Stylish Charlie Hurley played like he was 'centre-stage at the London Palladium'

Ireland great Charlie Hurley passed away on Wednesday. The Cork-born centre-half was renowned for his style, bravery and physical presence.

RIP: Tributes have been paid to former Sunderland and Republic of Ireland defender Charlie Hurley following his death at the age of 87 on Thursday. Photo credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.

When England hosted Ireland in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley on May 6th, 1957, Charlie Hurley paid in at the gate. A promising centre-half with Millwall in the old Third Division South, he was reckoned by many to be on the verge of an international breakthrough, so he wanted to check out first-hand what the standard was like. An injury had forced him to turn down a call-up to the Irish squad two years earlier but, following a 5-1 defeat in London that afternoon, he was immediately brought in for the return match at Dalymount Park 11 days later.

“That made my father the happiest man in the world,” said Hurley in Sean Ryan’s ‘The Boys in Green’. “He always said I’d wear the green jersey. For four weeks from the time I was picked he never did a day’s work. He worked in Fords and the factory was full of Irish. He sat in a corner talking to them all about his son – and the fact that I had a good game gave him the two weeks after. He was king for a month.”