Over the years I attended football with my Dad watching Northern Ireland play in many matches down the years. Nobody could possibly count the matches we went to, but there were lots and the matches were fantastic. Sometimes we would play Germany, other times it was Belgium or Liechtenstein or Austria.
"Back on top again" - Van Morrison.
Win, draw or...lose (and let's be truth - every match we play could end in any of those three ways - we are unpredictable). But the Faroe Islands seemed to be a match that Northern Irish fans thought we might win. It was essential for qualifying for the Euros so the team was in top form and had extra training ahead of the match in Torshavn, the nation's capital city.
"Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, we'll support you evermore" - Northern Ireland fans
My previous three away matches before this one were all defeats, and we didn't even score in any of them! I wrote about my Azerbaijan 2-0 Northern Ireland and Turkey 1-0 Northern Ireland experiences before. Good times, but bad results. It's an up and down match and time supporting Northern Ireland. The days and nights are crazy following the team as we are unpredictable.
"We've been to Sweden, Spain and Mexico. Drinking all over the world" - Status Quo made into a GAWA song
It was a 0-0 draw with Romania that kept the momentum going and we wanted more. We wanted to win the group that time and heading to the Faroe Islands for this classic match was a cert for any hardcore Northern Ireland fan. In fact, people were booking flights a few months before. It was crazy and it was important.
Arrival in Torshavn was by bus from the village of Sorvagur where I spent my first three days in the country at Guesthouse Hugo. On arrival in the capital, I was greeted by the bouncing GAWA (the Green and White Army). The Lisburn, Hillsborough and Bangor boys had taken over Caf Natur in downtown Torshavn. Flegs, taps and carryouts snuck-in galore. (Translation - flags, NI shirts and alcoholic beverages bought outside that there bar but consumed inside that there bar). The place was pumped with the usual suspects.
The usual crowd was here in force - all partying in either Cafe Natur or Glitnir bar. It's like a community of followers when you support Northern Ireland. It's all a bit crazy. The fans like Toddy, Glenda, Shaun Schofield, Jonny Blair, Karen Turkington, Sinti, they were all here to party in Toshavn. It was five years ago that La La Lafferty had bagged a goal in a 1-1 draw, at the time that was a shock result.
Espana 82 veteran Jim Rainey was on the decks, pumping out the beats in the vibrant Caf Natur. Round the corner in Glitnir Pub, we had Justin from Ballyclare working his way through YouTube classics of the GAWA down the years, accompanied by sidekick Andrew Milliken AKA Moby - yer man from Aghadowey. Mr. Milliken and I have met up in more countries than we can remember.
"Everywhere we go, everywhere we go, we're the Ulster boys making all the noise" - Fans of Northern Ireland
It was time for the big match and we don't win many away matches - the home wins are important, but it is the away wins that are the clinchers. In the 1980s we beat Romania 1-0 and then even got a 0-0 draw in England, which are really good results and helped our qualification for the World Cup.
"I still love you the girl from Mars" - a song by Tim Wheeler from Ash
"Back on top again" - Van Morrison.
Win, draw or...lose (and let's be truth - every match we play could end in any of those three ways - we are unpredictable). But the Faroe Islands seemed to be a match that Northern Irish fans thought we might win. It was essential for qualifying for the Euros so the team was in top form and had extra training ahead of the match in Torshavn, the nation's capital city.
"Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, we'll support you evermore" - Northern Ireland fans
My previous three away matches before this one were all defeats, and we didn't even score in any of them! I wrote about my Azerbaijan 2-0 Northern Ireland and Turkey 1-0 Northern Ireland experiences before. Good times, but bad results. It's an up and down match and time supporting Northern Ireland. The days and nights are crazy following the team as we are unpredictable.
"We've been to Sweden, Spain and Mexico. Drinking all over the world" - Status Quo made into a GAWA song
It was a 0-0 draw with Romania that kept the momentum going and we wanted more. We wanted to win the group that time and heading to the Faroe Islands for this classic match was a cert for any hardcore Northern Ireland fan. In fact, people were booking flights a few months before. It was crazy and it was important.
Arrival in Torshavn was by bus from the village of Sorvagur where I spent my first three days in the country at Guesthouse Hugo. On arrival in the capital, I was greeted by the bouncing GAWA (the Green and White Army). The Lisburn, Hillsborough and Bangor boys had taken over Caf Natur in downtown Torshavn. Flegs, taps and carryouts snuck-in galore. (Translation - flags, NI shirts and alcoholic beverages bought outside that there bar but consumed inside that there bar). The place was pumped with the usual suspects.
The usual crowd was here in force - all partying in either Cafe Natur or Glitnir bar. It's like a community of followers when you support Northern Ireland. It's all a bit crazy. The fans like Toddy, Glenda, Shaun Schofield, Jonny Blair, Karen Turkington, Sinti, they were all here to party in Toshavn. It was five years ago that La La Lafferty had bagged a goal in a 1-1 draw, at the time that was a shock result.
Espana 82 veteran Jim Rainey was on the decks, pumping out the beats in the vibrant Caf Natur. Round the corner in Glitnir Pub, we had Justin from Ballyclare working his way through YouTube classics of the GAWA down the years, accompanied by sidekick Andrew Milliken AKA Moby - yer man from Aghadowey. Mr. Milliken and I have met up in more countries than we can remember.
"Everywhere we go, everywhere we go, we're the Ulster boys making all the noise" - Fans of Northern Ireland
It was time for the big match and we don't win many away matches - the home wins are important, but it is the away wins that are the clinchers. In the 1980s we beat Romania 1-0 and then even got a 0-0 draw in England, which are really good results and helped our qualification for the World Cup.
"I still love you the girl from Mars" - a song by Tim Wheeler from Ash
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