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
Quote
Originally Posted by Gather round
You've had a hard life!
Bookmarks