FAI recognises 1924 games as first men's internationals

The FAI have announced that they will formally recognise the 1924 Ireland fixtures, including the Paris Olympic Games matches that year, as the first-ever official senior international men's matches.

The 1924 Olympics Games' football tournament saw the FAI field a men's national side for the first-time and these matches were initially considered senior international fixtures until FIFA re-classified them as amateur matches in the 1960s.

In 1999, FIFA communicated to all respective associations who competed in the 1924 Olympic Games that they could decide themselves whether or not to reclassify the matches.

Following extensive historical research undertaken by a committee including Gary Spain, Tadhg Carey, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD, Paul Lennon and Gerry Farrell, a proposal was put forward to the FAI board to re-classify these matches, which covers the two games played in the Olympic Tournament vs Bulgaria and the Netherlands, and the subsequent friendlies against Estonia and the USA.

These matches will be formally recognised by the association at an event on 27 May and at the Ireland v Hungary match at the Aviva Stadium on 4 June with the relatives of the 1924 players, who've been tracked down by the committee, to be invited to celebrate.

The re-classification of these games means the Ireland v Bulgaria match at Stade Olympique, Colombes, where Paddy Duncan scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win, is now formally recognised as Ireland's first-ever international match.

"This is a huge day in the history of the Football Association of Ireland and a proud moment as we formally re-classify and recognise the achievements of the 1924 side," said FAI President Paul Cooke.

While relatives for most players from those games have been