Northern Ireland v Greece (02/06/2022)

Whilst we had full confidence in Billy Bingham and his side, we were unsure about his ploy of starting the raw and youthful Norman Whiteside in such a key match. We should never have worried. Norman, a boy in a man’s body, gained his spurs and the admiration of every Northern Ireland fan with his first challenge when he left an indelible mark on a Yugoslavian opponent and had him looking up with bemusement . A hero was born, but certainly not a one trick pony. Norman scored many goals for Northern Ireland and led the line with distinction until his knees would no longer let him, but I will always remember him for his robust challenge on a sultry Spanish night . A legend was truly born. A similar challenge happened seven seconds into our iconic victory over England in 2005. Ashley Cole (not a slouch in any way) is played the ball from the kick-off but James Quinn is on top of him in an instant and poor Mr Cole finds himself on the turf not sure (no doubt) who this rampant bull elephant who had challenged him is or where he had come from. It summed up perfectly how Northern Ireland were up for the game and how Sven Goran Eriksson’s pampered pooches were not . It is a moment I return to regularly when I need some uplifting moments, and that is just as pleasing a moment as when the ball actually hits the back of Paul Robinson’s net ( yet another moment in which Ashley Cole’s exasperated face features heavily) thanks to David Healy. So what are your favourite Northern Ireland ‘American Pie’ moments? We all have them and here’s hoping for plenty more in the future.

That sense of the moment of genius, a sublime coming together of the right idea, at the right time with the right person or people to make it happen is a unique phenomenon. It’s not that Don McLean was a one trick pony – ‘Vincent’ is as lyrically and musically beautiful as anything else – but ask the ordinary man in the street to name a McLean song and the likelihood is that ‘American Pie’ will be the answer given. Football is full of those ‘American Pie’ moments. The right player in the right place at the right time. I once asked former Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez what it was like to score the winning goal in an FA Cup Final . Lawrie, with his typical honesty, said he was lucky, that a lot of better players than him had never even played in an FA Cup Final . And he then added: “At least I know I’ ll always get work in May”! In my Northern Ireland fandom journey I can think of numerous ‘right man in right place’ moments, many of which are my favourite times, whether the Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn goals against Ukraine in Lyon, Josh Magennis’ goal against Greece the last time they played in Belfast that set us on our way to Euro 2016 or Paddy McCourt’s sublime finish against the Faroes. Those moments are all up there with the best of them, but two particularly stand out for me. I’ ll take you back to Zaragoza on a hot and sticky June evening in 1982. Actually being in Spain for the World Cup supporting Northern Ireland was a dream come true, never mind the excitement of the matches themselves. We were supposed to be turned over by a highly rated and technically gifted Yugoslavian side.

IRISHFA.COM

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