Photo: Anefo / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons
Arsenal travelled to Ireland in the summer of 1986 for two pre-season friendlies against Shamrock Rovers and Waterford, with newly appointed manager George Graham using the trip to assess his players ahead of the 86-87 season.
"It will give me a chance to assess the players in action for the first time, and of course start to fine-tune the team ready for the 86-87 season," Graham said ahead of the tour.
The Irish connection ran deep at the club. Graham noted the historical ties: "Liam Brady and Frank Stapleton were huge favourites with Arsenal fans a few years back. We have thousands of Irish supporters, and we still have two players — David O'Leary and young Niall Quinn — in the team, who maintain that link."
The tour carried added significance before it even began. Republic of Ireland international David O'Leary held his testimonial at Highbury on August 5, with Celtic winning 2-0 in front of a crowd of 30,000. O'Leary captained Arsenal while his brother Pierce, who made 39 appearances for Celtic and seven for the Republic of Ireland, skippered the visitors.
Arsenal beat Shamrock Rovers 2-0 on August 10 at Glenmalure Park in front of 4,500 supporters, with goals from Paul Davis and Graham Rix either side of half time. Rovers had completed the domestic Double in the 85-86 season and were regulars in European competition at the time. The ground was sold a year later and demolished, leaving the club homeless for 20 years.
StrikerNiall Quinn recalled the atmosphere during the trip: "There was a real buzz about the tour in Ireland. The fact that Dave [O'Leary] and myself were in the team added to the sense of excitement. Autograph hunters swarmed all around us."
Three days later, Arsenal drew with Waterford, who had lost the 1986 FAI Cup Final 2-0 to Shamrock Rovers. Ian Allinson scored in the 30th minute before Kieran McCabe equalised from the penalty spot in the 70th minute. The match served as preparation for Waterford's Cup Winners Cup first-round tie against Bordeaux, which the French club won 6-1 on aggregate.
Graham's first season in charge ended with Arsenal winning the Littlewoods Cup, with O'Leary and Quinn both making key contributions throughout the campaign.