Farewell to Big Jack – an honorary Irishman

Niall Quinn told the story of his first memory of Jack Charlton on national radio this morning ahead of his funeral later today. Then a youthful, gangly, centre forward, Quinn was elevated from a starring role in an U21 game the previous night to a subs bench berth for an full Irish international.

It was Big Jack’s first game in charge. Quinn said he was right behind Charlton when the national anthem started to play. He recalled how his team manager turned to him and said: “I suppose this is our one?”

Over the course of the next 10 years the World Cup medal winner with England became Our Jack. Nine days ago the legendary Republic of Ireland manager died at the age of 85 years.

Jack may have just missed out on witnessing his former club, Leeds, return to top flight football, but there would have been very few footballing regrets in his back catalogue. The 1966 World Cup winner was diagnosed with lymphoma in the last year, and was also battling dementia.

In his time in charge of Ireland he was often critiqued for his love of the 4–4–2 system, but despite a narrow pool of players and the assistance of a few wayward grannies it certainly paid dividends.

Euro 1988 saw us knocked out by the winning Dutch side, while he guided Ireland to the quarter finals showdown with the hosts of the World Cup in Italy in 1990. Qualification for Euro ’92 was close run, but England took our spot.

We relived glory the ’94 World Cup in USA when Credit Unions up and down the country were tapped for money for extensions that were never to be built. It was probably just as well that Denis Bergkamp and Marc Overmars knocked us out or the recession could have been 10 years earlier.

At the July monthly meeting of Cavan County council Independent Cllr Shane P O’Reilly told how, though aged nine at the time, he recalls the excitement as Ireland reached the World Cup quarter finals. The Mullagh man said it wasn’t until he was 13 that he realised “Ireland hadn’t won” the World Cup.

“I would like that he be included in our votes of sympathy,” said Cllr O’Reilly of the 1966 World Cup winner with England. Fellow Independent, Brendan Fay from Belturbet also asked to be associated with those comments. He recalled being in America back in 1994. “It was one of the greatest times of my life.”

Everyone will be marking the passing of Our Jack today in different ways. Put ‘Em Under Pressure will be played at 12:30 on radio stations across the nation.

An Post and Royal Mail are jointly commemorating the life of English World Cup winning footballer and Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton with a special postmark. The postmark in both countries will read: Jack Charlton, 1935 – 2020.