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Cunningham Peacock reflects on the ‘magic’ of Northern Ireland’s
participation at Euro 2016 in France.
I travelled back from the homecoming party in
Belfast’s Titanic Quarter with a great feeling of
satisfaction.
There was magic in the air. I had seen our team and
the backroom staff come on stage to take a bow and
to enjoy the cheering and singing of us fans.
I had heard Michael O’Neill’s stirring speech about the
team’s achievement and about his hopes of a bright
future. My mind was full of the sheer joy of being a
Norn Iron fan when things go well.
Arriving home I found that we had a visitor. My
English mate Charlie has no television and had called
round to watch England versus Iceland. The match
was still in progress but England were way off the
pace. It was certain that the Three Lions would not be
having a ‘welcome home’ party.
My family, always good neighbours, were serving
Charlie tea and sympathy. It was then that I grasped
for the first time the enormity of what Michael and
the lads had achieved. The European Championship
finals tournament of 2016 was not just another one
that we watched with wistful longing, dreaming of
what might have been. Instead our dream came true -
and how! It was sheer magic.
My experience of Euro 2016 began way back on 12
December last year when I sat down to watch the
draw live from Paris. I dressed for the occasion, of
course.
I hunted in the back of the wardrobe and found my
Mexico ’86 World Cup jersey (the authentic white
alternative strip). I took it out of the cellophane for
the first time in 30 years. This was a very special day.
Europe was throwing a party and my favourite team,
so often also-rans, were part of the show.
At the draw Michael O’Neill did us proud, smiling and
looking confident as we drew the world champions.
Well, as the song says, if you don’t have a dream how
you gonna have a dream come true? I had started to
believe in magic.
My experience of France was one of sheer joy. The
fans of the different countries dressed in team
colours mingled with friendly banter and raucous
songs. They got together for group photos.
Everyone entered into the carnival atmosphere. In
Paris there was a tourist display put on by all the
qualifying countries. The two girls in charge of the
Visit Northern Ireland stand told us that they usually
work in premises opposite Belfast City Hall. But some
kind of magic had whisked them away and placed
them in the sunshine on the banks of the Seine.
Yes, magic was in the air. How else could it be that so
many fans shared my experience in Lyon? Lots of my
mates claim that, like me, they knew in advance how
we would score.
As Oliver Norwood took that free-kick on the left wing
in the 49th minute, I knew, I just knew for certain that
big Gareth McAuley would get his head to it and that
those powerful neck muscles would send the ball like
a bullet into the back of the Ukrainian net. How did we
all know in advance? It was part of the magic of the
occasion.
Then there were the magic celebrities. Was that really
the Coleraine-born film star Jimmy Nesbitt swanning
around the centre of Lyon, saying hello to everyone?
Isn’t he a hobbit? Seeing a hobbit in the street is
magic.
I met Chris Brunt at the airport in Paris and told
him how sorry I was that injury had ruled him out
of the greatest show on earth in 2016. He was
philosophical. “It’s just one of those things,” he said.
On the flight home I recognised one of my favourite
Norn Iron players of all time. Big Iain Dowie noticed
my Mexico ’86 jersey and said hello.
The singing of our fans was magic too. We didn’t
beat the Germans, but we outsang their fans. As
Michael McGovern was saving every shot and header
from Muller, Ozil, Goetze and co, we were giving him
massive musical encouragement.
In one priceless moment, when our fans paused for
breath, we actually could hear the Germans singing,
so we struck up “We didn’t know you were there”.
That evening in a Paris bar packed with fans of many
nations we watched on television the match between
Turkey and the Czech Republic, a match which would
decide our future at the tournament.
When the final whistle ended the game with a Turkish
victory, we all burst into song. “We’re not going home,”
we sang.
A group of Austrian fans nearby looked totally
bewildered. “Was ist das?” they asked, not realising
that they were witnessing yet another Northern
Ireland team making history. What is the German
word for magic?
Now for the Russian World Cup…
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www.irishfa.comEURO 2016
IT WAS MAGNIFIQUE!