Joseph Anthony Gormley (born Belfast, 26 November 1989) is a footballer who plays as a striker for Cliftonville in the Irish League.
Gormley is Cliftonville's all-time record goalscorer, reaching 300 in November 2025."Landmark 300 goals for Irish League club 'just a remarkable achievement for a remarkable player'". News Letter, 6 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025'Joe Gormley: I might have another year in me'. Irish News, 6 December 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025'Joe's sweet 16!'. Cliftonville FC, 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025
Club career
Early career Gormley began his career at Cliftonville, making four appearances before being released in 2009. He joined Crumlin Star, where he scored 61 goals in the 2010–11 season before re-joining Cliftonville in 2011.
Cliftonville Gormley was top goalscorer in Northern Ireland in 2013–14, when he became the first player in the club's history to score over 30 goals in two separate seasons, and was named as Ulster Footballer of the Year and Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year for 2013–14. He holds the club record for most goals scored in a domestic season, claiming 41 in 2014–15 and breaking his own previous record of 37 goals the season before.
Peterborough United On 14 June 2015, it was confirmed that Peterborough United had signed Gormley on a three-year deal, and he would officially join the club on 1 July 2015.
On 25 September 2015 he was sidelined for the rest of the season by a serious knee injury. Gormley was loaned to Scottish club St Johnstone in August 2016. After two months with St Johnstone, Gormley became "disillusioned with football" and decided to return to his native Northern Ireland. Gormley, Peterborough and St Johnstone applied to FIFA for permission to cancel his contracts outside the normal transfer windows.
Return to Cliftonville
Career statistics
Gormley's 300 goals for Cliftonville have been scored as follows: 204 Irish League, 43 League Cup, 27 Irish Cup, 16 County Antrim Shield, 5 Europa League play-offs, 3 Europe, 2 Setanta Cup. He has scored 17 hat-tricks and 26 penalty kicks.
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsCliftonville2007–08Irish Premier League00–002008–09IFA Premiership40–40Total400000–0040Crumlin Star2009–10Northern Amateur Football League––––2010–11––Total––2461Cliftonville2011–12IFA Premiership30101030203239122012–1330174548201041302013–14NIFL Premiership36272258202047372014–153731224710414841Total1338599162370103175120Peterborough United2015–16EFL League One400020–00602016–17100000–0010Total500020–0070St Johnstone (loan)2016–17Scottish Premiership100010––20Cliftonville2017–18NIFL Premiership37234630–4446352018–1937230022214445302019–2031184233414246262020–2113200––551872021–2237133554–2247242022–2338103244205152172023–2433114120–0039122024–2532205231201043232025–262610313221313715Total284130261925161232819375187Career total427215352844391933832587379
Honours Cliftonville NIFL Premiership (2): 2012–13, 2013–14 Irish League Cup (5): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2021-22, 2024-25 County Antrim Shield (3): 2011–12, 2014–15, 2019–20 Irish Cup: 2023–24
Individual awards Ulster Footballer of the Year (1): 2013–14 Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year (1): 2013–14
References