▁ending ▁his ▁international ▁career . ▁However , ▁Doug an ▁had ▁not ▁appeared ▁in ▁any ▁of ▁Northern ▁Ireland ' s ▁five ▁matches ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁game ▁in ▁Dublin , ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁score ▁in ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁ten ▁international ▁games ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁played ▁and , ▁at ▁ 3 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁tw il ight ▁of ▁his ▁career . ▁Indeed , ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁ret ire ▁from ▁playing ▁full - time ▁football ▁less ▁than ▁two ▁seasons ▁later . ▁ ▁None ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁other ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁players ▁who ▁played ▁in ▁this ▁match ▁suffered ▁any ▁ad verse ▁consequences ▁for ▁their ▁international ▁career . ▁Three ▁of ▁them ▁( J enn ings , ▁Hamilton ▁and ▁O ' Ne ill ) ▁were ▁subsequently ▁to ▁captain ▁Northern ▁Ireland , ▁and ▁Hamilton ▁was ▁also ▁appointed ▁manager . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁island ' s ▁two ▁F As , ▁following ▁the ▁match ▁the ▁FA I ▁contact ed ▁the ▁I FA ▁regarding ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁re - un ifying ▁the ▁two ▁associations . ▁The ▁I FA ▁un anim ously ▁agreed ▁to ▁tal ks , ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁about ▁a ▁possible ▁mer ger ▁since ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁N ine ▁I FA - FA I ▁con ferences ▁were ▁held ▁between ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁with ▁seven ▁of ▁those ▁taking ▁place ▁between ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁Despite ▁this ▁the ▁proposal ▁did ▁not ▁come ▁to ▁f