Full measures

Cliftonville Football Club looks forward to welcoming supporters, players, officials, former favourites, distinguished friends and, of course, our Guest of Honour Jackie Fullerton to tomorrow’s Matchday Lunch.

Staged at Cliftonville Bowling Club, the sold-out occasion will see in excess of 100 people augment their personal matchday experience by joining fellow Reds fans in the company of the legendary BBC commentator ahead of the Danske Bank Premiership clash with Ballymena United.

Many may be unaware that Jackie actually made 16 appearances for the Reds during a career that also took in sojourns at tomorrow’s opponents as well as Derry City and Crusaders and, more than half a century on from his brief spell with Cliftonville, he’ll be recalling some of the highlights of his career on an off the pitch when he takes centre stage at our all-ticket event.

Fullerton made his debut in a 7-1 defeat to Ards on September 26, 1964, with his final outing coming when the Reds were thumped 6-0 by Linfield at Windsor Park on February 27, 1965.

In between times, he netted three goals – in a 7-1 loss to Glenavon, a 7-2 thrashing by Ballymena and a 10-1 humiliation at the hands of Derry – which were sufficient for him to finish as the Club’s third highest scorer in a campaign that saw Cliftonville win three and lose 39 of their 42 fixtures, scoring 38 times in the process and conceding on a quite staggering 187 occasions.

Quite whether he has managed to banish those experiences from his memory will be put to the test tomorrow, when all ticket holders are asked to be seated in plenty of time for a prompt start at 12.30pm.