Irish Professional Footballers Benevolent Association announce Talking Reds at Vicar Street

The Irish Professional Footballers Benevolent Association have announced Talking Reds with Roy Houghton and Mark Lawrenson at Vicar Street on Monday, October 19, 2026.

Houghton and Lawrenson, both former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland players will share anecdotes from their impressive careers and provide analysis on the current state of the game.

The event will be raising money to support former League of Ireland footballers.

Roy Houghton began his English playing career as a midfielder for West Ham United in 1979. He joined Liverpool in 1987, where he won two league titles and two FA Cups.

Playing for Ireland, he made 73 appearances. He is best known for scoring goals against England at Euro 1988 and against Italy in USA 1994.

Houghton retired in 1997, where he then transitioned to punditry, becoming a regular analyst and co-commentator on RTÉ Sport.

Mark Lawrenson began his career playing for Preston North End as a centre-back in 1974. He joined Liverpool in 1981, where he won five First Division titles, three League Cups, the 1984 European Cup, and the 1986 FA Cup.

He played for Ireland 39 times, qualifying for the squad through his Waterford grandfather. Lawrenson played for the team during during their Euro 88 qualification.

After a ruptured Achilles tendon forced him to retire in 1988, he joined the BBC as a pundit on Match of the Day and Football Focus. He retired from broadcasting in 2022.

Nathan Murphy, host of the Off The Ball podcast will MC the event. Barry Murphy, co-founder of comedy show Après Match will be overseeing the jersey auctions and raffle.

Tickets for the event can be bought here.