WEST Belfast football legend Gerry Armstrong is to feature in the first episode of a new series which charts the lives and careers of sporting stars in the North.
‘Homemade Heroes’ sees local stars talk about the highs and lows of their careers in sport, their motivations, and who supported and inspired them along the way. They also share some amazing stories about their times in the spotlight, and the viewer will also get an insight to their lives today, with some continuing in their field, while others follow completely different paths.
The series kicks off this Thursday night with football legend Gerry Armstrong, who famously scored for Northern Ireland in the 1982 World Cup, beating hosts Spain, and in the process bringing the people of the North together in a way not thought possible.
The former championship GAA player fell into a footballing career by chance. And ten seconds on a Spanish football pitch more than 40 years ago changed his life forever. He said: “We didn’t realise it at the time but we did something the politicians hadn’t, and brought the whole community together.” And, “We never looked upon ourselves as superstars, we were just down to earth lads doing a job for our country.”
He talks about his upbringing in West Belfast at the start of the Troubles, and how the cut and thrust of Gaelic Games was his first sporting love.
He talks about the ‘power and pace’ he had on a GAA pitch which helped him break into football, and also shares how he got signed for Spurs without properly realising what was happening.
This episode is peppered with some great UTV archive footage, some of which Gerry had never seen himself.
This first episode is a real viewing treat, whether you’re a football fan or not.
Gerry Armstrong on 'Homemade Heroes' will be aired at 8.30pm on UTV on Thursday night (November 30).
