Republic of Ireland national football team: Difference between revisions
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===Croke Park=== |
===Croke Park=== |
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With the announcement of the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road, a new venue was required to stage Ireland's home internationals. The only stadium in Ireland deemed suitable to stage international football was 82,300 capacity [[Croke Park]], home of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]]. To accommodate this, the GAA temporarily relaxed its rule governing the playing of foreign games on its property. Initially, four Euro 2008 qualifiers were played at Croke Park in 2007 resulting in two wins and two draws. The GAA has agreed to allow the FAI use Croke Park until the end of 2008, although any fixtures for this period have yet to be arranged. The Hill 16 end of Croke Park is a terracing, which means like Lansdowne Road before it, the capacity of the stadium is reduced to around 70,000{{ |
With the announcement of the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road, a new venue was required to stage Ireland's home internationals. The only stadium in Ireland deemed suitable to stage international football was 82,300 capacity [[Croke Park]], home of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]]. To accommodate this, the GAA temporarily relaxed its rule governing the playing of foreign games on its property. Initially, four Euro 2008 qualifiers were played at Croke Park in 2007 resulting in two wins and two draws. The GAA has agreed to allow the FAI use Croke Park until the end of 2008, although any fixtures for this period have yet to be arranged. The Hill 16 end of Croke Park is a terracing, which means like Lansdowne Road before it, the capacity of the stadium is reduced to around 70,000{{Fact|date=October 2007}} for competitive matches as temporary seating must be used. |
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===Other venues=== |
===Other venues=== |
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==Trivia== |
==Trivia== |
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{{Trivia|date |
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}} |
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*It is often said in Ireland that [[Germany national football team|Germany's]] common use of a green-coloured away jersey is in recognition of Ireland being the first team to play Germany after [[World War II]]. Despite the fact that [[Switzerland]] were actually the Germans' first opponent, this [[urban myth]] persists. |
*It is often said in Ireland that [[Germany national football team|Germany's]] common use of a green-coloured away jersey is in recognition of Ireland being the first team to play Germany after [[World War II]]. Despite the fact that [[Switzerland]] were actually the Germans' first opponent, this [[urban myth]] persists. |
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*[[Gary Kelly]] is the uncle of [[Ian Harte]]. Both players featured in the same squad for Ireland's [[2002 World Cup]] campaign. |
*[[Gary Kelly]] is the uncle of [[Ian Harte]]. Both players featured in the same squad for Ireland's [[2002 World Cup]] campaign. |
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Revision as of 22:50, 30 October 2007
| Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
| Nickname(s) | The Boys in Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Ireland | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach |  Don Givens (caretaker) | ||
| Captain | Robbie Keane | ||
| Most caps | Steve Staunton (102) | ||
| Top scorer | Robbie Keane (31) | ||
| Home stadium | Croke Park (while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped) | ||
| FIFA code | IRL | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 32 | ||
| Highest | 6 (August 1993) | ||
| Lowest | 57 (November 1998) | ||
| First international | |||
Irish Free State 1 - 0  Bulgaria (Stade Olympique, Colombes, France; May 28 1924) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Republic of Ireland 8 - 0 Malta  (Dalymount Park, Republic of Ireland; 16 November 1983) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Brazil 7 - 0 Republic of Ireland (Uberlândia, Brazil; 27 May 1982) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1990) | ||
| Best result | Quarterfinals, 1990 | ||
| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 1988) | ||
| Best result | Round 1, 1988 | ||
The Republic of Ireland national football team is the football team of the Republic of Ireland and is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). It is a member of both UEFA and FIFA.
Although the team has been involved in international competition since the 1930s, it did not qualify for any international tournaments until Euro 88 in Germany. That acheivement was followed by reaching the quarter-finals of the 1990 World Cup. The Irish also reached the second round in the 1994 and 2002 World Cups.
The side is managed by Don Givens, who has taken the role over in a caretaker capacity since the sacking of Steve Staunton. The captain of the side is Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane.
Home fixtures are usually played at Lansdowne Road, but due to redevelopment Croke Park is the temporary home of the side.
History
The FAI was founded on June 1 1921 and were permitted to join FIFA in 1923 as the Football Association of the Irish Free State (FAIFS). Prior to this, the Irish Football Association (IFA) governed all football on the island with the all-Ireland international team playing under the name, 'Ireland'. The first international game involving the new Irish association team took place in Turin, Italy in March 1926. The FAIFS also used the name, 'Ireland', for its team even though the IFA still remained in existence and fielded a team under the same name. In 1936, the FAIFS re-adopted its original name, the FAI, in order to conform with the approaching enactment of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland and the impending official name-change of the state from the Irish Free State to Ireland. It was not until 1953 that the FAI team became known as the 'Republic of Ireland', when FIFA intervened in order to distinguish the team from the IFA's 'Ireland', who were from then on to be known as 'Northern Ireland'. Three years earier FIFA had also directed that the two associations were to discontinue the practice of choosing players from all 32 counties and limited them to fielding players from their own respective jurisdictions.
Competitive History (pre-Charlton)
For many years, the Republic of Ireland had seen qualification for major tournaments elude them despite the availability of players of undoubted class.
In 1949, a 2-0 win over England at Goodison Park was the first time England suffered a home defeat by a team outside the Home Countries (i.e. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
The 1958 World Cup qualifiers saw the Republic of Ireland drawn with England. In their home game against England, Alf Ringstead put the hosts 1-0 up before John Atyeo equalised in the last minute to salvage a 1-1 draw for England. Under the rules of the day, a win for the Republic of Ireland would have meant a play-off with England for a place in the World Cup.
After reaching the quarter-finals of the 1964 European Championships, the Republic of Ireland were drawn to face Spain and Syria in the 1966 World Cup qualifiers. Despite Syria's withdrawal, this was still considered a qualifying group with the Irish winning 1-0 at home and losing 4-1 away. This meant a play-off in Paris, which Spain won 1-0 to take their place in the 1966 World Cup.
A run of poor results in the late 1960s and early 1970s followed until Johnny Giles became player-manager in the 1970s. This was followed by the debut of a young Liam Brady and results improved markedly. The side missed out on the 1978 World Cup by only 2 points, defeating France at home.
Eoin Hand took over as the 1982 World Cup qualifiers got underway, and once more the Republic of Ireland found themselves extremely unfortunate to miss out on qualification, losing out only on goal difference behind France (who they defeated at home once more). However, disappointing qualifying campaigns for both the 1984 European Championship and 1986 World Cup followed, and cost Hand his job.
Stadium
Lansdowne Road
Since the 1980s, most home matches have been played at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, the national rugby stadium owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). This ground is to be closed for redevelopment in the period 2007-2009. The first football international played there was a friendly against Italy in 1971; a 5-0 victory over San Marino in a Euro 2008 qualifying match on 15 November 2006 was the last game there before the reconstruction. The all-seater capacity of Lansdowne Road prior to the renovation was 36,000, although higher attendances, using the standing only areas, were permitted for friendly matches. The all seater new stadium will increase capacity for competitive games to 50,000.
Croke Park
With the announcement of the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road, a new venue was required to stage Ireland's home internationals. The only stadium in Ireland deemed suitable to stage international football was 82,300 capacity Croke Park, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association. To accommodate this, the GAA temporarily relaxed its rule governing the playing of foreign games on its property. Initially, four Euro 2008 qualifiers were played at Croke Park in 2007 resulting in two wins and two draws. The GAA has agreed to allow the FAI use Croke Park until the end of 2008, although any fixtures for this period have yet to be arranged. The Hill 16 end of Croke Park is a terracing, which means like Lansdowne Road before it, the capacity of the stadium is reduced to around 70,000[citation needed] for competitive matches as temporary seating must be used.
Other venues
Prior to the 1980s, the Republic of Ireland played most home games at Dalymount Park, home of Bohemian FC, but progressively more games were played at Lansdowne following a safety review which reduced Dalymount's capacity. The last international match played there was against Morocco in 1990. The Republic of Ireland has also played home matches in Tolka Park (twice) and the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin as well at the Mardyke and Flower Lodge grounds in Cork.
Kit
Traditionally, the team plays in a home strip of green shirt, white shorts and green socks. The second strip is usually the reverse of these colours, although there have been exceptions, such as an orange shirt in the 1990s.
Currently, the kit is supplied by Umbro, and has been since 1995. Previously Adidas made the teams' kit.
Squad numbers are either white with an orange trim, as is the case with the home shirts, or green with and orange trim. At the bottom of the numbering there is a logo of the FAI.
There is also currently a limited edition navy shirt available. The team has yet to wear it.
History in major tournaments
- For more detail, see Republic of Ireland national football team - record in major tournaments
World Cup record
- 1930 Did not enter
- 1934-1986 Did not qualify
- 1990 - Quarter-finals
- 1994 - Second Round (Last 16)
- 1998 - Did not qualify
- 2002 - Second Round (Last 16)
- 2006 - Did not qualify
European Championships record
- 1960-1984 - Did not qualify
- 1988 - First Round
- 1992-2008 - Did not qualify
Notable Former Players
see also Category:Republic of Ireland international footballers
Current squad
- Goalkeepers
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Colgan | 33 |  Barnsley |
9 (0) | v Denmark, 27 March 2002 |
| Wayne Henderson | 23 | Preston North End |
5 (0) | v Sweden, 1 March 2006 |
| Colin Doyle | 21 | Birmingham City |
1 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
- Defenders
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John O'Shea (captain) | 26 | Manchester United |
38 (1) | v Croatia, 15 August 2001 |
| Stephen Kelly | 23 | Birmingham City |
5 (0) | v Czech Republic, 11 October 2006 |
| Alan Bennett | 25 | Reading |
2 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
| Alex Bruce | 22 | Ipswich Town |
1 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
| Peter Murphy | 26 | Carlisle United |
1 (0) | v Bolivia, 26 May 2007 |
| Joe O'Cearuill | 20 | Arsenal |
2 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
| Stephen O'Halloran | 19 | Aston Villa |
2 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
- Midfielders
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Kilbane | 30 | Wigan Athletic |
80 (7) | v Iceland, 6 September 1997 |
| Alan O'Brien | 22 |  Hibernian |
5 (0) | v Netherlands, 16 August 2006 |
| Stephen Hunt | 25 | Reading |
5 (0) | v San Marino, 7 February 2007 |
| Joe Gamble | 25 | Cork City |
2 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
| Stephen Gleeson | 18 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
1 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
| Darren Potter | 22 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
2 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
- Strikers
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Doyle | 23 | Reading |
9 (3) | v Sweden, 1 March 2006 |
| Shane Long | 20 | Reading |
4 (1) | v San Marino, 7 February 2007 |
| Anthony Stokes | 18 | Sunderland |
1 (0) | v San Marino, 7 February 2007 |
| Daryl Murphy | 24 | Sunderland |
3 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
| Andy Keogh | 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
2 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
| Joseph Lapira | 20 |  Baton Rouge Capitals |
1 (0) | v Ecuador, 23 May 2007 |
Fixtures
17 November, 2007 Wales;
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Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; | (Euro 2008 qualifier) |
Key historical games
England 0–2 
Ireland
September 21, 1949. Goodison Park; Friendly;
England's first defeat at home to a non-Home Nation side
Republic of Ireland 1 - 2 
Italy
May 11, 1971:Lansdowne Road; European Championship qualifier;
Republic of Ireland's first game at Lansdowne Road
Republic of Ireland 2 - 0 Bulgaria
October 14, 1987: Lansdowne Road; European Championship qualifier;
Enabled qualification to first ever major tournament (Euro 88) when on November 11, 1987, Bulgaria lost their last home qualifying game to Scotland 0-1.
Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 England
June 12, 1988: Neckarstadion, Stuttgart; European Championship first round
Upset victory in Ireland's first ever match in a major tournament
Republic of Ireland 1 - 1 England
June 11, 1990: Stadio Sant'Elia, Cagliari; World Cup first round
Ireland's first ever match in a World Cup Finals tournament
Republic of Ireland 0 - 0 
Romania; 5 - 4 penalties
June 25, 1990:Stadio Luigi FerrarisGenoa; World Cup second round;
David O'Leary's famous penalty brought Ireland into last eight
Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 Italy
June 18, 1994: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford; World Cup first round;
Unexpected victory over the side who later lost the final on penalties, it was also Ireland's first World Cup win
Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 England
February 15, 1995: Lansdowne Road; Friendly;
Stadium rioting by English hooligans causes match to be abandoned.
Republic of Ireland 5 - 0 
San Marino
November 15, 2006: Lansdowne Road; European Championship qualifier;
The last Ireland match at Lansdowne Road before redevelopment.
Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 
Wales
March 24, 2007: Croke Park; European Championship qualifier;
Ireland play in Croke Park in a competitive fixture for the first time.
Managers
- Between 1921 and 1969 a committee of selectors chose the team. However on occasions a coach and / or team manager was appointed. Mick Meagan was the first manager to actually select the team.
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Players with 50 or more caps
As of 2 June, 2007, the players with the most caps for the Republic of Ireland are:
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Staunton | 1989 - 2002 | 102 | 7 |
| 2 | Niall Quinn | 1986 - 2002 | 91 | 21 |
| 3 | Tony Cascarino | 1986 - 2000 | 88 | 19 |
| 4 | Paul McGrath | 1985 - 1997 | 83 | 8 |
| 5= | Packie Bonner | 1981 - 1996 | 80 | 0 |
| 5= | Shay Given | 1996 - present | 80 | 0 |
| 5= | Kevin Kilbane | 1997 - present | 80 | 7 |
| 8 | Ray Houghton | 1986 - 1998 | 73 | 6 |
| 9= | Kenny Cunningham | 1996 - 2005 | 72 | 0 |
| 9= | Liam Brady | 1975 - 1990 | 72 | 9 |
| 9= | Robbie Keane | 1998 - present | 72 | 29 |
| 12= | Kevin Moran | 1980 - 1994 | 71 | 6 |
| 12= | Frank Stapleton | 1977 - 1990 | 71 | 20 |
| 14 | Andy Townsend | 1951 - 1964 | 70 | 7 |
| 15 | John Aldridge | 1986 - 1997 | 69 | 19 |
| 16 | David O'Leary | 1977 - 1993 | 68 | 1 |
| 17 | Roy Keane | 1991 - 2005 | 67 | 9 |
| 18 | Damien Duff | 1998 - present | 66 | 7 |
| 19 | Ian Harte | 1996 - present | 64 | 11 |
| 20 | Gary Breen | 1996 - 2006 | 63 | 6 |
| 21 | Johnny Giles | 1960 - 1979 | 59 | 5 |
| 22 | Mick McCarthy | 1984 - 1992 | 57 | 2 |
| 23= | Don Givens | 1969 - 1982 | 56 | 19 |
| 23= | Denis Irwin | 1991 - 2000 | 56 | 4 |
| 25= | Chris Hughton | 1980 - 1992 | 53 | 1 |
| 25= | Ronnie Whelan | 1981 - 1995 | 53 | 3 |
| 27= | Gary Kelly | 1994 - 2002 | 52 | 2 |
| 27= | Mick Martin | 1972 - 1983 | 52 | 4 |
| 27= | Jason McAteer | 1994 - 2004 | 52 | 3 |
| 30 | Paddy Mulligan | 1969 - 1980 | 50 | 1 |
Record Goal scorers
| Rank | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robbie Keane | 29 |
| 2 | Niall Quinn | 21 |
| 3 | Frank Stapleton | 20 |
| 4 | Don Givens | 19 |
| Tony Cascarino | 19 | |
| John Aldridge | 19 | |
| 7 | Noel Cantwell | 14 |
| 8 | Gerry Daly | 13 |
| 9 | Jimmy Dunne | 12 |
| 10 | Ian Harte | 11 |
See here for top goal scorers per country.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (June 2007) |
- It is often said in Ireland that Germany's common use of a green-coloured away jersey is in recognition of Ireland being the first team to play Germany after World War II. Despite the fact that Switzerland were actually the Germans' first opponent, this urban myth persists.
- Gary Kelly is the uncle of Ian Harte. Both players featured in the same squad for Ireland's 2002 World Cup campaign.
- Ireland and Wales have played each other at five different Dublin venues ; Croke Park, Lansdowne Road, Tolka Park, Dalymount Park and the Royal Dublin Society showgrounds.
- In the past 40 years, Ireland have only three away wins against countries who previously qualified for a major tournament; Scotland in 1987, Turkey in 1991 and Northern Ireland in 1994.
- Ireland's longest competitive winning streak achieved in 1989 during the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign is five games. The defeated opponents on that occasion were Spain, Northern Ireland, Hungary and Malta twice. Today's team is presently on a competitive winning streak of four games.
- In the 1990 FIFA World Cup the Ireland Team had an audience with Pope Jean Paul II , and were the only team to do so.
See also
- Republic of Ireland B national football team
- Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
- Republic of Ireland national football team - results (see Category at bottom)
References
External links
- Rep. of Ireland national team 1926-2000(with line-up)
- From RSSSF:
- Ireland - International Results
- Ireland - Record International Players covers Appearances and Goalscoring
- IRISH NATIONAL TEAM COACHES (since 1969) (Only covers matches up to June 1999)
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