Losing 2-0 to Holland in a European Championship play-off mightn’t have been the ideal send-off for Big Jack, but the Irish fans delivered a fitting and emotional tribute to our most famous ever manager.
There were many reasons for the Irish fans present at Ireland’s 2-0 defeat to Holland in the Euro ‘96 play-off to remember the occasion for years afterwards.
If the novelty of Ireland playing an international match at Anfield wasn’t enough, there was the sight of a young Patrick Kluivert terrorising the Irish backline and although he hadn’t confirmed it yet, we all knew in our heart of hearts that it was to be the end of the road for Big Jack, who had presided over the most glorious decade in the history of Irish football.
There was hope that could yet qualify for our third major championship in six years, but we should have known it was destined to end in failure given our tumultuous relationship with the Oranje in the past.
After all, Wim Kieft’s goal cost us a place in the semi-finals in Euro ’88 and a year and a half prior to the play-off, a combination of Wim Jonk and Packie Bonner’s buttery fingers conspired to end our World Cup dream in Orlando.
We weren’t to know it yet, but orange would also turn out to be the colour of the most ill-advised away strip in Irish history, a strip that, like Jon Goodman’s international career, died a death soon after that fateful defeat to Macedonia in Skopje.
Kluivert deftly chipped Alan Kelly for Holland’s second goal on the night, but the writing had been on the wall for a while before that and it seemed only a matter of time before an ageing Irish team were put out of their misery.
One would have thought that disappointment would have been the prevailing emotion amongst Irish fans afterwards, but to the immense credit of those present on the night, big Jack was paid a fitting tribute by the thousands of fans who held their scarves aloft and sang their hearts out in appreciation of a man who had done so much for the Boys in Green in the ten years previous.
“I doubt if there have been many more emotional nights at Anfield than that one,” Jack said afterwards.
“Maybe it was because I knew that, for me, it was the end of the road with Ireland.
“But I’ve seldom known anything like the tension and the singing and finally the emotion when I walked out on the pitch at the end of the game.”
Giants Stadium after beating Italy in 1994 and Lansdowne Road after (finally) defeating the Dutch in 2001 stand out as two of the most atmospheric games in the history of Irish football, but this one, although for far more poignant reasons, is up there as well.
Relive it for yourself in the video below.
Today marks 30 days to go until the start of Euro 2012, so stick with us every day as we present another memorable Irish soccer moment.
