Republic of Ireland national football B team

Republic of Ireland B
Nickname(s) The Boys in Green
Association Football Association of Ireland
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Pat Devlin
Captain Alex Bruce
Top scorer Christy Doyle
Daryl Clare
David Kelly
Jackie Hennessy
Neale Fenn
Niall Quinn (all 2 goals each)
Home stadium Dalymount Park
Lansdowne Road
Tolka Park
Turner's Cross
Carlisle Grounds
FIFA code IRL
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
First international
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 1 - 0 Romania B Romania
(Dalymount Park, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; October 20, 1957)
Biggest win
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 4 - 1 England B England
(Turner's Cross, Cork, Republic of Ireland; March 27, 1990)
Biggest defeat
England England B 2 - 0 Republic of Ireland B Republic of Ireland
(Anfield, Liverpool, England; December 1, 1994)

Republic of Ireland B is the reserve team of the Republic of Ireland national football team. There are no competitions for B teams. However, since 1957 the Football Association of Ireland has arranged occasional friendlies.

History

Early B internationals

The FAI first introduced B internationals during the 1950s. In an era when League of Ireland players were getting fewer opportunities to break into the senior team, these games were seen as a chance for these players to gain some international experience. The Republic of Ireland B played their first game on October 20, 1957 at Dalymount Park against Romania B. They held the visitors to a 1-1 draw. Three days later, on October 23, the Romanians lost 6-0 to a Northern Ireland B team.[1]

In August 1958 a Republic of Ireland B team travelled to Reykjavík and beat Iceland 3-2. Then in September 1960, Iceland made a return visit to Dalymount Park, this time losing 2-1. On both occasions Iceland fielded their senior team and the Football Association of Iceland regard these games as full internationals.[2][3] In between the two games against Iceland, the Republic of Ireland B also beat South Africa 1-0 at Dalymount Park. The South Africans also regard this as a full international. Several League of Ireland players who played in these games subsequently played for the senior Republic of Ireland team. These included Christy Doyle, who had scored against both Iceland and South Africa, Jackie Hennessy who had scored twice against Iceland and Liam Tuohy.

After the game against Iceland in 1960 it would be thirty years before a Republic of Ireland B team officially played again. However, on May 24, 1971, the FAI, celebrating its Golden Jubilee arranged a special game at Lansdowne Road. This should have been a full international, however their opponents, England, only sent a B team. Steve Heighway scored for an unofficial Republic of Ireland B team in the subsequent 1-1 draw.[4]

1990s

Under Jack Charlton, B internationals were revived and during the 1990s the Republic of Ireland B played England B twice. They recorded their biggest win to date when they beat England B 4-1 at Turner's Cross on March 27, 1990. However four years later England B avenged this defeat when they beat the Republic of Ireland B 2-0 at Anfield on December 1, 1994. This remains their biggest defeat to date.[5]

In between the two games against England B, the Republic of Ireland B also beat Denmark B 2-0 at Tolka Park on February 12, 1992. Under Mick McCarthy, the Republic of Ireland B played a further three games, including two against a League of Ireland XI and one against a Northern Ireland B team.[1]

Recent Years

In April 2006 the FAI announced that Pat Devlin would join the management team of Steve Staunton as manager of the Republic of Ireland B and as League of Ireland co-ordinator. The intention was for Devlin to monitor players in the league, report on potential international players and introduce them to international football at B level.[6] Since then the Republic of Ireland B has played and drawn with Scotland B twice. In 2008, a team playing as Republic of Ireland XI overcame Nottingham Forest at Dalymount Park. This team was, in effect, an Ireland B team.

Results[7]

October 20, 1957
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 11 Romania B Romania
Neville Semenescu
Dalymount Park, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Friendly

Attendance: 21,500
Referee: Kelly (England)

August 11, 1958
Iceland Iceland 23 Republic of Ireland B Republic of Ireland
Björgvinsson,
Þórðarson
Doyle
Nolan
McCann

October 11, 1958
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 10  South Africa
Doyle

September 11, 1960
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 21 Iceland Iceland
Hennessy
Hennessy
Beck

May 24, 1971
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B[9] 11 England B England
Heighway Wagstaff

March 27, 1990
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 41 England B England
McLoughlin
Kelly (pen)
Quinn
Quinn
Atkinson
Turner's Cross, Cork, Republic of Ireland
Friendly

Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Cooper (Wales)

February 12, 1992
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 20 Denmark B Denmark
Fenlon
Kelly
Tolka Park, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Friendly

Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Gifford (Wales)

December 13, 1994
England England B 20 Republic of Ireland B Republic of Ireland
Cole
Fowler

March 17, 1997
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 11 League of Ireland XI Republic of Ireland
Dominic Foley Pat Morley

February 11, 1998
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 01 Northern Ireland B Northern Ireland
O'Boyle
Tolka Park, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Friendly

Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Richards (Wales)

February 9, 1999
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 43 League of Ireland XI Republic of Ireland
Fenn
Fenn
Clare
Clare
Coughlan
Gormley (pen)
Tony Cousins

November 14, 2006
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland B 00 Scotland B Scotland
Report

November 20, 2007
Scotland Scotland B 1 1 Republic of Ireland B Republic of Ireland
Howard Report Byrne

October 9, 2008
Republic of Ireland B Republic of Ireland 2 0 England Nottingham Forest F.C.
Folan
Keogh
Report

See also

References

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