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.
When I travelled to the Faroes islands to watch the Northern Ireland match my father wasn't there but we had fun and we knew we could win. We weren't so bothered about the result, it was the idea that we were there in support. We loved the country and watching the soccer matches was a marvellous way to show our support for this country. Times were so exciting!
"We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland" - Northern Ireland fans
We'd draw 1-1 with Honduras then beat Spain 1-0 away (and win the group), we will draw 1-1 with Armenia then grab a sensational 1-1 away to European Champions Germany. You know what - we will lose 3-0 at home to Iceland then dick Spain 3-2 with a Healy hat-trick within FIVE days. Yes - this is the rollercoaster ride of supporting Northern Ireland. And we love it.
"We've been to Sweden, Spain and Mexico. Drinking all over the world" - Status Quo made into a GAWA song
After a 0-0 draw against Romania, I booked my flights, deciding to spend 6 days in the magnificent Faroe Islands exploring the country and somewhere in the middle of it all was the small matter of the international football match. Which suddenly, became highly important. Aren't they all?
After a few days backpacking through the main sights on Vagar Island to places like Sorvagur and Gasadalur, we headed on a party bus to the capital city of Torshavn. In Torshavn we were expected to meet up with the rest of the GAWA, (the Green and White Army) and party. We could see the Bangor, Hillsborough and Lisburn lads in Cafe Nature. The place was bouncing mad.
You become a community when you follow Northern Ireland. The Green and White Army. The GAWA. Our Wee Country. We know each other, we look out for each other. Nobody takes anything too seriously you see. Except for one thing - the 90 minute match tonight. This was a big one and we were serious about this one. The rest of it was just a party. In 2010 we scraped a 1-1 draw here thanks to La La Lafferty Fermanagh's Ulster goal machine. It was five years on from the 1-1 draw in the Faroes Islands.
Inside the bar there was a lot of music on the go. It was mostly organised by 1982 World Cup Espana veteran Jim Rainey. He was a marvellous DJ for the Northern Ireland fans. This was in Cafe Natur, but just a few streets away some other boys were belting out classic tunes on the decks - such as Sweet Caroline, as played by Andrew Moby Milliken and Justin from Ballyclare.
"Everywhere we go, everywhere we go, we're the Ulster boys making all the noise" - Fans of Northern Ireland
And from there the scene was set. It was an away match. We all know you need to win away matches to stand a chance of qualifying. Home matches are the easy ones sure - we won 5/6 home matches in the 2008 Euro qualifiers, yet we won just one away match (Liechtenstein) and guess what - we didn't qualify.
"She never told me her name" - Tim Wheeler
"Back on top again" - Van Morrison.
When I travelled to the Faroes islands to watch the Northern Ireland match my father wasn't there but we had fun and we knew we could win. We weren't so bothered about the result, it was the idea that we were there in support. We loved the country and watching the soccer matches was a marvellous way to show our support for this country. Times were so exciting!
"We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland" - Northern Ireland fans
We'd draw 1-1 with Honduras then beat Spain 1-0 away (and win the group), we will draw 1-1 with Armenia then grab a sensational 1-1 away to European Champions Germany. You know what - we will lose 3-0 at home to Iceland then dick Spain 3-2 with a Healy hat-trick within FIVE days. Yes - this is the rollercoaster ride of supporting Northern Ireland. And we love it.
"We've been to Sweden, Spain and Mexico. Drinking all over the world" - Status Quo made into a GAWA song
After a 0-0 draw against Romania, I booked my flights, deciding to spend 6 days in the magnificent Faroe Islands exploring the country and somewhere in the middle of it all was the small matter of the international football match. Which suddenly, became highly important. Aren't they all?
After a few days backpacking through the main sights on Vagar Island to places like Sorvagur and Gasadalur, we headed on a party bus to the capital city of Torshavn. In Torshavn we were expected to meet up with the rest of the GAWA, (the Green and White Army) and party. We could see the Bangor, Hillsborough and Lisburn lads in Cafe Nature. The place was bouncing mad.
You become a community when you follow Northern Ireland. The Green and White Army. The GAWA. Our Wee Country. We know each other, we look out for each other. Nobody takes anything too seriously you see. Except for one thing - the 90 minute match tonight. This was a big one and we were serious about this one. The rest of it was just a party. In 2010 we scraped a 1-1 draw here thanks to La La Lafferty Fermanagh's Ulster goal machine. It was five years on from the 1-1 draw in the Faroes Islands.
Inside the bar there was a lot of music on the go. It was mostly organised by 1982 World Cup Espana veteran Jim Rainey. He was a marvellous DJ for the Northern Ireland fans. This was in Cafe Natur, but just a few streets away some other boys were belting out classic tunes on the decks - such as Sweet Caroline, as played by Andrew Moby Milliken and Justin from Ballyclare.
"Everywhere we go, everywhere we go, we're the Ulster boys making all the noise" - Fans of Northern Ireland
And from there the scene was set. It was an away match. We all know you need to win away matches to stand a chance of qualifying. Home matches are the easy ones sure - we won 5/6 home matches in the 2008 Euro qualifiers, yet we won just one away match (Liechtenstein) and guess what - we didn't qualify.
"She never told me her name" - Tim Wheeler
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