Irish 1962 World Cup Qualifying Campaign

In the 1962 World Cup Finals qualification competition the Republic of Ireland soccer team was drawn in Group 8 that also included the Czechoslovakia and Scotland. The group winner would qualify automatically for the finals in Chile.

This qualification campaign was to prove to be the least successful Irish campaign in any qualifying tournament. Ireland played four matches and lost them all. Within a four day span Ireland played Scotland away and home, conceding seven goals and scoring just one. In the first match, at Hampden Park in Glasgow in front of a crowd of 47,000 football fans, Scotland won 4-1. Ralph Brand and David Herd both scoring a brace of goals each. Joe Haverty of Blackburn Rovers scored a goal for Ireland seven minutes into the second half to make the score 2-1 and briefly give the Irish some hope. Any such hope evaporated three minutes later when Herd bagged his first goal. In the return match at Dalymount Park the Scots won 0-3 with Brand scoring a goal again and Young scoring two goals.

In the two matches against Czechoslovakia in Group 8 Ireland conceded ten goals while scoring two. In their home match the Irish achieved parity briefly through a 40 minute Johnny Giles goal after Adolf Scherer had given Czechoslovakia a lead in the third minute. Andrej Kvasnak restored the lead after 61 and extended the lead eight minutes later. 1-3 to Czechoslovakia. In Prague the Republic of Ireland took a 7-1 hammering. The Irish were already 4-0 behind when Amby Fogarty scored a consolation goal in the 57th minute. One minute later it was 5-1 to Czechoslovakia who went on to score a further two goals.

Ireland’s 1962 World Cup Finals qualifiers can be summarised as follows: played four; lost four; goals for three; goals against 17.

Scotland and Czechoslovakia ended up all square on points having beaten Ireland twice each, and having beaten each other once. Under the rules of the competition at that time goal difference did not count. In a play-off match, in neutral Brussels, Belgium, Czechoslovakia qualified for the 1962 World Cup Finals in Chile by beating the Scots 4-2 after extra time.

Irish World Cup 1962 Qualifying Campaign – Group 8 Table

Republic of Ireland World Cup 1962 Qualifying Campaign – Match Results

Irish World Cup Qualifying Group Results

Number of Appearances and Goals Scored in Irish World Cup Qualifying Campaigns

Irish European Championship Qualifying Group Results

Number of Appearances and Goals Scored in Irish Euro Championship Finals Qualifying Campaigns