Episode 3 Real Lives Reunited

Extraordinary stories from a shared past.

There was 12 people on board the aircraft that day,

six of us made it, six of us didn't.

-Bonds forged in tragedy...

-I'm sorry.

..and triumph.

CHEERING

The little girl that you helped 15 years ago.

Brought together by fate...

It just overwhelmed me.

..but separated by time.

God, where did all those years go?

Decades on, we reunite them.

When a small country like Northern Ireland

gets through against the odds

to the finals of football's international championships,

there's always cause for celebration.

That's what happened in our first reunion, more than 30 years ago,

when yer man hit the ball and Northern Ireland had it all.

Espana 82 and the first time Northern Ireland qualified for the World Cup finals since 1958.

It's a goal!

Not even the great George Best had taken part on football's greatest stage.

But Billy Bingham's men would defy all expectations.

Key to the success of the '82 campaign

was the then 37-year-old goalkeeper

Pat Jennings.

I've been coming to Windsor Park,

I would say, for it must be 60 years, over 60 years.

My father used to bring us down to the international matches here,

my brother and I.

I'd been trying to qualify from joining the international team

with George Best away back in 1964.

And I thought by that stage that it had passed us by,

I was never going to make it.

Oh, a great save by Jennings.

# Golden brown, texture like sun... #

Part of the squad playing alongside Jennings was 24-year-old right back

Jimmy Nicholl.

Northern Ireland won games they should've lost and they

lost games that they should have won,

they were just up and all over the place.

And then Billy Bingham became manager in 1980.

And right away, he...

..he put a discipline in the place.

And you took it on to the park, and you took it into your performances and that was the start of it.

And so the qualifying campaign began for Espana '82.

Grouped with Portugal, Sweden, Scotland and Israel,

it wasn't an easy road.

To secure a place in the World Cup finals,

they needed at least a draw against Israel

in their final match at home in Windsor Park.

Playing that night, the 24-year-old Burnley forward Billy Hamilton.

It was the old Windsor Park, the old Spion Kop,

and there was, I would say, 40 to 50,000.

They were crammed in like sardines and the atmosphere was fantastic.

And the free kick to Northern Ireland.

We got a free kick and Jimmy Nicholl was supposed to put one hand up

if he was going to hit it near post,

two hands up if he was going to hit it far post, and it was a cold night

and Jimmy started to rub his hands,

and me and Gerry Armstrong looked at each other.

He eventually got his signals right and I remember jumping up

-at the far post.

-Up goes Billy Hamilton. Armstrong, yes!

That was the turning point and big Gerry scored.

Want to hear the most important whistle of the evening...

CHEERING

And I don't need to say anything.

Windsor Park erupted.

Israel were out and Norn Iron were on their way to the World Cup finals in Spain.

We looked around, the crowd was going berserk.

We done a lap of honour around the pitch

and you just didn't want that to end.

It was a fantastic thrill that we had actually qualified for our first World Cup.

More than three decades later and some of the '82 team are returning to the

hallowed ground where their World Cup dreams became reality, Windsor Park.

In those days, it was like a family, it is just that bond,

with players and with teams.

And that is the sort of bond that would get you playing together.

Joining goalkeeper Pat Jennings are team-mates Billy Hamilton,

Felix Healy, Jimmy Nicholl and Terry Cochrane.

How are you? It hasn't changed, the wind's always the same.

Nice to see you. How are you?

All right. Not a hair out of place!

Their reunion, a chance to recall just how big an impression

their success made on people here at the time.

I would never get into those shorts again!

There is one of you there, big Billy, look.

-Pick that one out.

-That's the Austrian one.

There's Shirley Temple!

In full flow, the barnet.

We didn't realise the impact,

but you'd go into a restaurant and people get up and start clapping.

I didn't realise until we came back.

We had a reception at City Hall and everybody is out in the street.

That's when I realised what it meant to people back home, you know?

It shows you we're getting older.

You were starting to turn brown!

Older maybe, but these World Cup heroes have still got it, 34 years on.

The '82 team that, against the odds, proved their doubters wrong.

Now, you can get odds of 20-1 against England, 40-1 for Scotland,

and Northern Ireland are 100-1 outsiders.

The next one coming out of here will either be Northern Ireland or France,

let's just see where Northern Ireland go.

Being ranked outsiders was the least of Northern Ireland's worries.

With seven months ago,

there were more pressing matters for Bingham's men.

So Northern Ireland will play Spain in the last game...

We had to beat the host nation on their own ground,

and not many people gave us a chance.

But with Bingham's discipline, the team knuckled down.

With ten days in Brighton!

That was our training camp, Brighton.

I think Scotland were in America,

England were in America, acclimatising,

and Northern Ireland were in Brighton.

We trained half nine to half 12, had an hour for lunch,

half one to half three, and that was in severe heat.

You may as well have been in South America.

Meanwhile, back home, World Cup fever was taking over.

Someone suggested we'll go,

obviously, at the time, most people thought it was a joke,

but as you can see it's turned out to be some joke!

Match fit and with the country behind them,

next stop for the squad, Spain.

Northern Ireland's World Cup players flew out from Heathrow this evening,

the last of the three home country's squads to arrive in Spain.

Valencia, the Northern Ireland team's first base camp.

Settled in, it was time to get down to work.

First game up was Yugoslavia.

Petrovic's corner. A good header, well saved.

We got a great draw against Yugoslavia in the first match,

and Yugoslavia were a great team in those days.

And then for the following game, Honduras,

we thought we could get a win there,

but they were a big, strong, physical team.

We didn't expect that.

And Gerry Armstrong to score the goal.

So now we've got two points,

then you think, "Well, at least we are unbeaten."

Drawing 1-1 against Honduras

and sitting second from the bottom of the group,

the boys in green had to get a win against Spain.

No commentator really gave us a chance.

We walked out of the tunnel and just the atmosphere was so thick.

I could hear the Northern Ireland supporters in the corner,

it was brilliant.

Once the game started, it was a full-blooded affair.

The Spanish tried to kick lumps out of us,

the referee was very sympathetic to their cause.

It's going to be a goal kick.

And he seemed to be booking our players and not the Spanish players.

Two men booked and Northern Ireland's chances

of getting through to the next round seemed doomed.

We were delighted to get in at half-time nil-each,

but we sort of still knew that

a draw wasn't enough to get us through,

so we were still waiting on a sort of semi-miracle to happen.

And then, two minutes into the second half,

and Northern Ireland's prayers for a miracle were answered.

What big Billy Hamilton was doing at outside right

I will never understand!

I just decided to put the ball in an area

that was going to cause them problems.

Armstrong! Northern Ireland have scored through Gerry Armstrong,

and it's the 100th goal of this World Cup tournament,

and it could be a priceless one for Northern Ireland.

We were all euphoric about scoring.

As were the fans back home.

With the ball in the Spanish net,

hopes of qualifying through to the next stage were reignited,

but the game wasn't over yet.

The number 13... The number three, rather, Donaghy.

Oh! And a fight between Donaghy and a Spanish player.

It's red! And Billy Bingham's team are down to ten men.

You know they are going to come at you,

and that's exactly what happened.

But the boys in green managed to hang on to their goal advantage,

and keep their World Cup dreams alive.

And that's why that feeling at the final whistle,

of achievement, is one that will never leave you.

Proudest moment in Irish football history, surely.

They've won the group!

Northern Ireland were through to the second round,

but despite some flashes of brilliance...

And Hamilton!

..the Spanish game was to be the pinnacle

of their Espana '82 campaign.

A draw against Austria, and a 4-1 defeat by France

would mean the end of the line for this World Cup dream.

Out of the finals, but still winners in the eyes of the fans,

the memories of Espana '82 live on,

and coming up later in the programme,

who could forget their other winning success that year?

The team reunite for one last performance of Yer Man.

You all in good voice now?

Around 60 babies are born in Northern Ireland every day,

most of them in hospitals like this one, the Ulster,

but some new-borns arrive ahead of schedule

and it's not always possible to get to a hospital for a safe delivery.

And that's exactly what happened in our next story.

On the morning of the 3rd of December 2001,

mum-to-be Julie Rainey had no idea what the day ahead had in store.

I have come to Julie's house in Donaghadee to hear the full story.

-Hi, Jo!

-Julie! Hello! How are you?

-Lovely to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Hello.

I was pregnant and I was getting my eldest daughter ready for

nursery, and I was upstairs.

I took a few pains and I thought, "Hmm, that's a wee bit...

"..not right," so I phoned my mum to come.

As soon as Julie's mum, Ena, arrived at the house,

she realised the baby was on its way

and her daughter needed to get to the hospital.

She was in the front seat having a severe pain,

so my main concern was, "Oh, my God, she's having this baby."

And, "Where am I going to stop?"

The pains just got quicker and quicker and stronger and stronger.

We got to the Six Road Ends and really from the roundabout that was

whenever she was for making an appearance.

It was now obvious they weren't going to make it to Bangor hospital.

With no other choice,

Ena pulled the car up onto the roadside next to some stables.

As you were driving along, and you glanced over, what could you see?

As we got coming into where the stables are...

..the baby's head appeared.

I jumped out and went round,

and then I proceeded to help her deliver the baby.

I know I put my hands under her wee head and kind of cupped both hands and

just lifted her right out into my arms.

Did you feel anxious and worried for her safety?

I wanted Mum to go to drive then, I wanted Mum keep driving.

-I wanted her to just go to hospital and Mum said no.

-Too risky.

Instead, Ena called 999 and an ambulance was dispatched

from nearby Newtownards.

Onboard, paramedic John Randle.

I remember getting dispatched to call with a lady who was in labour.

When we arrived...

..I went to the passenger side of the car and opened the door,

and lo and behold, there was the baby

in the well of the car, already been born.

You're obviously an experienced paramedic.

I mean, what were your immediate concerns?

It was a cool day so my concern was for the temperature of the baby.

Babies that that age...

you don't want it to get hypothermia.

A colleague brought something nice and warm to wrap the baby in.

Was there a huge sense of relief or were you still not out of the woods?

The cord was still attached.

If you are within ten minutes of the hospital you leave it alone,

because by cutting the cord there could be complications.

Rupture, haemorrhage, which, in a car, you really don't want.

We alerted our control that the baby was stable,

that the placenta was still intact and we would be about ten minutes.

Too late for the labour wards,

a perfectly healthy little Yasmin Rainey

was delivered to the Ulster Hospital.

Within minutes of her arrival into the world,

she was already making news headlines.

-TV:

-Julie Rainey keeps an eye on her two-day-old baby daughter Yasmin.

It's a normal thing for any mother in a maternity unit,

but Yasmin's arrival was anything but normal.

This is the first photograph of baby Yasmin,

taken just one minute after she was born.

It's hitting home now.

It's all starting to...

Starting to realise what's happening.

They were great in the ambulance with her,

and the hospital when we arrived as well.

They were standing, ready, waiting on us coming in.

I couldn't ask for any better.

If it hadn't been for them being so quick and being so good,

you just don't know what the effects might have been.

But thankfully for them and the help of my mum...

..I have a lovely, healthy daughter.

Coming back to the roadside where it all took place,

at last Julie and Ena can say thank you to paramedic John Randle and the

ambulance driver, Ron Drane, who came to their rescue.

Does it look familiar?

-It does.

-Absolutely! It brings back memories.

It's strange to be back again.

Well, look, you've got a bit of a tear in your eye.

I know that from this point on you don't remember a huge amount,

but John and Ron, the two paramedics that helped you that day,

well they are just over there and they are going to answer some questions for you.

-I'm sure you've got lots to say.

-Lots to say.

-On you go.

Enjoy, ladies.

Hello! Hello, Ron.

Hello, darling, you're looking lovely.

-Thank you.

-And so is your daughter.

-Thank you.

-It's lovely to see you again.

-Lovely to see you too.

-It's 15 years, is it?

14 and a half.

Can you remember much about the day?

-Not a lot.

-When you got to hospital, everything checked out OK?

Everything was perfect.

Ron radioed ahead, didn't you?

Yes.

-I had them waiting on you.

-You definitely did!

Hopefully it wasn't too long a wait for you when we were...

You called us straightaway?

It seemed to me to be just minutes away. You made quite a racket, Ron!

I just felt as if I'd just left the roadside

and then I was at Dundonald hospital.

Had any more children since?

Another one after her, but...

-But not in a...

-Not in a car, no.

-No, not in a car!

We made sure she was in the hospital!

It's lovely to meet you and we are very pleased everything went well.

The reassurance of us and the check-over you gave me

that everything was fine, thank you.

Thank you.

-Thank you.

-And you.

And there's one more surprise in store for John and Ron.

Well, I'm sure that was very special and I've got one more little treat.

-Dear me, they kept that a secret!

-You remember

That gorgeous little baby?

You are beautiful.

-Our wee baby.

-This is her.

-Wow.

-The little girl that you helped so much nearly 15 years ago,

isn't she gorgeous?

-She is beautiful.

-I don't suppose you can remember much about it!

-Not really!

-Not really.

-No.

-Is there anything you'd like to say to these special guys?

Thank you.

God knows what could have happened without them.

It's a pleasure to see you looking so well.

You know, to meet you again.

There you are, a little baby, now look at you.

It's lovely. Lovely to meet you, it really is.

Well, almost 15 years on and all's well that ends well.

Yasmin has been reunited with the men

that made her extraordinary arrival into the world a safe one.

Up goes Billy Hamilton, Armstrong, yes!

In 1982, Northern Ireland was gripped by World Cup fever...

..when Billy Bingham's boys got to the finals in Spain.

Today we have reunited some of the heroes of that time

to reminisce about glories on the field.

There's one of you there, Big Billy, look.

That's the Austrian one.

It's a goal!

But there's one more person they still have to be reunited with,

someone whose dulcet tones helped provide the soundtrack to that Spanish summer.

The song Yer Man was the Northern Ireland team's official theme,

and up front and centre of the single, Derry pop princess Dana.

Everybody was so delighted that the Northern Ireland team had actually got through to going to Spain.

Everybody was so proud.

Everybody in Northern Ireland says "Yer Man",

and I think at the time it was kind of the mascot for Northern Ireland.

And it just seemed to flow so well, you know,

"When yer man gets the ball,

"Northern Ireland has it all".

My brothers would have done the bulk of it,

and I think myself and my husband chipped in as well.

We wanted a real flavour of Northern Ireland

so it has the tin whistle and it has the drums and, um...

It just kind of grew out of that,

and of course I have two brothers that are football fanatics.

"We should record this, we should record this with the team."

We went to meet Billy Bingham and he liked it.

Billy may have liked it, but when it came to recording the song,

members of his team like Jimmy Nicholl

weren't entirely in perfect harmony with the gaffer.

I remember in the build-up to the World Cup somebody

decided that we'll make this record.

So it was a Sunday morning in Kensington in the studio.

It was embarrassing, and big Gerry says, "This is not happening,

"it's not working." Everybody was flat,

everybody was a bit nervous and...

There's are a few good singers in our camp

and there's a few very bad ones.

Jimmy Nicholl is probably the worst singer, secondly myself.

I think we might have taken a lager or two to get us singing

or to get us making some sort of noise.

I don't know how she put up with us.

A few pints helped us relax and helped loosen the vocal cords.

So the lager came in,

a few bottles of beer and then away you went, everybody thought they were Frank Sinatra, you know?

So, did Dana know about the lads' secret confidence booster?

I know that they were definitely somewhere very uncomfortable,

in the studio.

There definitely was a rumour that there was some cans of

medicinal, medicinal lager brought in, but I didn't see them,

so I cannot say yes or no.

We will leave that to the men themselves.

So there was Pat, there was Gerry and there was Felix Healy...

actually was a singer.

You nearly sing in desperation because you think,

"I have to do this cos I have to get out."

Today, for the first time in 35 years,

Dana is meeting up with some members of the squad.

It's a chance to relive some very special memories.

When I look at the cover of the single,

it's just a flood of very good memories and happy memories.

Just that snap, and the picture itself is surrounded by a lot of memories.

You all right?

-Thank you.

-Welcome.

-How are you doing?

-Nice to see you again.

Welcome back, welcome back.

Deja vu. As you can see, we've got the record back

Oh, yes!

-No!

-That's it there, yeah.

That cannot be you, that cannot be you.

You didn't look like Norman Wisdom there!

It doesn't look any different!

-Slightly maturing in the hair, that's all.

-Exactly, exactly.

-Who's that girl?

-Aye, she was...

Her hair has changed as well!

Was that a tank top, Martin O'Neill had on?

What kind of marks would you give the boys on the day?

Oh, definitely a few black eyes!

No more than average?

No, no, ten out of ten I'd have given you when you started.

Are yous kind of ready for this now?

Ready as we'll ever be!

Yeah? Yous are not as nervous now?

There's not as many of us, I think that's what's...

You can't hide in the choir.

-Is that what you're saying?

-That's it.

-That's it.

-Do you think we could have a wee, a wee, like...

Just see how the voice is?

Billy, why don't you choose a warm up?

LAUGHTER

That's my usual warm up!

Aye!

Usual warm up about, eight pints!

-DEEP VOICE:

-Pat talks like that and sings like that.

-So he's got a...

-We can't all sing like that.

-He's got a double bass.

Described as a bass baritone.

Bass baritone.

What's a bass baritone?

# When yer man gets the ball Northern Ireland has it all... #

That's big Pat.

Are you going to stand there and take that?

Yeah!

Unlike Scotland and England,

who were both invited onto Top Of The Pops,

the Northern Ireland song makers were never actually filmed

singing the song.

# We'll fly the flag... #

Today we are going to put that right,

but first the boys are going to need some help.

Of course there's fewer of us now this time,

I thought you might like to have a few more voices coming in,

so I've invited some special people to come and help us.

Fans then and still fans now, and more than willing to swell their choir's ranks.

Are you all in good voice, boys?

-ALL:

-Aye!

-Brilliant.

-Right, who needs a sheet?

OK, so they are going to play the music to it.

Just follow me and I'll be right behind you.

Are you ready, guys?

One, two, one, two, three...

# When yer man gets the ball Northern Ireland has it all

# Oh, we're off to Spain Never mind the rain

# When yer man gets the ball

# When yer man gets the ball We'll be cheering, one and all

# Oh, we'll have a go And the goals will flow

# When yer man gets the ball!

# Well the times have been tough now it's time to do our stuff

# Side by side, we'll go to Spain

# Show them how to play the game

# Oh, we'll score a goal or two

# And we'll show them what to do

# Yes, we'll run until we drop

# And we're sure to reach the top

# When yer man gets the ball Northern Ireland has it all

# Oh, we're off to Spain Never mind the rain

# When yer man gets the ball

# When yer man gets the ball We'll be cheering, one and all

# Oh, we'll have a go And the goals will flow

# When yer man gets the ball!

# We'll be dancing on the planes

# We'll be singing in the rain

# And the mighty teams will fear Northern Ireland when we're near

# When the final whistle blows

# We'll be there, and heaven knows!

# Yes we'll play for victory

# And then all the world will see

# It's a goal!

# When yer man gets the ball Northern Ireland has it all

# Oh, we're off to Spain Never mind the rain

# When yer man gets the ball

# When yer man gets the ball We'll be cheering, one and all

# Oh, we'll have a go And the goals will flow

# When yer man gets the ball!

# Viva, Northern Ireland... #

Now, just as then,

none of the players winning awards for their singing prowess,

but without a doubt the song captured the pride of that time

when the boys in green made their name on the world stage.

# When yer man gets the ball, Northern Ireland... #

Before I came into the recording studio, you think,

"Oh, jeez, I don't fancy this at all." In the end we enjoyed it.

And the supporters came in to make it even more vociferous

and enhance it and it was great.

# The goals will flow... #

We really enjoyed the craic today.

A brilliant turn-out, but that's the great thing about this Irish team,

the support they have, that's our 12th man.

It's great to be able to give something back to the fans,

because they were brilliant, they supported us throughout that tournament

and Dana really kept us going and kept us getting through it as well, it was a pleasure.

I thought it was absolutely wonderful.

I thought they sang fantastically well,

brought back 1982 and the fantastic victory that they had in beating Spain.

Nobody can ever take that away.