First and foremost: Pioneering spirit

Celebrating landmark achievements and curious quirks in the history of Ireland’s Oldest Football Club, cliftonvillefc.net today continues a new mini series reflecting on some of the trailblazing enterprises where Cliftonville have led the way.

Every week throughout the summer break, ‘First and Foremost’ has been shining a spotlight on startling statistics, tall tales and magical milestones that saw the Reds play a leading role in the story – with a poignant anniversary dictating where our latest spotlight shines.

For today marks 27 years since Cliftonville and Bohemians last competed for the Pioneer Cup, a friendly competition that was contested for more than half a century.

Originally branded the Victory Cup in celebration of the end of the Second World War, the first meeting in 1945 saw Bohemians triumph 9-8 on corner kicks following a 3-3 draw in Dublin while, eight years later, another 3-3 scoreline ended with the Reds lifting the trophy after a corner kick victory of their own, three years after Bohs had successfully defended the honour on home turf.

That particular game proved the last of just three Victory Cup ties, with the contests thereafter effectively morphing into the Pioneer Cup – a regular friendly challenge between the Amateur stalwarts of Ireland’s two main cities.

The Reds lifted the inaugural trophy (above) courtesy of a solitary Bruce Shiells strike at Solitude on May 1, 1954 and, after the first match between the teams outside of Ireland saw Bohemians win 2-1 in a friendly on the Isle of Man, the sides met exclusively in the Pioneer Cup up until 1969.

A further decade passed until the Tyler Cup drew the Clubs’ paths together again; John Platt’s hat-trick and a single strike from Peter McCusker earning Cliftonville’s recently-crowned Irish Cup history-makers a 4-2 success at Solitude.

Platt was on target again when the Reds claimed another Tyler Cup win over the Bohs in 1980, since when the teams have locked horns nine times – all in the Pioneer Cup.

The Cliftonville team that won the Pioneer Cup in 1958

Cliftonville on the attack during the 1967 Pioneer Cup tie

The Reds team defeated on penalties in 1989

Gary Higgins’ double in a May 1981 encounter at Dalymount Park saw Cliftonville win the trophy for the first time since 1967, with successive penalty shootout triumphs extending the Reds’ grasp on the silverware until 1984, when the Bohs were 4-1 victors on penalties.

Indeed, the contest went to spot-kicks for a fourth consecutive year when the Dubliners again emerged on top on 1985 before Cliftonville’s 2-0 win at Solitude in 1987 provided brief respite ahead of Bohemians enjoying another shootout success two years later.

The Bohs retained the trophy in 1991 but eight further years passed until the next – and, to date, final – Pioneer Cup game saw Reds captain Mickey Donnelly score the only goal of an otherwise forgettable battle in Belfast on this very date back in 1999.

History of the Victory Cup
August 20, 1945: Bohemians 3-3 Cliftonville (Williams, Carroll, O’Neill) [Bohemians win 9-8 on corners]
November 6, 1948: Bohemians 2-1 Cliftonville (McCallan)
May 4, 1953: Cliftonville 3-3 Bohemians (Bell x2, McGarry) [Cliftonville win 5-3 on corners]

History of the Pioneer Cup
May 1, 1954: Cliftonville 1-0 Bohemians (Shiells)
April 23, 1955: Cliftonville 0-1 Bohemians
May 5, 1956: Cliftonville 3-2 Bohemians (Murray, McKeague, Forsythe)
May 17, 1958: Bohemians 0-1 Cliftonville (Adams)
May 16, 1959: Cliftonville 1-2 Bohemians (Beattie)
May 13, 1967: Bohemians 0-0 Cliftonville [Cliftonville win on penalties]
April 25, 1968: Cliftonville 0-0 Bohemians [Bohemians win 3-1 on penalties]
April 16, 1969: Bohemians 3-1 Cliftonville (Peacock)
May 4, 1981: Bohemians 0-2 Cliftonville (Higgins x2)
August 14, 1982: Cliftonville 0-0 Bohemians [Cliftonville win 3-1 on penalties]
August 13, 1983: Bohemians 2-2 Cliftonville (Higgins, Holden) [Cliftonville win 3-1 on penalties]
August 11, 1984: Cliftonville 2-2 Bohemians (McAlinden, Higgins) [Bohemans win 4-1 on penalties]
August 10, 1985: Bohemians 1-1 Cliftonville (McCusker) [Bohemians win 4-3 on penalties]
August 8, 1987: Cliftonville 2-0 Bohemians (McCusker, Higgins)
August 5, 1989: Bohemians 1-1 Cliftonville (Murray) [Bohemians win 4-3 on penalties]
August 10, 1991: Cliftonville 0-1 Bohemians
July 30, 1999: Cliftonville 1-0 Bohemians (Donnelly)