Your memories of that night in Valencia....

I was watching the game at home on my own and it was great! When we scored I jumped up in the air with my arms straight up shouting "YEEEEESSSSS!", punching a fancy stained glass chandelier which smashed... Immediately my father came in and he didn't care what the score was in the game, but I was the loser at home!

Nel 1982 la nazionale di calcio italiana,VINSE IL MONDIALE!!! In finale l'Italia batté la Germania 3-1!!! Che emozione!! Nel primo tempo Antonio Cabrini sbagliò un penalty. Ma nel secondo tempo gli AZZURRI furono immensi:segnarono Pablito Rossi,Marco Tardelli e Alessandro "SPILLO" Altobelli".I tedeschi ricordano ancora quella finale.ALE' ITALIA!!!

I think this translates into ...."In 1982 the national one of Italian soccer, GAINED the WORLD-WIDE one!!! In end Italy struck Germany 3-1!!! That emotion!! In the first time Antonio Cabrini it mistook a penalty. But in according to time the BLUETA they were immensi:segnarono Pablito Rossi, Mark Tardelli and Alexander " German PIN " Altobelli".I still remembers that one finale.ALE' ITALY!!!

I was there on that glorious night. After the games the Northern Ireland Fans remained in the stands long after the Spanish fans had gone. Billy Bingham, and all the players,and support staff came back on the field came to the fans in the stands and shook every hand.Magnificent performance,by magnificent people. Oh how I miss that great bunch of men (team).

I was barely a teenager. I watched the first half with my mum (a first), dad (with cans of Tennents when they had the models on them), and sister (amazingly). I think we all managed the first half reasonably calmly. When Gerry scored, I jumped-up and hit my head on the shade on the ceiling light. Once the pain (being bathed with Dettol stings!) and euphoria had subsided, viewing was only possible through the gaps in the fingers of my hand, and when Mal had been sent-off (didn't he take it well?), I headed upstairs as I could watch no longer. This was only relieved by my dad shouting upstairs that we had won and were through, cue more unbridled joy. That night, even the songs by Dana and Sammie Mackie seemed like musical classics.
Though a child, I knew that life in Belfast could be pretty unpleasant at the time, and the good will for us and the boost that it provided was great. Heavens, even Jimmy Hill was a fanatic for us that night! It was and I am sure will remain forever my happiest and most treasured memory as a football supporter. The team and manager did themselves and ALL of their Province proud that night, and in the games that took them there and after it too.
Twenty years on, well done one and all, and a special thought for the late Noel Brotherston and his surviving family and friends.
The story of that night and the whole journey to World Cup 1982 (and 1986 - how did we get there?) should be compulsory on the curriculum in basic coaching and team building for the 'squad' of today in a bid for them to show us if they ever can or want to be worthy successors to the mantle of Billy and the Boys.

I was 13 at the time, but remember it like yesterday. I had gone to every home qualifier, with the last one, beating Isreal to qualify, being another night to remember. My Dad had gone to every game with me also, but during the World Cup he was in Sri Lanka on business. On the night he listened to the game in the wee small hours on SW radio while I was in Belfast watching it on TV. I remember it was like N.Ireland v The World, I couldn't believe how biased the referee was, roared on by the partisan crowd. The relief when the final whistle blew was unbelievable. My Dad phoned me as soon as it was over and we just roared at each other down a crackling phone line.... Happy Days.

In England as a tweleve year old watching the match on TV whilst a thunderstorm wreaked havoc outside that only added to to the occasion. The things I remember most apart from the goal: Lawrie McMenemy on the TV panel before hand giving us no chance, the inordinate amount of injury time played, Spanish players diving anytime they got near the box and Pat Jennings being the coolest player on the pitch saving with one hand. Memorabilia - I still have in my possession The Northern Ireland World Cup Single "When yer man gets the ball" sung by the squad and Dana.

I well remember walking along the sea front in Cambrils, Costa Dorada(wearing the hat which I swopped for my NI hat after the preceding night's opening game against Yugoslavia) and laughing at the typo errors in the daily "El Pais" World Cup Supplement which was obviously printed overnight without too much proofreading. The NI manager was "Benny Bingham" while the youngest player to play in the World Cup Finals was recorded as "Norman Shiteside". If that wasn't enough, I turned the page over to see a large colour photo of myself with another NI fan, who happened to be wearing a helmet from the Met. Police Force which he apparently "picked up" while travelling through London on the way to Spain (we went in a 4 coach convoy) I still have the supplement. I also have the report in a Spanish newspaper of that wonderful Friday night in Valencia a forthnight later. Great memories.

Three things stick in my memory. Lopez Ufarte was the Spanish No 11, Jimmy Hill advised all people watching to call in on their neighbours to turn to the game as it was drama of the highest order. I was eating my dinner on a tray when big G scored. I jumped for joy, dinner ended on the floor and I ended up in casualty (after the match) with a split knuckle from a high jump or a low ceiling.

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