Who Put the Ball in the England Net?
Talking Balls Comments
Some of you Talking Balls readers out there may be too young to remember the excitement round Italia 90. Certainly Talking Balls is.
So we cast our net far and wide to get the expert view of a few oul codgers that remember the good old days.
“Ireland played England in the first game. It was in Cagliari I think. We’d bate the hoors in Euro ’88 when Ray Houghton stuck the ball in the England net big time. We were robbed that year against the Dootch as big Jack used to call them, we should have got through.”
“Against the English they went a goal up but Kevin Sheedy stuck the ball in the English big time. Twas f***in magic. Pity we couldn’ bate them tho’.”
“I was at the game against Romania at the Sampdoria ground. Dave O’Leary and Big Jack hated each other but by jaysus it was some job when O’Leary kicked thon penalty into the goal. He was still as annoyin’ as ever afterwards but by Jaysus we had some session over there in Genoa.”
“I remember that we baldy twat Schillaci did the damage in Rome. The Irish boys had been up to see the pope and all that jazz. I remember Baggio was in his prime – the divine ponytail. He was one of the best players I ever seen.”
“I remember sittin’ up thonder in St Peter’s square batin the bejasus out of me Bodhran. We were singing Ole Ole Ole Ole and there were three of the Horslips there buskin’ Dearg Doom full blast. There were nuns buckleppin’ to the music, fellas sinking pints of stout that were bein’ lorried across by a big lad from Carrick on Shannon out of the Irish pub across the road. There was a bishop from Kerry, Jaze he could hardly stand he was that langered. He declared himself chaplain to the Irish football supporters no less. He certainly enjoyed the spiritual side of things.”
“The VW Camper van was parked round the corner from the Vatican, ready to round up the boys and head home. Two fellas from Cork were puckin’ a sliotar back and forth across the Square until the Swiss Guards came over and asked them to move on. The Cork men sat down and went on strike and wouldn’t move.”
If you have a tale to tell about Italia 90, let us know. Otherwise, get yourself the tee-shirt.
