Flag protesters cause postponement of top Of the table Irish League game.

[T Fearon]

Last won in 1998.Previous to that it was 70 or 80 years.As far as I know Cliftonville is Ireland's oldest soccer club.They retained their amateur status up until the mid 70s which meant they were uncompetitive for decades in terms of challenging for trophies.The rivalry in Belfast used to be between Belfast Celtic and Linfield.After Celtic's withdrawal in 1950, it transferred to Glentoran and Linfield,but with Cliftonville's reemergence in the late 70s,the Belfast Celtic base has been cornered by them to produce a serious Celtic v Rangers like rivalry with Linfield.

[Tony Baloney]

Last won in 1998.Previous to that it was 70 or 80 years.As far as I know Cliftonville is Ireland's oldest soccer club.They retained their amateur status up until the mid 70s which meant they were uncompetitive for decades in terms of challenging for trophies.The rivalry in Belfast used to be between Belfast Celtic and Linfield.After Celtic's withdrawal in 1950, it transferred to Glentoran and Linfield,but with Cliftonville's reemergence in the late 70s,the Belfast Celtic base has been cornered by them to produce a serious Celtic v Rangers like rivalry with Linfield.

What sort of retainer do Linfield get off the back of the new Windsor redevelopment? Talk about a stacked deck!

[NAG1]

Last won in 1998.Previous to that it was 70 or 80 years.As far as I know Cliftonville is Ireland's oldest soccer club.They retained their amateur status up until the mid 70s which meant they were uncompetitive for decades in terms of challenging for trophies.The rivalry in Belfast used to be between Belfast Celtic and Linfield.After Celtic's withdrawal in 1950, it transferred to Glentoran and Linfield,but with Cliftonville's reemergence in the late 70s,the Belfast Celtic base has been cornered by them to produce a serious Celtic v Rangers like rivalry with Linfield.

What sort of retainer do Linfield get off the back of the new Windsor redevelopment? Talk about a stacked deck!

15 %

[johnneycool]

Last won in 1998.Previous to that it was 70 or 80 years.As far as I know Cliftonville is Ireland's oldest soccer club.They retained their amateur status up until the mid 70s which meant they were uncompetitive for decades in terms of challenging for trophies.The rivalry in Belfast used to be between Belfast Celtic and Linfield.After Celtic's withdrawal in 1950, it transferred to Glentoran and Linfield,but with Cliftonville's reemergence in the late 70s,the Belfast Celtic base has been cornered by them to produce a serious Celtic v Rangers like rivalry with Linfield.

What sort of retainer do Linfield get off the back of the new Windsor redevelopment? Talk about a stacked deck!

15 %

15% of all international games gate receipts, plus £200k a year in rent, plus the IFA cover all running and maintenance costs.

A good deal for LFC.

[Milltown Row2]

Last won in 1998.Previous to that it was 70 or 80 years.As far as I know Cliftonville is Ireland's oldest soccer club.They retained their amateur status up until the mid 70s which meant they were uncompetitive for decades in terms of challenging for trophies.The rivalry in Belfast used to be between Belfast Celtic and Linfield.After Celtic's withdrawal in 1950, it transferred to Glentoran and Linfield,but with Cliftonville's reemergence in the late 70s,the Belfast Celtic base has been cornered by them to produce a serious Celtic v Rangers like rivalry with Linfield.

I doubt this very much, over the years I have been to countless games, even when they played all their games at Windsor and the vast majority that went to those games never bothered going to the other games at Cliftonville.

I lived in the street were the away supporters were let in for a couple of years, was rough enough during the Glens games, always thought they had a bigger rivalry with the Glens than Linfield. Cliftonville were originally a prod side back in the day but with catholics moving into the area in the 60's and during the troubles Cliftonville's fan based changed. The majority of the directors at Cliftonville would still be protestants. West Belfast supporters of Cliftonville would be very small in fairness so it didn't corner the Belfast Celtic supporters especially in the 50's as I've mentioned before the fan base was different

[imtommygunn]

Is the area where Cliftonville's ground is in classified as Ardoyne or where does Ardoyne start? Is it at the roundabout at the top of the cliftonville road?

Ardoyne's pitch is more or less opposite soltitude isn't it?

[Milltown Row2]

Thats the old cricket pitch. That should give you an idea of who lived in that area. As for Ardoyne its nowhere near Cliftonville, you have the Oldpark to pass before you reach Ardoyne

[imtommygunn]

Ah right - was never sure where Ardoyne started.

Always full of celtic shirts up there so I suspect the demographic has changed drastically.

[Milltown Row2]

Ah right - was never sure where Ardoyne started.

Always full of celtic shirts up there so I suspect the demographic has changed drastically.

Yeah has changed a fair deal over the years, in the street I lived in there were a few prods living in it, was a mixed area right up to about 20 years ago.

But some ones here would never let the truth get in the way of a good 'them' and 'us' story!!!

[glens abu]

Last won in 1998.Previous to that it was 70 or 80 years.As far as I know Cliftonville is Ireland's oldest soccer club.They retained their amateur status up until the mid 70s which meant they were uncompetitive for decades in terms of challenging for trophies.The rivalry in Belfast used to be between Belfast Celtic and Linfield.After Celtic's withdrawal in 1950, it transferred to Glentoran and Linfield,but with Cliftonville's reemergence in the late 70s,the Belfast Celtic base has been cornered by them to produce a serious Celtic v Rangers like rivalry with Linfield.

I doubt this very much, over the years I have been to countless games, even when they played all their games at Windsor and the vast majority that went to those games never bothered going to the other games at Cliftonville.

I lived in the street were the away supporters were let in for a couple of years, was rough enough during the Glens games, always thought they had a bigger rivalry with the Glens than Linfield. Cliftonville were originally a prod side back in the day but with catholics moving into the area in the 60's and during the troubles Cliftonville's fan based changed. The majority of the directors at Cliftonville would still be protestants. West Belfast supporters of Cliftonville would be very small in fairness so it didn't corner the Belfast Celtic supporters especially in the 50's as I've mentioned before the fan base was different

Think their directors would now be mostly Catholic ,I know two of them very well.Great to see them winning the league again as they appear to be a very good footballing side.

[T Fearon]

Jim Boyce, recent IFA president is on the Cliftonville Board, isn't he?

Still think the Cliftonville V Linfield rivalry replaces that of the former Belfast Celtic V Linfield rivalry, and Cliftonville have a fair few fans on the Falls Road, Andersonstown etc.

Good to see them winning the league, however if past experience is anything to go by, most of their top players will move elsewhere in the summer. Hopefully this won't happen, as I think if this team stays together, it will take a very good team to stop them repeating this success next year. Imagine Linfield having two consecutive trophyless seasons!

[ranch]

Jim Boyce, recent IFA president is on the Cliftonville Board, isn't he?

Still think the Cliftonville V Linfield rivalry replaces that of the former Belfast Celtic V Linfield rivalry, and Cliftonville have a fair few fans on the Falls Road, Andersonstown etc.

Good to see them winning the league, however if past experience is anything to go by, most of their top players will move elsewhere in the summer. Hopefully this won't happen, as I think if this team stays together, it will take a very good team to stop them repeating this success next year. Imagine Linfield having two consecutive trophyless seasons!

Linfield's biggest rivals are Glentoran so I don't see how Cliftonville have a rivalry with them that compares to the old one with Belfast Celtic. Donegal Celtic would be the team who would attract west Belfast support more so than Cliftonville, albeit in very small numbers.

I lived in the street were the away supporters were let in for a couple of years, was rough enough during the Glens games, always thought they had a bigger rivalry with the Glens than Linfield.

It's funny you should mention that. In my time watching Newry I always found the Glens fans, and even the Crues as well, much worse than those following Linfield.

[Milltown Row2]

Jim Boyce, recent IFA president is on the Cliftonville Board, isn't he?

Still think the Cliftonville V Linfield rivalry replaces that of the former Belfast Celtic V Linfield rivalry, and Cliftonville have a fair few fans on the Falls Road, Andersonstown etc.

Good to see them winning the league, however if past experience is anything to go by, most of their top players will move elsewhere in the summer. Hopefully this won't happen, as I think if this team stays together, it will take a very good team to stop them repeating this success next year. Imagine Linfield having two consecutive trophyless seasons!

You can compare Linfield to Rangers, fan base yes, winning lots of trophies yes, wearing Blue (who wore blue first?) but the amount of Catholics from West Belfast and other parts of N.I that have played for the Blues is very high, compared with Rangers and local based players. Tony stop looking for something that ain't there please, you're embarrassing yourself ffs

[Oraisteach]

Milltown, forgive my ignorance but when you say that the number of Catholics playing for the Blues has been "very high", how high is very high?  How high was it in the 60's & 70's?  a serious question

[T Fearon]

MR2.Cliftonvile are an exact replica of Celtic ( minus the trophy haul).A club that has always employed players of all religious persuasions and none.Linfield are an exact replica of Rangers,only employing Catholics in recent times.Both Cliftonville's and Linfield's respective fan bases are exclusively nationalist and unionist, and therefore their clashes are mini old firm clashes.I'm not criticising,it's merely a fact.