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It would be oddly fitting. And not just because of the course of this campaign. But should Ireland play abysmally yet somehow produce a miracle in Paris on Wednesday there would be a sense of records being righted. It was here, after all, where Ireland's problems with the play-offs began. Here, where an improving Irish side "outclassed" – as one French newspaper put it – the then European champions Spain only to fall to a fortuitous Ufarte goal. And here where the circle needs to be completed.
By doing so, Ireland would also improve an atrocious play-off record (see panel). Taking us to Hungary's level. Indeed, when only including countries that have appeared in more than one play-off, it's one of the worst in the world. Only Austria, Israel and Ukraine can feel anyway envious of us. Norway, we'll come to in a moment.
The reasons for this, of course, are entirely rational. We've always been no more than a mid-tier nation. Mere probability means we'll always have such problems. But then we've also managed to inflict a fair few upon ourselves. Particularly in the second leg.
We had form here long before the notion of play-offs was even formed. That's not the term Fifa may have used for Ireland's 1938 World Cup qualifying campaign but that's certainly what it came under. A bizarre two-team group – despite the fact others had four – meant Ireland would play two legs against Norway to secure their passage to France.
After a four-day trip to Oslo for the first leg in October 1937, the then Free State side managed an admirable 3-2 defeat against a Norwegian team that had reached the semi-finals of the infamous Berlin Olympics the year before. Emboldened by their efforts, the FAI rightly felt new ground could be reached. In more ways than one though. In the aftermath of Eamon De Valera's new constitution and claim on the entire island, the FAI had angered their Northern counterparts, the IFA, with a series of overtures to players who should arguably have been excluded under the 1923 Liverpool agreement. Now, as Ireland attempted to clinch qualification and called up Manchester United's widely-respected Drogheda-born goalkeeper Tommy Breen, the North saw their own chance to make a point.
Trouble had began before then though. Learning that Irish goalscorer Jimmy Dunne had previously appeared for Northern Ireland, who were not then a member of Fifa, Norway argued he was ineligible and also, therefore, was Ireland's participation. The FAI went straight to Fifa and Norway took no action, admitting the protest "had been suggested to them".
The question that will always cloud this campaign is how much suggestion Breen had. Because four days before the game, it was announced he had quit the squad to join up with the North for their British Championship match against Scotland. The IFA's arguments were that the FAI already had a keeper in the hero of the first leg, George Mackenzie, and that none of their call-ups could appear for another team three days before an international fixture. Even though United offered to arrange Breen's travel from Dublin to Aberdeen, the IFA still weren't for turning. Neither was Breen who phoned FAI Secretary Joe Wickham to ask for his release. Wickham accepted, but felt the call should have come from the IFA.
Debate raged over whether Breen was made move, merely meek or simply wanted it himself. Only deepening the divide though was the fact Ireland drew 3-3 with his replacement, the patently unfit Mackenzie, at fault for two goals. The FAI passed a resolution that Breen would "be not invited to play for his country on any future occasion".
Ireland had the backing of a home crowd that day, something which would be oddly denied them in every play-off second-leg since. Infamously, it needn't have been the case in 1965. Ireland could well have benefited from the support of the migrant community in London and Liverpool – likely play-off places for a World Cup set in England – but notoriously faced a partisan Spanish crowd in Paris due to the FAI's alleged negotiations. Guaranteed full gate receipts by the Spanish federation, the Irish body acceded to their choice of venue.
Less well known though is the nature of Ireland's performance with the then European champions undeserving winners. Described as one of the greatest Irish displays in Sean Ryan's history of the FAI, John Giles and Andy McEvoy both crafted fine chances before Ufarte's strike. And even that had an element of fortune about it as, with Theo Foley off the pitch being treated, Jesus Pereda finally got free to cross for the 80th-minute winner. The Sunday Press, saw no misfortune though but only mismanagement as they began the calls for the selection committee to close in favour of a full-time manager.
By our next play-off, ironically in front of a very Irish crowd in Liverpool 30 years later, the calls were for the end of one such full-time manager. If not without a strong degree of sentimentality. Two aspects stood out from Ireland's 2-0 annihilation at the feet of Holland and Patrick Kluivert that night. The difference in age between the sides and the fact Ireland started with four full-backs. The processes which lead to such disparities revealed the time was indeed right for Charlton's retirement. For a start, when asked why the more exuberant young wingers of Jason McAteer and Mark Kennedy were to be excluded, Charlton frankly responded "neither of them have learned what we are all about yet". And when it came to finally picking who would fill the left side of midfield in Steve Staunton's absence, Charlton only made his decision when he went for a stroll and saw Terry Phelan doing the same, remembering he had recently been man of the match against Newcastle.
Despite the swansong the crowd's rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' seemed, Charlton had actually wanted to stay on and have another crack at the World Cup. This time, the FAI prodded him enough to jump.
His replacement Mick McCarthy had to attempt to bridge a gap between generations, and how close he got to doing so against Belgium is under-acknowledged. Yes, Ireland may have been outclassed and outpassed after Luc Nilis's equaliser to Denis Irwin's free-kick in Dublin, but they recovered resolutely for the second leg. Ireland brought the tie level with Ray Houghton rolling back the years to equalise Luis Oliveria's opener. Then, misfortune marked another play-off. In the 68th minute, Ireland should have had a throw-in near their box and with many players still remonstrating, the Belgians took it quickly, the ball was swept in and Nilis struck. The anger finally erupted with David Connolly petulantly kicking out with 15 minutes left.
McCarthy's next campaign would end with even worse violence. At least it wasn't seen though. Having drawn the first leg 1-1 against Turkey after Lee Carsley's debatable handball in the box, RTÊ failed to get the rights. Perhaps just as well as a toothless Ireland, without the suspended scorer in the first leg Robbie Keane, struggled to break down Turkey with lone striker Tony Cascarino particularly heavily marked. Kicked one too many times he eventually retaliated with a right hook at the end only to be surrounded by several fans as a huge melee developed. Afterwards, McCarthy lamented. "I'm going to change my name by deed poll to 'Lucky' if things like this keep happening."
By 2001, such luck evened out. Even if the context of the tie led to the chaos of Saipan. Ireland persevered despite Roy Keane's absence, despite the noise of the Iranian crowd, despite Staunton applauding the end of Islamic prayers because he thought it was the national anthem. The hope is Ireland's are answered on Wednesday.
mdelaney@tribune.ie
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