THE SUMMER OF 1995 was not the good time in Irish football.
Jack Charlton’s side, having started their qualification campaign for Euro ’96 with a maximum nine points from three games and gone on to beat Portugal at Lansdowne Road, saw the rot set in with a scoreless draw away to Liechtenstein.
Just eight days later, Austria – and Toni Polster’s magnificent permed mullet – came to Dublin.
Ray Houghton gave the home side the lead with 23 minutes of the match remaining, before two efforts from Polster – one a curling free-kick, the other a thumping header – sandwiched Andreas Ogris’ polished finish.
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The following September, Ireland travelled to Vienna and things did not get any prettier, Peter Stoger grabbing a hat-trick and Paul McGrath’s header proving no consolation at all in another 3-1 defeat.
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A 3-0 defeat to group winners Portugal looked to have ended Ireland’s hopes of making a play-off, but they still managed to finish second ahead of Northern Ireland, based purely on the results of the matches between the two sides.
Charlton’s side would face the Netherlands, and a young Patrick Kluivert, at Anfield. A 2-0 defeat meant that Ireland would not travel to England the following summer, and the Charlton era was over.
