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Brush hour

Richard Brush is counting down the minutes until his first European night at Solitude.

Cliftonville host Barry Town United in the second leg of the sides’ Europa League Preliminary Round tie this evening and, with the contest delicately poised at 0-0, goalkeeper Brush – whose last continental outing was with Shamrock Rovers in the competition’s group stages in 2011 – knows how valuable another clean sheet would be to the Reds’ chances of progress.

The 34-year-old is excited not only by his own unexpected return to the Euro scene, but by how revitalised the Cliftonville experience has made him feel.

“When I stepped away from full-time football, I sort of assumed that European games and things like that were gone for me,” he explains.

“It might sound strange and I don’t mean any disrespect to any Clubs I was at before, but one of the things that really appealed to me about coming to Cliftonville was the stadium.

“I loved the idea of playing in front of the big stands, the bright lights and fans who I knew really got behind the team.

“I never really thought I’d play for a Club like that again and coming here sort of re-awoke something in me. It wasn’t that I’d lost my passion for football or anything but Cliftonville have helped me tap back into something I’d forgotten was there.”

You can read the full Brush interview in tonight’s edition of our Matchday Magazine, which will be on sale at Solitude for £3.

Alongside a review of Barry’s remarkable return to Europe, The Red Eye’s first issue of the campaign reflects on the Red Army’s recent travel travails, recalls the Club’s previous continental exploits and steps 23, 12 and seven years back down Euro memory lane – plus plenty more besides.

Our Matchday Magazine has attained a top-three position in the NI Football Programme Collectors’ annual awards poll for the last eight seasons – assuming the runners-up position on six of those occasions – so, if you’re not a regular reader, why not take a look at what you’ve been missing out on?


Matchday Partners
Matchball Sponsor: Mr Tim McGarry


Admission
Tickets are not required for this fixture and spectators can pay cash at the turnstiles.

Adults: £12
Concessions: £8

Free admission with Season Tickets purchased before June 11.