IFA Programme 2016

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Northern Ireland v San Marino FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Qualifying Group C Saturday 8 October 2016 National Football Stadium at Windsor Park Kick-Off: 19.45

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CONTENTS

TEAMS

2 3 4 5 7

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

A MESSAGE FROM FIFA PRESIDENT

MICHAEL O’NEILL PATRICK NELSON

STADIUM OPEN FOR BUSINESS CZECH REPUBLIC REVIEW NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD EURO 2016 - SOUVENIR PULLOUT THE OPPONENTS - SAN MARINO

12 21 24 27 45 50 56 60 62 64 66

STEVEN DAVIS INTERVIEW

DID YOU KNOW?

CUNNINGHAM PEACOCK

WILLIAM CAMPBELL

MASCOTS

INTERNATIONAL RECORD

Official Publication by Irish Football Association National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, BT12 6LW Editor Nigel Tilson Head of Communications Neil Brittain Design and Print Minprint Ltd, 401 Castlereagh Road, Belfast, Co Down, BT5 6QP Tel: 028 9070 5205 www.minprint.co.uk

Irish Football Association President David Martin Chief Executive Patrick Nelson Advertising Irish Football Association Pictures Press Eye

Please note that the views in this programme do not necessarily reflect those of the Irish Football Association.

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NORTHERN IRELAND

SANMARINO

Michael O’Neill Manager

Pierangelo Manzaroli Manager

Elia Benedettini Murata Mattia Manzaroli Juvenes Dogana Aldo Junior Simoncini Libertas Marco Berardi Folgore Davide Cesarini Tre Penne Alessandro Della Valle Juvenes Dogana Carlo Valentini Murata Fabio Vitaioli Libertas Maicol Berretti Libertas Luca Censoni Tre Penne Matteo Coppini Tre Penne Enrico Golinucci Libertas Pier Filippo Mazza Juvenes Dogana Luca Tosi Folgore Mirko Palazzi Tre Penne Danilo Rinaldi La Fiorita Davide Simoncini Libertas Tommaso Zafferani La Fiorita Alessandro Bianchi Domagnano Adolfo Hirsch Folgore Andy Selva La Fiorita Mattia Stefanelli Juvenes Dogana Matteo Vitaioli Libertas

Michael McGovern Norwich City Alan Mannus St Johnstone Trevor Carson Hartlepool United Jonny Evans West Bromwich Albion Tom Flanagan Burton Albion Lee Hodson Glasgow Rangers Aaron Hughes Kerala Blasters Gareth McAuley West Bromwich Albion Ryan McGivern Shrewsbury Town Conor McLaughlin Fleetwood Town Michael Smith Peterborough United Shane Ferguson Millwall Matthew Lund Rochdale Niall McGinn Aberdeen Paddy McNair Sunderland Oliver Norwood Brighton & Hove Albion Paul Paton St Johnstone Jamie Ward Nottingham Forest* Kyle Lafferty Norwich City Josh Magennis Charlton Athletic Conor Washington Queens Park Rangers Callum Morris Aberdeen Stuart Dallas Leeds United Steven Davis Southampton Corry Evans Blackburn Rovers

*on loan at Burton Albion

Green and White

Blue and White

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee

Istvan Kovacs Romania

Assistant Referee 1 Assistant Referee 2 Fourth Official Referee Assessor Commissioner

Vasile Florin Marinescu Romania Mihai Ovidiu Artene Romania Pavel Cristian Balaj Romania

Renatus Hendrikus Johannes Temmink Netherlands

Per Svard Sweden

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PRESIDENT’S

WELCOME

On behalf of the Irish Football Association I am pleased to welcome the officials, players and supporters of San Marino to Belfast and in particular to Northern Ireland’s National Football Stadium for this evening’s FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifying game.

The match coincides with the official opening of our National Football Stadium after the rebuilding of the South, East and West stands and also refurbishment work carried out to the North Stand - a project which cost in the region of £40 million. The redevelopment of the stadium brings our capacity up to 18,600 and it will be full for this evening’s opening and first home group game in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. It has been an exciting last few weeks for everyone at the Irish Football Association as we approached completion of the work and this evening’s opening ceremony. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, to this special occasion for football in Northern Ireland and to thank him for agreeing to officially open the stadium. The opening ceremony affords us the opportunity to publicly thank the Northern Ireland Executive who have, through the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure (now Department for Communities), supported this project and without whom this stadium could not have been transformed so magnificently and to such a high specification. It also presents an opportunity to thank the members of the Irish FA board, the stadium board and the project team, who together with contractors O’Hare & McGovern have contributed immensely to providing a stadium of which the people of Northern Ireland can be justifiably proud.

Ownership of the entire programme was in the remit of the association’s chief executive, Patrick Nelson, who worked calmly and tirelessly to see the project through to completion. There is, of course, an important game to be played this evening. This is the second time San Marino have been in Northern Ireland. They played at Windsor Park on 15 October 2008, also in a World Cup qualifier, with Northern Ireland winning by a 4-0 scoreline. For Michael O’Neill and his playing squad, they come into the game on the back of a good point won away from home in Prague and will be looking to build on that in this first home game following on from their successful Euro 2016 finals in France. After this evening’s game we travel to Hannover to play world champions Germany, a big challenge but one I am sure the manager and players will relish. Thanks to all who supported the team throughout the Euros in France, a magnificent support which resulted in the receiving of a medal from the Mayor of Paris. We look forward to that passionate support continuing this evening in our new, enlarged stadium and I hope you all enjoy an exciting game followed by a safe journey home. David J Martin President Irish Football Association

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A MESSAGE FROM THE FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO

Getty Images/FIFA

Dear Friends, It is no easy task to combine tradition and innovation; to preserve history and identity while adapting to changing times. This redevelopment of the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park is an inspiring example of how to marry the two. This place exudes football history. Since the first match was played at this ground in 1905, Windsor Park has become the quintessential football venue in Northern Ireland. It was here that the national team celebrated qualifying for memorable international tournaments – the FIFA World Cups in 1958 and 1982 and EURO 2016 where they performed so well (of course, the qualification for the 1986 World Cup was celebrated at Wembley). With this project the Irish Football Association is both safeguarding its historical legacy and reshaping its football home in a way that fits the country’s needs. Windsor Park has been transformed into a compact, world class stadium that also houses the offices of the association, Linfield FC and the Northern Ireland Football League. It is a smart and sustainable solution, and I am honoured to be here in Belfast to see this project come to life. It is very auspicious that this reopening coincides with Northern Ireland’s first steps towards realising its dream of appearing at a FIFA World Cup once more. The path to Russia 2018 is long and arduous but the whole country should be proud to embark on this journey in such a beautiful new home. Congratulations Northern Ireland. May the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park be the stage for unforgettable matches and moments for many years to come.

Enjoy the game! Gianni Infantino FIFA President

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MANAGER’S VIEW It is always difficult to come back down to earth after a particularly exciting and uplifting experience. While no-one will ever be able to erase the memories of the summer past in France, we now need to bank that and move on to World Cup qualification. Football, as we all know, encapsulates the full gamut of human emotions – excitement, anticipation, fear, anxiety, even disappointment and we experienced them all over the duration of the Euro finals. I don’t think that I have been as proud in my footballing career as I was to lead this team, this group of players to a major finals and to enjoy the highs and lows of the tournament. And our homecoming was particularly humbling as we could see the palpable support and how our performances had lifted the whole country from young and old, from north to south and east to west. However, resting on our laurels is not an option and the next challenge is to qualify for the World Cup in Russia in 2018. We have found ourselves in a difficult group and many challenges lie ahead, but I believe that the experience gained in the Euros and the momentum that winning and success brings will play a powerful part in our preparation for the matches. We have already earned a hard-fought point away from home in Prague and now we must follow it up with a victory tonight against San Marino (and it would be extremely foolish to underestimate our opponents tonight) before heading to Germany to play the world champions on Tuesday next.

My job will be to ensure that the squad are fully focused on the match and not to let any distractions surrounding the stadium opening interfere with their readiness. Tonight must be about goals and a victory rather than photo opportunities and selfies, but knowing this group of players as I do I am confident that having tasted success in France they will want to have more of it and not let anything else get in the way of their ambitions. I know that I am fully focused on this challenge and that with the tremendous support that you can give us – now on all four sides of this magnificent stadium – we can achieve more success. Congratulations to all involved in the development of the stadium and to you, the fans, who have been recognised both by the city of Paris and by UEFA for your friendliness, fair play attitude and dedication. These accolades are well deserved and I salute you all for this. Since the Euros Stephen Robinson has moved on to become manager of Oldham Athletic and I would like to thank him for his work with this squad and wish him well for the next period of his career. So after all the Euro 2016 fuss we are back to qualification business and I am confident that tonight we will provide a winning start to our home matches and take it into the rest of the campaign. Thanks again for your support. Michael O’Neill Northern Ireland Manager

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GOOD EVENING

Welcome to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park for our first home game in the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers. Our opponents this evening are San Marino and we hope they enjoy their time in Belfast.

Tonight is a very special occasion for the Irish Football Association, coming just over nine months into a very special year. No-one will ever forget the exploits of our players, supporters and indeed everyone involved with Northern Ireland at UEFA Euro 2016, however as we look forward to the prospect of qualifying for our first FIFA World Cup in 32 years we are also able to formally open the National Football Stadium tonight. After many years of negotiating and planning, the first workers moved into Windsor Park just after the Irish Cup Final in 2014 and just 29 months later we have a stadium which is virtually unrecognisable from the previous incarnation. Over 18,500 seats, four hospitality lounges named after the biggest legends of our game, 10 private hospitality boxes and most of all a top quality playing surface have been put in place during this time. The seats themselves were originally designed for the Allianz Arena in Munich and are also fitted in the London 2012 Aquatics Arena; this small detail shows that quality has been high on the agenda all the way through the stadium redevelopment. A compact, world class stadium for our nation, one which we have deserved for a long time and which we can now enjoy. This is not just any stadium. It is our stadium and it stands as a symbol of the ‘grander spirit’ of the new Northern Ireland. It is the stadium of George Best, Pat Jennings, Danny Blanchflower and Billy Bingham as well as that of Michael O’Neill, Steven Davis and the current squad.

We are the country of Rory McIlroy, Seamus Heaney, AP McCoy and Van Morrison and the National Football Stadium is a physical manifestation of all that is good about this country. Already on the way in or out of George Best Belfast City Airport passengers look out of the aeroplane window and gaze at the new addition to the Belfast skyline, perhaps remembering performances of old, perhaps dreaming of qualifying for future tournaments. There are too many people to thank for getting us here tonight, however ones I cannot miss out are the Northern Ireland Executive for providing the vast majority of the funding, Mark Haslett, Andy Priest and Geoff Patterson who between them designed and managed the entire project, all the members of the stadium project board who ensured we maintained good governance throughout and, of course, Linfield Football Club without whose agreement we could not have moved forward. Tonight I am delighted that we have as our special guest FIFA President Gianni Infantino who will formally open the stadium. Gianni is the symbol of a new FIFA as much as the National Football Stadium is a symbol of a new and confident Northern Ireland. Thanks for coming Gianni, and we hope you and everyone else present tonight

enjoy the match. Patrick Nelson Chief Executive Irish Football Association

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SPONSOR’S WELCOME

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PARTNER OF THE IFA

As proud sponsors of the Northern Ireland team, Vauxhall are delighted to be backing the squad in the qualifying campaign for Russia 2018.

Tonight’s match against San Marino is Northern Ireland’s first home fixture in Group C, a group that looks set to be fiercely competitive. We are sure the Belfast crowd will want to give the team the best support possible. Following the incredible journey to the knockout stages in France during the summer, Vauxhall will be supporting Northern Ireland and the Green and White Army during the next two years as the team looks to replicate the recent success. The atmosphere throughout the last qualifying campaign was incredible and we know that the support given to the team in France this summer will carry on for this tournament. Your support is famous around the world and we know that the National Football Stadium crowd can

make the difference - and we have no doubt you will show your great support for Michael O’Neill’s side again tonight. Follow Vauxhall Northern Ireland on Twitter (@VauxhallNI) and join in the matchday conversation, including updates and behind- the-scenes content on matchday. Also, for exclusive Northern Ireland news and competitions including winning match tickets, take time to visit www.vauxhallfootball.co.uk And we have one extra special competition that presents YOU with the opportunity to play on the hallowed turf at the newly transformed National Football Stadium at Windsor Park – visit www.vauxhallfootball.co.uk/competitions for further details!

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Nigel Tilson charts the development of the home of Northern Ireland football over the past 102 years FROM A MEADOW TO A WORLD CLASS STADIUM

The new extension stood alongside the Balmoral stand, bringing the total number of seats on that side of the ground to 4,200. The extension was opened on September 5 1930 with a match between Glasgow Rangers and Linfield. It ended 0-0 and attracted more than 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 South Stand in 1930. Terracing was added at various stages throughout the 1920s and early 1930s and records show the capacity of the ground was around 60,000 by the mid-1930s. Following World War Two (1939-45) attendances 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 during the 1940s. In 1951, however, new turnstiles and gates were added and a press box with accommodation for 100 reporters built. Also in 1951 a floodlighting system was erected at the ground – amounting to six 1,500 watt lamps – but it was not until 1956 that a full-scale system was put up. On October 10 1956 Lord Brookeborough, the then Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, switched on the new floodlighting system. And 30,000 spectators watched the first game under the lights – a friendly between Linfield and Newcastle United. Just over a year later the first international match 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! During the 1960s significant developments included installing around 600 seats under the roof at the Railway End. The move reduced the potential

The site where the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park now stands was a bog meadow when Linfield Football Club decide to purchase it in October 1904. After playing at various pitches following its formation in 1885, Linfield’s board members 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. Following nearly a year of preparations, the first match was played at the pitch on 2 September 1905. Linfield took on arch Belfast rivals Glentoran that day and won the game 1-0 in front of an estimated 4,000 spectators. By 1906 the playing area at Windsor Park – the 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 Archibald Leitch, was added in 1909 on the Olympia Drive side of the ground, while in 1911 a portion of shelter was added to the south stand. The unreserved stand on the Olympia side was then extended in 1913. The Great War of 1914-18 halted development at the ground. The next recorded addition was a concrete boundary fence, erected between 1920 and 1923. Linfield continued to develop Windsor Park largely thanks to financial support from the board and club members. In 1926 the Balmoral stand, which had 1,700 seats, 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.

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Workers construct new floodlights at the stadium in 1956.

Windsor Park in the 1970s.

How the stadium looked prior to the redevelopment getting under way 29 months ago

There were often full houses at Windsor Park in the 1950s. The ground could hold up to 60,000 back then.

An ad for the North Stand before it was built in the early ‘80s.

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Demolition work begins on the South Stand in 2014.

Construction work begins on the new West Stand (Feb 2016).

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 so on was just over £1.9 million. 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 by the Irish Football Association and Linfield. At the start of 1985 the ground got what could be described as its first modern dugouts. The dugouts, which each accommodated 11 people on individual seats, replaced covered structures which only had bench seats. Following the fire tragedy in the main stand at Bradford City’s Valley Parade ground in May 1985, 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 and fireproofing, lighting and exit points upgraded to comply with safety requirements. The stand’s wooden bench seats were removed and replaced with plastic tip-up seats. And its capacity was reduced to 1,700 by the start of the 1986-87 season. Following the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield in April 1989, in which 96 Liverpool fans died, FIFA decreed (July 1989) that from 1992 no standing 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 1991-92 onwards, although it did remain open for Linfield games. Mind you, the Kop did manage one last hurrah re: international games. It was used for an international friendly against Germany on 29 May 1996; the Germans had used Northern Ireland

capacity of the ground from around 60,000 to 48,600, and that was the attendance quoted for the first international match to be played following the installation of the seats – Northern Ireland v England in October 1966. A Members Lounge was added to the ground in 1966 followed by a new official entrance and renovated dressing rooms two years later. At the start of the 1970s a social club was built at the Railway End – it was extended 10 years later – and towards the end of the decade the floodlighting was upgraded. In November 1978 Linfield invited Russian side Moscow Dynamo to celebrate the opening of the new £100,000 floodlighting system. It was switched on by Roy Mason, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The Russian visitors won the game 4-0 in front of 9,000 fans. The crowd was smaller than expected because there was torrential rain on the night of the game. Part of the Railway Stand at Windsor Park was wrecked by a terrorist bomb in April 1972, while a decade later the unreserved stand backing on to Olympia Drive went up in flames after Linfield had defeated Glentoran 1-0 in a Co Antrim Shield tie. Prior to the fire in the unreserved stand the Irish Football Association had commissioned a feasibility study looking at the potential replacement of the terracing there with a new all- seater stand. That study quickly became reality after the fire. Work began in September 1983 on the new 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 11,300, while the overall capacity in the ground was reduced by 10,000 to 30,000. The stand was formally opened in September 1984 on the eve of a Northern Ireland v Romania World Cup qualifying game. The opening ceremony was carried out jointly by FIFA President Dr Joao

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The new West Stand takes shape towards the end of last year.

Construction work continues at the stadium (February 2016)

New safety requirements kicked in during 2010 and the knock-on effect was a reduced capacity in the South Stand at Windsor Park as well as the provision of temporary seating for international matches. In March 2011 the Northern Ireland Assembly announced a funding package for the redevelopment of Northern Ireland’s three main sporting venues and around £30m was made available to the Irish FA to upgrade Windsor Park. A Project Manager – Geoff Patterson – was appointed to oversee the stadium project and by early 2012 a design team, featuring architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and so on, was in place. The planning consultation process began in the early part of 2012 and planning approval for the redevelopment of the stadium was granted later that year. Negotiations with Linfield over the lease of the stadium ran parallel with the planning consultation. Eventually a deal was hammered out. The Irish FA agreed to develop and lease the stadium for 51 years. The start of building work on the project was delayed by a judicial review. It had been due to begin in September 2013. However, there was a successful outcome to the JR which meant building could get under way in May 2014. Everything was going smoothly until March 2015 when a structural failure meant the Kop (West) Stand had to be demolished. The outcome was that the stadium redevelopment project was extended to the creation of three new stands rather than the proposed two - and overall cost rose to £38 million. Now, 29 months later and with many snags ironed out along the way, the stadium is fully prepared and ready for action. Acknowledgement: books by Joe Cassells and the late Dr Malcolm Brodie MBE were among the research documents used in the compilation of this article. Pictures by Press Eye and Pacemaker

as their base just prior to competing at Euro 96 in England. The next major works at the ground involved an extension to the South Stand – adding 1,350 seats – and 400 bucket-type seats replacing the bench seats in the Railway Stand. The extended South Stand was first used for a Northern Ireland v Albania match in September 1992, while the official opening took place at a Northern Ireland v Spain match the following month. The other major building project of the 1990s was the construction of a new Kop Stand. The £2m 4,000-seat stand opened in July 1997 when Linfield faced Liverpool in a friendly. The new millennium sparked plenty of debate about Windsor Park’s suitability for international football going forward. In 2001 an advisory panel chaired by former Northern Ireland international Billy Hamilton called for the creation of a National Stadium. It echoed a previous recommendation made by a National Stadium Working Group set up under the auspices of the Sports Council in 1999. The Sports Minister at the time, Michael McGimpsey, rejected the national stadium idea on the grounds of cost, however by 2005 the UK Government was warming to the idea but proposed a 30,000-seater stadium for football, GAA and rugby on the site of the old Maze Prison rather than a pure football stadium. As the debate over a multi-sport stadium at the Maze raged, Windsor Park was starting to show signs of wear and tear. Severe weather damaged part of the roof of the North Stand at Christmas 2006, while in March 2007 the Railway Stand was barred from future use following a Health and Safety Executive/Fire Authority assessment. Then Sports Minister Gregory Campbell kicked the Maze Stadium plan into touch in 2009, saying it did not enjoy sufficient political support. He proposed he would instead help the Irish FA, Ulster Rugby and the GAA to develop solutions to their stadia needs.

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A bird’s eye view of the completed National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.

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STADIUM REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT TEAM PROJECT SPONSOR Irish FA Geoff Patterson DESIGN TEAM Hamilton Architects Mark Haslett Edmond Shipway Andy Priest Arup Paul Johnston MAIN CONTRACTOR O’Hare & McGovern Nick Oldfield Contracts Manager

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STADIUM FACTS Northern Ireland have scored a total of 292 goals in their 234 games at Windsor Park in the last 106 years. Not surprisingly the player with the most international goals at the ‘Shrine’ is David Healy with an impressive tally of 19. Jimmy Quinn and

at the ground was, of course, by David Healy in the never-to-be-forgotten 3-2 win over Spain on 6 September 2006. The most consecutive wins Northern Ireland have ever recorded at Windsor Park is five between 21 September 1982 and 14 November 1984. If Michael O’Neill’s charges defeat San Marino this evening they will equal that record. Northern Ireland’s longest unbeaten run at the ground came between 21 November 1979, Danny Blanchflower’s last game in charge, and 28 May 1983 when they drew 0-0 with England – a run of 11 games. William Johnston became the first substitute to score for Northern Ireland at Windsor when he found the net in a 4-1 friendly win against Mexico on 22 June 1966. Twelve players have managed that feat since, the last one being Will Grigg in the 3-0 win over Belarus back in May. England have been the most frequent visitors to the ground over the years having played 32 games in Belfast. Northern Ireland have won only four of those encounters, the first coming in 1913 when two goals from Billy Gillespie gave them a 2-1 victory. Gillespie was again on target 10 years later when another 2-1 success was recorded. Following a 2-0 win in 1927, there was a 78-year wait before another home success and David Healy’s memorable winner against Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side in 2005. The most goals that Northern Ireland have ever scored in a single game at Windsor Park is five, which has happened twice. The first occasion was in April 1971 when they beat Cyprus 5-0, the second came on 15 November 1995 when Bryan Hamilton’s side defeated Austria 5-3 in a European Championship tie - a game in which current International boss Michael O’Neill scored twice. The fastest ever hat-trick by an opposition player at the ground was on 4 September 1999 when Arif Erdem scored three in just three minutes as Turkey ran out 3-0 winners in a European Championship qualifier. The fastest hat-trick by an opposing player coming on as a substitute was by Germany’s Oliver Bierhoff on 20 August 1997 when he found the net three times inside six minutes to give the visitors a 3-1 World Cup qualifier victory.

Kyle Lafferty, who have both scored 10 goals each at Windsor, are the only other players to have reached double figures.

Northern Ireland’s complete record at Windsor Park is:

P

W

D

L

F

A

WCQ 57

27 26 18 15 86

13 11 18 14 56

17 17 40 18 92

83 71 84 54

61 59

ECQ

54 76 47

BIC

153

FR

59

Total: 234

292

332

The first International match played at the stadium was held on 19 March 1910 when Ireland defeated Scotland 1-0 in a British International Championship contest in front of 17,000 supporters. Frank Thompson scored the only goal of the game in the 54th minute. The largest attendance ever recorded at what is now the National Football Stadium was 59,000 when England ran out 2-0 winners on 2 October 1954. In contrast the lowest crowd ever to attend an international fixture was 2,500 on 26 May 1989 when Chile defeated Northern Ireland 1-0 in a friendly. One of the reasons given for the low turnout that evening was the live television coverage of the First Division title decider between Liverpool and Arsenal. There have been four hat-tricks scored by Northern Ireland players at Windsor Park. The first was by Billy McAdams in a 4-3 World Cup qualifying defeat to West Germany on 26 October 1960. Jonny Crossan was the next player to achieve the feat in a 4-1 World Cup qualifier victory over Albania on 7 May 1965. Next up was George Best whose treble came in a 5-0 success over Cyprus in a European Championship tie on 21 April 1971. The last and probably the most famous hat-trick to be scored

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David Healy scored a stunning hat-trick against Spain at Windsor Park in September 2006.

The team who beat Italy at the ground to progress to the 1958 World Cup Finals

Lawrie Sanchez celebrates with the Green and White Army in the stadium after the famous win against Spain in 2006

Northern Ireland step out to face England at Windsor Park in 1977

Michael O’Neill is given the bumps by the players following the win over Greece last autumn which secured Northern Ireland’s place at Euro 2016 in France.

Northern Ireland welcomed England, and their famous captain Bobby Moore, to Windsor Park shortly after England won the World Cup in 1966.

Northern Ireland in action against Sweden in the 1980s

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WHAT THEY SAID

“The fans are a huge factor in making Windsor Park such a fortress. The noise and atmosphere they create at home is amazing: it makes teams fear coming to Belfast. “It also gives the players belief that they could beat anybody at Windsor and that has been shown over the years in the way they have come from behind to beat the likes of Spain, Sweden and Denmark.” Sammy McIlroy “During my time as an international I came to realise that Windsor was just as special a place to play football in as any of the much vaunted grounds around the world. “When the noise starts and the crowd get behind the team the place really begins rocking. It lifts the players no end and they and the crowd feed off each other.” Jim Magilton “When I was a young boy I used to stand on the old Spion Kop at Windsor Park. It was a heaving mass of bodies, a wall of noise that was the backdrop to some unbelievable games. I used to stand there with my dad in awe of the atmosphere. “One evening stands out for me. It was 12 September 1984 – a qualifying match with Romania. Norman Whiteside was in full flow. He grabbed the crucial goal, slipping the ball past their keeper right in front of the Kop. He ran towards us with his arms in the air. “The noise was incredible. I imagined tasting that feeling.” Keith Gillespie

“Many children dream of sporting glory. I know I did when I used to go to Windsor Park, Belfast, to watch Northern Ireland play. I remember vividly one afternoon climbing on the lower rung of a floodlight pylon in torrential rain and watching a game against Scotland. I left the ground soaked to the skin, but I was too busy with my thoughts of one day being good enough to represent my country to bother about a minor detail like possible pneumonia.” Pat Jennings “It has gone on record, from David Beckham to everyone that comes here, that no-one relishes coming to Windsor Park. The Windsor Roar is renowned throughout the world. There’s an incredible atmosphere here. The place rocks when there is a full house. It’s only a small stadium but the noise levels are incredible.” Maik Taylor “The night I made my home debut at Windsor Park in a 3-0 win against Belgium was very special, not only because I scored two goals but because the noise levels were unbelievable. In those days you could cram nearly 40,000 people into the ground, but as the years went by it was clear it was in desperate need of modernisation. “The stadium now looks fantastic and even though it’s half the capacity it was in my day I don’t think it has lost any of its atmosphere. I think today the fans are just as vocal and the noise they make just reverberates around the stadium.” Gerry Armstrong “A full house at the stadium makes as much noise as 30,000 fans and that type of support makes you want to work even harder on the pitch. “Sometimes in a break in play during games the players just look around at the whole ground doing the Bouncy and it’s an absolutely amazing sight.” Chris Baird

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THE PROJECT MANAGER’S VIEW The idea of building a new National Football Stadium had been in the making for quite a few years.

We had to redirect a huge amount of effort to ensure that we had the East Stand demolition works finished in time for the next home international game against Romania in June 2015. Again we did it and managed to keep our spectator capacity to the stated number. Throughout all the setbacks and delays we have strived to make this stadium available to as many spectators we could safely provide seats for and ensure that coming into and leaving from what effectively was a huge building site was achieved with the minimum of fuss. Today we are at the end of the process to build a National Football Stadium and we can be proud of what we have achieved. To all the people who have contributed in whatever way they have to build this magnificent stadium a sincere and truly meant thank you. Without you we could never have achieved what we have. Geoff Patterson Stadium Project Manager

Several locations had been considered but it was finally agreed that the redevelopment of Windsor Park was the best option. The redevelopment works for the National Football Stadium started in May 2014 after the Irish Cup Final had been played on the old Windsor Park surface. We had never intended to start with the pitch reconstruction works but as a result of circumstances outside our control we had to revisit our programme plan. The single biggest concern for us was to have a new playing surface in place and ready for the start of our Euro 2016 campaign in September 2014. We achieved that part of the plan. What followed was a sequence of work starting with the demolition of the South Stand and at the same time commencing the building of the East Stand. All was going well until the end of March 2015 when two days after the home Euro 2016 qualifier against Finland the West Stand (Kop) suffered a structural failure of such an impact that it had to be made safe by demolition.

Delighted to craft the cake for the official opening of the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park home to the northern ireland football team

Baking Brilliance daily traditional breads specialty cakes patisserie deli corporate catering Visit our Bakery and Deli/Restaurant situated at The Arc, Titanic Quarter (behind SSE Arena) and Bakery located at Cherryvalley Belfast. Download our ‘Belfast Baking Company’ App for special offers and competitions. T 028 90 183 690 www.belfastbaking.com

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IT'S YOUR LIFE. GO DRIVE IT. NEWMOKKA X

Your devices. Connected via 4G Wi-Fi. Your music. Streamed with Apple CarPlay ™ support. Your adventure. Supported by OnStar ™ personal assistant. The New Mokka X. It’s your life. Go drive it.

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Official GovernmentTest Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO 2 emissions (g/km). Mokka XActive 1.4i Turbo (140PS) Start/Stop FWD: Urban: 37.2 (7.6), Extra Urban: 55.4 (5.1), Combined: 47.1 (6.0). CO 2 emissions: 140 g/km. # Personal contract hire offer on Mokka XActive 1.4iTurbo (140PS) Start/Stop FWD in free of charge metallic or brilliant paint with OnStar and 4GWi-Fi, on orders received before 31 December2016, subject to availability and status.Age 18+ only. Figures based on a non-maintenance contracthire package with advance rental of £2,977, then 47 monthly payments of £229. Excess miles over contracted mileage of 32,000 over 48 months charged at 11.08 pence per mile. Excess charges also apply if you breach manufacturer servicing or maintenance guidelines or if the car exceeds BVRLA FairWear &Tear guidelines for its age/mileage when it is returned toVauxhall Leasing. Package includes Road Fund Licence andVauxhallAssistance. Guarantee/indemnity may be required. Prices and details are subject to change without notice. For full specification andTs&Cs contact your local Retailer. You will not own the car. ALDAutomotive Ltd., trading asVauxhall Leasing, BS16 3JA.Authorised and regulated by the Financial ConductAuthority.The OnStar Services requires activation. Wi-Fi Hotspot requires account with nominated network operator. Check Vauxhall.co.uk/OnStar for details of availability coverage, and charges, or ask your Vauxhall Retailer. #Fuel consumption information is official government environmental data, tested in accordance with the relevant EU directive. Official EU-regulated test data is provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. Correct at time of going to press.

CZECH REPUBLIC 0 NORTHERN IRELAND 0

2018 WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFYING GROUP C - ROUND 1 SUNDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 2016 GENERALI ARENA, PRAGUE ATTENDANCE 10,731

STATS

65%

POSSESSION

35%

17

SHOTS

7

1

SHOTS ON TARGET

3

6

CORNERS

4

9

FOULS

10

1 Vaclik 2 Kaderábek TEAMS

1 McGovern 2 McLaughlin 4 McAuley 5 Evans 3 Ferguson 19 Ward 17 McNair 16 Norwood

17 Suchy 3 Kadlec 22 Novak 10 Skalak 8 Darida 12 Pavelka 19 Krejci 14 Kadlec 21 Skoda

8 Davis 14 Dallas 10 Lafferty

SUBSTITUTES 4 Gebre Selassie 5 Kalas 6 Pokorny 7 Necid 9 Pospisil

SUBSTITUTES 6 Hodson 7 McGinn 9 Boyce 11 Washington 12 Mannus 13 Evans 15 McGivern 18 Smith 20 Lund 21 Magennis

11 Pudil 13 Kopic

15 Sykora 16 Koubek 18 Sural 20 Vydra 23 Drobny

22 Morris 23 Carson

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Kids just can’t get enough football

For the last 14 years we have helped develop over 7000 grassroots football clubs, enabled thousands of children to try football at our local events and rewarded the hard-working volunteers whomake football happen through our partnership with the UK football associations. To find out more about what we’re doing to support grassroots football in your area, visit mcdonalds.co.uk/BetterPlay

2018 WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFYING GROUP C - ROUND 1 CZECH REPUBLIC 0 NORTHERN IRELAND 0

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NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD

TREVOR CARSON GOALKEEPER

ALAN MANNUS GOALKEEPER

JONNY EVANS DEFENDER

MICHAEL McGOVERN GOALKEEPER

Club

Club

Club

Club

Norwich City

St Johnstone

Hartlepool United

West Bromwich Albion

Age 32

Caps 16

Goals 0

Age 34

Caps 8

Goals 0

Age 28

Caps 0

Goals 0

Age 28

Caps 54

Goals 1

TOM FLANAGAN

AARON HUGHES DEFENDER

LEE HODSON DEFENDER

GARETH McAULEY DEFENDER

DEFENDER

Club

Club

Club

Club

Burton Albion

Glasgow Rangers

Kerala Blasters (India)

West Bromwich Albion

Age 24

Caps 0

Goals 0

Age 25

Caps 17

Goals 1

Age 36

Caps 103

Goals 0

Age 36

Caps 66

Goals 8

CONOR McLAUGHLIN

RYAN McGIVERN

MICHAEL SMITH DEFENDER

CALLUM MORRIS DEFENDER

DEFENDER

DEFENDER

Club

Club

Club

Club

Shrewsbury Town

Fleetwood Town

Peterborough United

Aberdeen

Age 26

Caps 23

Goals 0

Age 25

Caps 20

Goals 0

Age 28

Caps 1

Goals 0

Age 26

Caps 0

Goals 0

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CORRY EVANS MIDFIELDER

STUART DALLAS MIDFIELDER

STEVEN DAVIS MIDFIELDER

SHANE FERGUSON

MIDFIELDER

Club

Club

Club

Club

Leeds United

Southampton

Blackburn Rovers

Millwall

Age 25

Caps 18

Goals 1

Age 31

Caps 88

Goals 8

Age 26

Caps 37

Goals 1

Age 25

Caps 27

Goals 1

MATTHEW LUND MIDFIELDER

PADDY McNAIR MIDFIELDER

NIALL McGINN MIDFIELDER

OLIVER NORWOOD

MIDFIELDER

Club

Club

Club

Club

Rochdale

Aberdeen

Sunderland

Brighton & Hove Albion

Age 25

Caps 0

Goals 0

Age 29

Caps 46

Goals 3

Age 21

Caps 12

Goals 0

Age 25

Caps 39

Goals 0

PAUL PATON MIDFIELDER

JAMIE WARD* MIDFIELDER

KYLE LAFFERTY FORWARD

JOSH MAGENNIS FORWARD

CONOR WASHINGTON FORWARD

Club

Club

WBA Club

Club

QPR Age 24 Club

St Johnstone

Nottingham Forest

Charlton Athletic

Age 29

Caps 2

Goals 0

Age 30

Caps 27

Goals 2

Age 29

Caps 55

Goals 17

Age 26

Caps 23

Goals 1

Caps 8

Goals 2

*on loan at Burton Albion

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Nothing brings us together like football. Win or lose, we’re here to celebrate those unpredictable moments of pure joy we share as one team, one nation. Are you ready? Celebrate the start of a new journey.

vauxhallfootball.co.uk

Enjoy those #GetIN moments at

with news, competitions and exclusive team videos.

THE GREAT EURO 2016 ADVENTURE

S O U V E N I R P U L L O U T

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS...

Nigel Tilson reflects on Northern Ireland’s big adventure in France in the summer of 2016

free-kick - and planted a glorious header firmly into the back of the net. Ukraine keeper Andriy Pyatov stood almost motionless as the ball whizzed past him in the pouring rain. And the icing was firmly put on the cake when, deep into injury time, Northern Ireland doubled their lead. Sub Josh Magennis powered and tricked his way past a defender out wide and pulled the ball back to Stuart Dallas. His neat snapshot was parried by Pyatov but landed at the feet of another sub, Niall McGinn, who coolly slotted the ball home. The Green and White Army erupted. The stadium went bonkers. A famous victory had been secured. Next up were Germany, the formidable reigning world champions, and they produced a master class. They were a joy to watch. Afterwards Ollie Norwood said the Germans were the best team he had ever played against. And they were certainly on fire at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Their movement and their intensity were mindblowing. Although the only goal of the game, scored by German striker Mario Gomez, was a tad fortunate, there was no getting away from the fact that Michael McGovern was Northern Ireland’s star performer in the game. Time after time he thwarted the Germans, pulling off some incredible saves. A handful of the stops were world class. Behind the scenes, the Germans were also classy – polite and friendly. Bastian Schweinsteiger was full of praise for our fans, while Manuel Neuer wanted to swap his shirt with only one person: Michael McGovern. And Mats Hummels made sure he got hold of Will Grigg’s shirt because “I love the song”. Of course, the 1-0 reverse was enough to get Northern Ireland through to the Round of 16 and it was back to Parc des Princes to face Wales. The boys in white and green - they were wearing the away kit - controlled the game, with Jonny Evans marshalling Gareth Bale superbly and the

It would be easy to say it was worth the wait. And, yes, it certainly was. But one of the outcomes of the Northern Ireland team’s participation at their first major tournament in 30 years should be a collective push at all levels of the game to ensure it will not be as long until the next time. Euro 2016 was something else and something very special. From the players’ remarkable efforts on the pitch to the unstinting support provided by our fans in France and back home, the tournament provided a rich tapestry of amazing scenes and memories. The four games in which the team competed triggered a wide array of emotions. And they were all played in electric atmospheres largely created, nurtured and maintained (often long after the final whistle) by the Green and White Army hordes. Northern Ireland’s debut encounter at a European Championship finals was a bittersweet experience. Great to be there but not a great result. The Poles came flying out of the traps, caught us on the hop with their pace and power, and fully deserved their 1-0 win in Nice courtesy of an Arkadiusz Milik strike. The players were rattled, the fans disappointed, but a steely determination quickly developed within the squad to put things right in the next game. And boy did they deliver after making the relatively short journey from Chateau de Pizay, the classy team hotel during Euro 2016, to the Stade de Lyon where they faced Ukraine in their second game in Group C. After a tight first half the game sprang to life early in the second half when Gareth McAuley notched Northern Ireland’s first ever goal at a European Championship finals. It came in the 49th minute when Big G soared above Ukrainian defender Yevhen Khacheridi to get on the end of a fine Ollie Norwood delivery from a

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axis of Steven Davis and Ollie Norwood keeping Aaron Ramsey extremely quiet. Stuart Dallas, Jamie Ward and Ollie Norwood all produced decent shots on goal, while Kyle Lafferty headed over when well placed. Apart from a trademark dipping free-kick from Bale, which Michael McGovern dealt with comfortably, Wales never really looked like scoring until Bale broke away down the left and executed a delicious cross

which Big G unfortunately turned into his own net as Robson-Kanu was about to pounce. It was unavoidable, but what a gut- wrenching way to fall behind – and eventually to lose the game. Northern Ireland tried to rally after that but to no avail and there was definitely a feeling that the game was there for the taking when the players reflected on the Wales encounter

in the days following their Euro 2016 exit. The adieu would definitely have been easier to take if we had been on the receiving end of a sparkling performance from the opposition, but that was definitely not the case here. Still, despite our stay in France being cruelly cut short, we were nevertheless left with many wonderful memories from Euro 2016. And the homecoming event at Titanic Belfast just a couple of days later, where the players got a taste of the fanatical support which their efforts sparked back home and 10,000 supporters got to thank their heroes, helped to ease the pain as it was another great occasion linked to the Euros adventure... and it was a fitting finale.

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