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NEVER MEET
YOUR HEROES?
PAH!
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opening of the National Football Stadium at
Windsor Park which, of course, coincided with the
San Marino match.
Each of the former living Northern Ireland
managers was invited, however with Dave
Clements in America, Billy Bingham unable to travel
due to ill health and Messrs Hamilton, Sanchez and
Worthington unavailable for one reason or another
the cadre of former managers was reduced to four.
That quartet included Lawrie McMenemy (still
strident in his views stated in that strong Geordie
accent), Sammy McIlroy (always popular with the
fans), Jim Platt (quiz question: what was the match
Jim Platt was in charge of the Northern Ireland
team for?) and Terry Neill.
Terry, originally from Bangor, was an Arsenal
stalwart, playing more than 200 times for the
Gunners. He managed Northern Ireland from 1971
to 1975. He played 59 times for us, captaining the
team before he became player-manager in 1971
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Hull City.
From Hull he moved to Arsenal’s North London
rivals Spurs, managing them for two seasons
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Highbury ground he had come to call home, thus
becoming one of the few footballers to move
between the two North London giants.
Of course all this football stats stuff is fairly
immaterial because for me Terry, as long as he
lives and breathes, will always be a hero.
Why? Well, there are only two living Northern
Ireland footballers who have had the audacity to
score winning goals against England, but only one
who performed that feat at Wembley.
We all know the legend that is David Healy,
Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer, and his
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2005. Fewer of us, I imagine, will recall Terry Neill’s
winner at Wembley on 23 May 1972.
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