Northern Ireland v San Marino Official Match Programme

2MKIP 8MPWSR GLEVXW XLI HIZIPSTQIRX SJ XLI LSQI SJ 2SVXLIVR -VIPERH JSSXFEPP SZIV XLI TEWX ]IEVW FROM A MEADOW TO A WORLD CLASS STADIUM

The site where the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park now stands was a bog meadow [LIR 0MRƤIPH *SSXFEPP 'PYF HIGMHI XS TYVGLEWI MX MR 3GXSFIV After playing at various pitches following its JSVQEXMSR MR 0MRƤIPHŭW FSEVH QIQFIVW decided it was time for the club to have a permanent home and Rev RJ Clarke agreed to sell them the land which would be transformed into the home of Northern Ireland football. *SPPS[MRK RIEVP] E ]IEV SJ TVITEVEXMSRW XLI ƤVWX match was played at the pitch on 2 September 0MRƤIPH XSSO SR EVGL &IPJEWX VMZEPW +PIRXSVER that day and won the game 1-0 in front of an estimated 4,000 spectators. &] XLI TPE]MRK EVIE EX ;MRHWSV 4EVO ũ XLI ground was named after the district in south Belfast in which it is located – had been fenced and a dressing pavilion erected at the Railway End. The following year a seated grandstand took shape on the south side of the ground. Another grandstand, created by Scottish designer %VGLMFEPH 0IMXGL [EW EHHIH MR SR XLI 3P]QTME (VMZI WMHI SJ XLI KVSYRH [LMPI MR E portion of shelter was added to the south stand. The unreserved stand on the Olympia side was LEPXIH HIZIPSTQIRX at the ground. The next recorded addition was a GSRGVIXI FSYRHEV] JIRGI IVIGXIH FIX[IIR ERH 0MRƤIPH GSRXMRYIH XS HIZIPST ;MRHWSV 4EVO PEVKIP] XLEROW XS ƤRERGMEP WYTTSVX JVSQ XLI FSEVH ERH GPYF members. -R XLI &EPQSVEP WXERH [LMGL LEH WIEXW was bought from the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society and added on to the South Stand. A few years later the old reserved stand roof on the south side was re-erected at the Railway End of the ground to make way for a new grandstand and dressing rooms on the southern side of the ground. XLIR I\XIRHIH MR 8LI +VIEX ;EV SJ

The new extension stood alongside the Balmoral stand, bringing the total number of seats on that side of the ground to 4,200. 8LI I\XIRWMSR [EW STIRIH SR 7ITXIQFIV with a match between Glasgow Rangers and 0MRƤIPH -X IRHIH ERH EXXVEGXIH QSVI XLER 15,000 spectators. The basic shape of Windsor Park, which can still be seen today in the new-look National Football Stadium, was formed through the opening of the 7SYXL 7XERH MR Terracing was added at various stages throughout XLI W ERH IEVP] W ERH VIGSVHW WLS[ XLI capacity of the ground was around 60,000 by the QMH W *SPPS[MRK ;SVPH ;EV 8[S EXXIRHERGIW at football grounds across the United Kingdom boomed and Windsor Park regularly hosted crowds of 50,000-plus at Home International games. Not surprisingly, work on the ground was limited HYVMRK XLI W -R LS[IZIV RI[ XYVRWXMPIW and gates were added and a press box with accommodation for 100 reporters built. %PWS MR E ƥSSHPMKLXMRK W]WXIQ [EW IVIGXIH EX the ground – amounting to six 1,500 watt lamps ũ FYX MX [EW RSX YRXMP XLEX E JYPP WGEPI W]WXIQ 0SVH &VSSOIFSVSYKL XLI XLIR Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, switched on the RI[ ƥSSHPMKLXMRK W]WXIQ %RH WTIGXEXSVW [EXGLIH XLI ƤVWX KEQI YRHIV XLI PMKLXW ũ E JVMIRHP] FIX[IIR 0MRƤIPH ERH 2I[GEWXPI 9RMXIH .YWX SZIV E ]IEV PEXIV XLI ƤVWX MRXIVREXMSREP QEXGL was played under them when Northern Ireland took on Romania. According to the archives, some rather cautious souls actually donned dark glasses to counter the “incredible brightness” of the lights that night! (YVMRK XLI W WMKRMƤGERX HIZIPSTQIRXW included installing around 600 seats under the roof at the Railway End. The move reduced the potential was put up. 3R 3GXSFIV

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