Season 1 2012

From the invention of the game by a group of English public school men who put rules and structure on a chaotic and poorly defined pastime, to the establishment of the Irish Football Association, the gaining of a foothold in the public consciousness in Ireland and the eventual acrimonious split between North and South. The episode concludes with the successful fight for FIFA recognition for the new Association which would lead to their first professional international match against Italy.

After independence, the FAI finds itself with a mountain to climb to earn the right to call the national team Ireland, to hold autonomy over the 26 counties, to end the practice of dual representation and to take their place on the world stage as a free, independent and great footballing nation, by qualifying for a major tournament. The struggle would be marked by the uneasy relationship between politics and sport. The pain and heartbreak of failing to qualify was somewhat eased by a booming domestic league which entered a golden era but would eventually see a decline as eyes turned towards the English game.

After some bad luck under Eoin Hand, Jack Charlton finally brings success and presides over a period of huge change in Irish society. The highs of Euro 88 and Italia 90, the weight of expectation in the aftermath, the disappointment of going undefeated but still not qualifying for Euro 92. The joy of Giants Stadium in 94, coupled with the disappointment of not reaching our potential against the Dutch. The downward spiral of the Euro 96 campaign, which finally convinces Jack Charlton to move on and the sense that Ireland and Irish football were changed forever.

A period defined by scandals that highlight the constant need to modernise and change with the times. After a series of near misses as Ireland fail to win playoffs against Belgium and Turkey, Ireland finally qualify for the World Cup in Japan and Korea. The Saipan scandal that ensues, divides a nation and brings about the Genesis Report which forces the FAI to change for the 21st century. The disappointment of the Kerr years only gets worse with the calamity of the Staunton years and after the momentous moments of 'the garrison game' being played in Croke Park, Giovanni Trapattoni is brought in to revive the fortunes of the side and give the country a lift after the injustice of Thierry Henry's handball in 2009, allowing us to look forward to a glorious summer in Poland.