IT’S ALMOST 28 years since Ireland and Scotland met in a competitive fixture (before you ask, no, we’re not counting the Carling Nations Cup as “competitive.”)
Mark Lawrenson’s goal set Ireland on their way to a 1-0 win, two important points and, ultimately qualification for the country’s first European Championships.
Martin O’Neill will be hoping for a similar result in Celtic Park this time around… but a lot has changed since the last Celtic Clasico.
1. More than half of Ireland’s current squad hadn’t been born
That’s 13 of the 25 men in Scotland this evening — Darren Randolph, Seamus Coleman, Ciaran Clark, Alex Pearce, Cyrus Christie, James McClean, Darron Gibson, David Meyler, Robbie Brady, Jeff Hendrick, Anthony Pilkington, Anthony Stokes and David McGoldrick.
2. Don Givens was the country’s leading scorer
Givens’ 19 goals have since been surpassed by Frank Stapleton (20), Niall Quinn (21) and of course, Robbie Keane (65 and counting).
3. Ireland had never qualified for a major football tournament
Thanks for this, Gary Mackay.
4. If you were lucky enough to have computer, it probably looked like this…
This was Windows 1.0
5. … and we were a long way away from sports apps on smartphones
A vintage Motorola mobile phone, as modelled by Michael Douglas in Wall Street
6. George Michael and Aretha Franklin were top of the UK charts with ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’
7. The world hadn’t met the Simpsons yet
TV’s favourite cartoon family only made their debut on the Tracey Ullman Show in April 1987.
8. … or seen Robocop
The sci-fi blockbuster didn’t hit cinemas until later that summer.
– First published 06.00
