It took him back to Windsor Park, November 17th, 1993. A place in the World Cup finals was at stake once again and Ireland's former manager, the grumpy one with the flat cap and the quirky charm, wanted it no less than Mick McCarthy and the boys in green.
Early on, with the Irish in front and this night of destiny seemingly set fair, Jack Charlton was pricked by a conscience. His support for Andy Townsend's team was total, yet his position as summariser for television's Channel 5 called for him to show a little less favouritism.
"Belgium should have had a corner there," said Charlton, his gruff Geordie tones drowning out commentator Gary Bloom. "I'm trying to think of something to say for the Belgians and it's not easy." Nothing in the opposition had especially impressed Charlton so far, but that was to change as they gradually seized control and threatened to make the return leg in Brussels a steeper climb for the Irish.
Significantly, Charlton had detected danger signs in the way the Irish were set up. Of specific concern was the middle of defence, an area of the team Jack, a former number five himself, always turns to with a particularly critical eye.
"I'm worried about our two centre halves," he said. "Neither Kenny Cunningham or Ian Harte has real experience in there and I'm not sure about them. The boy Harte does not really know where he is at the moment. He is virtually playing in the left back position."
Those words were to prove heavy with portent. But first there was a goal for Ireland to acclaim. Here again Charlton was absolutely correct in his foretelling of what was to happen.
As Denis Irwin and Steve Staunton hovered over the ball 25 yards out, Charlton said: "It will surprise me greatly if Stephen hits this. Denis bends them very nicely in this sort of area. It's a bit far out, but that suits Denis because he can get the ball to dip."
Cue Irwin's goal exactly in the manner the viewer had been led to expect. Likewise Belgium's equaliser, forecast some time before because of the defenders' inability to close down on the red shirts.
"When you had Mick McCarthy or Kevin Moran in there, they would go and get those balls away from the area. They did not hang about and watch them drop in the six yard box. We could suffer for this." So said Charlton minutes before Luc Nilis's clinical strike.
There were moments of priceless Charlton idiosyncrasy. He mistook Franky Van Der Elst for a namesake he had once tried to sign for Middlesborough. What an advert for Sanatogen that would have been!
Shay Given - Charlton's man of the match - was singled out for praise, Mark Kennedy was castigated for two rash moments when he gave the ball away. The Irish, concluded Charlton, "had never given up trying against a side who had good solid players, who were not the best in Europe by any means."
But McCarthy's predecessor believes it is a difficult task now: "It's nice to go away from home with something to hold onto. A 1-1 draw is the worst possible result because Belgium know they can get away with nil-nil at home."
