Northern Ireland v San Marino Official Match Programme

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capacity of the ground from around 60,000 to 48,600, and that was the attendance quoted for XLI ƤVWX MRXIVREXMSREP QEXGL XS FI TPE]IH JSPPS[MRK the installation of the seats – Northern Ireland v )RKPERH MR 3GXSFIV A Members Lounge was added to the ground MR JSPPS[IH F] E RI[ SJƤGMEP IRXVERGI ERH renovated dressing rooms two years later. %X XLI WXEVX SJ XLI W E WSGMEP GPYF [EW FYMPX EX the Railway End – it was extended 10 years later – ERH XS[EVHW XLI IRH SJ XLI HIGEHI XLI ƥSSHPMKLXMRK was upgraded. -R 2SZIQFIV 0MRƤIPH MRZMXIH 6YWWMER WMHI Moscow Dynamo to celebrate the opening of XLI RI[ e ƥSSHPMKLXMRK W]WXIQ -X [EW switched on by Roy Mason, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The Russian visitors won the game 4-0 in front of JERW 8LI GVS[H [EW WQEPPIV XLER I\TIGXIH because there was torrential rain on the night of the game. Part of the Railway Stand at Windsor Park was [VIGOIH F] E XIVVSVMWX FSQF MR %TVMP [LMPI E decade later the unreserved stand backing on to 3P]QTME (VMZI [IRX YT MR ƥEQIW EJXIV 0MRƤIPH LEH defeated Glentoran 1-0 in a Co Antrim Shield tie. 4VMSV XS XLI ƤVI MR XLI YRVIWIVZIH WXERH XLI Irish Football Association had commissioned a feasibility study looking at the potential replacement of the terracing there with a new all- seater stand. 8LEX WXYH] UYMGOP] FIGEQI VIEPMX] EJXIV XLI ƤVI ;SVO FIKER MR 7ITXIQFIV SR XLI RI[ structure, which would be known as the North Stand, and it opened a year or so later. Its 6,800 seats took the seating capacity in the stadium to [LMPI XLI SZIVEPP GETEGMX] MR XLI KVSYRH [EW VIHYGIH F] XS The stand was formally opened in September SR XLI IZI SJ E 2SVXLIVR -VIPERH Z 6SQERME World Cup qualifying game. The opening ceremony was carried out jointly by FIFA President Dr Joao

Havelange and Nicholas Scott, Northern Ireland Minister responsible for Sport. The total cost of the North Stand scheme, including professional fees, VAT, site investigation costs and WS SR [EW NYWX SZIV e QMPPMSR The government via the Department of Education contributed 50% of the total cost up to a limit of £1m. The Football Trust advanced £500,000 and the Football Grounds Improvement Trust £200,000 leaving a balance of around £250,000 to be funded F] XLI -VMWL *SSXFEPP %WWSGMEXMSR ERH 0MRƤIPH %X XLI WXEVX SJ XLI KVSYRH KSX [LEX GSYPH FI HIWGVMFIH EW MXW ƤVWX QSHIVR HYKSYXW 8LI dugouts, which each accommodated 11 people on individual seats, replaced covered structures which only had bench seats. *SPPS[MRK XLI ƤVI XVEKIH] MR XLI QEMR WXERH EX &VEHJSVH 'MX]ŭW :EPPI] 4EVEHI KVSYRH MR 1E] in which 58 people died, local authorities across the UK acted to prevent any repetition. Following an intervention by the Department of Economic Development’s health and safety experts, the South Stand had to be revamped. The old Balmoral section of the stand was removed ERH ƤVITVSSƤRK PMKLXMRK ERH I\MX TSMRXW YTKVEHIH to comply with safety requirements. The stand’s wooden bench seats were removed and replaced with plastic tip-up seats. And its capacity was VIHYGIH XS F] XLI WXEVX SJ XLI season. *SPPS[MRK XLI ,MPPWFSVSYKL HMWEWXIV MR 7LIJƤIPH MR %TVMP MR [LMGL 0MZIVTSSP JERW HMIH *-*% HIGVIIH .YP] XLEX JVSQ RS WXERHMRK spectators would be permitted at World Cup qualifying matches. This saw the closing of the Spion Kop terracing for internationals staged at Windsor Park from SR[EVHW EPXLSYKL MX HMH VIQEMR STIR JSV 0MRƤIPH KEQIW 1MRH ]SY XLI /ST HMH QEREKI SRI last hurrah re: international games. It was used for ER MRXIVREXMSREP JVMIRHP] EKEMRWX +IVQER] SR 1E] XLI +IVQERW LEH YWIH 2SVXLIVR -VIPERH

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