by Trevor Keane
After the close call of the 1982 qualifying tournament, expectations were high for the European qualifiers in 1984. However, Eoin and Ireland failed to deliver once again, finishing third in their qualifying group, four points off group winners Spain and runners-up Holland. Following this Eoin decided once again to combine a club job with the national job and became the manager of St Patrick’s Athletic. A disappointing eleventh place finish in the League saw Eoin leave the club after only one season. Two successive third place finishes were followed by a fourth place for Ireland in the qualifying groups for the 1986 World Cup. That campaign saw Ireland suffer a humiliating defeat to Norway (who were not the international force that they became in the 1990s and 2000s) and the team appeared to be moving backwards. Hand finished the term of his contract and parted ways with the FAI. He was later replaced by Jack Charlton.
According to Johnny Matthews, ‘the general feeling was that Eoin was definitely unlucky during his time as Ireland manager. He narrowly failed to qualify for the World Cup, missing out to a late goal and having a genuine goal disallowed. The FAI should have given him more time. He suffered from the fact that he had not played at the highest level and was not a big name.
‘Hand was and still is the youngest-ever manager of Ireland, and he probably needed more experience or even a guiding hand in the set-up – a bit like Steve Staunton received – to help his development. A lot of kudos goes to Jack and the work he did, but the groundwork for that was laid by Eoin. He was the initial advocate of the FAI’s grandparent rule – or “find an Irishman” rule, as I call it – that became popular under Jack Charlton.’
Dave Langan enjoyed his most productive spell in an Ireland jersey under the tenure of Eoin Hand and fondly recalls Hand as one of the nicest men he ever came across: ‘He was very good for me and my career. He gave me the most caps of any manager I played under, and he was always giving me good press. Eoin was different from his predecessor Johnny Giles, in that whereas Johnny was never too worried about the opposition and concentrated more on the players and their formation, Eoin focused more on the opposition and their players.
‘Eoin was not just a good manager, he was also a great singer and loved to be involved in the singsong after the game. He was a young manager at the time, but he and his assistant Terry Conroy were a good team. I remember at one stage I was out injured for eighteen months, and Eoin would ring and ask me how my treatment was progressing and when I’d be able to return. It was great management, and made you feel wanted.
‘I think he liked my work rate. Eoin liked his players, quite naturally, to give 100 per cent. I remember one match in particular. We were playing Argentina, and Eoin asked me to man-mark Diego Maradona. It was one of the highlights of my career and a great show of faith in my ability. I didn’t get a roasting, either, although it was a friendly, so I am not sure if he was on top of his game. That said, I have never seen a player like him. His balance was amazing, and he’d just bounce off you.’
In 1988 Hand was appointed manager of Huddersfield Town and remained there until 1992. His career in management finished with a brief spell in charge of Shelbourne in 1994: ‘Managing Ireland opened doors for me though, and helped raise my profile, especially in England. It was a great help, and managers knew who I was from dealing with me at international level. It was a great experience. When I took over I was thirty-four years old and when I left I was thirty-nine. I probably knew more at the end than I did at the start. It seems, though, that there is an unwritten law that you never get a second chance to manage your country.
‘When I was Limerick manager I was full-time with part-time players. When I was Ireland manager I was part-time with full-time professionals. It was not until I managed Huddersfield that I was finally full-time with full-time players. A manager’s job, whether it is supposed to be full-time or part-time, is an 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. job.
‘After the Ireland job I headed to Saudi Arabia, where the standard was not as good but the money was much better. It was a role whereby I had to develop skills rather than work with the finished article. When you were working with the top players you never had to worry about their skill level.’
At the age of sixty-three, Eoin Hand remains an integral part of football in Ireland. Commuting between his home in Kerry and Dublin, Hand is the FAI’s player-support service manager, a role that involves helping young players. His assistant from his management days with Ireland, Terry Conroy, is also involved in the FAI player-welfare group. This represents part of the FAI’s commitment to football and gives guidelines to parents and guardians to help them encourage young people to play football. It also aims to enable coaches to maximise players’ enjoyment and potential. This is a massively important role in the future of Irish football, and it’s a testimony to what Hand has to offer that he is involved.
EOIN HAND’S CLUB MANAGERIAL HONOURS RECORD:
League of Ireland: Limerick FC 1980
FAI Cup: Limerick 1982
EOIN HAND’S IRELAND RECORD:
Total number of games in charge: 40
Total number of wins: 11 (ratio 27.50%)
Total number of draws: 9 (ratio 22.50%)
Total number of losses: 20 (ratio 50.00%)
Biggest win: 8–0 v . Malta
Biggest defeat: 0–7 v . Brazil
Longest run without defeat: 5 games
10
JACK CHARLTON
Good things come in pairs. Just like Bonnie and Clyde, Lennon and McCartney, Barbie and Ken, and Batman and Robin, the pairing of Jack Charlton with the Ireland soccer team was a match made in heaven. After the lack of success under Eoin Hand, and because of the perceived lack of a big-name Irish manager to lead the national side, the FAI took an unprecedented risk when they decided to appoint a man from outside Ireland. Their decision to hire an Englishman as the next Ireland manager was probably one of the bravest moves they ever made, and they certainly reaped the rewards.
While it is fair to say that Jack Charlton might not have been the first choice of the fans, he did not have to wait long to change people’s minds, and he will forever be etched in Irish footballing folklore – and not too many Englishmen can claim that honour. The man transformed Irish football in the 1980s and secured Ireland’s status as one of the most feared teams in Europe, with his own unique brand of football, albeit one that was often criticised. However, few can doubt the success that was achieved, not to mention the heroes he helped create for young footballers around the country. His success contributed to the increased popularity of soccer in Ireland, really challenging the supremacy that the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) enjoyed at that time.
In an amazing six-year period from 1988 to 1994, Charlton guided Ireland to sixth place in the FIFA world rankings, the highest Ireland have ever reached in these rankings, not to mention two World Cups and one European Championship. In total Charlton reigned supreme for ninety-four matches. During that time a legend was born.
EARLY LIFE
The future Ireland manager was born John Charlton in Ashington, Northumberland, on 8 May 1935 into a family that had a strong tradition in the game. And it was not just any family, but probably one of the most famous in English footballing history. ‘You have to remember, football was part of me,’ Jack says. ‘I was brought up in a footballing family. My mother was a Milburn [ Jack’s cousin was Jackie Milburn, who played for Newcastle, while his uncles George and Jack both played for Leeds, as well as Bradford and Chesterfield respectively] and my brother Bob was a player [with Manchester United], so I was involved with football at a young age, and I understood it.’
It is hard to live in the shadow of any successful sibling, but when the sibling in question survives the Munich air disaster, becomes the top scorer for England and is a Manchester United legend you get an idea of how difficult it might have been for Jack Charlton to make a life as a footballer. And it is fair to say that while he was a success in his own right, the young Jack Charlton was initially overshadowed by
his brother Bobby and, with the exception of Leeds United and Ireland fans, he will probably always remain in that shadow.
Bobby Charlton’s career is imprinted on the minds of English football fans who are old enough to remember him play. Such was the impact that Jack’s baby brother made, that his England goal-scoring record of forty-nine remains to this day, some thirty-nine years since his last appearance in an England shirt at the 1970 World Cup. That said, both brothers are legends of the game and World Cup winners.
And while he might have been younger, Bobby got his break earlier than his big brother when he was taken on by Manchester United while Jack was doing his national service.
Despite his status within the game, Big Jack had an unconventional route into football, a journey that is very different from that of most modern-day footballers. At the tender age of fifteen Jack began working down the local pit as a coal miner, but soon decided that a life in the pits was not for him and resigned to join the police cadets. During this time he continued to play amateur football when he could and soon caught the eye of Leeds United, who offered him a trial. This offer caused a huge dilemma for young Jack and the decision he made would shape the rest of his life, as the trial was to take place on the same day he had an interview for the police. Jack picked football. His trial was a success and in 1950 Leeds offered him apprentice terms. Two years later, at the age of seventeen, he signed professional terms with the club. The following year Big Jack made it into the senior side for the first time, and two years later he was a regular name on the team sheet.
The 1950s were a poor time for Leeds United, who were in the Second Division for much of the decade. However, the team finally won promotion to the First Division in 1957 and Jack’s journey to the big time was complete. Leeds’ first year back in the top flight started well, with the club sitting in second place after the first nine games of the season; however, disaster struck when the club’s main stand was destroyed by fire. Everything from jerseys to the club records were burned. The club soldiered on, with a combination of insurance money and donations from the people of the Leeds contributing to the rebuilding of the stadium.
Despite their solid start the team faded as the season progressed, and during the following campaign, having sold their star player, John Charles, to Juventus, things went from bad to worse. The reign of manager Raich Carter came to an end, and he was replaced by Bill Lambton, who, despite only having a short spell in charge, had a massive impact on the future of Leeds and Jack Charlton, for it was he who signed Don Revie from Sunderland in 1958. Bill left the club to be replaced by Jack Taylor, who was in charge when Leeds suffered relegation back to the Second Division in 1960. After Taylor’s departure, club chairman Harry Reynolds managed to persuade the board to take a risk on the untried and untested Revie and at the age of thirty-three Revie became player-manager of the club.
The appointment of Revie as player-manager nearly saw the end of Jack’s time with Leeds, as both were large personalities in a struggling team and had had disagreements in the past as players. With Don now manager it seemed as though Jack didn’t have a future with the club. Liverpool and Manchester United both showed an interest in Jack, but failed to match the asking price Leeds had put on his head. With no transfer forthcoming, the two men put aside their differences and Jack became a pivotal part of the Leeds United defence. Both Revie and his coach Les Crocker remained an influence on Charlton and would shape his career as a manager: ‘When I was at Leeds I worked under Les Crocker, who was a coach. Les and Don both were good people to learn under. With Revie you could say to him, “I noticed something in the last game. Is this something we can have a look at and try?” and Don would always listen to you. Don managed to get the right players to play the right way, and we were very successful.’
With Jack on board Revie was building for the future by bringing through a host of players from the youth team. In 1962, after almost eight years in the first team, Charlton was joined at centre-back by Norman Hunter, a product of the youth policy, and a defensive wall was created. Some of the other youth team players who made it into the senior team around this time included Peter Lorimer and Billy Bremner. They came into the side, and Leeds won promotion back to the First Division in 1964.
Leeds’ first season back in the top flight saw them surprise everybody outside the club when they almost won the League title. The race with Manchester United for the title went down to the wire and Leeds needed to beat Birmingham to seal a sensational debut season under Revie. However, they could only manage a draw (coming back from 3–0 down) and Manchester United were crowned champions. Leeds also narrowly missed out on the FA Cup that season, being beaten in the final by Liverpool. The FA Cup final match saw Charlton add another string to his bow – operating as an emergency striker in the mould of the legendary John Charles, the big man set up Billy Bremner to score the only goal for Leeds. The following season Leeds were once again runners up in the League, this time behind Liverpool.
The 1966–1967 season was a personal milestone for Big Jack as despite Leeds failing to follow up their two previous title challenges (they finished fourth), Jack was named Footballer of the Year. The following season saw Leeds and Jack finally get their hands on a major trophy, as the club enjoyed a League Cup victory over Arsenal. That season Leeds also won their first European trophy in the shape of the Fairs Cup (now known as the Europa League). That double Cup-winning season saw Jack become the club record appearance holder when he broke Ernie Hart’s record of 447 games.
The Cup wins gave Don Revie’s team the confidence they needed and the following season, 1968–1969, saw the club finally win the League Championship they so desperately craved. Jack was in inspirational form for a team that lost just two games all season. The 1969–1970 season saw Leeds go for an unprecedented treble of trophies as they chased the League, FA Cup and European Cup but, in an anticlimactic year, they failed to win any. In what must have been a devastating outcome for Charlton, in the final of the FA Cup he inadvertently headed a long throw across his own area allowing Chelsea’s David Webb to score the winning goal.
Jack bounced back from this the following season as he helped Leeds win another Fairs Cup. Yet again they finished runners-up in the League, losing the Championship to Arsenal. The 1971 season itself was overshadowed by events off the field, as Jack became embroiled in controversy following an interview he gave with Fred Dinenage on Tyne Tees Television. During the interview Jack stated that he kept a little black book that had two names in it (he refused to name who was on the list) and when he got the chance to do them (i.e. tackle them hard) then he would do so. The interview spread to the national papers and Jack was charged by the FA for bringing the game into disrepute. Nowadays the comments appear innocuous enough, particularly since Jack did state in the interview that he would never do anything nasty to them.
This episode was soon confined to history and the following season, at the age of thirty-six, Jack finally won that elusive domestic Championship, when he helped Leeds to win the 1972 FA Cup. However the following season he suffered a hamstring injury that saw him miss the final games of the season and also saw him miss the FA Cup final (Leeds lost 1–0 to Second Division Sunderland in one of the greatest FA Cup final shocks ever). Time was catching up with him – he was almost thirty-eight – and his days at the top were coming to an end. That 1972–1973 season saw Jack retire from playing. His spell with Leeds covered twenty-one years and during that time he won every domestic honour available.
ENGLAND CAREER
Given his exploits with the Ireland team, it is easy to forget that Jack Charlton was also a successful international player for England. He was a World Cup winner with the country of his birth. As with his route in professional football, his debut for England followed on the heels of his baby brother. Footballers rarely make their debut for their country as they approach their thirtieth birthday, but Jack proved an exception to the rule. A year before the 1966 World Cup, Jack joined his bro
ther in the England squad for a 2–2 draw against Scotland. Within the year, Jack was a regular in the team and scored his first goal in a pre-World Cup game against Denmark. His place in history was assured when Sir Alf Ramsay handed Jack the number 5 jersey for the World Cup squad. The 1966 World Cup remains the defining glory of English football, although the squad’s opening game in the tournament revealed their nerves when they drew 0–0 with Uruguay. Following this, they composed themselves enough to progress to the knockout stages with victories against Mexico and France. England eliminated their modern-day footballing foes Argentina in the quarter-finals, taking them to a semi-final against Portugal where they won 2–1. That semi-final was a tight affair that saw Jack block a shot on the line with his arm to concede a penalty, but despite this England survived to reach their first World Cup final.
On 30 July 1966, England faced West Germany for the ultimate prize. In a game etched in footballing folklore, the West Germans took an early lead in the twelfth minute, but England equalised just six minutes later through Geoff Hurst (only his second goal in the tournament). With the game evenly poised the initiative switched to England in the seventy-eighth minute when Martin Peters volleyed England ahead. However, the West Germans continued to press for an equaliser and in the ninetieth minute they got their reward. Big Jack was adjudged to have fouled Uwe Seeler whilst trying to reach a header and from the resultant free kick Wolfgang Weber scored to level the match and bring it to extra time. Extra time saw England dominate, with Liverpool striker Hurst completing a hat trick with two more goals to give England a 4–2 win. At the end of the 120 minutes England were finally world champions. At thirty-one, Jack was the second oldest member of the team and he had a World Cup winner’s medal, the biggest prize in football.
With the national team on the rise, two years later they qualified for their first European Championship. Despite being the third European Championship ever held, this was England’s first appearance on Europe’s biggest stage. The 1968 tournament saw England beat Spain home and away to qualify for the semi-finals. England were drawn to play Yugoslavia in Florence, but Yugoslavia won 1–0, eventually losing to Italy in the final. England beat the USSR 2–0 to claim an unsatisfactory third place. For Jack the tournament was a non-event, as he failed to play a part in any of the games, Brian Labone having taken his place at the back. At the age of thirty-three his England career was slowly grinding to a halt.
