Classic Euro Moments: Ronnie Whelan’s Scissor Kick

It’s St. Patrick’s Day and we’re building towards the European Championship, so what better time to share this goal? It’s from Euro ‘88, the first time Ireland had qualified for a major tournament. They beat England 1-0 in the opening game.

And in the 38th minute of the second game (vs USSR) Ronnie Whelan unleashed this scissor kick. Incredible. And it’s hard to know which is better, Whelan’s acrobatics or Mick McCarthy’s long long throw.

The game eventually finished 1-1 and then Ireland lost 1-0 to the Netherlands in the final group game and failed to qualify for the quarterfinals. But that’s OK because two years later it was Italia ‘90. For more Irish international action take a look at these selected highlights.