FAI set to give Hand September testimonial

THE FAI's executive committee is tonight expected to approve a testimonial game for Eoin Hand, who managed the national team for almost six years before Jack Charlton took over in February 1986.

The testimonial will be played on Tuesday September 3rd in Tolka Park between an Ireland XI and an international selection, and it will form an important part of Mick McCarthy's preparations for Ireland's World Cup qualifying games in Iceland (September 6th) and Lithuania (September 10th). McCarthy is due to assemble his squad in Dublin on September 2nd.

It marks belated recognition for Hand, a popular personality, who won 20 caps and then, as manager, came so close to taking Ireland to the finals of the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

Drawn in one of the most competitive of all the qualifying groups, Hand's team was eliminated only on goals difference. And a measure of that unlucky failure is that France and Belgium, the teams which qualified from the group, went on to make a major impact on the finals.

After retiring as Irish manager, Hand had a spell in charge of Huddersfield Town and was later appointed to coaching posts in Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

In Dublin for a short break, he has been assured of the co operation of leading football personalities in Britain in assembling a strong team.

Unlike others who have been awarded testimonials to honour their service to Irish football, Hand has decided against staging his game at Lansdowne Road and settled for the more intimate surroundings of Tolka Park, where he managed Shelbourne for a brief period.

This will be one of the last single testimonials before the FAI, in line with a recent policy decision, implement a new system of rewarding the country's outstanding football ambassadors.

Packie Bonner is due to take his testimonial on May 18th when Celtic provide the opposition for an Ireland XI. Permission has also been granted for a game to honour Paul McGrath's remarkable international career, probably in May of next year.

After that two or more people will share testimonials in an effort to work off a backlog of people waiting to share in a scheme which alone of the home associations, the FAI continue to favour.

Additionally, a trust fund, financed in part by deductions from testimonial game receipts, had been put in place to enable the association to alleviate cases of hardship.