From World Cup excitement and Northern Ireland’s bright footballing future to darts, sporting legends and unforgettable memories from Euro 2016, UTV’s Ruth Gorman reflects on another action-packed month in sport.
Bagpipes, kilts and The Pretenders. World Cup fever is upon us. And so far it’s the Scots who have made the biggest impression off the pitch.
Now, you could be forgiven for not knowing what the latest scores are due to the time difference and most of the matches happening when we’re all tucked up in bed. But if you haven’t heard about Scotland fans taking over America, where have you been?!
The rendition of their national anthem, Flower of Scotland, at their opening match in Boston was spine-tingling. It’s one of my favourite anthems during the Six Nations Championship. I’ve heard it sung many times over the years, and the highlight is always at Murrayfield, with the piper on the roof of the stadium starting it off. But the version inside the Boston stadium blew any previous performances away.
The Tartan Army had waited 28 years to sing that at the World Cup finals and, to use a Scottish phrase, it was a “belter”. The team won their opening match against Haiti 1-0, sending the fans off to an even bigger party in the days that followed.
Videos of a pipe band walking to a Red Sox baseball game at Fenway Park, followed by hundreds of the Tartan Army in their football tops and kilts, went viral across social media. The Scottish twang couldn’t have suited a song better as the fans sang Yes Sir, I Can Boogie during one of the music breaks in the game.
Pity about the team!
Still, you couldn’t help but smile watching on and I was reminded of Euro 2016, the last time Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland qualified for a major tournament.
Both teams missed out on this year’s World Cup after defeats in the play-off semi-finals. I couldn’t help but think how both sets of fans would have been creating their own headlines in America, Canada and Mexico this year. Both the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland supporters were recognised by UEFA as the best fans at the France finals in 2016, so I could just imagine the influx of green at a World Cup.
For Northern Ireland, it was a step too far this time, but there is a lot of optimism ahead of Euro 2028.
The best news for the team and the Green and White Army was Michael O’Neill’s contract extension until 2032.
Michael did an excellent job keeping Blackburn Rovers in the Championship during his three months in charge. It came as no surprise that Rovers wanted to keep him and offered him a lucrative deal, but the Ballymena man chose to stay with his country and sign a new four-year extension with the Irish FA.
Michael can clearly see the potential in this young side and has enormous belief in them. Having interviewed many of the players over the last few years, they’ve all spoken about how much they enjoy playing for him, praising both his man-management skills and his clear game plans.
Michael admitted this young, vastly inexperienced group had surprised him with how quickly they had developed. They topped their Nations League group, reached a World Cup play-off and, along the way, held their own against footballing giants Germany and Italy for long periods.
With exciting talent like Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Dan Ballard, the Charles brothers Shea and Pierce, Isaac Price and Ethan Galbraith, to name just a few, there is a bright future ahead. Maybe the next World Cup in 2030, hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, doesn’t feel quite as out of reach as it once did.
More recently, Patrick Kelly made a huge impression by scoring his first international goal against one of the favourites, and my tip for this year’s World Cup, France.
Northern Ireland were France’s final warm-up match before they flew out to the tournament and, despite missing many regulars, Michael O’Neill’s young side were far from overawed against some of the world’s best players. They lost 3-1 but played some lovely football.
Josh Rock at the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards
While the World Cup was getting under way across the Atlantic, Northern Ireland were defending a different world title in Frankfurt.
Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney travelled to the World Cup of Darts as defending champions after winning the title for the first time last year.
Following his debut season in the Premier League and victories at the Austrian Open and the International Darts Open, Josh was hoping to continue his memorable year.
Despite an incredible comeback in the quarter-finals, when Josh hit a 144 checkout to send Northern Ireland into the semi-finals, they eventually lost to the Netherlands, with Luke Littler and Luke Humphries going on to lift the title.
I interviewed Josh for UTV before he headed to Germany. He explained how Littler is a unique talent who seems completely carefree and makes everything look effortless.
“My goal is to win the World Championship and to do that I’ll have to beat the current champion, Luke Littler. I’ve come close a couple of times but he’s just different gravy,” Josh told me.
“He’s been great for darts and having younger players like us has attracted the next generation. There were hardly any competitions for boys when I was growing up and now there are so many, and they’re all full. It’s great to see.”
Josh was also recognised at the recent Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards, something he said meant a great deal because it recognised him as part of Northern Ireland’s wider sporting community.
“I’ve definitely been recognised more since playing my first season in the Premier League,” he added. “It wasn’t the season I was hoping for performance-wise, but now I know what to expect on the big stage. I’ll learn from it and hopefully get the chance to return.”
Alongside the 1982 Northern Ireland World Cup team, who were inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards, there were also a couple of the “Kings of Lyon” celebrating the tenth anniversary of Northern Ireland’s first appearance at the European Championships.
Gareth McAuley and Michael McGovern remain heroes of Euro 2016.
Gareth scored Northern Ireland’s first-ever goal at a European Championship, heading home from Ollie Norwood’s free-kick against Ukraine in the pouring rain. The celebrations remain iconic.
Michael then produced a man-of-the-match display against Germany, keeping the score at 1-0 against the former world champions and helping Northern Ireland reach the last 16 on goal difference.
Both men spoke warmly about the memories, from qualifying through to the finals and the incredible homecoming the team received at Titanic Quarter on their return to Belfast.
The 10 Years On celebration at the Ulster Hall reminiscing about the Euro 2016 finals
The 10 Years On celebration at the Ulster Hall reminiscing about the Euro 2016 finals
A few weeks earlier there had been another special celebration at the Ulster Hall to mark ten years since that unforgettable campaign.
Captain fantastic Steve Davis, goal-scoring hero Kyle Lafferty, Stuart Dallas, Josh Magennis and Niall McGinn all took to the stage to relive the memories.
It was a fantastic evening, with supporters singing the songs that became synonymous with each player during that magical summer.
The panel also included journalist Steven Beacom, fans’ liaison officer Gary McAllister, Carl Frampton and Oscar, BAFTA and IFTA winner James Martin MBE.
In a fitting finale, Josh Magennis asked the audience to show their appreciation to Stuart Dallas and Steve Davis, who never received the send-off they deserved after career-ending injuries.
Stuart then invited new Northern Ireland captain Trai Hume onto the stage in what felt like a genuine passing of the baton.
As disappointed as he was to miss out on the World Cup, Trai spoke with a maturity and calmness that reflected the way he plays the game.
Listening to him talk about the progress this young squad has made and the ambition within the group, it was easy to understand why he has been handed the captain’s armband.
With realism, confidence and enthusiasm, Trai spoke about what this team can achieve.
Like so many Northern Ireland supporters, I’m excited about what lies ahead.
One thing’s for sure, the future is in safe hands.
