Northern Ireland v Cyprus (12/06/2020)

I recall the very first Northern Ireland game that I was taken to as a child. Windsor Park had only 3,600 fans in attendance that day as Norway came to Belfast for an international friendly. BEING GOOD AMBASSADORS

occasion, became very vocal and pro-active in bringing a new atmosphere and passion to Northern Ireland matches. That was two decades ago and while fans who have followed the team for as long as that will be familiar with the story, younger fans might not . Thankfully we see that the younger generation of fans who continue to swell the ranks of the ‘Green and White Army’ have bought into that ethos. Before my first away game, many years ago, an elder statesman of the Northern Ireland support spoke about the need to be “a good ambassador” for Northern Ireland at home and abroad. I’ve stuck to that mantra in all of that time since and the importance of passing on that message to younger fans is as important today as it was back in 1997. We continue to see younger groups of fans organising themselves into supporters’ clubs and affiliating to the AONISC. Others prefer to be less formal , but it was certainly heartening to hear a lot of positive comments in Cyprus about our work. As part of our outreach work we’re holding a ‘GAWA Next Generation’ event at the National Stadium on the evening of Thursday 16 June. It’s a free event for fans aged 18-35 and includes a free stadium tour and an exhibition of match worn shirts among other things. It’s definitely not to be missed! You can register by emailing aonisc. secretary@gmail .com. GARY McALLISTER AMALGAMAT ION OF OFF ICIAL NORTHERN IRELAND SUPPORTERS’ CLUBS

One of the things I vividly recall about the match was a man sitting behind us who shouted abuse at a Northern Ireland player. Thankfully that’s a world away from a modern day Northern Ireland match. Sectarian and political singing was commonplace at matches in those days, but that changed many years ago. As the political landscape and the environment in which we lived our lives transformed, there was a realisation among Northern Ireland fans that such behaviour was not only entirely wrong, it was also self-defeating. People didn’t want to go to matches, let alone bring along their kids or grandkids. The stadium was nowhere near full , the atmosphere f lat . The Irish FA struggled to attract sponsorship and ultimately it impacted on the team. As a supporters’ group, the AONISC played a part in bringing about change. We worked very closely with the Irish FA to take small steps towards change. Sectarian and political singing was discouraged. Instead drums and a megaphone were introduced alongside ‘singing sections’ where organised groups would quickly drown out any attempt to start up any inappropriate chants. Fans were encouraged to wear the team’s colours. There were dissenting voices, however a significant majority of our membership accepted that things had to change. There were many other like-minded fans outside the Amalgamation and the ‘unsilent majority’, as it was on this

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