Irish Soccer’s Most Memorable Moments, No 25: Joxer Goes To Stuttgart, 1988

Time for number 25 and twenty-four years ago Christy Moore’s folk -song about a working-class everyman who set out in his van to follow the Irish soccer team.

It’s far too easy to be cynical, urbane and sneering about Christy Moore’s song set 24 years ago.

Looking back across the prism of time, we have been to several more major championships, seen a lot more football, experienced growth, prosperity, globalisation and wealth in the last two and a half decades - and we're now back to bust.

What Moore did perfectly in “Joxer Goes To Stuttgart” is through the eponymous everyman Joxer capture the experience of so many Irish fans, leaving our parochial island on the edge of Europe for the first time thanks to the unprecedented achievement of Jack Charlton’s team reaching a major tournament.

With everything that has happened since, Joxer may travel to Poznan this summer 24 years older and wiser and less naïve, but still in love with football.

Sure we’ll quit our misty-eyed yabbering. The song speaks for itself.

Today marks 25 days to go until the start of Euro 2012, so stick with us every day as we present another memorable Irish soccer moment.