beekay (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} thebluepill) wrote,@ 2005-09-09 04:15:00 |
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omglmfao. Up the Norn Irons!
It just doesn't get any better
By Brian Hutton
08 September 2005
Euphoria erupted on the streets of Belfast last night after Northern Ireland pulled off a sensational victory over England in a World Cup qualifying match at Windsor Park.
Fans rejoiced in the streets after the men in green - combined value ?8.5m - pulled off the seemingly impossible against a star-studded England team worth ?211m.
It was Northern Ireland's first win over England on home soil since 1927.
A sea of green and white flowed out on to the streets surrounding the stadium.
Only car horns could be heard above the exultant singing and victory chants.
David Healy, who scored what proved to be the decisive goal in the 74th minute, was the name on everyone's lips.
The boy from Killyleagh will be immortalised as the man who sealed the historic victory - the biggest since Gerry Armstrong scored that infamous goal against Spain in the 1982 World Cup.
David Norwood, from Ballyclare, said: "We played them off the park and deserved to win. It doesn't get any better than this.
"My son Matthew and his friend Tony were here with me. They will remember this night for the rest of their lives."
Mark Hewitt, from Co Armagh, said: "Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable! England are the supposed world champions and we beat them fair and square. We were not lucky. We thoroughly deserved the win."
"The Northern Ireland fans were magic from about an hour before the kick-off.
"And an hour after the game many were still there at the Kop end. They just didn't want to go home."
Gary Sands (19), an electrician, from Ahoghill, Co Antrim, was in disbelief at the result.
"I thought the Azerbaijan game was good but this is like we've just won the World Cup.
"In all honesty I expected us to lose but it's just the Northern Ireland spirit to never give up and I always keep coming to the games," he said.
John Ferguson (26), an accountant from Omagh, Co Tyrone, described watching David Healy's winning goal.
"We were in the West Stand and the place just went nuts. People say that their wedding day is the best day of their lives but for me it has to be tonight," he said.
George McCausland (44), a sales manager from Bangor, brought his 15-year-old son Stephen to the game.
"That was like a World Cup final to us tonight. It was a great advertisement to bring back the Home International Championship.
"You look at the atmosphere in there tonight and the amount of families and what a great carnival atmosphere there was.
"The optimist in me thought we had a chance of winning but the realist was thinking about keeping the score down. This is just amazing," he said.
Alan Steven (30), a sales rep from Lisburn, said Northern Ireland "played out of their skins".
Gillian Alexander (23), a teacher from Ballymena, said David Healy had played an outstanding game.
"Healy kept the team totally motivated, and the atmosphere at Windsor Park was totally buzzing," she said.
Ross Williams, a PE teacher in Donaghadee, said: "It was absolutely unbelievable. This was right up there with beating Spain in 1982, but it means so much more to beat England at Windsor Park.
"This was the biggest game of my life!"
One fan leaving the ground, his voice hoarse from shouting, was overheard telling his friends: "Can you believe it? Their team's worth about ?200m. Ours is worth about a fiver!"
And Taxi driver Gary McStravick (42) quipped that Northern Ireland wins were like buses.
"You don't see any for two years then two come along at the same time," he said.
It just doesn't get any better
By Brian Hutton
08 September 2005
Euphoria erupted on the streets of Belfast last night after Northern Ireland pulled off a sensational victory over England in a World Cup qualifying match at Windsor Park.
Fans rejoiced in the streets after the men in green - combined value ?8.5m - pulled off the seemingly impossible against a star-studded England team worth ?211m.
It was Northern Ireland's first win over England on home soil since 1927.
A sea of green and white flowed out on to the streets surrounding the stadium.
Only car horns could be heard above the exultant singing and victory chants.
David Healy, who scored what proved to be the decisive goal in the 74th minute, was the name on everyone's lips.
The boy from Killyleagh will be immortalised as the man who sealed the historic victory - the biggest since Gerry Armstrong scored that infamous goal against Spain in the 1982 World Cup.
David Norwood, from Ballyclare, said: "We played them off the park and deserved to win. It doesn't get any better than this.
"My son Matthew and his friend Tony were here with me. They will remember this night for the rest of their lives."
Mark Hewitt, from Co Armagh, said: "Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable! England are the supposed world champions and we beat them fair and square. We were not lucky. We thoroughly deserved the win."
"The Northern Ireland fans were magic from about an hour before the kick-off.
"And an hour after the game many were still there at the Kop end. They just didn't want to go home."
Gary Sands (19), an electrician, from Ahoghill, Co Antrim, was in disbelief at the result.
"I thought the Azerbaijan game was good but this is like we've just won the World Cup.
"In all honesty I expected us to lose but it's just the Northern Ireland spirit to never give up and I always keep coming to the games," he said.
John Ferguson (26), an accountant from Omagh, Co Tyrone, described watching David Healy's winning goal.
"We were in the West Stand and the place just went nuts. People say that their wedding day is the best day of their lives but for me it has to be tonight," he said.
George McCausland (44), a sales manager from Bangor, brought his 15-year-old son Stephen to the game.
"That was like a World Cup final to us tonight. It was a great advertisement to bring back the Home International Championship.
"You look at the atmosphere in there tonight and the amount of families and what a great carnival atmosphere there was.
"The optimist in me thought we had a chance of winning but the realist was thinking about keeping the score down. This is just amazing," he said.
Alan Steven (30), a sales rep from Lisburn, said Northern Ireland "played out of their skins".
Gillian Alexander (23), a teacher from Ballymena, said David Healy had played an outstanding game.
"Healy kept the team totally motivated, and the atmosphere at Windsor Park was totally buzzing," she said.
Ross Williams, a PE teacher in Donaghadee, said: "It was absolutely unbelievable. This was right up there with beating Spain in 1982, but it means so much more to beat England at Windsor Park.
"This was the biggest game of my life!"
One fan leaving the ground, his voice hoarse from shouting, was overheard telling his friends: "Can you believe it? Their team's worth about ?200m. Ours is worth about a fiver!"
And Taxi driver Gary McStravick (42) quipped that Northern Ireland wins were like buses.
"You don't see any for two years then two come along at the same time," he said.
