Banbridge Rangers Manager Jeff Brady on Facing Irish Cup Holders Cliftonville

Jeff Brady, manager of Banbridge Rangers, has shared that the significance of his club’s upcoming Irish Cup fifth-round match against current holders Cliftonville “will probably take a couple of days to sink in.” This marks Banbridge Rangers’ inaugural appearance in this stage of the competition. Rangers, a team from the Mid Ulster Intermediate A league, secured their place in the fifth round for the first time after defeating Queen’s University in the preceding round. Speaking to BBC Sport NI, Brady emphasized the importance of this achievement, stating, “To be a team like Banbridge Rangers to get here for the first time and to be drawn out against Cliftonville is a big deal.” Brady outlined his message to his players, saying, “I’ll tell the players to go out and play with freedom, there’s no pressure on us. “We’ve done the hard work so as long as they go out and enjoy themselves and give a good account of themselves I’ll be happy.” He further expressed his hope that everyone associated with the club would savor the day as a deserved acknowledgment of their efforts. Brady elaborated on the collective nature of the occasion: “Days like this are for everybody, the whole club, not just the players and myself and the coaching staff.” He added, “The club has been going for 20 years and for some of those 20 years it has been the same people behind the scenes driving it so that will be for them.” He also highlighted the community aspect, noting, “It’s a home-based club, full of families, full of people who put in those hard hours every week that people don’t see. It will be a big day for those people certainly.” Meanwhile, Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton expressed his anticipation for the start of their cup defense. Magilton commented on the draw, stating, “We got a home draw, that’s all you can really wish for, against a team that deserves so much credit for getting there.“ He continued, “They’ll be more than welcome [to Solitude] but we’ve got to go and win it.“” He affirmed their approach, saying, “We won’t underestimate them, we’ll give them our due care and attention, as we do every opponent, and be really focused. It’s a massive day in the calendar and we’re looking forward to it.”