Northern Ireland v Italy (15/11/2021)

WALKWAY IS NOW A TREASURE TROVE OF MEMORIES You may have seen the recently completed re-imaging project at the ‘Railway Lane’ walkway opposite the Family Stand entrance to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park? Perhaps you passed it either side of the Lithuania game on Friday? When we first sat down to discuss the idea, it would have been almost impossible to imagine how long it would take and how much of a challenge it would be for the project to reach its completion. Around the table for that initial conversation in November 2019 were representatives from Linfield, the Irish Football Association, the Linfield Supporters’ Trust, Stadium Management and the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters’ Clubs. There was a lot of enthusiasm at the prospect of brightening up the existing drab gable wall and perhaps making fans feel a little brighter too as they made their way to/from the match. Working in partnership with the local community has always been important, and the hope is that by involving the Greater Village Regeneration Trust, and local schoolchildren, residents will feel a sense of ownership of the artwork. The art featured in the arches at the railway footbridge was produced by local children and I think they add something special to the overall work. While there were many issues to overcome along the way, not least of all a global pandemic, the determination and enthusiasm of the working group saw us get to the finish line after many missed target dates. The joint nature of the project is reflected in the depiction of the history of Linfield and the Northern Ireland international team. For our part we chose to feature famous victories from throughout Northern Ireland’s history. Incorporated are the defeats of Italy in 1958 and Israel in 1981 to secure World Cup qualification, the ‘homecoming’ victory against Yugoslavia in 1975 after three and a half years of playing home fixtures away from Northern Ireland due to the Troubles, the David Healy inspired ‘giant killing’ acts against England and Spain and the memorable win against Greece to reach Euro 2016. To borrow a phrase often used in The A Team, I love it when a plan comes together!

WORDS : GARY McALLISTER (AONISC)

It was important to include games from the various eras, allowing the opportunity not only to celebrate and remember those magical occasions but also to preserve their place in history among younger generations of fans so that they aren’t lost to the passage of time. Whilst the content was agreed long before the official unveiling, plans are in place to celebrate the recent victory by the senior women’s team against Latvia in the next stage of the project. One of the biggest challenges was sourcing photos from each of the matches. There was no shortage of goodwill in that regard and our thanks go to David McCormick from Pacemaker Press, Jim Gracey and Kevin Scott from the Belfast Telegraph and the Irish FA’s Nigel Tilson for their assistance. The finished storyboards were unveiled by David Healy, with Gerry Armstrong, Sammy Nelson, Jamie Mulgrew and Kenny Shiels also joining us for the ‘big reveal’ in September. The intention now is to move on to a second phase, highlighting the history of the area near the stadium and with the potential to increase footfall and tourism opportunities, including at the National Stadium.

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