Northern Ireland v Bulgaria

GOOD EVENING

Welcome to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park even though I know that the vast majority of programme readers will only be able to watch the game on television or listen via radio.

Tonight we are back on the trail of qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and our visitors are from Bulgaria. Given last week’s result in Parma, and that we are in a five-team group, it’s important that we bounce back with a positive result now to set us up for the rest of the qualification matches in the autumn. On Sunday we faced the United States of America for the first time at senior international level and despite the narrow 2-1 defeat there were many positive signs. Ian Baraclough rested a number of players and the ones who came in put on a good show against our visitors who had scored at least four goals in each of their four previous matches. Topping the bill was Niall McGinn who scored a van Basten-esque goal in front of the West Stand (sadly empty again, of course) just before the end of the game. I mentioned on Sunday, in the NIR-USA matchday programme, that hopefully captain Steven Davis would break the British international caps record for senior men with his 126th appearance. In the end Ian quite sensibly rested Steven to ensure he’s ready for tonight’s competitive match, and so I’m confident that tonight Peter Shilton’s record will be broken at last after 31 years. This is some achievement for Steven who is still the driving force for club and country. We should

also note that other players are now closing in on significant cap counts, with Jonny Evans on 90 and Sunday’s captain Kyle Lafferty now over the 80 mark. Covid-19 has changed so many aspects of our lives over the last 12 months and in order to protect ourselves and our fellow citizens we have accepted a wide range of limitations on our civil liberties. With community transmission now on the way down, and vaccinations on the way up, we hope that spring is bringing in some positive signs that we can take steps on the return to a normal life. Football has played its part in keeping spirits up and giving supporters something to look forward to over the past difficult year, albeit we have only been able to experience games via media channels in the main. Let’s hope that by the time we all meet again for a senior men’s international here in September the GAWA can be back in their rightful places, bringing the atmosphere only the GAWA can generate. In the meantime enjoy the game tonight!

Patrick Nelson Chief Executive Irish Football Association

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