Friday’s game against Scotland is hotly anticipated, with Ireland keen to keep their unbeaten streak which leaves them only one goal from the top of the qualifying group.
Ex-Ireland internationals Niall Quinn and Alan McLoughlin joined Off the Ball from the Ballsbridge Hotel to discuss the game, and to remember one of the great moments in Irish footballing history.
Both spoke about the famous World Cup qualifier in Belfast’s Windsor park in 1993, where McLoughlin scored a late goal to secure a 1 – 0 victory and a place in the finals. Quinn remembered the intensity of the atmosphere surrounding the game, which occurred shortly after the Greysteel massacre, when UDA members killed eight people during a Halloween party:
“It still chills me to this day. The toughest memory I have in football is hearing the Northern Irish crowd chant ‘Trick or treat.’
“The kids, it was like military... they kneeled down and pretended they had guns. Armoured cars brought us in. It stayed with me for a long time.”
Quinn was inspired by Northern Irish player Alan Mcdondald, who entered the Irish dressing room after the game to congratulate them: “That was the moment that I knew sport could beat everything.”
Of the legendary goal, McLoughlin suggested that he might have got more credit than he deserved, and in the moment was just glad to end a dry streak:
“At that moment everything else went. I’d hit the bar, hit the post, and now I’d broke my duck. That’s what the emotion was: finally I’ve hit the target.
“That was my only moment in that campaign but I took the plaudits in the end.”
After criticism of Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy for their use of the Grandma rule by ex-Scottish defender Gordon McQueen, the Quinn spoke about his own experience of English-born players during the Charlton era.
“We took advantage of that association and we had to. What stands out about the group of people in my time was that you were born in England but you were buying into it... if you were aloof you wouldn’t last two minutes.
“Everyone came in and tried to be more Irish than ourselves.”
McLoughlin, who was born in Manchester, spoke about his passion for being part of the Irish squad, regardless of his place of birth:
“I was lucky to be in the squad for 9 and a half years. I was arriving into a group of people who were proud of what we created. More than anything i wanted my next cap. I wanted to be there.”
Quinn was confident that Ireland could take the three points at Celtic Park on Friday, so long as O’Neill aims for a free-flowing game:
“There’s more fire in the players bellies. it’s not just about containment.
“If they can play this attacking game and be smart about it... then we can win the game.”
Here are the pair's predictions for Friday.
