Armstrong sticker with Tottenham (PANINI).
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We are going to close the week with one of those black beasts that all the national teams have, and in this case the Spanish one. It’s the Northern Irish Gerry Armstrong.
Gerard Joseph Armstrong was born in Belfast on May 23, 1954. After playing for local teams such as Cromac Albion and Bangor, Armstrong, a striker, crossed the Irish Sea to sign for Tottenham Londoner in 1975. He spent five seasons with White Hart Lane, after which he signed for Watford.
Armstrong, who had made his debut for the Northern Ireland team in 1976, alongside George Best, was part of the team that went to the World Cup in Spain, in 1982, wearing the 9 on his back. Northern Ireland was drawn in group 5, with the local team, with Yugoslavia and with Honduras.
After drawing 0-0 with Yugoslavia in their debut at La Romareda, Northern Ireland drew with Honduras, also in the Zaragoza capital. The result was 1-1 and the Northern Irish goal was scored by Gerry Armstrong.
On June 25, Spain received Northern Ireland in Mestalla (then Luis Casanova). The plan is for the national team to defeat the British and go through to the next stage as group leader. But in one of the great upsets in recent World Cup history, Northern Ireland defeated Spain thanks to a goal by Gerry Armstrong in the 47th minute. Despite the fact that the British played half an hour with a man less due to Donaghy’s expulsion, Spain were not able to turn the score around and Northern Ireland went through as first in the group.
In that World Cup things were a little different, with a second group stage. Spain was drawn with Germany and England and after losing and drawing with these teams, was left out of his own World Cup, in which things went wrong due, in large part, to that goal by Gerry Armstrong in Valencia.
For its part, Northern Ireland was framed with Austria and France. They tied with the Central Europeans 2-2, but were swept 4-1 by France. yes, again Armstrong scored the Northern Irish goal.
Interestingly, in 1983 Armstrong signed for Mallorca, and evidently, the Spanish fans had not forgotten him, so he used to receive loud whistles in the visiting matches of the vermilion. Armstrong scored 10 goals that year and curiously he scored one in the 2-2 that Mallorca signed at the Luis Casanova. The Northern Irishman’s goal was in the same goal in which he scored in the World Cup against Spain.
Mallorca was relegated that year, but Armstrong stayed on for another year. He then played for West Bromwich Albion, Chesterfield, Brighton or Millwall, and continued chaining teams of lower level until his retirement, in 1998 and at the age of 44, in a semi-professional club called Whitehawk.
After hanging up his boots, he was a coach and in two spells, in the 1990s and 2000s, he was assistant to the Northern Ireland coach. He is currently a commentator for Irish television and also commentates on Spanish League matches for Sky. Curiously, after retiring he bought a house in Mallorca and came to run a restaurant on the island.
Until Thursday.
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