WITH Cliftonville’s star player Joe ‘the goal’ Gormley among the staff at Belfast’s Holy Cross Primary School, it was little wonder pupils were decked out in red ahead of Saturday’s Irish Cup final.
The classroom assistant is a former pupil at the school and has the chance to help Cliftonville to regain the trophy for the first time since 1979.
School principal Kevin McArevey said his pupils were delighted to have their very own sporting hero in the classroom.
“The place is absolutely buzzing, the fact that Joe was one of those lads and has gone on to be one of the greatest goal scorers Cliftonville has ever had,” he told The Irish News.
“It gives the lads a big lift up, any time he walks through the corridors the effect he has on them is brilliant.
“Joe is a marvellous role model because he’s not one of these boys with a bad attitude on the field.
“If any of the lads in the school aspire to be a footballer, there’s no greater role model than Joe Gormley.”
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A lifesize picture of the player was on display in the school on Friday surrounded by “the four cardinal virtues” of courage, justice, wisdom and self-discipline.
“We talk to the boys about this using Joe as a role model, because courage is walking on to the field of play.
“Temperance is self-discipline, making sure that you keep your emotions in check to allow you to stay focused on the game.
“Justice is accepting the rules of the game, accepting the referee’s decisions.
“Wisdom is a big one for me. It’s knowing what’s good and bad in the game, but the flipside of that is knowing when someone else deserves it more.”
