Northern Ireland v Norway

GAWAMEMBERS ARE ALWAYS READY TOHELP Had you told me at the beginning of the year that not only would I miss our opening Nations League game in Bucharest but that I wouldn’t make it to tonight’s home match against Norway either, I’d definitely have been asking for a second opinion on either my health or the sanity of the person who was sharing those pearls of wisdom with me.

across east Belfast. It was a truly humbling experience and a Herculean effort, like that of so many others across the country. Also worthy of an honourable mention is Raymond Gilmour of Portadown NISC who began a fundraising effort by cutting firewood and selling the bags of sticks to pay for snacks and refreshments for the hardworking staff at Craigavon Area Hospital. The donations snowballed and by the time Raymond drew his initiative to a close the tally sat at £2,400. Sterling work was also carried out by Ray Taylor from Antrim NISC and Jonathan McClelland from my own part of the world who, along with a team of local volunteers, delivered thousands of food parcels to doorsteps throughout the Greater Shankill. There were so many acts of selflessness and kindness which simply couldn’t be listed within the space afforded to me in this programme, however to all those who did a good deed, great or small, as a man once said ‘take a bow’! Gary McAllister Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters’ Clubs

I will, of course, be missing both events along with every other regular traveller and Campaign Card holder, appreciating more than ever that there’s so much we have come to take for granted in our lives. I’m not sure how you managed through ‘lockdown’? Although I was still working in my day job (the Amalgamation role is an entirely voluntary one) I did my best to keep as active as I possibly could from a football perspective. Obviously there were no matches to attend and the number of meetings that I had to attend drastically reduced (online isn’t quite the same, is it?) but I did what I could to support our supporters’ clubs and many of their members during the barren months. I’ve highlighted in the past just how giving and generous Northern Ireland fans are when it comes to charity. True to form, I saw so many members of the Green and White Army step forward at a time when their help was most needed in their local communities. More than £12,400 in monetary donations, equipment and food and drinks was handed over to an array of community groups and hospitals by AONISC members and clubs, not only in Northern Ireland but also by our members in England and Scotland. One thing you can’t really put a value on is time given by volunteers. I visited Connswater Community Centre just off the Newtownards Road to see the work done by Connor Ferguson from Spirit of ‘82 NISC and a team of other willing hands as they helped to prepare and deliver a staggering 3,000 meals a week to elderly and vulnerable residents right

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