Neill win during his time at Nottingham Forest?
Answer: One First Division title, two European Cups, a European Super Cup and two League Cups

9. Who scored the winning goal for Northern Ireland when O’Neill captained them to a 1-0 win over hosts Spain in the 1982 World Cup?
Answer: Gerry Armstrong

10. What did O’Neill used to joke about with international team-mate Sammy McIlroy when they played at Windsor Park?
Answer: “I’d say that I didn’t mind being booed off the pitch, it was when you were booed onto it that you might have a concern.”

11. When he retired from playing, who were his first club as a manager?
Answer: Grantham Town, at the time playing in the Beazer Homes League Midlands Division (two leagues below the Conference)

image

O’Neill facing France at the 1982 World Cup. Credit: Peter Robinson/EMPICS Sport

12. What did he achieve for the first time in Wycombe Wanderers’ history in 1992/93?
Answer: He got them promoted to the Football League

13. Why did Martin O’Neill resign as Norwich City after just six months in charge?
Answer: He was upset with chairman Robert Chase after the club’s failed efforts to sign Dean Windass

14. Who did Leicester City beat in the Coca Cola Cup final in a replay in 1997?
Answer: Middlesbrough

15. Name three players who started in the Foxes’ Worthington Cup defeat to Spurs two years later?
Answer: The starting XI was: Kasey Keller, Matt Elliot, Steve Walsh, Gerry Taggart, Robert Ullathorne, Steve Guppy, Neil Lennon, Muzzy Izzet, Robbie Savage, Tony Cottee, Emile Heskey

image

O’Neill celebrates in the 1997 final replay. Credit: Michael Steele/EMPICS Sport

16. How many SPL titles did O’Neill win with Celtic?
Answer: Three ( 2001, 2002 and 2004)

17. Who managed Celtic’s opponents in the 2003 UEFA Cup final?
Answer: Jose Mourinho was in charge of Porto

18. What was O’Neill awarded in 2004?
Answer: An OBE for his services to sport

19. What position in the Premier League did Aston Villa finish in three consecutive seasons under O’Neill?
Answer: Sixth (in 2008, 2009 and 2010)

20. How did O’Neill describe his partnership with Roy Keane as on ITV this week?
Answer: “I think I’m the bad cop and I think he’s the bad, bad cop,” he said.

image

Credit: INPHO/Donall Farmer

So, tell us… what score did you get?

Setanta Sports buy rights for O’Neill and Keane’s first away game in Poland

‘I don’t understand why O’Neill brought Keane back’ – Liam Brady

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    Mute China Photo Daily
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    Sep 27th 2015, 8:19 PM

    Zebo and Earls connected so well all game.

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    Mute RobsonKeane
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    Sep 27th 2015, 9:43 PM

    Zebo and Murray connect better.

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    Mute Colm O'Sullivan
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    Sep 28th 2015, 1:12 AM

    Hahahaha you beat me to it!!

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    Mute Bill P. Danger
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    Sep 27th 2015, 8:14 PM

    No. But it would have been deservedly replayed a few times.

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Sep 27th 2015, 9:01 PM

    It would have been. cracking try….

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    Mute Darach Malone
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    Sep 27th 2015, 9:39 PM

    Regardless of the opposition, it was a sublime piece of individual skill to grace any game against any opponents. He was b@stard unlucky with his footing and tried his best advice time.

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    Mute Darach Malone
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    Sep 27th 2015, 9:39 PM

    *tried his best at the time

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    Mute Rochelle
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    Sep 27th 2015, 9:55 PM

    His pass for Earls try was fantastic as well. He has great creativity, game intelligence and playmaking qualities which aren’t often credited to him or if they are they’re under the bracket of “X-Factor”, sometimes he’s wasted on the wing though Schmidt seems more and more to be trying to get him in as first receiver.

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    Mute Paul O'Connor
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    Sep 27th 2015, 11:01 PM

    Shush Rochelle! You just might get Leinster fans buying into the idea of picking the best backs for their best positions!

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    Mute Bill P. Danger
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    Sep 27th 2015, 11:13 PM

    Yeah, Leinster fans hate good back play.

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    Mute Paul O'Connor
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    Sep 27th 2015, 11:19 PM

    You’ve been waiting a while like

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    Mute James Quinn
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    Sep 27th 2015, 11:33 PM

    He is great going forward, don’t think u can say the same when he is going the other way.

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    Mute Paul O'Connor
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    Sep 27th 2015, 11:37 PM

    Ah, that ole chestnut rears its ugly head yet again.

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    Mute Dermot Doheny
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    Sep 27th 2015, 10:14 PM

    Disaster had Zebo for 1st try scorer

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    Mute marty1w
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    Sep 27th 2015, 9:12 PM

    No. Opposition not strong enough.

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    Mute John Tiswell
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    Sep 28th 2015, 2:27 AM

    ah for foots sake !

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    Mute jerry Clarke
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    Sep 28th 2015, 7:40 AM

    Ah stop would ya!

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