The Road to Mexico

Interviews and reports from the UTV archives as Northern Ireland qualify for the 1986 World Cup

Following the heroics of the Northern Ireland team at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, there was little expectation that the team could repeat the feat. Northern ireland at that point were the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament and had already done it twice and reached two quarter finals. Could they possibly do it a third time?

QUalification was something of a roller coaster ride for the players and fans alike and although the tournament in Mexico turned out not to be as memorable for Northern Ireland, their real achievement was in simply being there at all against all the odds. With a team reaching veteran status and with a legendary goalkeeper who had basically retired from first team club football and was only continuing on at all to help his teammates and his country, Northern Ireland's story of reaching the 1986 World Cup is one of team spirit triumphing when it matters most.

The interviews and reports in this collection follow them on the way to their second World Cup qualification in a row as they made history.