Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness

Northern Ireland kicks off the World Cup qualifiers in the Czech Republic on Sunday.  The prize is a trip to the finals tournament in Russia in 2018.  The supporters' website, Our Wee country, asked me to explain why that'll be a great occasion and why Northern Ireland fans will be desperate to attend.  This post was originally on OWC's Facebook page.     Last June, most of the country went Green and White Army crazy, as Northern Ireland experienced major championship football for the first time in 30 years.  It was a strange experience for long term fans who followed the team through thick and thin, regardless of success.  If you thought the hype around the Euros was something special, though, it will be ten times greater if we qualify for the World Cup.    That’s a big incentive for supporters and, more importantly, for the players.  Don’t listen to the doubters.  Russia will stage a brilliant competition and no expense will be spared making sure visitors have a

David McCardle, at the ever stimulating Futbolgrad , asks whether western countries should boycott the 2018 World Cup, which is due to be played in Russia.  He writes quite a complicated article, arguing that the competition is likely to cause popular protests against Vladimir Putin’s regime. I’m unsure about how realistic that notion is.  The Sochi Winter Olympics were outrageously expensive, but didn’t prompt threatening demonstrations and Russia is not Brazil.  A stronger argument for refusing to boycott the Russian World Cup is simply that a boycott would be wrong. So far the most prominent voices suggesting such action are either chauvinist American politicians, like John McCain, or English people who still harbour hopes that the tournament will be moved to England. Ever since the decision was taken to stage football’s greatest spectacle in Russia there has been whinging in the UK media.  This is inspired, I suspect not by humanitarian concerns, but rather by resentment that

It’s hard to feel sympathy for Sepp Blatter very often, but reading this morning’s papers, I felt a little.  The Belfast Telegraph reports that the FIFA president laughed off concerns that gay fans might experience problems at the 2022 World Cup, which is to be held in Qatar (there's even an illustration for Bobballs and his phwoaraway Tottygraph !). Homosexuality is illegal in the Middle Eastern emirate, which operates Islamic law.  Blatter’s advice to gay supporters is ’refrain from sex’ during the World Cup. Predictably he’s being pilloried for this tongue in cheek remark, but he has a point.  There are a hundred reasons why Qatar is an inappropriate venue for a World Cup and the prohibition on homosexuality is just one of them. FIFA, sponsors, TV and embassies will no doubt all be lobbying the Qatari authorities to apply Islamic law leniently during the tournament.  Still, the fact is that things are done differently there and all sorts of supporters will have to change

Nobody likes a bad loser.   Ian Parsley is pretty much on the money when he remarks that England just needs ‘to get over’ its failed bid for World Cup 2018. FIFA’s decision to award the tournament to Russia has become an opportunity for the media to air all the predictable Russophobe clichés.  The startling revelation that US diplomats don’t much trust the Kremlin is sufficient pre-text for sneering references to a ‘mafia state’. It’s not that anyone would seriously dispute that there is corruption in Russia, or ‘legal nihilism’ as President Medvedev prefers to describe it.  Of course there are also a host of countries with a much better image in the west, whose problems in that regard are as bad, or worse.  They tend to get a ‘by-ball’, to use football terminology, so long as they are pro-American. The facts are that Russia is likely to stage a great World Cup, the country is an established football nation and it could not be overlooked any longer.  England certainly has some

The bad news for Northern Ireland fans, when the draw was made for European Championship qualification, was that three out of our five opponents had made it to the 2010 World Cup finals.  The good news is that none of our Group C rivals have performed very well in South Africa. Most conspicuously, Italy crashed out in the early stages, finishing bottom of a group which, on paper, was rather underwhelming.  Northern Ireland fans know very well that Slovakia, who yesterday inflicted a 3-2 defeat on the Italians are a formidable outfit. Strong, athletic, organised and technically gifted, I was surprised that the Slovaks took so long to get into their stride.  The world champions did not disgrace themselves yesterday but two lacklustre displays against Paraguay and New Zealand ensured there was no room for a slip-up. The team is clearly on the wane, and lacks the guile which Totti and Del Piero so memorably brought to previous Italy sides.  There will be retirements after the finals

By all accounts Portugal and Ivory Coast have contributed another dreary ninety minutes to a World Cup which, so far, has produced almost no entertainment.  The first match was ok, in the second half, and Germany were fun, but otherwise it has been a bore. Despite the Germans’ impressive performance, I don’t think that we’ve seen potential winners yet.  Australia are an aging team, reliant on the muscular skills (aka foul play) of Tim Cahill and Lucas Neill.  Germany were simply relatively comfortable passing around the Aussies’ busy pressing game. Although Serbia were defeated by an unknown quantity, Ghana, in their first game, they might be on surer territory playing the Germans. Italy, meanwhile, look a shadow of the team which tasted victory four years ago.  No Del Piero, no Totti and Pirlo consigned to the bench.  Much was made of the entrance of Camoranesi, who did improve the Italians’ performance against Paraguay, but he is too inconsistent to power a team into the latter

The News Letter reports that Danny Kennedy has proposed a motion at the Assembly for local representatives to send their “best wishes” to England in the World Cup. The business committee will decide whether the UUP deputy leader’s proposal is worth debate.  If any common sense is applied, their deliberations won’t take long.  It isn’t. Whatever your view on the vexed question whether to support the English this summer, or not, this is exactly the type of amateur debating society nonsense which gets Stormont a bad name. Kennedy says he will back England in the absence of another home nation in South Africa.  Bully for him.  I’m sure many people here will do likewise, and argue their case at lunch hour or in the pub. The Northern Ireland Assembly, however, doesn’t have a UK wide remit and there is absolutely no need for it to send good wishes to any team at a World Cup, unless Northern Ireland qualify.  No-one in England will know, nor will they care, if this motion is passed.

The East Londonderry MLA, David McClarty, has suggested that a football museum should be included in plans to find the Northern Ireland international team a permanent home. It is an excellent idea. Whether Windsor Park is redeveloped, or a new stadium is built, the IFA has a rich history dating back to 1880. It is one of oldest associations in the world. There is a fascinating story to be told about the overachievement of its representative teams, as well as the critical part Northern Ireland played in the development of the game. Famously, William McCrum, a goalkeeper and businessman from County Armagh, is credited with the invention of the penalty kick. Then there is the gallery of star players who have represented Northern Ireland, from Elisha Scott to David Healy, and the most celebrated of them all, George Best. For many years Northern Ireland was the smallest country ever to have qualified for the World Cup. In 1958 Danny Blanchflower’s team reached the quarter finals. An

According to Sky Sports . The young striker gave Poland all sorts of problems on Saturday with his strength and skill. It will be a tremendous boost if he is available.

Northern Ireland produced a battling performance last night and held on for a draw in Chorzow. But Worthington’s men will regard ruefully two moments when Burnley striker, Martin Paterson might have helped clinch victory. I cannot criticise the team which secured an unexpected point, but when the final group standings are assessed in mid October, it might not prove enough. It was frustrating to concede an equaliser just ten minutes before the final whistle, but in all honesty, with Poland camped in our half since the indomitable Lafferty’s 37th minute goal had put Northern Ireland into a shock lead, there was an air of inevitability to what happened. Up until the Rangers’ forward netted, the men in green, in my opinion, had create the better chances. It was ironic that going ahead actually encouraged our players to temper a pressing game which had hitherto proved successful. Davis, who was impressive, out of position, in the first half, was largely anonymous during the second. C

One of the most galling experiences which can befall a Green and White foot soldier is to witness the rest of the Army mobilise, whilst he prepares to stay at home. Such is my fate this weekend, as Northern Ireland fans, including O’Neill , travel to Chorzow in numbers. Poland provides the World Cup opposition on Saturday evening. The military metaphor is well established, but I sincerely hope that supporters, eager only to watch their team and enjoy a fun holiday, see no ‘action’. I’m confident that Polish and British authorities alike, in concert with fans’ groups, have put together sufficient safeguards to ensure that everyone returns home safely and without major incident. Although I will witness this game only on television, it represents merely the first of a triumvirate of crucial matches which face Nigel Worthington and his team. Next Wednesday Northern Ireland takes on group leaders Slovakia, at Windsor Park, in a game which it is vital that we win. Although an improbabl

This week the Northern Ireland football team flies to Poland where it faces its most important World Cup qualifier in a generation. Nigel Worthington’s men will play the first of three games which could, conceivably, send them to the finals in South Africa next summer. It’s a scenario so exciting that even the Sunday Life might have developed an angle worth reading, without resorting to the contemptible piece of scaremongering which adorned its front page yesterday morning. “’Psycho’ fans looking to kill Northern Ireland fans during Poland clash” wrote Ciaran Barnes , graduate of that classy school of responsible journalism, the Andersonstown News. The reporter has visited Chorzow, the venue which the Polish FA finally chose to host the match, in order to chat to its hooligan gangs. Obviously a photographer tagged along, as we were treated to an image of a machete wielding hooligan, clad in FC Ruch Chorzow colours. Traditionally the Sunday Life leads, most weekends, with an arti

Does it seem wilfully perverse to suggest that the most useful lesson Nigel Worthington might have learned from last night’s Israel friendly could prejudice selection of Northern Ireland’s goalscorer, Grant McCann? The match finished 1-1 after McCann put the home team into an early lead courtesy of a subtly crafted left foot free kick. Yet it is becoming increasingly apparent that accommodating the Scunthorpe player’s goal-threat, as part of a central pairing, involves weakening the spine of the Northern Ireland team. I don’t for a moment wish to imply that the midfielder does not offer his manager a valuable option. Last night we witnessed the precision which he can achieve with his left boot and his late, timely attacking runs are not matched by either Sammy Clingan or Steven Davis. However the Clingan / Davis partnership provides Northern Ireland with competitive bite and the ability to retain possession. It is my opinion that we cannot afford, especially playing away from hom

My pre season optimism, as regards the Irish League, survived almost fifteen minutes of competitive action, before Ballymena’s flat footed defence allowed Liam Boyce to fire Cliftonville into an early lead at the Showgrounds. The international calendar begins tomorrow, and although Northern Ireland’s World Cup hopes cannot be dented meaningfully until early September, a poor performance against Israel would certainly send a deflated squad to the crucial qualifier in Poland. Tomorrow’s clash represents crucial preparation for three matches which will define Nigel Worthington’s tenure as manager. It is just about plausible that Northern Ireland could book a place in South Africa over the next two months and there is a slightly more credible chance that a play off berth could be secured. Objective observers would scarcely expect the team to secure the seven points which are almost certainly the minimum required. Northern Ireland’s away record is appalling. We face Poland and the Cze

‘We Exist’. The banner, unveiled first at an away match against England, articulated Northern Ireland supporters’ perception that their team had long been ignored by television and media. Here we are, playing one of the most high profile international teams in the world, live on Sky TV, it seemed to say, and you’ve remembered about us. When the return fixture saw a famous 1-0 win, and the flag was again displayed, it acquired a further layer of significance for the home fans. It became a rallying call, a cry of defiance and a petulant taunt in victory. WE EXIST! The intervening years have, to a degree, represented a prolonged assertion of the sentiment, on and off the field. There can be little doubt of Northern Ireland’s existence for the players, supporters and management of England, Spain, Sweden, Denmark or Poland. Our current rivals for qualification in Group 3 of the World Cup’s European section, are fully appraised of who we are and the formidable record which we have at

Warren Feeney’s glancing header helped Northern Ireland to a fourth consecutive World Cup victory at Windsor Park last night. We remain top of the group and although, realistically, an unlikely sequence of results would be required, there is still an outside chance that Nigel Worthington and his team could be competing in South Africa come summer 2010. After Saturday’s high tempo display, this was a rather low key performance from Northern Ireland. In the first half the Slovenes formed marginally the better side. They are a physically imposing outfit and with sloppy Irish passing in midfield, Slovenia found it relatively straightforward to outmuscle Healy and Feeney, who were in receipt of a constant supply of speculative balls along the channels. The second half saw substantial improvement. Although McCann remained a little wasteful in possession and Davis was out of sorts on the left flank, Northern Ireland’s distribution became sharper. Sammy Clingan in particular deserves cre

From the earliest days of Nigel Worthington’s spell as Northern Ireland manager I have questioned his judgment, his tactical acumen, his perspective on international football and his man management skills. In short, I have publicly doubted whether Worthington possesses any of the credentials which would qualify him to assume the mantle of his predecessor, Lawrie Sanchez. When Northern Ireland achieved a considerable success under his leadership, defeating Denmark at Windsor Park, I suggested that the victory owed more to residual confidence imbued by the previous manager, rather than any wisdom that the current incumbent had imparted. The team began this World Cup qualifying campaign with two defeats in Slovenia and Slovakia and I felt that my judgment had been vindicated. Although I do not yet feel ready to replace the ‘Lawrie is our leader’ with ‘Nigel is our leader’ when I belt out ‘we’re not Brazil’ from the stands and although I’m still a confirmed sceptic who will not be scrut

Fewer than thirty hours remain until Northern Ireland faces Poland at Windsor Park and still ‘Three Thousand Versts’ has not recorded its habitual pre-match lament of pessimism ‘assessing’ the team’s chances (or lack of them)! Do not fear, it’s not that I’ve been filled with overwhelming confidence for this World Cup clash. On the contrary, I’m quite sure that Nigel Worthington’s side will receive another walloping from the Poles tomorrow. Slovenia on Wednesday should be a different matter, but by then our hopes of qualifying for South Africa 2010 could be dead in the water. If it were not enough that Poland fields a strong team which recorded a resounding 3-0 victory during its last visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland’s task has been made yet more difficult by the absence of a number of key players . The squad has been depleted both by injury and by costly suspensions incurred in the match against San Marino. A comfortable victory in that game may have put Northern Ireland joint s

There are few sounds more pleasing to the Northern Ireland fan’s ear than a stiletto ‘KEITH’ cutting through cold night air at Windsor Park, to be hammered home by an adamant ‘GILLESPIE!’. When the Green and White Army chants the name of its favourite winger, the noise is fearsome. And a fearsome sight is what Gillespie comprises for opposition fullbacks when he is in full flight. Blistering pace, close control and a right foot which whips the ball consistently towards the danger zone are all characteristics of Keith’s game. Unfortunately ill discipline, the capacity to be easily discouraged and a red mist which occasionally makes the player look intent on acquiring yellow cards, are all additional traits which accompany his undeniable talent. Nevertheless, it’s good news for Northern Ireland supporters that Gillespie has been signed by Bradford City . He had become a free agent earlier in the season after being released, not without a degree of acrimony, by Championship side S

Nigel Worthington was snowbound yesterday and the Northern Ireland manager didn’t make it to Belfast in order to announce his squad for the San Marino match on Wednesday week. On this occasion he should not shoulder criticism for the panel’s most notable absentee. Not only is Keith Gillespie without a club, having been released by Sheffield United, the player has also been uncontactable for eleven days. Worthington can’t vouch for his fitness, his state of mind or even his availability. There was no choice other than to omit Gillespie from the squad. Michael Duff and Ivan Sproule (who simply does not appear to be on the manager’s radar) may consider themselves worthy of inclusion, but otherwise the squad is largely uncontentious. Deprived of one winger, Worthington has given himself the option of two more, selecting Celtic reserves McCourt and McGinn. The manager knows that anything less than three points would be disastrous for Northern Ireland. He must set his team up positi