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Wim Kieft celebrates as Packie Bonner is left stunned. ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

It’s the 25th anniversary of Wim Kieft’s bizarre goal against Ireland

We caught up with a famous Dutch supporter who was at the Euro ’88 match in Gelsenkirchen.

IT IS 25 years to the day when the cruel spin on a glancing Wim Kieft header knocked Ireland out of Euro ’88.

Jack Charlton’s men bowed out of the tournament on 18 June, 1988, following a brave 1-0 loss to Holland in Gelsenkirchen. An opening victory over England and a draw against the USSR was not enough to progress as the Irish were eliminated by the eventual winners.

Kiefts goal, scored after 82 minutes, was angled away from Packie Bonner in the Irish goal and was drifting wide until it took a sharp bounce and spun inside the left-hand post. TheScore.ie caught up with former Holland striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was at the game and decked out in orange amid a sea of green jerseys.

He recalled, “That Ireland game was massive. We won that and I was 12-years-old at the time. Euro ‘88 is still very clear in my mind and the game against Ireland. Wim Kieft scored in the last minutes with this weird header that went in. It was a bit lucky.

I went to that game actually. I was there in the stadium, in between all the Irish fans and celebrating the goal that we scored. Unforgettable memories.”

Here is a rather bizarre video of the goal that eliminated the Irish (goal arrives on 1:36):

YouTube credit: SiR OMARTV

What are your memories of the game?

Euro ’88 revisited: behind the scenes at Ireland’s major tournament debut

21 reasons why the 80s were the best sporting decade

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4 Comments
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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
    Favourite Chuck Farrelly
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    Jun 18th 2013, 7:28 PM

    Cheer up lads, it’s also the anniversary of Ray Houghton’s goal against the Italians in New York

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    Mute Joe Conway
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    Jun 18th 2013, 4:32 PM

    ‘The Irish Striker ‘ Ruud van Nistelrooy? – is he one of the Caherciveen van Nistelrooys?

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    Mute Nigel Dunne
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    Jun 18th 2013, 4:52 PM

    I remember the spin when the ball hit the ground and the ball changed direction. Then Bonner scrambling in vein to keep the ball from crossing the line. Our Euro dream was over and the Dutch went on to win the tournament.

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    Mute Eamonn
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    Jun 18th 2013, 7:34 PM

    I was in the ground that day, I can still hear the roar when the Dutch scored, and their taunts on the train back into Gelsenkirchen, “Ireland go home Ireland go home, Ireland Ireland Ireland go home

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