40 Years Ago tonight - Northern Ireland beat World Cup hosts Spain 1-0 in Valencia

mdingwall

mdingwall

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Northern Ireland Football Museum​

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On this date 40 years ago (25th June 1982) Northern Ireland beat World Cup hosts Spain 1-0 in Valencia
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The result meant Northern Ireland progressed as group winners.
What a night
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and hard to believe that it was 40 years ago
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Displayed is Sammy Nelsons number 13 shirt and a few photos from the glorious night.

 
A time when I liked Martin Oneil and Gerry Armstrong. Did NI go down to 10 men? Or was that another game? I was 11 so can’t mind right.
Can remember my dad shouting ya fu*king beauty when NI scored.
 
There was a cracking looking girl joining in the celebrations at the end of the game.
Don't know if she was Press or not.
Daft things you remember.
 
Can't believe it's 4 decades ago. I feel old. I got 3 pointless answers for the 1982 Northern Ireland WC Squad when it was a category on Pointless. I got Jimmy Nicholl, Sammy Nelson and Mal Donaghy (unbelievably Pat Jennings was a pointless answer!).

I have some good Ulster stock as my mother's maiden name is an Irish surname that originates from northern counties on both sides of the border.
 
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I was there.

Travelled up from Malaga after Scotland were knocked out.

Three of us amongst a bunch of Spanish nutters. It got pretty scary, and at one point a Spaniard 3 or 4 yards away from us drew a blade and waved it menacingly at us.

From memory, I don't recall meeting any Northern Ireland fans. Perhaps in those days they didn't travel in numbers?
 
Watched it in the Gartcraig Inn, my local at the time. Good Rangers shop then, place went mental when Norn Iron scored. A Friday night match if I remember correctly.
 
worldfootballindex.com

Northern Ireland’s Road to Spain ’82

Ben Roberts takes a look at Northern Ireland’s road to the 1982 World Cup. You can also listen to a discussion on his new book, Gunshots & Goalposts: The Story of Northern Irish Football, below and you can buy the book itself by clicking here. ‘On July 1, 1916, a glorious chapter was written in […]
worldfootballindex.com
 
I put my one year old daughter to bed in her cot; my then wife had f*cked off out somewhere. Watched in amazement as the game of a lifetime played out in front of me on terrestrial tv.
A truly historic night in football history.

As a side note, CB Chris Nicholl I used to see out and about quite often; sadly now he`s in warden controlled accommodation after being diagnosed with dementia through repeated heading of a football.
 
That was a great night . That must have been the best team Northern Ireland ever had. Great mix of experience and youth. They all seemed to love playing for NI even though it must have been a 60/40 mix.
 
Was in Rio park Benidorm. The lounge was all set out in rows.
Lots of guys enjoying a game until Armstrong scores and the place erupted.
Waiters crying into our beers. Hope it was tears.
 
Barca Bear said:
Was in Rio park Benidorm. The lounge was all set out in rows.
Lots of guys enjoying a game until Armstrong scores and the place erupted.
Waiters crying into our beers. Hope it was tears.
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mate I was genuinely in the Rio Park in summer -82 during the world cup. I was 6 though. haha. Only memory is some stupid lady's front bottom running through a plate glass door haha
Edit oh and I nearly died by choking on an icecube. If you were there at the same time you would remember it was a scene. Waiters were holding me upside down knocking %^*& out of my back
 
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Northampton Lodger said:
That was a great night . That must have been the best team Northern Ireland ever had. Great mix of experience and youth. They all seemed to love playing for NI even though it must have been a 60/40 mix.
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Indeed


Amazing how united they were as a team at the height if some if the worst atrocities of the troubles
 
Remember watching it as an 11 year old
Referee was a disgrace, Spain resorted to the bully boy tactics as their frustration grew in the second half, started putting the boot in, Donaghy’s sending off was a joke
It’s covered well on Gole ! the official FIFA film of the 82 World Cup, David McCreery kopped one off the ball and you can see Martin O’Neil having a pop at the ref to stop the game.
 
Big Hepy said:
mate I was genuinely in the Rio Park in summer -82 during the world cup. I was 6 though. haha. Only memory is some stupid lady's front bottom running through a plate glass door haha
Edit oh and I nearly died by choking on an icecube. If you were there at the same time you would remember it was a scene. Waiters were holding me upside down knocking %^*& out of my back
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Yes mate, I remember you.
my son was playing with you at the time, he was also six years old.
 
I was 11 too, was on a summer scheme trip to Newcastle Co Down after the tourney was over and we bumped into Billy Hamilton. He was brilliant with us and sat in a passport photo booth in the amusements getting pics taken no bother.

That game is the absolute top of Norn Iron moments, without fail.
 
40th Anniversary night was held within the last couple of days in the Europa Hotel, Belfast for the 1982 Northern Ireland World Cup team that beat Spain. RIP Billy Bingham who died last week and helped make our greatest moments possible.

Different World Cup format then in 1982 as NI, after beating Spain, qualified for the next stage and went into a 'three team group' which would decide the semi finalists with Austria and France. Drew 2 v 2 with Austria in another fantastic game where NI came back from being behind. Lost to France after NI scored first with a Martin ONeill goal wrongly ruled offside.

It was the equivalent of making the World Cup Quarter Finals and some feat for a 'wee spot in Europe' population 1.5 million. Bingham and most of that team also got us qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. I am afraid that I/ we 'may never see their likes again'.
 
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I’ll never forget the elation I felt at the final whistle. It was better than sex.
 
Is this what got Gerry Armstrong a move to Spain which subsequently led to him being the main co-commentator for Spanish Football on Sky
 
Big Hepy said:
you better not be joking because I genuinely made a friend during that trip. I have fucking photos up the loft of us on wee boats
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Don’t know about boats,
the missus remembers the glass window/door and marc’s friend choking on ice.
too much coincidence??
 
Grommitt said:
I was there.

Travelled up from Malaga after Scotland were knocked out.

Three of us amongst a bunch of Spanish nutters. It got pretty scary, and at one point a Spaniard 3 or 4 yards away from us drew a blade and waved it menacingly at us.

From memory, I don't recall meeting any Northern Ireland fans. Perhaps in those days they didn't travel in numbers?
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Watched the game in a hotel somewhere in France on the way back from Malaga
 
Artful Dodger said:
A time when I liked Martin Oneil and Gerry Armstrong. Did NI go down to 10 men? Or was that another game? I was 11 so can’t mind right.
Can remember my dad shouting ya fu*king beauty when NI scored.
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Mal Donaghy got sent off early second half if I recall right. I was stood on the top terrace (What a height - There was something like a 300 ft drop over a small barrier) with a few brave other soles and what I remember most is counting down the minutes through most of the second half.
What a night !
 
Grommitt said:
I was there.

Travelled up from Malaga after Scotland were knocked out.

Three of us amongst a bunch of Spanish nutters. It got pretty scary, and at one point a Spaniard 3 or 4 yards away from us drew a blade and waved it menacingly at us.

From memory, I don't recall meeting any Northern Ireland fans. Perhaps in those days they didn't travel in numbers?
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I was there having travelled from Northern Ireland. It was an organised three week trip. Went by coach, ferry and stayed in Salou. There were two coaches and we decided on this trip as we were guaranteed tickets for the Spain game as our official allocation was very low. Turned out the tickets were in the Spain end. The Spain fans were aggressive at the end of the game as they thought that they had been knocked out, but when the result of the other game (Honduras/Yugoslavia) suited them they soon changed.

What a result against the hosts and to also win the group. Brilliant memories.
 
I watched this game with work colleagues in the Hurlet, Tamfourhill, Falkirk. Both Jim and Alex Scott were behind the bar. The whole pub were cheering on Northern Ireland - so exciting and noisy.

Funny how this memory relates to another post (a few days ago) when a Follow Follower was asking about Alex Scott's pub, in Falkirk.
 
Watched it as a 12 year old in Omagh Co Tyrone, a really warm Fri night I remember and must have walked in after we scored and my dad was screaming at the TV, just remember a sense of hanging on! The next morning I marched my mum up the town and got the green home top which I still have; got it signed by Gerry about 5 years ago and will get her framed and on the wall eventually.
 
I was a kid at the time but I’m sure I remember the NI fans singing the sash during the game.
 
When I played at Littlehampton FC Gerry Armstrong took training one Tuesday night.

He was an ambassador for Adidas and had a sackful of Predators for us to try. He went through free kicks with us.

Was brilliant to be coached just once by a Professional International footballer.
 
I wonder how much that goal ultimately made Gerry Armstrong? Ended up with a career in Spain at Mallorca afterwards and then the La Liga gig on Sky.

Love the old adidas logo strips.
 
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