57 / 60
Our cheering and singing and celebrating won
a lot of friends. We even charmed the Mayor of
Paris who awarded a special medal to the fans of
Northern Ireland along with our southern friends.
As I searched for familiar faces in the crowd,
I couldn’t help wondering what role we fans
play in turning a club player into an established
international.
I have a theory about this. It is well known that it
usually takes 10 games for a club player to settle
into a national team. Over those games we fans
grow fond of a particular player. We get behind him,
show enjoyment and anticipation when he is on the
ball and give him plenty of encouragement.
The most outstanding example of this in the last
couple of years is the emergence of Bangor’s very
own Josh Magennis. The sheer enthusiasm of
Josh for the international game has impressed us
fans and we have responded with a great affection
for him. It is surely significant that he has grown in
stature game after game.
It all began when Michael O’Neill handed him the
responsibility of leading the attack in the crucial
game against Greece when we qualified for the
Euros. Josh scored the second goal and his
celebration afterwards was a sight to behold as he
lifted his coach off the ground in a massive bear
hug.
At the Euros against Ukraine his self-assurance
was such that when the manager yelled at him to
take the ball to the corner flag he disobeyed and
waltzed round a defender to set up the crucial
second goal.
Now Josh has stepped up a grade by moving to
Charlton and has already notched his first hat-trick
for the club (what about one of those for Norn Iron,
Josh?).
Of course, it is not just the fans who enable a
player to grow and mature. The third and most
crucial factor in the mix is the manager. Michael’s
confidence in Josh has convinced the crowd in the
stands that here is someone worth taking to their
hearts.
The player, the manager and the fans work together
to turn a club player into an international.
So there is no need to be embarrassed if you spend
ages with a magnifying glass trying to spot yourself
in the stands in Nice, Lyon or Paris. You played your
part too.
By the way, you will find me on page 128 in the
crowd at the ‘Welcome Home’ party in Belfast’s
Titanic Quarter. What a show that was! Roll on the
next one…
The Green and White Army in Stade de Lyon last summer where
they witnessed the famous 2-0 win over Ukraine.
www.irishfa.com55