Northern Ireland national football team
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| Association | Irish Football Association | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Nigel Worthington | ||
| Asst coach | Glynn Snodin | ||
| Captain | Aaron Hughes | ||
| Most caps | Pat Jennings (119) | ||
| Top scorer | David Healy (35) | ||
| FIFA code | NIR | ||
| FIFA ranking | 56 | ||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 27 (August 2007, April 2009) | ||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 124 (March 2004) | ||
| Elo ranking | 71 | ||
| Highest Elo ranking | 4 or 15[1] (1882-5 or May 1986) | ||
| Lowest Elo ranking | 97 (February 2004) | ||
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| First international | |||
 Ireland 0 - 13 England  (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) |
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| Biggest win | |||
Ireland 7 - 0 Wales  (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 1 February 1930) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
| Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) |
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| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (First in 1958) | ||
| Best result | Quarterfinals, 1958, 1982 | ||
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football. Before 1921, all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association (IFA). In 1921, the jurisdiction of the IFA was reduced to Northern Ireland, following the secession of clubs in the soon-to-be Irish Free State, although its team purported to remain the national team for all of Ireland until 1950, and to use the name Ireland until the mid-1970s. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) organises the separate Republic of Ireland national football team.
History
On 18 February 1882, two years after the founding of the Irish FA, Ireland made their international debut against England, losing 13-0 in a friendly played at Bloomfield Park in Belfast. This remains the record win for England and the record defeat for the Northern Ireland team. On 25 February 1882 Ireland played their second international against Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham and an equaliser from Johnston became Ireland’s first ever goal.
In 1884 Ireland competed in the inaugural British Home Championship and lost all three games. Ireland did not win their first game until 19 February 1887, a 4-1 win over Wales in Belfast. Between their debut and this game, they had a run of 14 defeats and 1 draw, the longest run without a win in the 1800s. Despite the end of this run, heavy defeats continued. On 3 March 1888 they lost 11-0 to Wales and three weeks later on 24 March they lost 10-2 to Scotland. Further heavy defeats came on 15 March 1890 when they lost 9-1 to England, on 18 February 1899 when they lost 13-2 to England and on 2 February 1901 when they lost 11-0 to Scotland.
In 1899 the Irish FA also changed its rules governing the selection of non-resident players. Before then the Ireland team selected its players exclusively from the Irish League, in particular the three Belfast-based clubs Linfield, Cliftonville and Distillery. On 4 March 1899 for the game against Wales, McAteer included four Irish players based in England. The change in policy produced dividends as Ireland won 1-0. Three weeks later, on 25 March one of these four players, Archie Goodall, aged 34 years and 279 days, became the oldest player to score in international football during the 19th century when he scored Ireland’s goal in a 9-1 defeat to Scotland.
In 1920 Ireland was partitioned into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. In 1922, Southern Ireland gained independence as the Irish Free State, later to become a republic under the name of Ireland. Amid these political upheavals, a rival football association, the Football Association of Ireland, emerged in Dublin in 1921 and organised a separate league and international team. In 1923, at a time when the home nations had withdrawn from FIFA, the FAI was recognised by FIFA as the governing body of the Irish Free State on the condition that it changed its name to the Football Association of the Irish Free State. The Irish FA continued to organise its national team on an all-Ireland basis.
Between 1928 and 1946 the IFA were not affiliated to FIFA and the two Ireland teams co-existed, never competing in the same competition. However, on 8 March 1950, in 0-0 draw with Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham in a World Cup qualifier, the IFA fielded a team that included four players who were born in the Irish Free State. All four players had previously played for the FAI in their qualifiers and as a result had played for two different associations in the same FIFA World Cup tournament.
After complaints from the FAI, FIFA intervened and restricted players' eligibility based on the political border. In 1953 FIFA ruled neither team could be referred to as Ireland, decreeing that the FAI team be officially designated as the Republic of Ireland, while the IFA team was to become Northern Ireland.
Current player eligibility rules
After the Good Friday Agreement, players holding either a British or Irish passport, but otherwise eligible for Northern Ireland, could play for the national team.[2] For a brief period in 2006, a FIFA ruling stated NI players must carry British passports due to difficulties for match commissioners,[3] but it was quickly modified to state that players must merely prove their eligibility to the IFA.[4] In 2008, the rules were changed so that merely holding a passport did not automatically qualify players as eligible; players eligible for Northern Ireland who wished to declare for the Republic of Ireland, or vice versa, must have been resident in the target country for two years, or have family ties.[5][6] Due to the 2008 rule changes, goalkeeper Maik Taylor is said to be unique among Northern Ireland national team players in never having had a background in the country.[6]
Past performances
British Home Championship
Until the 1950s, the major competition for Northern Ireland/Ireland was the British Home Championship. The team had won the competition eight times, taking the title outright on three occasions, they were the last winners of the now defunct competition held in 1984, and hence still are the British champions, and the trophy remains the property of the Irish FA. This is much celebrated by their fans.
World Cup
Northern Ireland's best World Cup performance was in their first appearance in the finals, the 1958 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals after beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the play-off. They were knocked out by France, losing 4-0. In the 1958 competition Northern Ireland became the smallest country to have qualified for the World Cup, a record that stood until Trinidad & Tobago qualified for the 2006 World Cup. Northern Ireland remains, however, the smallest country to have qualified for more than one World Cup finals tournament, the smallest country to win a World Cup finals match, the smallest country to have scored at a World Cup finals, and the smallest country to have reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
Northern Ireland also qualified for the 1982 World Cup. Gerry Armstrong was a Northern Irish football player, who played during the 1970s and 1980s. He is best remembered for scoring the goal in the 1982 World Cup that enabled Northern Ireland to beat the tournament's hosts, Spain, in a shock 1-0 win again reaching the quarter-finals after topping the first stage group, Norman Whiteside became the youngest player ever in the World Cup finals, a record that still stands. In the 1986 World Cup, they reached the first round. Billy Bingham, a member of the 1958 squad, was manager for both of these tournaments. They have not qualified for any other World Cups.
European Championship
The side have yet to participate in their first European Championship finals. This is despite of the fact that Northern Ireland beat West Germany 1-0 both home and away in qualifiers for Euro 84. (The latter was West Germany's first ever home defeat in either European Championship or World Cup qualifers) More recently, David Healy broke the record for goals scored in one Euro campaign, previously held by Davor Suker of Croatia, by scoring 13 times in Northern Ireland's brave, but ultimately doomed, attempt to qualify for Euro 2008. Healy scored thrice against Spain, twice against Sweden, 5 times against Liechtenstein, once against Denmark, once against Latvia, and also scored against Iceland. He also became the first player ever to score 2 hat tricks for Northern Ireland. He had previously been one of only five players to score a hat-trick for Northern Ireland - the others being George Best, Billy McAdams, Colin Clarke and Joe Bambrick who scored a double hat-trick against Wales in 1930.
Recent history
Lawrie Sanchez was appointed in January 2004 after a run of ten games without a goal under the previous manager Sammy McIlroy, which was a world record for any international team. That run ended after his first game in charge, a 1–4 defeat to Norway in a friendly in February 2004. The run of sixteen games without a win ended after his second game, a 1–0 victory in a friendly over Estonia, with a largely experimental side, in March 2004.
On 7 September 2005, Northern Ireland beat England 1–0 in a 2006 World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park. David Healy scored the winner in the 73rd minute. Almost a year later, on 6 September 2006, Northern Ireland defeated Spain 3–2 in a qualifier for Euro 2008, with Healy scoring a hat-trick. In the following match, Healy became the only Northern Irish player to score two hat-tricks after scoring 3 of Northern Ireland's goals in their 4-1 win over Liechtenstein. Healy also scored a brace in the 2-1 victory over Sweden in the same qualification group. Healy scored thirteen out of Northern Ireland's fifteen Euro 2008 qualification goals in seven matches, and was the leading goalscorer in the competition. In June 2007 Nigel Worthington was named manager in the place of Lawrie Sanchez, who took over at Fulham. Initially Worthington took over until the end of the Euro 2008 qualifiers but was later given a contract until 2010.
Summary of all Northern Ireland's competitive results
- All competitive matches ‡
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Gd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 466 | 116 | 100 | 250 | 503 | 952 | -451 |
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Gd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 558 | 139 | 126 | 293 | 592 | 1114 | -522 |
Data correct as of Northern Ireland v Serbia, 14 November 2009
The team have also won the Home Championship 8 times, including 5 shared.
Fixtures and results
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
Northern Ireland were drawn from the third pot during the UEFA group draw. They began their campaign to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup on September 6, 2008 playing away against Slovakia, (lost 2–1). Four days later they hosted the Czech Republic and held them to a scoreless draw. Northern Ireland then lost their third qualification match 2–0 at Slovenia, leaving the Northern Ireland side with only one point and one goal scored through three matches. However, they bounced back for back-to-back victories over UEFA minnows San Marino by scores of 4–0 and 3–0, lifting them to second equal in the group with seven points and a goal difference of +4 with half of their group matches remaining. In the following round of matches Northern Ireland maintained their winning streak by defeating Poland 3-2 at Windsor Park, however the match was marred by the riots before kick-off. Northern Ireland then defeated Slovenia 1-0 in their next qualification match to ensure they remained 2nd in their qualifying group. In September 2009 the team travelled to Poland, where pre-match planning by the footballing federations of both teams and the police ensured that a repeat of the riots in Belfast did not happen this time around. The game ended 1-1 after Northern Ireland took the lead through Kyle Lafferty, but Poland levelled in the 78th minute through Lewandowski.
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2010 international matches
Northern Ireland matches scheduled for 2010:[9]
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Competition | Goalscorers (Career goal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 March 2010 |  Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana |
Albania |
1–0 L | Friendly | |
| 26 May 2010 |  Veterans Stadium, New Britain |
 Turkey |
2–0 L | Friendly | |
| 30 May 2010 |  Nelson Oyarzún Arenas, Chillán |
Chile |
1–0 L | Friendly | |
| 11 August 2010 |  Podgorica Stadium, Montenegro |
Montenegro |
2–0 L | Friendly | |
| 3 September 2010 |  Stadion Ljudski vrt, Maribor |
Slovenia |
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C | ||
| 8 October 2010 |  Windsor Park, Belfast |
 Italy |
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C | ||
| 12 October 2010 |  Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn |
Faroe Islands |
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C |
Controversy and sectarianism
Some of Northern Ireland's fans have been perceived as sectarian by opposing elements in Northern Irish society. Neil Lennon, who had been subject to boos and jeers from some supporters while playing for Northern Ireland in Windsor Park, was given a death-threat, due to his association with Celtic F.C.. Many of the Roman Catholic community in Nortern Ireland find the use of God Save the Queen as the team's anthem a major barrier to supporting the team, as well as the use of the unionist associated Ulster Banner as the team's official flag.
Steps have been taken to eradicate the sectarian element within the support,[10] and these have proved to be very successful.[11] Lennon has been quick to heap praise on the Northern Ireland fans,[12] and in particular "Football For All" Outstanding Achievement Award Winner Stewart MacAfee,[13] for the work they have carried out to create a more inclusive atmosphere at international games.
| “ | People like Stewart are the unsung heroes who have been brave enough to challenge sectarianism and who have actively created a more fun, safe and family-orientated atmosphere at international games. Fans like Stewart have made the atmosphere at Northern Ireland football games in recent years the envy of Fans across not only Europe but World football. From a personal point of view I would like to thank them for their efforts. | ” |
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—Neil Lennon |
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Stadium
Northern Ireland play their home matches at Windsor Park, Belfast, home of Linfield F.C., which they have use of on a one hundred and eight year lease, giving the owners 15% of revenue, including gate receipts and TV rights.[14]
There was a proposal to build a multisports stadium for Northern Ireland at the disused Maze prison outside Lisburn for the use of Rugby, Gaelic games and football.[15] This plan was given an "in principle" go-ahead by the Irish Football Association. However, it was opposed by fans, over 85% of whom in a match day poll conducted by the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs ("AONISC") preferred to stay at a smaller new or redeveloped ground in the city of Belfast.[16] The AONISC organised a protest against the move to the Maze at the game against Estonia in March 2006.
The issue assumed ever greater urgency by 2007, following a series of inspections which questioned the suitability of Windsor Park to host international football.[17] Following a reduction of capacity due to the closure of the Railway Stand, the IFA made it known that they wished to terminate their contract for the use of the stadium.[18] A report on health and safety in October 2007 indicated that the South Stand might have to be closed for internationals, which would further reduce the stadium's capacity to 9,000.[19] In April 2008, Belfast City Council announced that they had commissioned Drivers Jonas to conduct a feasibility study into the building of a Sports Stadium in Belfast which could accommodate international football, which was followed at the beginning of May 2008 by speculation that the Maze Stadium project was going to be radically revised by Peter Robinson, the Finance and Personnel Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, so that any construction might be used for purposes other than football, rugby union and Gaelic games. Given the time that is needed to build a new stadium, in the absence of significant work improving Windsor Park, Northern Ireland may be forced to play their home games at a venue outside Northern Ireland for a period. Everton FC's Goodison Park in Liverpool has been touted as a possible alternative.
In March 2009, proposals were announced for the construction of a new 25,000 seat stadium in the Sydenham area of East Belfast as an alternative to the Maze proposal. This would form part of a major development, with links to both George Best Belfast City Airport and the Bangor railway line. The development would also include a hotel, and retail/leisure areas. The stadium itself would be used for both football and rugby union, with Glentoran and Ulster Rugby intended as tenants. However, Ulster GAA, who were a partner in the Maze proposal, have stated that in the event of a new stadium being built in East Belfast, which is a major unionist area, their preference would then be to remain at Casement Park in nationalist West Belfast.[20]
The IFA were initially non-committal about any of the proposals for improving their facilities, be it rebuilding Windsor Park, or supporting either the Maze or Sydenham proposals. However, in September 2009, they issued an announcement in favour of the redevelopment of Windsor Park.[21] Although there were no specifics to this, Linfield had previously released a study with two proposals, of which the major one would be a £20m rebuilding of the stadium, raising capacity to 20,000.[22]
Popular culture
Since the defeat of England in 2005 there has been an increased demand for tickets outstripping supply.[23] Tongue-in-cheek songs such as "We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland" (sung to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic, an American Civil War song [24]), 'It's Just Like Watching Brazil' and 'Stand up for the Ulstermen' are popular at home matches. In 2006, Northern Ireland's supporters were awarded the Brussels International Supporters Award,[25] for their charity work, general good humour and behaviour and efforts to stamp out sectarianism. Representatives of the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs received the award from UEFA and EU representatives prior to the Northern Ireland versus Spain game at Windsor Park in September 2006. The team have various supporters' clubs and the Our Wee Country fans' website.
Current players
The following players have been called up to the squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia on 3 September 2010. Caps and goals updated as August 12, 2010.
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Recent call ups
The following players have been called up to the Northern Ireland squad during the last 12 months.
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Coaching staff
- Manager: Nigel Worthington
- Assistant Manager: Glynn Snodin
- Goalkeeping coach: Fred Barber
- Physio: Terry Hayes
- Team Attendant: Derek McKinley
History in major tournaments
World Cup
- 1930 to 1938 - Did not enter
- 1950 to 1954 - Did not qualify
- 1958 - Quarter-finals
- 1962 to 1978 - Did not qualify
- 1982 - Second Group Stage
- 1986 - Round 1
- 1990 to 2010 - Did not qualify
European Championship
Managers
- Peter Doherty (1951–1962)
- Bertie Peacock (1962–1967)
- Billy Bingham (1967–1971)
- Terry Neill (1971–1975)
- Dave Clements (1975–1976)
- Danny Blanchflower (1976–1979)
- Billy Bingham (1980–1994)
- Bryan Hamilton (1994–1998)
- Lawrie McMenemy (1998–1999)
- Sammy McIlroy (2000–2003)
- Lawrie Sanchez (2004–2007)
- Nigel Worthington (2007–present)
Player records
Northern Ireland players with 50 or more caps
As of 9 September 2009, the players with the most caps for Northern Ireland are:
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Jennings | 1964–1986 | 119 | 0 |
| 2 | Mal Donaghy | 1980–1994 | 91 | 0 |
| 3 | Sammy McIlroy | 1972–1987 | 88 | 5 |
| 4 | Keith Gillespie | 1995–2008 | 86 | 2 |
| 5 | Maik Taylor | 1999–present | 83 | 0 |
| 6 | David Healy | 2000–present | 80 | 35 |
| 7 | Jimmy Nicholl | 1976–1986 | 73 | 1 |
| 8= | Michael Hughes | 1992–2004 | 71 | 5 |
| 8= | Aaron Hughes | 1998–present | 71 | 0 |
| 10 | David McCreery | 1976–1990 | 67 | 0 |
| 11 | Nigel Worthington | 1984–1997 | 66 | 0 |
| 12 | Martin O'Neill | 1972–1985 | 64 | 8 |
| 13 | Gerry Armstrong | 1977–1986 | 63 | 12 |
| 14= | Iain Dowie | 1990–2000 | 59 | 12 |
| 14= | Terry Neill | 1961–1973 | 59 | 2 |
| 16= | Billy Bingham | 1951–1964 | 56 | 10 |
| 16= | Danny Blanchflower | 1950–1963 | 56 | 2 |
| 16= | Damien Johnson | 1999–2010 | 56 | 0 |
| 19 | Jimmy McIlroy | 1952–1966 | 55 | 10 |
| 20= | Allan Hunter | 1970–1980 | 53 | 1 |
| 20= | John McClelland | 1980–1990 | 53 | 1 |
| 22= | Jim Magilton | 1991–2002 | 52 | 5 |
| 22= | Alan McDonald | 1986–1996 | 52 | 3 |
| 24= | Sammy Nelson | 1970–1982 | 51 | 1 |
| 24= | Chris Nicholl | 1975–1984 | 51 | 3 |
| 24= | Gerry Taggart | 1990–2002 | 51 | 7 |
| 27= | Bryan Hamilton | 1969–1980 | 50 | 4 |
| 27= | James Quinn | 1996–2007 | 50 | 4 |
Top Ireland / Northern Ireland goalscorers
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| # | Player | Career | Goals (Caps) | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Healy | 2000–present | 35 (80) | 0.44 |
| 2 | Billy Gillespie | 1913–1932 | 13 (25) | 0.52 |
| = | Colin Clarke | 1986–1993 | 13 (38) | 0.34 |
| 4 | Joe Bambrick | 1928–1940 | 12 (11) | 1.09 |
| = | Gerry Armstrong | 1977–1986 | 12 (63) | 0.19 |
| = | Jimmy Quinn | 1985–1996 | 12 (46) | 0.26 |
| = | Iain Dowie | 1990–2000 | 12 (59) | 0.20 |
| 8 | Billy Bingham | 1951–1964 | 10 (56) | 0.18 |
| = | Jimmy McIlroy | 1952–1966 | 10 (55) | 0.18 |
| = | Peter McParland | 1954–1962 | 10 (34) | 0.29 |
| = | Johnny Crossan | 1960–1968 | 10 (24) | 0.42 |
Media coverage
Sky Sports currently have the rights to show Northern Ireland's home international fixtures after many years of the games being exclusively live on BBC Northern Ireland. The decision to sell to Sky was met with disapproval.[26], however BBC Northern Ireland have bought the rights to some away games and highlights of all home matches. Setanta Sports bought rights to all but one of Northern Ireland away games. However the future of these rights is uncertain as Setanta's UK operation has ceased. The match that wasn't bought by Setanta was shown on BBC NI on Match of the Day from Northern Ireland.
See also
- Green and white army
References
- ↑ The official Elo ratings pages combine the pre-1923 IFA team's results with the post-1923 FAI team. The highest ranking for the pre-1923 team is 4th, in 1882-5.("World Football Elo Ratings: Ireland". http://www.eloratings.net/Ireland.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-14.) The "new" Northern Ireland team is introduced to the Elo ranking in 1923, with an initial points total higher than the FAI team inherits from the "old" IFA team: 1600 as opposed to 1522. The highest rank the IFA team subsequently attains, based on this, is 15th, in May 1986.("World Football Elo Ratings: Northern Ireland". http://www.eloratings.net/Nthrn_Irelnd.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-14.)
- ↑ "Passport decision hits NI players". BBC Sport. 25 May 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/5016872.stm. Retrieved 5 December 2008. "Fifa has ruled that Northern Ireland players must hold a British passport. Previously, it had been acceptable for players to have a British or Irish passport"
- ↑ "British Passport Rules". The News Letter. 26 May 2006. http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/BRITISH-PASSPORT-RULES.1527930.jp. Retrieved 5 December 2008. "FIFA last night laid down the law on passport eligibility. Anyone playing for Northern Ireland in a competitive match must hold a British passport – and not one from the Republic of Ireland....in their document to the IFA, stressed that the match commissioner who examines passports before every game, couldn't be expected to determine whether a player fulfils the requirements of the Good Friday Agreement."
- ↑ "FIFA overturn NI player passport ruling". Northern Ireland News (4NI.co.uk). 19 June 2006. http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=52641. Retrieved 5 December 2008. "In a statement the IFA said: "The Irish Football Association is pleased to announce that following regular and ongoing dialogue with FIFA a solution has been reached which will allow players holding an Irish Passport to continue to represent Northern Ireland. "This will negate the need in future for those with Irish Passports to require a British one for administrative purposes in order to represent Northern Ireland and to satisfy match commissioners."
- ↑ "Northern footballers to face tougher rules if they want to play for the Republic". Independent.ie. 2 June 2008. http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/sport/soccer/northern-footballers-to-face-tougher-rules-if-they-want-to-play-for-the-republic-1395848.html. Retrieved 5 December 2008. "Footballers from Northern Ireland who want to play for the Republic will have to ... notch up two years playing south of the border without interruption or have close family members from the Republic."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stuart McKinley (19 November 2008). "Taylor is still true to Northern Ireland cause". Belfast Telegraph. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/taylor-is-still-true-to-northern-ireland-cause-14068248.html. Retrieved 5 December 2008. "the only man every to represent Northern Ireland who doesn’t have a blood relative born in the country...Born in Germany, Taylor’s British Passport allowed him to declare for Northern Ireland...Since then the rules have changed and no longer can simply holding a passport qualify a player to play for that country, without having a parent or grandparent born there or being resident for two years. That makes Taylor unique in terms of Northern Ireland football as no other man without a background in the country will ever pull on the green shirt"
- ↑ Irish Football Association (2009). Official Souvenir Programme: Northern Ireland vs Serbia. Belfast:Irish Football Association
- ↑ Jackson, Lyle (2009-11-14). "BBC:''Northern Ireland 0-1 Serbia''". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8360701.stm. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
- ↑ "Northern Ireland Senior Fixtures & Results (Official Website)". http://www.irishfa.com/international-matches/fixtures-and-results/squad/22/senior/.
- ↑ "BBC News Star helps in graffiti removal". 30 October 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3228195.stm. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ↑ "Rewarded for uniting fans". http://www.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind=4/newsid=448323.html.
- ↑ "Lennon hails anti-sectarian drive". BBC News. 25 October 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/6085396.stm. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ↑ "PRAISE FOR IFA'S FOOTBALL FOR ALL AWARDS NIGHT". http://www.irishfa.com/the-ifa/news/2813/praise-for-ifas-football-for-all-awards-night.
- ↑ "IFA wants out of Windsor contract". BBC News. 17 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/6902212.stm. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
- ↑ "Lord's Hansard on the question of building an NI national stadium". http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60131w04.htm.
- ↑ "Tide Turns Against The Maze". http://stadiumforbelfast.com/news/maze-tide-turning.shtml.
- ↑ Report slams Windsor Park safety BBC News
- ↑ IFA wants out of Windsor contract BBC News
- ↑ South Stand future under threat BBC News
- ↑ Plans for £128m Belfast stadium unveiled - The Independent, 25/03/09
- ↑ IFA 'backs Windsor as NI stadium' - BBC News, 07/09/09
- ↑ Linfield FC has £20m stadium plan - BBC News, 12/06/09
- ↑ "BBC news story on NI ticket sales". BBC News. 5 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4880528.stm. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ↑ "The Battle Hymn of the Republic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_Hymn_of_the_Republic. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
- ↑ "UEFA news story on 2006 Brussels International Supporters Award". http://www.uefa.com/uefa/Keytopics/kind=4/newsId=448323.html.
- ↑ . http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/article3199017.ece.
External links
- Irish Football Association - Northern Ireland Football official site
- Northern Ireland Stats & Statistics
- RSSSF archive of international results 1882-
- RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
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