Soccer Nostalgia: The Soccernostalgia Interview-Part 40- A video Interview and blog presentation with Irish Freelance writer, Historian and Broadcaster Mr. John O’Carroll, discussing Republic of Ireland’s South American Tour of 1982)

For this interview, I look back at Republic of Ireland’s South American Tour of 1982.

The Interview will be as a video link companion, while the Blog will be a presentation of the events.

The Interviewee is:

Irish Freelance writer, Historian and Broadcaster Mr. John O’Carroll

Mr. O’Carroll’s contact info:

Twitter: @JohnOCarroll17

e-mail: johnocarroll0@gmail.com

or on facebook under John O’Carroll

My contact information:

on twitter @sp1873 and on facebook under Soccernostalgia.

https://linktr.ee/sp1873

Republic of Ireland’s South American Tour of 1982

The Republic of Ireland National Team’s Tour of South America has gone down in History as an example of mismanagement and unprofessionalism of its top hierarchy.

The Irish had missed out on qualifying for the 1982 World Cup. This Tour was most likely planned to bring in extra revenue.

What the Irish Football Leadership did not plan on were World events that would have a bearing on their sporting plans.

The Falklands War in Spring 1982 (involving Argentina and Great Britain) turned what could have been an educational Tour against top opponents into a farce that not only yielded disastrous results but also made the Irish Association look like amateurs.

The Tour was to consist of matches vs. Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Naturally, with the ongoing War, the match vs. Argentina became problematic.

Even though, Ireland were a neutral nation, just about all their squad were employed by English clubs. Even without any conflict, obtaining the release of players would have been difficult as the clubs themselves would usually embark on Tours of their own.

But trying to obtain the release of players from English clubs for a match against a warring Nation incurred the resistance and wrath of the clubs.

The clubs not only refused to release the players but also threatened reprisals in the future.

The negative publicity forced the Irish Politicians to pressure FAI Secretary Peadar O’Driscoll to finally cancel the match vs. Argentina. But it was too late to gather their players.

Photo From: Football Association of Ireland, 75 Years, Author Peter Byrne, 1996

(Peadar O’Driscoll)

Photo From: Football Association of Ireland, 75 Years, Author Peter Byrne, 1996

(Eion Hand)

To make matters even tougher for Irish Manager Eion Hand, the League of Ireland XI were on a Tour at New Zealand. This hampered his attempts to call-up suitable replacements.

In the end, Hand, pieced together 15 players for the Tour.

The only experienced players on the Tour were Liam Brady, Mick Martin, Gerry Ryan, and Gerry Daly.

The Tour started at Santiago on May 21^st as Chile hosted this inexperienced Irish side with Mike Walsh, Sean O’Driscoll and Mick Fairclough making their debuts.

Chile won (1-0) with Gamboa scoring before the first minute. Eion Hand was further distressed as Michael Robinson had to fly back home due to injury.

Photo From: Onze, Issue 70, October 1981

(Tony Grealish and Liam Brady)

Photo From: Onze, Issue 58, October 1980

(Liam Brady and Gerry Daly)

The next match was against Brazil on May 27^th. In the lead-up to this match there was trouble and threat of a mutiny in the Irish Camp, as the players had not received the $1,080 bonus promised. Hand had to convince them to stay and threatened to resign if the money was not paid. Not that it helped since Ireland were trounced (0-7) by an unstoppable Brazil side that were to take the World Cup by storm in just days.

The star of the Irish squad, Liam Brady was in tears and inconsolable after the match and was on the verge of returning home. Hand’s Assistant Terry Conroy had to convince him to stay.

Photo From: Placar, Issue 628, June 4, 1982

(May 27, 1982, Brazil 7-Republic of Ireland 0)

There was still one match on the Tour. Without Hand’s prior knowledge, FAI were informed by an agent that a match had been set up with Trinidad and Tobago.

The match took place on May 30^th at Port of Spain. Brady arrived just couple of hours before the match. There is not much accurate statistical information (even referee and attendance) about this match that Trinidad won (2-1) with Brady scoring the consolation goal. There are some who have claimed that this match listed as the Official match was actually an unofficial match against a club side, while the Official match was another match won (3-1) against a team listed as a club side but may have actually been the main National Team. This confusion summed up the chaos and dis-organization of this Tour.

This was a mis-guided Tour that many wish had not taken place. The FAI were made to look insensitive as well as unprofessional. No player benefited from this, and Brady and senior players should have been spared this type of treatment.

None of the newcomers benefitted from this Tour and would shortly disappear from contention.

Note:

Please refer to the video link at the top of this blog upload for the interview and discussion regarding this Tour.

Photo From: Republic of Ireland, Gifted in Green, Author Adam Ward, 1999

(Eamonn Deacy and Mike Walsh)

Photo From: Republic of Ireland, Gifted in Green, Author Adam Ward, 1999

(Mick Fairclough, Sean O’Driscoll and Johnny Walsh)

Republic of Ireland National Team matches during the 1982 South American Tour

May 21, 1982, Santiago, Chile 1-Republic of Ireland 0 (Miguel Angel Gamboa 1)

May 27, 1982, Uberlândia, Brazil 7-Republic of Ireland 0 (Paulo Roberto Falcão 32, Sócrates 53, 72, Serginho 64,74, Luizinho 69, Zico 78)

May 30, 1982, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 1-Republic of Ireland 2 (Ralph Nelson, Frank Haynes / Liam Brady)

Date: May 21, 1982

Competition: Friendly

Result: Chile 1-Republic of Ireland 0

Venue : Santiago -Estadio Nacional

Attendance: 25,000

Referee: Victor Ojeda (Chile)

Kick-off time: -

Goalscorers:

(Chile): Miguel Angel Gamboa 1

(Republic of Ireland): None

Summary of goals:

1:0 (1^st minute, Chile): -

Lineups:

Chile:

Mario Osben (Club Social y Deportivo Colo Colo-Santiago)

Lizardo Antonio Garrido (Club Social y Deportivo Colo Colo-Santiago) (Mario Galindo (Club Social y Deportivo Colo Colo-Santiago) )

Elías Ricardo Figueroa (captain) (Club Social y Deportivo Colo Colo-Santiago)

Rene Valenzuela (Club Deportivo Universidad Católica-Santiago)

Vladimir Bigorra (Corporación de Fútbol Profesional Universidad de Chile-Santiago)

Carlos Rivas (Club Social y Deportivo Colo Colo-Santiago)

Rodolfo Dubó (Club Deportivo Palestino-Santiago)

Mario Soto Benavides (Club de Deportes Cobreloa –Calama)

Patricio Nazario Yáñez (Club de Deportes San Luís -Quillota)

Miguel Angel Gamboa (Corporación de Fútbol Profesional Universidad de Chile-Santiago) (Juan Carlos Letelier (Club de Deportes Cobreloa –Calama) )

Gustavo Moscoso (Club Deportivo Universidad Católica-Santiago)

Coach: Luis Santibanez

Team Captain: Elías Ricardo Figueroa

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas

Uniform Colors: - Shirts, - Shorts, - Socks

Republic of Ireland:

James Martin ‘Seamus’ McDonagh (Bolton Wanderers Football Club / England)

Eamonn Stephen Deacy (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham / England)

Michael Paul ‘Mick’ Martin (Newcastle United Football Club / England)

John Christopher Patrick Anderson (Preston North End Football Club / England)

Michael Thomas Walsh (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England)

Gerard Anthony ‘Gery’ Daly (Coventry City Football Club / England)

Anthony Patrick Grealish (Brighton Hove and Albion Football Club / England)

William ‘Liam’ Brady (Juventus Football Club-Torino / Italy)

Sean Michael O'Driscoll (Fulham Football Club-London / England) (Michael Joseph Fairclough (Dundalk Football Club) 70)

Michael John Robinson (Brighton Hove and Albion Football Club / England) (Gerard Joseph Ryan (Brighton Hove and Albion Football Club / England) 75)

Kevin O'Callaghan (Ipswich Town Football Club / England)

Coach: Eoin Kevin Joseph Colin Hand

Team Captain: Anthony Patrick Grealish

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: O’Neills

Uniform Colors: -Shirts, - Shorts, - Socks

Date: May 27, 1982

Competition: Friendly

Result: Brazil 7-Republic of Ireland 0

Venue : Uberlândia - Estadio Municipal Joao Havelange

Attendance: 72,733

Referee: Romualdo Arppi Filho (Brazil)

Linesmen: Jose Roberto Wright, Luis Carlos Felix (both Brazil)

Kick-off time: -

Goalscorers:

(Brazil): Paulo Roberto Falcão 32, Sócrates 53, 72, Serginho 64,74, Luizinho 69, Zico 78

(Republic of Ireland): None

Summary of goals:

1:0 (32^nd minute, Brazil): Junior’s free kick from the left side was headed back, Falcão volleyed in.

2:0 (53^rd minute, Brazil): A Corner from the right side was headed in by Socrates.

3:0 (64^th minute, Brazil): A corner from the left side was headed in at the far post by Serginho.

4:0 (69^th minute, Brazil): A Corner from the right side was initially held by McDonagh, but he let it slip out of his grasp and Luzinho knocked in the loose ball.

5:0 (72^nd minute, Brazil): A ground level corner from the left side, reached Falcão, his first shot was blocked, he then lobbed the ball in the path of Socrates to score.

6:0 (74^th minute, Brazil): From the middle, on the left, Socrates passed to Falcão who then passed to Serginho on the left side to advance and score.

7:0 (78^th minute, Brazil): A corner from the left side, was touched on by Serginho to Zico to score.

Lineups:

Brazil:

1- Valdir de Arruda Peres ‘Waldir Peres’ (São Paulo Futebol Clube- São Paulo) (12-‘Paulo Sérgio’ de Oliveira Lima (Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas- Rio de Janeiro) 80)
2-José ‘Leandro’ de Souza Ferreira (Clube de Regatas Flamengo- Rio de Janeiro)
3-José ‘Oscar’ Bernardi (São Paulo Futebol Clube- São Paulo)
4-Luiz Carlos Ferreira ‘Luizinho’ (Clube Atlético Mineiro- Belo Horizonte) (16- Edino Nazareth Filho ‘Edinho’ (Fluminense Football Club- Rio de Janeiro) 46)
6-Leovegildo Lins Gama ‘Júnior’ (Clube de Regatas Flamengo- Rio de Janeiro)
15-Paulo Roberto Falcão (Associazione Sportiva Roma / Italy)
8-‘Sócrates’ Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira (Sport Club Corinthians Paulista- São Paulo)
10-Artur Antunes Coimbra ‘Zico’ (Clube de Regatas Flamengo- Rio de Janeiro)
7- ’Paulo Isidoro’ de Jesus (Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense) (5-Antonio Carlos ‘Toninho Cerezo’ (Clube Atlético Mineiro- Belo Horizonte) 60)
20-Antônio de Oliveira Filho ‘Careca’ (Guarani Futebol Clube) (9- Sérgio Bernardino ‘Serginho Chualapa’ (São Paulo Futebol Clube- São Paulo) 46)
11-‘Éder’ Aleixo de Assis (Clube Atlético Mineiro- Belo Horizonte) (21-José Guimarães ‘Dirceu’ (Club Atlético de Madrid / Spain) 80)

Coach: Telê Santana da Silva

Team Captain : ‘Sócrates’ Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Topper

Uniform Colors: Yellow Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks

Note:

1-In some sources Edinho’s substitution is shown in the 80^th minute, unclear in many other sources.