Cliftonville vs Linfield 04/05/24

It is one of the most iconic images of Northern Ireland’s domestic football season – and the idea behind it emerged in a primary school classroom.

well to secure what would be a first victory over the Blues this season. “You have to be confident,” he continued. “We are obviously aware that we haven’t beaten Linfield this season, which is something we want to put right, and our record against Linfield has not been great during my time at Cliftonville, both home and away. “We have to respect that and understand that it is a team that we have struggled against at times, but equally there is certainly no element of fear. “We know what we are capable of and we know that if we play at our best – or close to it – we will be well in the game.” Coming to the end of his third season at Solitude after something of a surprise switch from Ballymena United in the summer of 2021, Addis has become a firm favourite of the Cliftonville supporters. The ‘We love Addis’ song will no doubt ring out among the Red Army during the final. The 31-year-old is appreciative of the support he receives from the Solitude faithful, but knows he has to keep concentrating on delivering on the pitch. He said: “It’s great and I’ve loved my time at the club but I’m old enough and been around long enough to know that you have to get on with things, no matter what people are saying about you. “Whether it is good or bad, you can’t think about it too much because you could get distracted or carried away, and then your performances could dip. It’s fantastic and I’m really grateful for it, but I try not to think about it too much.”

When Jonny Addis began running towards the Cliftonville fans to celebrate heading his side into the lead in their Irish Cup semi-final win over Larne, the Whitehead Primary School teacher had the thoughts of his Year 7 class in his head. As Addis arrived in front of the Reds supporters in the National Stadium’s North Stand, he slowly raised his hands in the air to recreate the celebration recently made famous by Real Madrid and England sensation Jude Bellingham. “It began when I scored early on in the season and the kids in my class picked up on my celebration,” the central defender explained. “We have a bit of fun about me scoring and they had encouraged me to do a few different celebrations, some of which I was never going to attempt, but they suggested I do the Jude Bellingham one if I scored in the semi-final. “I don’t score that many so it’s difficult to say I planned it, but I found my arms going up naturally as I ran to the supporters so I just thought I’d go for it. It’s all a bit of fun. It was a great feeling to score in such a big match and to contribute to us getting to the Irish Cup final.” While acknowledging that the team’s form dipped somewhat after that last four win at the end of March, Addis said the mood among the players is upbeat going into today’s Windsor Park showpiece. The former Glentoran and Ballymena United defender has had to sit out a few games recently to rest a back injury but will be fit to take his place in Jim Magilton’s defence, where he has again been one of the Irish Premiership’s best performers. He is hugely looking forward to the occasion but knows he and his team-mates will have to play

Words Mark Sterling

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