The night Northern Ireland humbled England’s ‘galacticos’

It is a night that is deeply rooted in Irish footballing and folklore.

Wednesday, 7 September 2005. The evening Lawrie Sanchez’s side overcame the odds by winning a stunning, giant-killing 1-0 victory over a star-studded England side in Windsor Park, which was a World Cup qualifying match.

The image is just as vivid as it was 20 years ago for those who were in south Belfast that evening or among the many viewers who watched on television.

With almost 74 minutes left on the clock. David Healy’s path is blasted by Steven Davis with skill. The striker directs the ball past England goalkeeper Paul Robinson into the bottom of the net with one touch. The home crowd erupts.

True North: A Football Miracle: Healy 1 England 0., a BBC documentary, examines the events of that night and puts it in context with contemporary footballing culture.

In the autumn of 2003, Northern Ireland had hit rock bottom, with the managerless team currently sitting at number 124 in the Fifa world rankings and holding numerous undesirable records, including not winning in 13 games in a row.

Two years later, on that fateful night, England faced a team that was almost £200 million more expensive than its rivals, including legendary players like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, and Jamie Carragher, who contributes to this movie with his reflections on the game.

The footballing “galacticos,” which was led by Swede Sven Goran-Eriksson, were dubbed the “golden generation.”

Healy and his team-mate Stephen Craigan, both of whom played that night, recall the game highlights, the energized atmosphere inside the stadium that night, and the decisive goal that won the most unlikely of victories.

The movie, which is narrated by Colin Murray, also features Heidi and Ray, super fans, and former IFA president Jim Boyce, former player for sport Kate Hoey, sports reporter Steven Beacom, and former IFA president Jim Boyce.

The contributors reflect on the “buzz and excitement” that followed England’s first encounter with Northern Ireland in 18 years.

You’re sort of “thinking, maybe this could happen here tonight,” you might say as you walk down the tunnel. Healy, the eventual champion, reflected it.

The contest was set up by James Quinn’s early challenge on Ashley Cole, and Sanchez sensed a renewed sense of team belief after the goalless half-game.

The NI manager claimed that while “just six or seven of his players” initially believed they could defeat England, “the entire team” by the time the game ended was in doubt.

Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, claims that the greater the worry that things would turn out badly the longer it was going on.

Then, with the resultant euphoria and the win over England in Belfast as the decisive moment since 1927, the decibels in the stands were taken to new heights.

Disgraceful England players were forced to leave the field at the end of the match while the home team’s players celebrated with their delighted supporters.

“I said it needed to be believed to prevail,” I said. The best team triumphed, Sanchez recalls, and we were fantastic in the second half.

Carragher revealed that there was a “disbelief” vibe after the game in the England dressing room.

He says, “You know when you play for England, this is a really bad one, to lose away to Northern Ireland.”

“It was probably one of the best nights in the history of Northern Ireland football,” said one player.

What did Healy think of his country’s top goalscorer, who won 95 caps and scored a total of 36 goals for his nation: