IFA Programme 2016

PLAYERS AND FANS SHOULD TAKE A BOW

Ellie Thomason enjoyed watching Northern Ireland’s participation at the Euros from the comfort of her armchair in England…

The Euro 2016 campaign was regarded by many as an embarrassment for England. Wales reached the semi-finals and by far exceeded anyone’s expectations in doing so. But it was Northern Ireland who stole the hearts of the whole of Europe with their enthusiasm, togetherness, grit and determination. History had already been made before a ball was kicked. Northern Ireland topped their group in qualifying to reach their first major tournament in 30 years. Michael O’Neill said he and his players were delighted just to be flying out to France, but they weren’t just there to make up the numbers.  No-one thought they would be capable of pulling off yet another major shock, making it out of the group containing world champions Germany, Poland and Ukraine, a nation of 45 million. Yet it was their 2-0 win over Ukraine that was enough to send them through to the knockout stages of a major tournament for only the third time in their history. It goes to show that size didn’t matter at the Euros. Northern Ireland put themselves on the map. So much so that some of the biggest names in football joined in the fun, taking to Twitter to spread the love for the Green and White Army, Gerard Pique, Vincent Kompany, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Didier Drogba to name a few. Everyone wanted to be part of the remarkable achievement, and it was a joy to watch.

It wasn’t just the players who were making headlines out in France. The fans played a major part in why everyone was talking about Northern Ireland for all the right reasons. For anyone watching the Germany game there was only one set of fans to be heard inside the Parc des Princes. From the first whistle to the last, the fans didn’t stop singing, and seeing the stadium still nearly half full 20 minutes after full-time, with “Will Grigg’s On Fire” belting out, was enough to give anyone goosebumps. The irresistible good humour, impeccable behaviour and incredible support of the Northern Ireland supporters was so infectious that the fans were rewarded by both UEFA and the Mayor of Paris for their “exemplary sportsmanship”. The fantastic support continued back on home soil. Airport staff at Belfast International formed a guard of honour on the team’s homecoming before thousands packed out the fanzone in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter to ensure they got the heroes’ welcome they deserved. It was Rory McIlroy who best summed up the experience: “You did us all proud. It’s only the beginning, let’s get to the World Cup in 2018.” More of the same please!

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