Après Match

Synopsis

Après Match is an Irish comedy show normally screened after competitive Irish soccer matches on RTÉ. It is performed by Barry Murphy, Risteárd Cooper and Gary Cooke. It grew out of Barry Murphy and Risteárd Cooper's Frank's Euro Ting sketches which first enlivened RTÉ's coverage of Euro '96 for which Rep. of Ireland had failed to qualify. "Après Match" proper was born when Gary Cooke joined the duo and soon became a fixture following each of Ireland's qualifying games for the 1998 World Cup. The show mocks famous, mostly Irish, soccerstars and pundits including Bill O'Herlihy, Eamon Dunphy, Johnny Giles, Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton, Colm Murray, and Graeme Souness, as well as pundits from the British channels, including Richard Keys, Andy Gray, Jamie Redknapp, Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen.

Main Cast

Seasons

Season 1

Après Match performed sketches on RTÉ Two after many of the matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. As well as mocking the usual broadcasters, the team interviewed football fans in Germany. There were also a number of sketches following a mock attempt at a takeover by the Gaelic Athletic Association Head Assimilator of Foreign Games of the Match of the Day studios at BBC Television Centre in London and a Father Ted parody of FAI officials and Irish manager Steve Staunton. For the third place play-off match between Germany and Portugal, the team took over full studio coverage, as well as half-time and full-time analysis, as they had done for the corresponding match of the 2002 World Cup.

Season details

Season 2

The trio marked their tenth anniversary with three weeks of sketches during UEFA Euro 2008. The tournament marked their biggest contribution yet to RTÉ's coverage of a major tournament. For the first time, Après Match had its own producer, Gráinne O'Carroll, and production team. The real O'Herlihy said that Après Match has played a significant part in what have been impressive viewing figures for a tournament that, in the absence of Ireland and England, he thought might not have generated much interest.

Season details

Season 3

The team returned to RTÉ Two with brand new sketches and material for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Footballer Andy Reid made a guest appearance in two sketches. Sunderland A.F.C.'s Stadium of Light was used in one sketch. Dietmar Hamann and Osvaldo Ardiles, the newest pundits in RTÉ's World Cup team, also made appearances in the Après Match line up. For the 3rd place play-off match between Germany and Uruguay, the whole show (Preview, half-time and full-time analysis) was Après Match, and was followed by a "special edition" of Après Match in which the real RTÉ panel discussed Après Match.

Season details

Season 4

The team returned for a new round of sketches for the Euro 2012 tournament. They got off to a start with the sketch of the Irish showband Crystal Swing. Nearly all sketches after that featured Bill, Eamonn, John and Liam. During the tournament it featured more "Best of Apres Match" than new material.

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Season 5

The team returned with brand new sketches for Euro 2016. They started off with a sketch that included the match between Ireland and England at Euro '88 when Ray Houghton scored the winning goal. After the Ireland-Sweden match, they returned once again with a sketch that included the football analysts in the RTÉ studio, Liam Brady and Eamon Dunphy, as well as presenter Darragh Maloney. After the Irish victory over Italy, the crew created a satirical sketch which was a parody of the TV3 studio, who are RTÉ's main competitor.

Season details

Crew

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