Don’t turn your nose up, I cherish these big nights
EVERY time I look at my brother’s face, I am reminded of the greatest sporting experience of my life. It is seven o’clock on the morning of June 17, 2016. The two of us, along with former player Keith Gillespie, are staggering through the streets of Lyon when we spot an automatic sprinkler, shooting out jets of water about three feet above this small patch of grass.
We do what all idiots do, and take turns trying to jump over the streams. After failed attempts from Keith and I, my brother calmly informs us that, as a purple belt in Tai Jutsu, he will show us how it’s done. He proceeds to perform a number of impressive forward ‘break-falls’, not a drop of aqua touching him.
However, as he proudly struts away, he inexplicably trips over and splits his nose open on the pavement. At the time, I assure you, it was genuinely hilarious.
That scar on his nose remains a permanent memorial to the evening before when, in a cauldron of blood, sweat, hail stones and song, we watched Northern Ireland become the ‘Kings of Lyon’ at Euro 2016, beating Ukraine 2-0, our first win at a major tournament since I was just five years old.
What transpired between full-time and his bloodied snout is still a glorious haze. A euphoric explosion of green and white, a party to end all parties. Gillespie crowd surfing over the tops of thousands of fans, Jager-bomb pints, kissing strangers and an incident involving the Will Grigg song and a well-greased pole that is best kept for the autobiography. We don’t often get a slice of the pie but boy when we do, we enjoy every single crumb of it.
So,So while the majority of fans may bemoanbe the international break, I am so excited I can hardly sleep at night. Next Thursday, November 12, NorthernNo Ireland play Slovakia for a covetedco place at Euro 2020, which is nowno due to take place next summer. FingersFi crossed, we will be able to onceon again meet up, form friendships andan enjoy moments that will stand theth test of time.
We got to this point by beating Bosnia in the first-ever penalty shootout in our history, while Slovakia squeakeds through in similar fashion. Some fans should be allowed into Windsor Park, which definitely tilts it in our favour, but I can guarantee you that it will come down to that one moment, that one hero, that one sucker punch. There is the romance of the elder statesmen. Steve Davis on one side and
Marek Hamsik on the other, both seeking and deserving one last hurrah, but I’m not going to bore you with a detailed preview. However, fans of smaller nations, and most lower-league clubs, can relate to the fact that we cherish the shared experiences as much as the matches themselves, because we know they are few and far between.
On the train back from France in 2016, I remember welling up at the thought that, given my age and our history, I may never experience such a summer again. Now, that’s one game away. Win and I will be packing my bags again. Lose and I’ll be left with the reality that those 2016 memories may have to keep me warm forever.
So, while the international break may drag for some, for fans of the likes of Northern Ireland, it is absolutely everything. Scotland’s tartan army will be going through the same, just one victory away from their first major tournament this century.
For me, it’s one match that will either open the door to another summer of splendour, or slam it shut in our faces. Even writing that sentence makes the temptation to reach for the Bushmills beyond compelling.