Falling from the shoulders of giants

Ireland’s latest trip to Copenhagen marked your correspondent’s fifth visit to the engaging Danish capital which, a couple of thunderstorms aside, presented a much sunnier, summery face than I experienced on my first trip there.

That was back in October 1992 when a premature blast of winter made for wet and freezing conditions in the Parken Stadium as Jack Charlton’s Ireland defied the elements — and the scintillating threat of Brian Laudrup — to claim a precious early away point on what would turn out to be a long and very rocky road to the World Cup in America.