Helping hands

A week on from bringing the curtain down on the 2017/18 season with Europa League qualification and the Player of the Year Awards, Cliftonville FC pays tribute to the countless volunteers who dedicated their time and efforts to the Club throughout the campaign.

From our superb staff at The Reds Shop to our stewards, caterers, programme sellers, stadium assistants, the social media team and everybody in between, Cliftonville Football Club is indebted to your tireless endeavours and undertakings.

“A Football Club is about more than just a game on a Saturday and, even then, the Saturday is about so much more than the 90 minutes,” explains Chairman Gerard Lawlor.

“We have hard-working volunteers who arrive at Solitude hours before everyone else and, long after everybody – players, supporters and staff – have gone home, those volunteers are still there, clearing up and making preparations for the next day.

“Day in, day out, we have people doing their bit. Most of it goes unnoticed by the majority, but it certainly never goes unappreciated or taken for granted. These people are the heartbeat of our Club and, as I’ve said before, they are what make Cliftonville tick. They make this Club what it is and we are proud to have such a whole-hearted team of people who put in so much effort and seek no reward or recognition – three points on a Saturday or, given the week we’ve had, European qualification is all that matters to them.

“They are motivated by nothing more than the love of their Club and, on behalf of everybody associated with Cliftonville, I say thank you to them.”

So whether you’re one of the supporters who arrives early to clean seats, sweep stairwells and vacuum carpets or who volunteers their services to make Solitude operational on matchday, every task – no matter how big or small – contributes to the collective drive that makes everything Cliftonville FC does a real team effort.

Even if you’re unable to lend assistance and your input amounts to simply getting behind the team from the stands, we are likewise grateful for your support over the course of the 2017/18 campaign and would like to wish every single member of the Red Army – Members, Season Ticket holders, Family Ticket holders, weekly pay-at-the-gate fans and anyone else who passes through the turnstiles – an enjoyable and relaxing summer as preparations for the 2018/19 season, including our return to European football, continue in earnest here at Solitude.