Üdvözöljük Belfastban!

Just two days remain until Cliftonville face DAC in the second leg of our Europa Conference League first qualifying round tie – and the Red Army are looking forward to welcoming our latest continental visitors.

Supporters travelling from Slovakia are guaranteed a traditionally warm greeting at the home of Ireland’s Oldest Football Club, who are pleased to do everything possible to make their visit to Belfast as enjoyable and memorable as we can (on the strict understanding that such hospitality may not necessarily extend to the pitch) and present a brief guide to everything you need to know about your upcoming trip.

Történelem/ História
Ireland’s Oldest Football Club, Cliftonville were founded on September 20, 1879 and these fixtures with DAC come at the beginning of our 144th season. As you can imagine, ours is a story rich in drama, intrigue and innovation and, though the Club History section of our website is undergoing reconstruction, you can cast your eye over some of our landmark moments by clicking here.

Az elmúlt szezonban/ Minulú sezónu
After finishing second in the Danske Bank Premiership, Cliftonville secured automatic European qualification for the first time in six years, having successfully come through the Play-Off route in 2016, 2018 and 2019. Silverware was lifted in March when the Reds won the League Cup following a dramatic comeback in the Final with Coleraine, who led 2-0 going into the closing stages before Paddy McLaughlin’s team forced extra-time, during which they sealed a 4-3 success.

Stádium/ Štadióne
One of the oldest football grounds in the world, Solitude was officially opened in 1890 and has played host to a number of sporting firsts in the 132 years since. The first ever penalty kick in international football was taken (and missed!) at Solitude, which was home to the Ireland teams of the 1890s and 1900s.

DAC will be the second side from Slovakia to have played at the venue, 24 years after FC Kosice recorded a 5-1 victory in a Champions League tie.

Európa/ Európe
This season marks Cliftonville’s 15th appearance in European competition and, though our first came in a Cup Winners’ Cup fixture against FC Nantes of France in 1979 (coincidentally played on our 100th birthday), it was not until as recently as 2007 that we enjoyed our first win in Europe, when FC Dinaburg of Latvia were eliminated from the Intertoto Cup. Since then, we have recorded Europa League progress against HNK Cibalia (Croatia), FC Differdange (Luxembourg) and Barry Town United (Wales), as well as earning a first leg win over Kalmar (Sweden) en route to exiting the tournament in 2012 – with further details of our Euro record available here.

A meccs előtt/ Pred hrou
All DAC supporters are invited to the Social Club at Solitude, which will open at 5pm, allowing fans of both Clubs to count down to kick-off together.

Szállítás/ Doprava
As well as directing visiting supporters towards this guide to finding Solitude, DAC fans are advised that Cliftonville FC Partners fonaCAB will be pleased to provide a taxi service at an affordable price.

Információ/ Informácie
Any DAC fans who require additional information are welcome to email Cliftonville’s Supporters Liaison, Michael Hegney, at slo@cliftonvillefc.net, while anyone who has any questions about Belfast, hotel reservations and the easiest way to find Solitude can contact directions@cliftonvillefc.net with any queries you may have about your upcoming visit to our city.