North assistant Armstrong injured in car crash

NORTHERN IRELAND assistant manager Gerry Armstrong has been injured in a car crash ahead of today’s World Cup qualifier against England.

Armstrong was in the back seat of a Mercedes hit from behind by a taxi on a motorway near Manchester.

“The policeman told us if we hadn’t been in such a big strong car we wouldn’t have walked away,” said Armstrong. “We were knocked out of our lane and up a grass verge from a static position.”

Armstrong, who received facial bruising and a black eye, later returned to the team headquarters.

“I dread to think what would have happened if I hadn’t been wearing my seatbelt,’ he said. “There was an accident up ahead and we slowed right down. We were stopped for just five seconds when all of a sudden it was chaos.”