Perhaps the most famous goal scored in Northern Ireland's long football history was that scored by Gerry Armstrong against Spain at the 1982 World Cup. Faced with an uphill task of having to beat the host nation in Valencia to qualify for the quarter finals, Billy Bingham's men stunned their doubters and carried off one of the upsets of the tournament. Gerry Armstrong's goal brought delight to the team's travelling fans and all those back home in a moment never to be forgotten. Reduced to ten men after a harsh dismissal in the second half, the team valiantly fought on with goalkeeper Pat Jennings making a memorable save in the dying seconds.

The night was not only celebrated and hailed by sports observers around the world. There was also the personal angle as Gerry's family back home lapped up the moment off the Falls Road in Belfast. Eamonn Holmes and the UTV cameras visited the Armstrong household to speak to Gerry;s mother, granny, auntie, sister and brother and to hear their predictions for the upcoming quarter final game against Austria.