Chris Hughton set the ball rolling for 2-Tone Ireland 45 years ago
It took a while for black players to become established. There was a lot of suspicion of them and they had to adjust to living in a new country, and standing out because of their skin colour.
It was 45 years ago. A dull October day in a dull city in the English midlands, but Jerry Dammers was excited.
He was the brains and driving force behind Coventry outfit The Specials. Their debut album was hitting the shops that morning and Dammers knew it was the business. But it was never just about music to him, either.
This was October, 1979, a time when racist 'jokes' were considered acceptable on prime-time TV shows, a time when men. women and children were often attacked on the streets of Britain because of their skin colour.
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The Specials, though, were a multi-racial group. And Dammers named his record label '2-Tone'. It was a powerful statement.
Just days after the launch of The Specials' LP, John Giles made his own powerful statement. Giles was the Ireland manager and the Euro '80 qualifying campaign would be his last in charge.
Irleand would finish those qualifiers with just two wins out of eight games and they were already out of the running when a friendly was arranged against the USA for October 29, 1979. There was no great appetite for the game - from supporters or players - and Ireland went 2-0 behind at Dalymount Park.
But they stirred themselves to win 3-2 through three goals in four minutes from Tony Grealish, Don Givens and John Anderson There is only one reason why that nondescript friendly is remembered - Giles gave a debut to Chris Hughton, and he became the first black player to play for Ireland.
Much was made of it at the time, but it was no big deal to Giles. "Back in the '60s, I played with Albert Johanneson at Leeds and he was one of the only black players in England then,'' said Giles.
"There was this thing that black lads had no bottle - that was the general opinion. I never believed in that. It took a while for black players to become established. There was a lot of suspicion of them and they had to adjust to living in a new country, and standing out because of their skin colour.
"To be honest, I used to get stick for being Irish - 'you fucking Paddy' and all that. I didn't give a shit, but it was worse for the black lads because they stood out
"I went into management with West Brom and signed Laurie Cunningham, Cyrille Regis and Remi Moses and there were people going 'oh, I wouldn't sign a black player'.''
Hughton had just broken into the Tottenham team and Giles was aware that his mother was Irish.
And he had no hesitation in calling him up and giving the 20-year-old his debut.
"I couldn't care less if a fella was black, white, green, yellow or orange,'' said Giles.
"Chris was a good player and we needed good players. He took it all in his stride. That's the kind of lad he is. Chris is terrific, he takes everything in his stride."
To Hughton, the first time was special - and he remembers the efforts to make him feel at home. I had only been in Ireland on a couple of occasions so to play in what was my first involvement with the squad was a massive and a nerve-racking occasion,'' he said.
"I remember everything from my first call-up. I remember how I was made to feel at home when the physio Mick Byrne immediately insisted on calling me Christy.
"It was a great occasion for me personally but I was also aware of its significance. For the first few years, it was very much a big thing that a black player was playing for Ireland. I was aware of the responsibility I had.
"At that time, not many weeks or months would go by without me suffering racial abuse in England but, for all the games I played in Ireland, I can't think of one instance when it happened."
Hughton's father, William had moved from Ghana to London to stiudy medicine. It was there he met Christine, from Limerick. They married and had three children.
William had to give uip his medicine dream due to lack of funds and ended up working with the Post Office for 40 years. Chris Hughton always saw himself as having a complex identity - the very definition of mixed race. You can see that in his marriage to Cheryl from British Guyana. Their children have both Irish and east African names.
In the four decades since Hughton's debut, many black and mixed race players have worn the green shirt - from Paul McGrath to Terry Phelan to Clinton Morrison to Jon Walters to David McGoldrick to Chiedozie Ogbene.
McGrath is probably the most universally loved Irish sportsperson of all time and former Ireland manager Brian Kerr feels that helped with the wider acceptance of black players here.
"I would think so. It makes the pathway easier that people of our age remember how brilliant Paul was,'' he said. ''Paul wasn't loved because of his blackness, it was his brilliance as a player. As they got to know more about his background, he was respected even more.
"The biggest heroes of my time growing up were Phil Lynott and Muhammad Ali. Paul McGrath would be up there over the past 40 years."
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