Another Nordie thread

[co. down green]

I was in the Railway stand for the game and personally didn't hear the Greysteel chants, but some work colleagues who were seated in the lower deck of the North stand that night said the 'trick or treat' & 'Greysteel' chants were pretty loud from their position, but from small groups of NI fans rather than the majority. I'm fairly sure it was highlighted in the Belfast papers the following day.

There was off course all the usual sectarian chanting and songs that accompanied NI games at Windsor Park during the 70's,80,s & 90's, but that was the 'norm'.

For me, and what sticks in my mind , was the racist chanting and monkey chants directed at Paul McGrath and Terry Phelan that evening, disgraceful stuff, especially when its coming from kids sitting with their Fathers. And not forgetting Alan Kernaghan who was singled out even before the start of the game with all manner of insults, as he recounted in an interview years later :

“It was probably the worst I felt personally in terms of a real cutting edge to the slagging. You could feel the venom in it but it didn’t bother me too much.” What kind of stuff? “‘Your mother’s the Pope’s whore’, 'Kernaghan, you’re a f****** Fenian turncoat.” and that sort of stuff. As low as low can get.

But sure it all worked out in the end, Alan McLaughlin on as sub for Houghton, on the chest, bottom left hand corner of the net 1-1, Spain 1 Denmark 0 and 'half' of Belfast celebrated.

A very memorable and late night, as i recall

[lopez]

I saw the play back around circa 1995, when the lesser eejit from 'Foreign Bodies' was doing it. I found it a slight bit cringing in its stereotyping of people from both sides, especially (forgive me if I'm wrong) the father - in - law. Also thought this bloke upping sticks and following 'the south' to the 1994 World Cup sort of stretching artitistic licence to its absolute limit. Could be forgiven it was Lynda La Plante that wrote it, but not a so - called native.

Sorry mate. I was only a kid 20 years ago...

LOL! You've had a hard life!

...we could do worse than choose a more contemporary punk rant like Alternative Ulster or Gloria (Them not U2).

I thought Laura Brannigan sang that.

[backstothewall]

does anyone know if this game can be gotten on DVD anywhere??

I have had a look on the internet, but can't find it anywhere. I was only 10 or so, but I remember the match fairly vividly, and for all that happened I remember the drama of the night above anything else. If i'm right our game finished, but the Denmark Spain game was still going, and if Denmark had equalised we were sunk.

I also went to see the play in the Grand Opera House in the Kielty run, and thought it was very good. Following this play there seems to be an element of revisionism being attempted by Northern Ireland fans about this game. As far as i remember it McGrath and Phelan tooks dogs abuse, with monkey chants and the like from beginning to end, and when they weren't on the ball it went back to "billy boys" and "up to our necks in fenian blood".

But I could be wrong. I would really like to see this game again.

[seanfhear]

did the players get drawn into all this

or did the right result just happen(I could only listen on a radio on that night)

[SuperDub]

I saw the play in dublin earlier in the year. While it was interesting to see i felt it was very one sided.

[OwlsFan]

does anyone know if this game can be gotten on DVD anywhere??

I have it on tape someplace.

[geysir]

Not


Betamax?

[Greenbod]

I saw the play in dublin earlier in the year. While it was interesting to see i felt it was very one sided.

Which side did you feel it was it on?

[OwlsFan]

Not


Betamax? :

I think I had just about switched away from Betamax then. Shame as I have a whole load of games on Beta (not to mention the porno tapes) but I suspect the quality is fading by the year (not that it matters as I can't play them).

[Irish_Praha]

I think I had just about switched away from Betamax then. Shame as I have a whole load of games on Beta (not to mention the porno tapes) but I suspect the quality is fading by the year (not that it matters as I can't play them).

Owl, you need to get in contact with this guy.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VIDEO-TRANSFER...d=p3286.c0.m14

[Greenforever]

I never met Billy Bingham, but I remember supporting NI as a kid in the world cup and in particulat the night they beat Spain, always appears to be a perfect gentleman.

Also he was probably a better manager than Charlton given his record and the fact that IMO he never had as good a group of players as Chrarlton had.

[Wolfie]

does anyone know if this game can be gotten on DVD anywhere??

I have had a look on the internet, but can't find it anywhere. I was only 10 or so, but I remember the match fairly vividly, and for all that happened I remember the drama of the night above anything else. If i'm right our game finished, but the Denmark Spain game was still going, and if Denmark had equalised we were sunk.

I also went to see the play in the Grand Opera House in the Kielty run, and thought it was very good. Following this play there seems to be an element of revisionism being attempted by Northern Ireland fans about this game. As far as i remember it McGrath and Phelan tooks dogs abuse, with monkey chants and the like from beginning to end, and when they weren't on the ball it went back to "billy boys" and "up to our necks in fenian blood".

But I could be wrong. I would really like to see this game again.

The Road to the USA documentary also has some great footage of the players on the pitch following the final whistle in Windsor Park and the nervy wait for the Spain/Denmark game.

It features an over-joyed Roy Keane hugging Sponge Operations Officer, Mick Byrne at one point.

[Wolfie]

"There's only Two Teams in Ireland,
Only Two Teams in Ireland,
The other one's sh1te,
But we're doing all right,
Walking in a Windsor Wonderland"



P.S. I know it's childish, but I can't resist. Besides, who knows how long it'll be before we get another chance to sing it?

If that nursery ryhme helps combat the pathological inferiority complex - knock yourself out.

Beyond obsession.

[ifk101]

"There's only Two Teams in Ireland .....

Interesting use of preposition EG

[EalingGreen]

If that nursery ryhme helps combat the pathological inferiority complex - knock yourself out.

Beyond obsession.

Wow! Fans of one football team sing a (mildly p1ss-taking) song about a neighbouring team? Who'd ever have thought?

If that qualifies for the epithets "pathological" and "obsessive", where does that leave your seeming inability to forebear from responding?

It was just a little joke, that's all.

[EalingGreen]

Interesting use of preposition EG

How so?

[Wolfie]

Wow! Fans of one football team sing a (mildly p1ss-taking) song about a neighbouring team? Who'd ever have thought?

If that qualifies for the epithets "pathological" and "obsessive", where does that leave your seeming inability to forebear from responding?

It was just a little joke, that's all.

As much an observation as a response.

To clarify, we'd have to take that "witty" chant on the chin considering the way we were playing at the time - my issue is that it's just symptomatic of what I'd consider to be an obsession with the Irish team and its supporters that you'd go to the trouble!!

There's more at play than just healthy rivalry here - which we all understand is part of football culture.

Not saying its right or wrong - again, just an observation.

[third policeman]

Agree that there is an awful lot more than "healthy rivalry" in the discourse between RoI and NI fans, and to be fair to EG its far from one-sided. None of this bodes too well for future Celtic Cup encounters. Here's a radical thought. Totally understand that the idea of an All Ireland international team is not a runner (unacceptable to many unionists, and other committed supporters of both sides), but The Celtic Cup is not a FIFA sanctioned competition, and maybe it would be an opportunity to field an all-ireland team without prejudice to what happens in other competitions. The only way that I can ever imagine fans of both sides burying current antagonisms is giving them an oportunity to get behind a combined (albeit unofficial) team every now and again. There are precedents for kosher countries (scotland and wales) playing "internationals" against ad-hoc or unofficial selections. Wales played a friendly against a Basque selection a year or two ago.

[Gather round]

The Celtic Cup is not a FIFA sanctioned competition, and maybe it would be an opportunity to field an all-ireland team without prejudice to what happens in other competitions. The only way that I can ever imagine fans of both sides burying current antagonisms is giving them an oportunity to get behind a combined (albeit unofficial) team every now and again. There are precedents for kosher countries (scotland and wales) playing "internationals" against ad-hoc or unofficial selections. Wales played a friendly against a Basque selection a year or two ago

Nice try, Third. Let's defuse the row about an all-Ireland team by, er having one? I don't think so.

You could equally have suggested a joint side with England- against whose fans I see plenty of antagonism on this board. Imagine, having Mikey Owen to come on when Keane and Doyle get tired

[elroy]

Not to mention the fact that an all ireland team for the celtic cup would be pointless to either team for preparing for the upcoming qualifiers. From a competitive point of view, Im not sure i see the celtic cup working to be honest.