Northern Ireland v Greece (02/06/2022)

How do you think today’s team, and international football generally, compares with their forebears from 40 years ago? For such a small country we are slaves to cycles of talent in international football . We had a great team in the 1950s with world class players and then a team in the ’80s who perhaps weren’t quite as good technically but made up for that in organisation and spirt . The team which did so well at Euro 2016, some of whom are still around, was another cycle of good players coming through together. However, with such a small pool of players to choose from, and opportunities at the top English clubs now more limited than 40 years ago, it might take a long time for another generation to come through together to the same standard. All you can hope for is that the team is inspired by the heart and passion of what went before and give their all . I think the current crop of players do that . You’ve mentioned your book Spirit of ‘58 about that incredible World Cup romp. Any plans for a new football tome? I started writing Fields of Wonder as the history of 1980-86 and had included the incredible Euro 84 qualifying campaign with the twin victories over West Germany, as well as chapters on winning the last British Championship and the famous game against England at Wembley in 1985. The book was getting very long though, so I focused on 1980-82. If fans enjoy this one, I’d be only too happy to finish a third World Cup book. I’d also like to write a book on George Best playing for the national team between 1964 and 1977. Best’s international career is always overshadowed by his club career, and I’d like to set that straight . Fields of Wonder – The Incredible Story of Northern Ireland’s Journey to the 1982 World Cup (with a foreword by Martin O’Neill) is published by Blackstaff Press and available in any local branch of Waterstones and from the various online retailers.

For instance, Northern Ireland were forced to play 18 games in a row away from home during the 1970s because of the Troubles. George Best and Pat Jennings both got death threats for representing their country. 1981 was another bad year of unrest and anyone reading the book will discover that England and Wales refused to play their matches in the British Championship that year, which created a domino effect which almost completely derailed Northern Ireland’s efforts to qualify for the World Cup. Unfortunately, if you’re talking about Northern Ireland during that period, the Troubles is always the elephant in the room that you sooner or later must refer to. On a happier note, what are your memories of Spain ’82? Did you collect Panini Stickers or buy Sammy Mackie’s seminal single ‘Yer Man’? I was an avid collector of Panini stickers. Under the guise of my son collecting them I still am. I remember I had a green pullover with ‘Yer Man’ embroidered on it and the famous white shirt with the green pinstripes. Being 11 was such a glorious age to be during a World Cup. I believed Northern Ireland could win it . Genuinely. Which is exactly what you want - that optimism of youth. Every day I was going out with a football and replaying all the moments from the previous day’s matches with friends. It was a wonderful time. Gerry Armstrong, who graces your cover celebrating his iconic goal, once told me he swapped his match shirt with a Spanish winger and has never seen it since. Did any of your contributors keep their shirts or own coveted memorabilia? As we’ve seen with the Hand of God Maradona shirt recently, these things can be much coveted in later years but perhaps aren’t appreciated at the time. Jimmy Nicholl showed me Zico’s Brazil shirt from the 1986 World Cup game. Zico was my absolute favourite player as a child and I almost collapsed. To touch a shirt worn by Zico during a World Cup was a boyhood dream.

IRISHFA.COM

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