IFA directs Northern Ireland fans to a closed train station ahead of Thursday night's match at Windsor Park
If you’re heading to Northern Ireland’s Nations League fixture against Luxembourg on Thursday night, you’ll need to make sure you have the correct information – after the Irish FA gave out of date travel advice to fans.
The organisation now says the “most recent transport information” will be given to supporters from the beginning of match week.
In a video posted on the organisation’s social media channels last week, football’s governing body here advised fans how to purchase tickets and make their way to the National Stadium at Windsor Park in south Belfast.
The ‘GAWA Guide’ says “the nearest train station is Adelaide halt – and is a short walk from the stadium. Trains run from Great Victoria Street in the City Centre to Adelaide halt on the Bangor – Belfast – Lisburn – Portadown – Newry line”.
But that line has been closed between Lanyon Place and Lisburn all summer and is not expected to open again until at least October.
A bus substitution service runs between Europa Bus station and Lisburn, but does not stop at the various stations in between. These include Adelaide, Balmoral, Finaghy, Dunmurry, Derriaghy, Lambeg and Hilden.
Users of those stations have been using local Ulsterbus services in the interim.
The IFA video also encourages fans to check the Translink website for timetables and warns that weekend services can vary – despite the match taking place on a Thursday night.
In information which still appears to be correct, it also advises the use of Translink Metro bus 9E which runs from Belfast City Centre to Boucher Way and takes around 15 minutes and stops outside the stadium.
An IFA spokesperson said in a statement: “The GAWA Guide is designed to offer supporters advice for all fixtures and, within it, we state the closest station and advise to check out Translink for updated info”.
That is despite the fact the video is explicitly about Thursday night’s match.
The statement continued: “We are scheduled to release the most recent transport information to supporters from the beginning of match week and have been working with Translink to confirm that adequate bus substitutions are in place and contingent capacity is available for matchday.”