It all happened between 1986 and 1996. First the Irish football team qualified for the 1988 European Championships, then the 1990 World cup in Italy and then the 1994 World cup in America. All this was spearheaded by one man, who was not even Irish, Jack Charlton.

Jack had been in the game of football since the age of 15 and now he was 60. He was described as a shock choice by the tabloids to be manager but as he said himself, he “won them over very quickly.” It started with a three year contract.

First were the qualifiers for the European championships. Ireland played Iceland in May 1986 in Reykjavik. Paul Mc Grath and Gerry Daly scored. It was described as no miracle that they won, but after the next match between Belgium and Ireland in Brussels in September 1986 it was noticed that Jack’s tactics were a new approach incorporating something called ‘pressing’– this meant putting people under pressure.

He also brought in two new players, the young Ray Houghton, whose father was from Donegal, and John Aldridge from Tranmere Rovers. It was in Jack’s words, “Time for Houghton to grow up.” Liam Brady scored a penalty in this match to equalize.

Ireland faced Bulgaria in Dublin in October 1987. Paul McGrath and Kevin Moran both scored. Brady retaliated and kicked a fellow opponent and because of this missed the European championships. Then something happened that was a surprise for the Republic of Ireland team. Scotland won their match against Bulgaria with the result that Ireland went through.

The first match was against England in Stuttgart in June 1988. Houghton scored a header and the Irish team won 1–0. The second game was against Russia in Hanover in June 1988. Ronnie Whelan scored a magnificent goal on the volley from a throw-in. Russia also scored and they drew 1–1. The third match was against the Dutch in Gelsenkirchen in June 1988. Holland scored from a spinning header and the Irish were reported to have ‘made an impact’.

The team returned home to a heroes’ welcome but were out of the championships.

Jack’s team then had to enter the qualifiers for the World Cup in Italy. The first thing Jack did was to call up David O’Leary, who had been excluded from the side for two years. The first match was against Spain in Dublin in April 1989. Frank Stapleton scored and they won. The second game was against Hungary in Dublin in June 1989. Paul McGrath scored a volley and Cascarino scored a header. They then took on Northern Ireland in Dublin in October 1989. Ronnie Whelan scored, Cascarino scored a header and Houghton also scored. They had qualified for Italy.

Ireland were then drawn in the same group as England and Holland. The first match took place in Caligari in June 1990 against the English. Kevin Sheedy scored a blinder from outside the box and the Irish won 1–0. They then faced Egypt and only drew 0–0. After the write-up on the match, Jack Charlton declared that he did not like Eamonn Dunphy and tempers flared.

The Irish then took on Holland in June 1990. Ruud Gullit scored for the Dutch and Niall Quinn equalised when the keeper dropped the ball. The next match was against Romania in Genoa and the Irish team had to deal with blistering heat. It went to penalties when the result was 0–0. Packie Bonner made a tremendous save and Dave O’Leary took that famous penalty, leading to an Irish victory.

Ireland then went through to the quarter finals. The Irish team while in Italy took time to visit the Pope and Jack probably took a blessing from this and needed it as Ireland had to take on Italy in Rome that June. In the match Schillachi scored after a mistake between Sheedy and Aldridge. Ireland had to return home and did so to 500,000 people who filled the centre of Dublin city.

Ireland were back to square one and had to qualify for the next World Cup to be held in 1994 in the U.S.A. After winning most of their matches, they qualified and boarded a plane for their first match in the Giants Stadium, New Jersey against Italy in June 1994. Houghton scored from outside the box after only 11 minutes. Sheridan then hit the crossbar and Ireland won 1–0.

Their next match was against Mexico in Orlando in June 1994 but the heat was 120 degrees and the Irish were not able to perform. John Aldridge scored a header but the Mexicans who were well-used to the heat won 2–1. The Irish then faced Norway in New York with 0–0 the final result. That left Holland, the old enemy of the Irish football team. It was a 2–0 victory for the Dutch in Orlando, Bergcamp scoring and Bonner letting one through his fingers. Paul McGrath scored but it was disallowed. Ireland were out of the World cup for the second time.

Jack was then asked to stay as manager for the European Championships in England. The first match was between Northern Ireland in Belfast in 1994. Aldridge scored and Roy Keane scored his first international goal. Sheridan and Townsend made it four and the republic returned home happy.

In the return match things did not go as well with a 1–1 draw in Dublin in March 1995, with Quinn scoring. Ireland then took on Portugal in Dublin in April 1995. Aldridge again scored. They then played Liechtenstein and Austria with a 0–0 result and a 3–1 loss.

The pressure was now on Jack as manager of Ireland. Then after a rain-soaked match in Lisbon in November 1995 the Irish were left speechless as they lost 3–0 to Portugal. Jack then stated that he “would not like to outstay his welcome.”

The last match in Jack’s 10 years with the Republic was again against their old rivals Holland, in Liverpool in December 1995. Kleivert scored 2 and Ireland were then out of the European Championships and Jack left the team. His final words were that the Irish team were ranked as eighth in the world at one stage and it made him very proud.

Above: Jack Charlton and Paul McGrath.