Northern Ireland v New Zealand Match Programme

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. - ƤVWX QIX +SVHSR MR XLI IEVP] 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

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

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