A closed call
While behind-closed-doors fixtures have become an unfortunately familiar experience for the Red Army throughout the 2020/21 season, it’s understood that Cliftonville have only ever ‘officially’ contested 38 such games – the majority of which have, unsurprisingly, been staged this year.
Though such occasions are by their very nature difficult to keep a complete record of, contemporary reports suggest the first took place at Solitude back on August 19, 1998 when the Reds hosted Malta’s national team on a night that saw the Mediterranean visitors claim a 3-0 win over Marty Quinn’s Premier League Champions.
A further 16 years would pass until the next instance when, just three days after suffering a 1-0 loss to The New Saints on home soil, Cliftonville suffered a similar fate thanks to Ronan Scannell’s own goal earning victory for the Welsh side.
A 2018 behind-closed-doors tie, meanwhile, saw the Reds travel to Celtic’s Lennoxtown training complex for a meeting with a Hoops’ Development XI in the summer of 2018 (below). After taking the lead through Ryan Curran, the visitors found themselves behind thanks to the concession of goals either side of half-time only for Conor McDonald to complete the scoring in a 2-2 draw.
Football’s coronavirus-enforced shutdown understandably saw further additions to that list, with Cliftonville slipping to defeats in fitness-building exercises against SSE Airtricity Premier Division sides Shamrock Rovers and Finn Harps in July of last year, while a younger Reds XI was overcome by Crumlin United ahead of their senior counterparts suffering penalty shootout heartache in their Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup semi-final encounter with Glentoran – which was the Club’s first ever competitive behind-closed-doors fixture.
Preparations for the 2020/21 season, meanwhile, included friendly wins over Shankill United and Ards at Solitude, where Portadown were overcome 5-0 in a late November Danske Bank Premiership clash.
After losing to Linfield the following week, Cliftonville began the New Year with a win at Dungannon Swifts (above) before a North Belfast Derby draw with Crusaders commenced the Club’s home obligations in the latest Covid lockdown, which is finally set to come to an end when members of the Red Army make their long-awaited return to Solitude when the same opponents visit on Tuesday night.
Potted History of Behind Closed Doors Fixtures
August 19, 1998
Cliftonville 0-3 Malta
July 8, 2014
Cliftonville 0-1 The New Saints
July 7, 2018
Celtic XI 2-2 Cliftonville
July 11, 2010
Shamrock Rovers 3-0 Cliftonville
July 18, 2020
Finn Harps 1-0 Cliftonville
Crumlin United 2-1 Cliftonville XI
July 27, 2020
Cliftonville 1-1 Glentoran [6-7 on penalties]
September 12, 2020
Cliftonville 4-1 Shankill United
September 30, 2020
Cliftonville 3-1 Ards
November 28, 2020
Cliftonville 5-0 Portadown
December 5, 2020
Linfield 2-0 Cliftonville
January 2, 2021
Dungannon Swifts 1-2 Cliftonville
January 9, 2021
Cliftonville 2-2 Crusaders
January 26, 2021
Cliftonville 4-3 Linfield
January 30, 2021
Cliftonville 1-1 Glenavon
February 2, 2021
Coleraine 2-2 Cliftonville
February 6, 2021
Glentoran 1-0 Cliftonville
February 9, 2021
Cliftonville 3-0 Warrenpoint Town
February 13, 2021
Portadown 1-1 Cliftonville
February 20, 2021
Cliftonville 1-0 Larne
February 23, 2021
Cliftonville 2-1 Ballymena United
February 27, 2021
Carrick Rangers 0-1 Cliftonville
March 2, 2021
Ballymena United 1-1 Cliftonville
March 6, 2021
Linfield 2-0 Cliftonville
March 13, 2021
Cliftonville 2-1 Glenavon
March 20, 2021
Larne 0-0 Cliftonville
March 27, 2021
Cliftonville 2-1 Coleraine
April 3, 2021
Warrenpoint Town 0-5 Cliftonville
April 6, 2021
Cliftonville 3-0 Dungannon Swifts
April 10, 2021
Crusaders 2-2 Cliftonville
April 17, 2021
Portadown 1-2 Cliftonville
April 20, 2021
Cliftonville 0-2 Glentoran
April 24, 2021
Cliftonville 5-0 Carrick Rangers
April 27, 2021
Cliftonville 5-1 Portstewart
May 1, 2021
Coleraine 2-0 Cliftonville
May 4, 2021
Cliftonville 1-2 Larne
May 8, 2021
Glentoran 1-0 Cliftonville
May 15, 2021
Glentoran 0-2 Cliftonville