Joe’s sweet 16!

Joe Gormley is no stranger to the record books and, as well as being the leading goalscorer in Cliftonville’s history with 281 strikes to his name in 501 appearances, the 34-year-old also celebrated a landmark 16th hat-trick for the Club in yesterday’s 4-1 victory over Dungannon Swifts.

Breaking the record of 15 that he had himself set against Coleraine last September, Gormley is now three trebles ahead of previous milestone man Sid Over, the final of whose hat-tricks came back in the 1930s.

The former Crumlin Star man claimed his first Reds matchball against Ballinamallard United back in 2012 and has since registered three-goal hauls against 11 different opponents, with Stangmore Park being the only away venue where he has bagged a treble, having also done so against Warrenpoint Town in August 2024.

Yesterday’s was his second hat-trick against the Swifts, who are now the opposition he has netted against most in history at 29 times, with his leveller at Stangmore also clocking in as Cliftonville’s 1600th Premiership goal.

Joe Gormley’s hat-tricks
October 9, 2012: Cliftonville 5-0 Ballinamallard United
February 2, 2013: Cliftonville 4-0 Lisburn Distillery
August 24, 2013: Warrenpoint Town 2-4 Cliftonville
October 8, 2013: Cliftonville 5-0 Dundela
November 7, 2014: Cliftonville 3-1 Warrenpoint Town
November 29, 2014: Cliftonville 7-0 Ballymena United
December 13, 2014: Cliftonville 4-0 Institute
March 28, 2015: Cliftonville 5-1 Institute
April 4, 2015: Cliftonville 4-0 Portadown
February 3, 2018: Cliftonville 4-1 Crusaders
October 26, 2019: Cliftonville 5-0 Dungannon Swifts
October 13, 2020: Cliftonville 7-2 Dundela*
January 8, 2022: Cliftonville 5-0 Islandmagee
December 17, 2022: Cliftonville 4-1 Portadown
September 26, 2023: Cliftonville 5-0 Coleraine
November 9, 2024: Dungannon Swifts 1-4 Cliftonville

*Four goals