It wasn't Fearghal Sharkey, Norman Whiteside or Colin Clarke that got me into supporting Northern Ireland. It was my Dad. My Dad, Joe Blair is a veteran of over 200 Northern Ireland matches down the years. He dare not count them, but in the past 50 years he'd only miss a home game in an emergency.
Van Morrison once had a quote "Back on top again".
My Dad wasn't with me as I backpacked my way through the magnificent Faroe Islands in September 2015. My eyes were on the prize but the GAWA (Green and White Army) daren't believe it. Of course we can't. If you're a real Northern Ireland fan you will know the score, we support through the rough and smooth and we don't give a toss as we will be there singing till the end.
"We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland" - Northern Ireland fans
As a football fan of Northern Ireland, the results can be unpredictable. One week beating Spain and the next week losing to Iceland. It's a crazy team to support. In fact, we lost 2-0 to Azerbaijan and then drew 1-1 away in Israel. Steven Davis scored. We are proud of this team.
"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.
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.
"It's the Ulster boys making all the noise everywhere we go" - Northern Ireland fans
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
Van Morrison once had a quote "Back on top again".
My Dad wasn't with me as I backpacked my way through the magnificent Faroe Islands in September 2015. My eyes were on the prize but the GAWA (Green and White Army) daren't believe it. Of course we can't. If you're a real Northern Ireland fan you will know the score, we support through the rough and smooth and we don't give a toss as we will be there singing till the end.
"We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland" - Northern Ireland fans
As a football fan of Northern Ireland, the results can be unpredictable. One week beating Spain and the next week losing to Iceland. It's a crazy team to support. In fact, we lost 2-0 to Azerbaijan and then drew 1-1 away in Israel. Steven Davis scored. We are proud of this team.
"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.
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.
"It's the Ulster boys making all the noise everywhere we go" - Northern Ireland fans
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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