Laipni lūdzam Belfāstā!

Just one day remains until Cliftonville face Auda in the first leg of our UEFA Conference League second qualifying round tie – and the Red Army are looking forward to welcoming our latest continental visitors.

Supporters travelling from Latvia 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.

Vēsture
Ireland’s Oldest Football Club, Cliftonville were founded on September 20, 1879 and these fixtures with Auda come at the beginning of our 146th 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.

Pagājušajā sezonā
After finishing third in the Sports Direct Premiership, Cliftonville secured automatic European qualification for the second time in three years, having successfully come through the Play-Off route in 2016, 2018 and 2019. Silverware was lifted in May when the Reds won the Irish Cup for the first time since 1979; the 3-1 victory over Linfield at Windsor Park earning a direct ticket past the first phase of the Conference League.

Stadions
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 134 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.

Auda will be the first side from Latvia to have played at the venue, with Windsor Park having staged our Intertoto Cup clash with Dinaburg in 2007.

Eiropā
This season marks Cliftonville’s 16th 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 Dinaburg 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.

Biļetes
Tickets for the match are available to buy via our online portal at a cost of £15 for Adults and £10 for Concessions (€17.82/ €11.88).

Pirms spēles
All Auda 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.

Raidījums
Any supporters who cannot attend the match can follow the action via our live stream.

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

Informācija
Any Auda fans who require additional information or who have 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.