Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
You Moscow and see this World Cup street
Residents fly flags of all 32 teams
FOOTBALL fans have turned their streets into a giant World Cup sweepstake with each house flying the flag of a competing nation.
Residents on Iris Drive, Gortfin Street and Whiterock Gardens in West Belfast are running their own events, to culminate with a large street party for the final on July 15
The sweepstake was so popular in Whiterock Gardens that organiser Lindsay Mccausland had to have two draws.
She said: “What we did was we got all the flags in black bags and went around the doors so everyone pulled out a flag.”
In what is a nationalist neighbourhood, even the England flag was flying. John O’neill drew England – as well as Belgium – said: “It’s just a bit of craic, gets everyone together.
“If I get a bit of abuse, I’m well able for it. Although I have to say, it was in the back of my head, ‘What if some lunatic does something?’
“But at the end of the day, it’s only football.”
Over at Iris Drive, off the Falls Road, residents agreed not to fly the Three Lions flag for safety reasons, after stones were thrown at a house that flew it for a previous tournament.
Resident Jackie Turley said: “This is the third time we have done it, and it’s so popular that we actually had to do two sweepstake draws.
“The winning team gets £80, but there are also prizes for second, third and fourth.” Gortfin Street resident Sonya Mccann said: “Iris Drive have done it a few times, so we just decided we would do it too to bring the street together.
“All the money for taking part will go into a big street party for the final.”