Ryan’s flying

Regular readers of our Matchday Magazine will know all the facts and figures behind each new week at Cliftonville Football Club, while our Twitter followers are regaled with daily delves into the archives and, as Heritage Development Officer Paul Treanor notes, Saturday’s Danske Bank Premiership victory over Crusaders delivered another milestone.

Ryan Curran’s 45th minute strike to put the Reds 2-1 up in the North Belfast Derby saw the 28-year-old become just the 21st player in Cliftonville history to reach 20 goals in a season.

James Pyper led the way when he netted 26 times back in the 1897/98 campaign and James Millar was first to hit 20 twice, while Norman McCaw was the first to break the 30-goal barrier in 1931/32.

Just one Reds player has ever scored 40 times in a single term and it will come as no surprise to anybody to learn that particular accolade belongs to Joe Gormley – who also holds the record for having hit more than 20 in six separate seasons, additionally getting past the 30-mark in four of those years.

On only five occasions, meanwhile, has more than one player struck 20+ in the same campaign – Millar and Sid Over teaming up with McCaw in 1932 and 1935, respectively; Liam Boyce and Gormley during the back-to-back Premiership title-winning terms under Tommy Breslin, and Jay Donnelly alongside Gormley in 2017/18.

The 21 Cliftonville players to have scored 20 goals in a season
James Pyper: 26 (1897/98)
Frank Mortished: 23 (1925/26)
James Millar: 23 (1930/31); 23 (1931/32)
Norman McCaw: 32 (1931/32); 20 (1932/33); 20 (1934/35)
Hammie Hewitt: 21 (1933/34)
Sid Over: 21 (1934/35); 30 (1935/36); 27 (1939/40)
Sam Banks: 25 (1936/37)
W Fulton: 22 (1946/47)
Kevin McGarry: 21 (1948/49); 25 (1949/50); 26 (1950/51)
Jack McDowell: 22 (1960/61)
John Platt: 21 (1977/78); 29 (1978/79)
Davy McAlinden: 20 (1982/83)
Billy Drake: 20 (1990/91)
Mark Gill: 20 (1993/94)
Tommy McCallion: 20 (2000/01)
Chris Scannell: 29 (2008/09)
Joe Gormley: 30 (2012/13); 37 (2013/14); 41 (2014/15); 34 (2017/18); 29 (2018/19); 26 (2019/20)
Liam Boyce: 36 (2012/13); 24 (2013/14)
Davy McDaid: 20 (2015/16)
Jay Donnelly: 25 (2017/18)
Ryan Curran: 20 (2021/22)