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First names first

Following on from our recent article about the most popular names to have featured on a Cliftonville teamsheet, cliftonvillefc.net today concludes the two-part series by reflecting on those names which have only ever appeared once.

Heritage Development Officer Paul Treanor observes that, while in excess of 2200 players have worn the shirt on first-team duty over the last 142 years, only 71 bear the distinction of a unique first name.

Levi Ives, Seanna Foster, Odhran Casey, Calvin McCurry and Donal Rocks represent the current squad on that particular shortlist – while summer loan signing Luke McNicholas would also have made the grade were it not for the swift arrival of Luke Turner just days later.

In recent history, meanwhile, Daire O’Connor, Jude Winchester, Ross Lavery, Brett Long, Ethan Devine, Guillaume Keke, Kym Nelson, Ruadhan McKenna and Brodie Spencer were all the first of their kind to appear in a Reds matchday panel – but it’s rather interesting to note that a number of relatively popular names have also only ever been recorded once.

Did you know, for example, that Adam Turner – who was on the books from 1890-1896 – is the only Adam to have made it to the first-team at Solitude?

Adrian Sullivan is, likewise, a sole subject and, inconceiveable though it might seem, only one Colm has ever played for Cliftonville – and that’s Colm McKiernan, who turned out 13 times during the 1984/85 season.

Cormac Brannigan and Dean Smyth are similar stand-alones, as indeed are Fintan McConville, Geoff Smyth and Simon Gribben.

In addition, it goes without saying that there are a number of unsurprising instances; Archibald Todd being a case in point, just like Claude James Wilton, Hamilton Hunsdale, Houston McPherson, Hriam McKee, Imre Hidvegi, Orville Black and Renwick Potts.

A couple who particularly stand out represent half of the Pyper brothers quartet who were Reds favourites in the late 19th century.

Alongside Jim and Jack Pyper (names which have, naturally, been popular throughout the course of the Club’s history) were siblings Drury and Spring – both of whom are, predictably enough, the only such-named players in the story of Ireland’s Oldest Football Club.

But where does YOUR name rank? If you didn’t appear in our most popular list earlier this month, check out the register below to see if you share the same name as a standalone performer.


Unique first names in Cliftonville history
Adam Turner (1890-1896)
Adrian Sullivan (1964-1966)
Adie Mike (2002/03)
Alastair McGarvey (1983-1988)
Anton Boyle (1991/92)
Antonio Calaluca (1996-1998)
Archibald Todd (1944-1946)
Armstrong Beckett (1964/65)
Arnold Carlisle (1960-1965)
Brett Long (2017/18)
Brodie Spencer (2019/20)
Bruce Sheills (1950-1958)
Calvin McCurry (2019-present)
Carlo Fusco (1961-1967)
Claude James Wilton (1943-1945)
Clifford Bingham (1964/65)
Colm McKiernan (1984/85)
Con Davey (1980/81)
Cormac Brannigan (2000/2005)
Cyril McConnell (1956-1958)
Daire O’Connor (2020/21)
Deaglan Bunting (2011/12)
Dean Smyth (1995-1997)
Derek Parkes (1968/69)
Donal Rocks (2018-present)
Drury Pyper (1899/1900)
Duncan Macleod (1990-1992)
Edmond Coulter (1984/84)
Ethan Devine (2020/21)
Fintan McConville (1998/99)
Geoff Smyth (1976-1979)
Gilbert K Roden (1938-1940)
Guillaume Keke (2014/15)
Hamilton Hunsdale (1944-1946)
Houston McPherson (1948-1950)
Hriam McKee (1891-1895)
Imre Hidvegi (1962/63)
Innis Gray (1998-2000)
Irwyn McKibben (1969/70)
Isaac Skates (1987/88)
Ivor Sloan (1948/49)
Jordan Robertson (1904-1915)
Jude Winchester (2013-2018)
Kyle Henry (1986/87)
Kym Nelson (2016/17)
Levi Ives (2015-present)
Marshall Hood (1939/40)
Maurice Masters (1960-1966)
Maynard Kelly (1973-1975)
Nicholas F McWhirter (1943/44)
Nick Broujos (1993/94)
Nigel McGucken (1965-1968)
Odhran Casey (2018-present)
Orville Black (1987-1989)
Osborne Thompson (1911/12)
Ossie Baillie (1953-1957)
Renwick Potts (1880-1883)
Roddy Collins (1995/96)
Ross Lavery (2015-2019)
Ruadhan McKenna (2018/19)
Russell Kerr (2004/05)
Seanna Foster (2019-present)
Shepherd Hughes McCaw (1931-1933)
Shea Campbell (2007/08)
Simon Gribben (1998-2000)
Spring Pyper (1901/02)
Sylvester A Beirne (1924-1930)
Thompson Neilly (1906-1912)
Turlough Birch (1972/73)
Wallace Cowan (1966-1968)
Ward Fulton (1946/47)
Wayne Cooney (1997/98)