Republic of Ireland national football B team

The FAI first introduced B internationals during the 1950s. In an era when League of Ireland players were getting fewer opportunities to break into the senior team, these games were seen as a chance for these players to gain some international experience. The Republic of Ireland B played their first game on October 20, 1957 at Dalymount Park against Romania B. They held the visitors to a 1–1 draw. Three days later, on October 23, the Romanians lost 6–0 to a Northern Ireland B team.[1]

In August 1958 a Republic of Ireland B team travelled to Reykjavík and beat Iceland 3–2. Then in September 1960, Iceland made a return visit to Dalymount Park, this time losing 2–1. On both occasions Iceland fielded their senior team and the Football Association of Iceland regard these games as full internationals.[2][3] In between the two games against Iceland, the Republic of Ireland B also beat South Africa 1–0 at Tolka Park. The South Africans also regard this as a full international. Several League of Ireland players who played in these games subsequently played for the senior Republic of Ireland team. These included Christy Doyle, who had scored against both Iceland and South Africa, Jackie Hennessy who had scored twice against Iceland and Liam Tuohy.

After the game against Iceland in 1960 it would be thirty years before a Republic of Ireland B team officially played again. However, on May 24, 1971, the FAI, celebrating its Golden Jubilee arranged a special game at Lansdowne Road. This should have been a full international, however their opponents, England, only sent a B team. Steve Heighway scored for an unofficial Republic of Ireland B team in the subsequent 1–1 draw.[4]

Under Jack Charlton, B internationals were revived and during the 1990s the Republic of Ireland B played England B twice. They recorded their biggest win to date when they beat England B 4-1 at Turner's Cross on March 27, 1990. However four years later England B avenged this defeat when they beat the Republic of Ireland B 2–0 at Anfield on December 1, 1994. This remains their biggest defeat to date.[5]

In between the two games against England B, the Republic of Ireland B also beat Denmark B 2–0 at Tolka Park on February 12, 1992. Under Mick McCarthy, the Republic of Ireland B played a further three games, including two against a League of Ireland XI and one against a Northern Ireland B team.[1]

In April 2006 the FAI announced that Pat Devlin would join the management team of Steve Staunton as manager of the Republic of Ireland B and as League of Ireland co-ordinator. The intention was for Devlin to monitor players in the league, report on potential international players and introduce them to international football at B level.[6] Since then the Republic of Ireland B has played and drawn with Scotland B twice. In 2008, a team playing as Republic of Ireland XI overcame Nottingham Forest at Dalymount Park. This team was, in effect, an Ireland B team.