Northern Ireland v Norway

Words Heidi McAlpin

Football fans love a stat, yet it brings me no joy to share the fact that come kick off tonight it will have been exactly 296 days since Northern Ireland last played a match at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park. WHEN THE SOFA BECOMES YOUR STADIUM

will be pinging like Atari Asteroids, acting as the fourth official and coming over all Poundland pundit. I, for one, will be following every unravelling thread. Northern Ireland returning to competitive football is a small shaft of light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. And with Ian Baraclough at the helm, we’re all behind his team hoping they produce the goods tonight. The telly will be on in our house and we’ll be wearing our football tops and scarves and transforming the living room into a mini Kop. It won’t be the same as Windsor Park, but at least there’s a game on and we can cheer on Bara’s Boys. It’ll also give me a chance to practise the new lyrics to ‘We’re Not Brazil’; I’ve been singing ‘Now Lawrie is our leader’ since the 80s. Now that deserves a facemask… HE WAS THE BEST Recently I had the pleasure of accompanying George Best’s sisters, Barbara and Grace, to the opening of Besties at The New Quays, Portavogie. George spent several happy months at the Co Down seaside village in his later years, so when owners Davy and Leigh asked the family if they could use his name for their new bistro there was no hesitation. The space is end-to-end with memorabilia from George’s personal and professional life, from family photos to the keys to his Mini. There’s also plenty of artwork and books dedicated to Northern Ireland’s most famous player. And more local sporting icons, including Joey Dunlop and Rory McIlroy, are celebrated in the adjoining Legends at the Bestie’s dining space. GAWA members would definitely enjoy this peninsula pilgrimage.

That’s pretty much an eternity when you add in the dearth of local football and cancellation of all away international fixtures (up until last week’s Nations League match against Romania). The only glimpse of sunlight were those outstanding Irish Cup semi-finals and equally riveting final. And coming from a Crues fan counting on Coleraine to get us into Europe, that’s really saying something. The attendance at last November’s Netherlands game was 18,404, with each and every one of us yeehoing the 0-0 result (we’ll say no more about that heartbreaking missed penalty). And who could forget our Dutch chums enchanting everyone with their big orange disco bus and bizarre dance routine? If Eurovision did football matches… That’s the beauty of being there and sharing the emotional highs and lows with your fellow supporters at that lovely stadium. It’s just not the same at home with the regulatory number of friends perched in front of the widescreen, the volume up to 11. Or even in a pub, all socially distanced and unable to enjoy a post-goal group hug. Yes, times have undoubtedly changed for live sporting fixtures and we can only hope at least small numbers of spectators will be allowed in soon, though I wouldn’t want to be the one deciphering the algorithms when dishing out Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets. At least we can show our support with football themed facemasks. So, for now, we remain far from our hallowed seats, sat on sofas and bar stools attempting to conjure up some semblance of being At The Match. Maybe we should set up a massive Zoom chat. Or, thinking ahead for the Austria game, send in selfies to be plastered on cardboard cut-outs at our seats. Doubtless social media group chats

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