Taken from The Southern Star published on Saturday, June 30th, 1990.

By Leo McMahon

Ole, ole, ole, ole, it’s off to Italy on Saturday for yet another “greatest occasion ever” in the history of Irish soccer for a clash in front of 80,000 people in the Olympic Stadium, Rome, with the hosts in the World Cup quarter finals.

Whatever the outcome, the Jack Charlton’s gladiators have won the hearts of every single Irish person, young and old, particularly after the high drama “shoot out” against Romania at Genoa last Monday.

Scenes of wild jubilation were reported in every town and village of the county and country after Packie Bonner’s “save of the century” and Dave O’Leary’s golden goal and the general belief is that anything is possible against the mighty Italians on Saturday night.

Not since the Papal visit in 1979 has the nation been so united in joy and delight as The Southern Star found out from reactions all over Co. Cork.

“The town is on a high” reported John Kelleher from Macroom, “Everything closed down at 3.30 for the game against Romania and the people poured out on to the streets when it was all over at around a quarter-to-seven. After that, it has been celebrations all the way. The atmosphere is fantastic.”

An officer with Macroom A.F.C. which this year celebrated its 25th anniversary and launched a club history, John said the success of the Republic of Ireland is a great boost not only for soccer but the nation as a whole.

The success is due to the commitment of the players, manager Jack Charlton, coach Maurice Setters and the fantastic supporters.

The spin-off of Ireland’s achievements in the past two years has been a definite growth in interest in soccer in Macroom in all age groups.

The soccer stronghold of Cobh was a sea of green on Monday night, said John Meade, secretary of Cobh Ramblers.

As a man who recalls the exploits of his own club in reaching the FAI Cup semi-finals in the 1980’s, John told the Star “This beats all.”

The scene in the packed Ramblers clubhouse on Monday evening, he went on, was unbelievable and when O’Leary scored the winner, the supporters spilled out on to the Ramblers pitch and street outside.

John said he felt the fantastic preparation and professional approach to each game plus the expertise of Charlton and Setters in harnessing such a fine panel of players were major factors behind the success story.

What’s more, the future looks bright following the victory by Ireland ‘B’ over England ‘B’ at Turner’s Cross, Cork in April.

John also paid tribute to the thousands of fans for doing the country proud.

For Cobh Ramblers too, said its secretary, there is a great buzz of anticipation for the season ahead as Liam McMahon’s team make a bold bid for promotion to the Premier Division of the League of Ireland.

Ramblers have lined up pre-season friendly games against Manchester City who have Niall Quinn in their line-up (August 16), Millwall with Mick McCarthy (Aug. 22) and also Huddersfield Town and Swindon Town.

Having seen the excellent facilities in Italy, John said he was confident the FAI would increase the rate of investment in domestic soccer, especially spectator facilities.

As for Italy? “They won’t like the Irish style and their game suits us. We won’t have the heat this time. We can do it,” John Meade added.

In West Cork, Paddy Boyle’s pub — the headquarters of all-conquering Bandon AFC — was jammed for every match in the World Cup campaign.

Recalling Monday’s match Paddy said: “It’s great to be Irish” and referring to Packie Bonner added “especially as an Ulster man saved the day.”

As in other towns, there were car horns and singing on the streets of Bandon and no shortage of tears and emotion. Many young people celebrated at a free disco in the Munster Arms Hotel.

Jim Nyhan of Bandon AFC, who is Tennent’s Cork AUL Manager of the Year, said pure dedication, hard work, the right attitude and phenomenal support were the backbone of everyone back home was full of pride and glued to the TV set, he said.

Passage AFC clubhouse at Rockenham Park has been packed for every Irish game and when the “men in green” did it again, said Jim, young and old danced on the tables.

The achievements of Jack’s men, he went on, has greatly boosted the game here with more parents and girls getting involved.

Looking ahead to Saturday, he said that if Ireland refuse to allow the Italian midfield to settle on the ball and put pressure on their defence, victory is possible. Whatever happens, the Summer of 1990 will never be forgotten.

Midleton

Such were the celebrations in Midleton that traffic was held up in the main street by frenzied fans said Teddy Lambe of Midleton AFC, who incidentally, predicted in a competition that Ireland would go forward to meet Italy in the quarter finals.

The soccer mania has given an extra zing to his club’s preparations for next season when it hopes to play League of Ireland opposition in the Opel League Cup.

Plans are prepared for additional facilities at Knockgriffin Park which it is hoped will be used for the 1994 European under 16 soccer championships being played all over Ireland.

Kinsale Urban District Council, at its annual meeting on Monday night had a repeat of the “shoot out” in Genoa when Mr Dermot Ryan became chairman on a 5-4 vote and followed this by sending a telegram of congratulations and best wishes to Jack Charlton’s men.

Tricolours and cheering fans abounded in the streets and taverns for a great night of celebration.

There were similar scenes in Crosshaven as reported by Noreen Scannell of John P. Lannin’s ‘Ancient Mariner’ pub which had three T.V.s in action. When O’Leary scored, said Noreen, everyone ran out into the street and jumped for joy. It was unbelievable.

At the monthly meeting of Macroom Urban District Council on Tuesday night, Mr Denis Kelleher proposed a vote of congratulations and best wishes to the Republic of Ireland team.

“It really put Ireland on the map and it has been the best tourist boost we could get. There is an awful lot going from participation in the World Cup finals and our supporters have also done us proud.”

It's a fairytale at Rome Stadium!

By Liam O'Regan, Editor of The Southern Star

It’s a fairytale for Ireland.

That is the consensus around the country this week as our soccer heroes head for Rome’s famous Olympic Stadium this Saturday to take on the host nation, Italy, in a ‘showdown’ for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Whoever wins on Saturday will play either Argentina or Yugoslavia in the San Paolo Stadium on Tuesday next at 7 p.m. and though Ireland certainly cannot feel other than remote outsiders for such a prospect, they are going again, as in the competition so far, to ‘give it a lash’ and Jack Charlton is their guiding genius.

Scenes around the country on Monday night when Ireland pipped Romania in that dramatic penalty shoot-out were ecstatic and while Monday night is not a traditional one for celebrations, well, who could blame people!

In 1956

It was, one knowledgeable chap told us, the sporting achievement of the century and in his opinion, which we share, it was only exceeded by Ronnie Delany’s magnificent 1,500 metres gold medal victory in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

That seems so long ago and while, in the meantime, we had such as Stephen Roche, with his great Tour de France victory, world athletic winners like Eamonn Coughlan, Marcus O’Sullivan, John Treacy, Frank O’Meara and others, to get so far in the World Cup in soccer is surely exceptional.

For decades, Irish soccer teams were written off as no-hopers and if Irish rugby teams in the last couple of years, are experiencing a significant ‘low’, almost like the once mighty Welsh, nobody ever expected that an Irish soccer team would scale the heights.

Courage and commitment, as well as enlightened management and training, has proved that the 1988 European championships performance was no flash in the pan and now men like Pakie Bonner, after his glorious penalty shoot-out save (among others), captain Mick McCarthy, Kevin Moran, Kevin Sheedy, Niall Quinn, Paul McGrath and the others, will assume a new hero status.

And so, the prospect of the Olympic Stadium, Rome, is almost dreamlike.

Whatever happens, it will be an historic occasion and if, for Irish people, the notion of Rome is almost entirely religious, with centuries of a close connection with the Vatican, the Irish national anthem will rarely have been heard there in a sporting connection.

So close

It almost happened, indeed, at the 1960 Rome Olympics held at this same stadium and for which event it was specially built.

Ireland won no medals at this Olympics but one of our greatest hammer throwers of ‘modern’ times, the giant-like John Lawlor, was narrowly foiled of a bronze medal, finishing fourth in the final.

The gold was taken by a Russian, Vasily Rudenkov. Lawlor, indeed, never fulfilled the great promise he showed at times and if we remember him, it appears he lacked real commitment.

The Rome Olympic Stadium is indeed a magnificent setting and having been there for the 1987 World Athletics Championships and experiencing the frenetic partisanship of the wildly enthusiastic Italian crowd, one cannot but be a bit apprehensive about likely effects on the Irish team, particularly if the Irish supporters get a ‘raw deal’ on tickets, surely an incomprehensible situation as at present.

Few Italians, indeed, did well at the 1987 world championships but of those who did, Francesco Panetta, winner of the 3,000 metres steeplechase, received an incredible reception as he virtually ran away with that particular final.

And since it was one of the last events of the evening on a torrid Rome night, the celebrations went on and on. Panetta had earlier collected a silver in the 10,000 metres.

The Rome stadium is well located only about two miles from the city centre but even for an occasion like in 1987, transport was a problem and taxi availability was at a premium.

Still, one could walk and we did quite often.

The Olympic Stadium was not, need we add, ever full for the athletics which went on all day, with the main finals at night and these Rome games were, indeed, of an exceptional standard, producing Ben Johnson’s first fabulous 9.83 world record in the 100 metres, since, sadly, removed from him.

There were other memories of champions like Said Aouita, Edwin Moses, his last great hurdles victory, Carl Lewis, Patrik Skoberg, the Swedish high jumper and of course, Russian pole vaulter Sergei Bubka, who only missed a new world record, the first 20 foot vault, by a hair-breadth, and indeed mainly the fault of the continuous interruption from the loudspeaker system.

New drama

The drama in Rome next Saturday will be of a much different kind but with the fanatical Italian crowd, the pressure on Ireland will be greater than arguably for any team so far in the competition and while we cannot expect miracles, no doubt Jack’s boys will push themselves to the limit.

And who could rule out another penalty shoot-out?

Even if Ireland lose, they will still be heroes and though the celebrations in Rome would be fantastic if they won, Irish supporters can be relied on to be good humoured, win or lose.

They certainly won’t be throwing Jack’s boys to any mythical lions in Rome’s still incredible Coliseum, though we suspect more than a few prayers will have been said in the Vatican before the match.

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