Gerry Armstrong (footballer)

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Gerry Armstrong
Personal information
Date of birth	May 23, 1954 (age 52)
Place of birth	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Position	Striker
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1976-1980 1980-1983 1983-1985 1985-____ ____-____ ____-1989	Tottenham Watford Real Mallorca WBA Chesterfield Brighton	84 (10) 76 (12)
National team
1977-1986	Northern Ireland	63 (12)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Gerry Armstrong (b. 23 May 1954, Belfast) is a retired football player for Northern Ireland. He is best known for his goals in the 1982 FIFA World Cup and is currently a football analyst.

Contents 1 In England 2 In Spain 3 Back in Britain 4 Football media 5 External links 6 Notes

[edit] In England

Armstrong spent most of his career in England, having supported English club Leeds United as a boy.^[1] His career in England started with Tottenham Hotspur, with Armstrong making his debut aged 22 in a 3-1 defeat at Ipswich Town on 21 August 1976. The following April he made his debut for the Northern Ireland national team, in a 5-0 friendly defeat to West Germany, playing alongside the legendary George Best. Spurs were relegated that season, with Armstrong scoring 3 goals in 21 appearances for the club. The following season the club was promoted, with Armstrong scoring 2 in 19 appearances. Transferred to Second Division Watford in December 1980, Armstrong again won promotion to Division One.

[edit] In Spain

A year later, Armstrong experienced his finest hour at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. After a 0-0 draw in the opening match against Yugoslavia, Armstrong scored the opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Honduras. With his team requiring a win to progress to the next stage, Armstrong scored a 47th minute goal against hosts Spain in Valencia. Northern Ireland even had Mal Donaghy sent off, but held on to win 1-0. In the next stage, also a group round, they could only manage a draw in their three matches, with Armstrong scoring in the 5-1 loss to France. However, Armstrong's goal against Spain is still considered one of the most special moments in the country's footballing history.

For his exploits in Spain, Armstrong won a golden boot award for being the best British player in the competition (England and Scotland also took part). Armstrong was 4th top scorer at the tournament behind the great names of Paolo Rossi, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Zico.

His performances earned him a move to the Spanish league with RCD Mallorca in 1983. Remembered for the goal he scored in 1982, Spanish fans gave him special treatment: "I did get stick, particularly when we went to play Valencia, obviously the home fans remembered only too well what I had done to them the year previous, but I was pleased to say we drew 2-2 with Valencia and I scored a goal into the very same net that I'd scored for Northern Ireland."^[2]

[edit] Back in Britain

After two seasons with Mallorca, Armstrong returned to England for spells with West Bromwich Albion, Chesterfield and Brighton & Hove Albion. Armstrong played for Northern Ireland at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico but neither Armstrong nor the team could repeat past heroics. The team drew with Algeria before a loss to Spain. A 3-0 defeat to Brazil signalled the end of Armstrong's international career. He retired from playing completely in 1989.

Armstrong has retained links with football, and was appointed manager of non-league Worthing in 1991. In 1993, Worthing gained promotion, but Armstrong left in 1994 to become assistant manager of the Northern Ireland national team, under his former national team-mate Bryan Hamilton. He reprised this role in 2004 under Lawrie Sanchez, having been considered for the top job at the time.

In August 2006 Armstrong resigned the position to concentrate on other commitments, as it was revealed that he and his wife Debby were expecting a child. ^[3]

[edit] Football media

Armstrong had combined his role with Northern Ireland with employment in football journalism - in television, in radio and in print. He continues his role as co-commentator for Sky Sports' coverage of Spanish football, where "Have a look" has been established as one of his catchphrases and it is an in-joke for him to refer to Guti by his full name of José María Gutiérrez at least once every time he covers Real Madrid. He also analyses La Liga as part of the coverage, and regularly voices concern over certain players' simulation of fouls; "A big disappointment for me is the amount of diving in the game nowadays." ^[4] Other in-jokes in his La Liga commentaries include always giving the Spanish for an elbow in the face (codazo), and over-use of the words "quality" and "situation".

He covered the FIFA World Cup 2006 for Asia-based ESPN Star Sports with anchor Harsha Bhogle and fellow expert commentators Steve McMahon & Noel Da Lima Leitao.

In September 2006, Armstrong became co-commentator for BBC Northern Ireland's TV coverage of Northern Ireland's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, alongside Jackie Fullerton.

[edit] External links

• Photographs and Statistics at sporting-heroes.net

[edit] Notes

	Northern Ireland squad - 1982 World Cup
1 Jennings | 2 J. Nicholl | 3 Donaghy | 4 McCreery | 5 C. Nicholl | 6 J. O'Neill | 7 Brotherston | 8 M. O'Neill | 9 Armstrong | 10 McIlroy | 11 Hamilton | 12 McClelland | 13 Nelson | 14 Cassidy | 15 Finney | 16 Whiteside | 17 Platt | 18 Jameson | 19 Healy | 20 Cleary | 21 Campbell | 22 Dunlop | Coach: Bingham

	Northern Ireland squad - 1986 World Cup
1 Jennings | 2 Nicholl | 3 Donaghy | 4 O'Neill | 5 McDonald | 6 McCreery | 7 Penney | 8 McIlroy | 9 Quinn | 10 Whiteside | 11 Stewart | 12 Platt | 13 Hughes | 14 Armstrong | 15 Worthington | 16 Ramsey | 17 Clarke | 18 McClelland | 19 Hamilton | 20 McNally | 21 Campbell | 22 Caughey | Coach: Bingham