November 21, 2024

Republic of Ireland Senior Football Team Results 1985 to 1989

The 1980’s decade was the breakthrough decade for Irish soccer which was somewhat ironic since earlier part of the 80’s had seen some poor performances from the Irish soccer team. Eoin Hand’s reign as Irish soccer team manager came to an end after a disastrous 1986 World Cup qualifying campaign where Ireland only won two matches out of eight.

The campaign ended on a particularly sour note when the Republic’s team was humbled in front of the Lansdowne Road (now the Aviva Stadium) crowd in a 1-4 defeat result to Denmark.

Jack Charlton Appointed Republic of Ireland Football Manager

In a break with tradition the FAI looked outside of Ireland for a replacement for Eoin Hand as Irish manager. Former World Cup winner with England, Jack Charlton was appointed as the Irish soccer team manager in 1986. Somewhat luckily Charlton managed to qualify Ireland for it’s first major football finals. Thanks to a late goal by Gary Mackay for Scotland against Bulgaria on 11 November 1987 Bulgaria were out and as a result Ireland qualified for the 1988 Euro Championship Finals in Germany.

Euro 88 Finals in Germany

Unbelievably for the ex-England international, and indeed the Irish team and fans, the Republic of Ireland team was drawn against England in their first ever match in a major championship finals.

And perhaps even more unbelievably the unfancied Irish beat red hot favourites England by one goal to nil. A result that is unparalleled in it’s importance to Irish soccer fans. Ray Houghton (qualified for Ireland using the Granny Rule) scored the vital goal that registered Ireland’s first win at a Euro finals championship.

An interesting oddity is that the Republic of Ireland played two friendly soccer internationals against Trinidad and Tobago in the 80’s, on 30 May 1982 and 20 June 1989. Both matches were played away in Port of Spain.

Republic of Ireland Match Results 1985 to 1989 (inclusive)

Home
Result
Away Date & Venue Competition
Ireland
1:2 (0:2)
Italy 05/02/1985 Dublin Friendly Match
Israel
0:0 (0:0)
Ireland 27/02/1985 Tel Aviv Friendly Match
England
2:1 (1:0)
Ireland 26/03/1985 London Friendly Match
Ireland
0:0 (0:0)
Norway 01/05/1985 Dublin World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
0:0 (0:0)
Spain 26/05/1985 Cork Friendly Match
Ireland
3:0 (2:0)
Switzerland 02/06/1985 Dublin World Cup Qualifier
Switzerland
0:0 (0:0)
Ireland 11/09/1985 Berne World Cup Qualifier
Soviet Union
2:0 (0:0)
Ireland 16/10/1985 Moscow World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
1:4 (1:1)
Denmark 13/11/1985 Dublin World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
0:1 (0:1)
Wales 26/03/1986 Dublin Friendly Match
Ireland
1:1 (1:1)
Uruguay 23/04/1986 Dublin Friendly Match
Iceland
1:2 (1:1)
Ireland 25/05/1986 Reykjavik Friendly Match
Czechoslovakia
0:1 (0:0)
Ireland 27/05/1986 Reykjavik Friendly Match
Belgium
2:2 (1:1)
Ireland 10/09/1986 Brussels European Qualifier
Ireland
0:0 (0:0)
Scotland 15/10/1986 Dublin European Qualifier
Poland
1:0 (1:0)
Ireland 12/11/1986 Warsaw Friendly Match
Scotland
0:1 (0:1)
Ireland 18/02/1987 Glasgow European Qualifier
Bulgaria
2:1 (1:0)
Ireland 01/04/1987 Sofia European Qualifier
Ireland
0:0 (0:0)
Belgium 29/04/1987 Dublin European Qualifier
Ireland
1:0 (1:0)
Brazil 23/05/1987 Dublin Friendly Match
Luxembourg
0:2 (0:1)
Ireland 28/05/1987 Luxembourg European Qualifier
Ireland
2:1 (1:1)
Luxembourg 09/09/1987 Dublin European Qualifier
Ireland
2:0 (0:0)
Bulgaria 14/10/1987 Dublin European Qualifier
Ireland
5:0 (2:0)
Israel 10/11/1987 Dublin Friendly Match
Ireland
2:0 (1:0)
Romania 23/03/1988 Dublin Friendly Match
Ireland
2:0 (1:0)
Yugoslavia 27/04/1988 Dublin Friendly Match
Ireland
3:1 (3:0)
Poland 22/05/1988 Dublin Friendly Match
Norway
0:0 (0:0)
Ireland 01/06/1988 Oslo Friendly Match
England
0:1 (0:1)
Ireland 12/06/1988 Stuttgart EURO 88 Finals
Ireland
1:1 (1:0)
Soviet Union 15/06/1988 Hanover EURO 88 Finals
Ireland
0:1 (0:0)
Netherlands 18/06/1988 Gelsenkirchen EURO 88 Finals
El Salvador
1:0 (0:0)
Ireland 07/08/1988 Los Angeles Friendly Match
Northern Ireland
0:0 (0:0)
Ireland 14/09/1988 Belfast World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
4:0 (3:0)
Tunisia 19/10/1988 Dublin Friendly Match
Spain
2:0 (0:0)
Ireland 16/11/1988 Seville World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
0:0 (0:0)
France 07/02/1989 Dublin Friendly Match
Hungary
0:0 (0:0)
Ireland 08/03/1989 Budapest World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
1:0 (1:0)
Spain 26/04/1989 Dublin World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
2:0 (1:0)
Malta 28/05/1989 Dublin World Cup Qualifier
Ireland
2:0 (1:0)
Hungary 04/06/1989 Dublin World Cup Qualifier
Trinidad & Tobago
1:0 (1:0)
Ireland 20/06/1989 Port of Spain Friendly Match
Ireland
1:1 (1:1)
Germany FR 06/09/1989 Dublin Friendly Match
Ireland
3:0 (1:0)
Northern Ireland 11/10/1989 Dublin World Cup Qualifier
Malta
0:2 (0:1)
Ireland 15/11/1989 Ta’Qali World Cup Qualifier

Scores in parentheses are half-time scores

Ireland Football Results
Irish International Match Results 1924 – 1939
Ireland Soccer Results 1940 – 1959
Republic of Ireland Results 1960 – 1969
Irish International Soccer Results 1970 – 1979
Republic of Ireland Soccer Results 1980 – 1984
Irish International Soccer Results 1985 – 1989
Irish Soccer Team Results 1990 – 1994
Republic of Ireland Football Results 1995 – 1999
Irish International Football Results 2000 – 2004
Republic of Ireland Soccer Results 2005 – 2009
Irish Football Fixtures & Results 2010
Irish Football Fixtures & Results 2011
Irish Football Fixtures & Results 2012
Irish Football Fixtures & Results 2013
Ireland Football Fixtures & Results 2014
Ireland Football Fixtures & Results 2015
Ireland Football Fixtures & Results 2016
Ireland Football Fixtures & Results 2017
Ireland Football Fixtures & Results 2018Irish Soccer Results Index PageAustria V Ireland Football Results
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Netherlands v Ireland Football Results
Poland V Ireland Football Results
Scotland V Ireland Football Results
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Spain V Ireland Football Results
Sweden V Ireland Football Results
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Ireland Euro 88
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Ireland & 1994 World Cup Finals
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Euro 2012 Fixture List
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Euro 2012 Warm-up Matches
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Fields of Athenry at Euro 2012
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Ireland Euro 2016 – Irish Squad Euro 2016 – Ireland V Sweden Euro 2016
Ireland V Belgium Euro 2016 -Ireland V Italy Euro 2016 – Ireland V France Euro 2016
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