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People of all ages and backgrounds were proudly
wearing the team strip. T-shirts were printed and
FERRIVW HIWMKRIH 1YWMGMERW [IVI EPWS MRWTMVIH
[MXL SRI FERH ( 7LEVO WIGYVMRK XLI FSYP .IGO]
as lead vocalist on their opus Jackie Fullerton
7E]W 8LI &IEYXMJYP +EQI LEH XVYP] XEOIR ƥMKLX
%RH XLIR XLIVI [EW XLI )YVSWŭ YRSJƤGMEP ERXLIQ
In the future when we tell children of a life before
;MPP +VMKKŭW 3R *MVI XLI] [SRŭX FIPMIZI YW 2IZIV MR
XLI LMWXSV] SJ WTSVX LEW SRI TPE]IVŭW JEQI IGPMTWIH
XLIMV ETTIEVERGIW SR XLI TMXGL )ZIR )VMG 'ERXSRE
got in on the act.
.YRI LEH [IPP ERH XVYP] EVVMZIH PIX XLI KEQIW
begin! The Nice opener against Poland may
LEZI IRHIH MR E HIJIEX FYX JERW [IVI EPVIEH]
reinforcing their bon homie reputation with
everyone embracing the Norn Iron party faithful.
Thirty years waiting and we were here to enjoy
ourselves no matter what.
Then came possibly the best night of the lot: Our
'VERIW 9OVEMRI /MRKW SJ 0]SR 8LI LIEHPMRIW
wrote themselves. And McAuley and McGinn were
elevated to hero status.
Back in Belfast fans were going ballistic in bars and
HS[R EX XLI JER^SRI EX 8MXERMG &IPJEWX ERH - [EW MR
ƥSSHW SJ XIEVW [EXGLMRK EX LSQI
)ZIR XLMROMRK EFSYX MX RS[ FVMRKW E PYQT XS XLI
throat. It was time to bring on the world champs -
and our trip to Gay Paree.
What a trip… it seemed Paris was in perpetual party
QSHI [MXL XLI FSYPIZEVHW ERH FEVW E[EWL [MXL
GAWA. Round every corner you could hear
XLI ;MPP +VMKK GLERX %RH QIER[LMPI -GIPERH
and Wales were making their wee countries
VMHMGYPSYWP] TVSYH XSS +%;% ERH '3=&-+ [IVI
also embracing as one.
Walking past a Parisian café I heard my name
WLSYXIH SYX -X [EW 8SVSRXS 7YTTSVXIVWŭ 'PYF
WYTVIQS +SVHSR :MGXSV] [LEX E REQI ERH LMW
delightful wife June.
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W [LIR - [EW
working at the Toronto Sun and Gordon made me
an honorary member of his club.
8LVII HIGEHIW PEXIV ERH XLIVI [I EPP [IVI XSEWXMRK
our boys on the eve of yet another historic match.
Fabulous stuff.
2I\X WXST 4EVG HIW 4VMRGIW [LSWI IQIVEPH FPEHIW
were tended by Co Antrim-born groundsman
Jonathan Calderwood… surely another good
omen?
And so it was that Northern Ireland and German
JERW [EPOIH XSKIXLIV XS XLI WXEHMYQ SRI HVETMRK E
VIH ]IPPS[ ERH FPEGO KEVPERH EVSYRH Q] RIGO 8LI
EXQSWTLIVI [EW IPIGXVMG FSXL MRWMHI ERH SYXWMHI
the ground.
8LI JERW WERK RSR WXST FIJSVI HYVMRK ERH YT XS
QMRYXIW EJXIV XLI QEXGL 8LI +IVQERW PSSOIH
FI[MPHIVIH IRXIVXEMRIH ERH RSX E PMXXPI NIEPSYW
Ŭ7LEPP [I WMRK E WSRK JSV ]SY#ŭ [I EWOIH EW [I
[EPPS[IH MR XLI KPSVMSYW HIJIEX %RSXLIV
hero emerged in the acrobatic form of Michael
1G+SZIVR ERH XLI XIEQ [IVI XLVSYKL XS XLI
knock-out stages.
1I ERH Q] LYWFERH VIPYGXERXP] ƥI[ LSQI
knowing Northern Ireland would be returning to
the same turf just a few days later. Many others
WXE]IH SR ERH [IVI EPQSWX VI[EVHIH [MXL E [MR
EKEMRWX ;EPIW &YX RS[ MWRŭX XLI XMQI JSV QMKLX
have-beens.
6IQIQFIV .YRI
EW E QSQIRX XLEX WLSSO SYV
souls for the better and ignited passions and belief
RSX WIIR WMRGI 7TEMR ;IŭVI RSX &VE^MP ERH ;MPP
+VMKKŭW RSX RIGIWWEVMP] SR ƤVI FYX [I HS I\MWX ERH
[I EVI PIX XLIVI FI RS HSYFX 2SVXLIVR -VIPERH
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