Billy Joe Burns hopes to become a knockout quiz question in Saturday’s Samuel Gelston’s Irish Cup final showdown with Ballymena United at Windsor Park.
In years to come, long after he has called time on his career, the Crusaders captain hopes the following teaser is prompting frantic looks and furrowed brows.
Name the player who lifted the blue riband trophy as a defender 12 months after being knocked out of the competition as a goalkeeper.
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Burns smiles at the memory of having to don the gloves in last year’s controversial semi-final defeat to Larne after Johnny Tuffey was red carded during the shootout.
“I’ll step into nets again if I have to, no bother,” joked the 33-year-old as he looks forward to the prospect of his fifth Irish Cup final as an outfield player.
The experienced right back lifted the trophy three years ago when the Crues strolled to a 3-0 win over Championship club Ballinamallard United.
He also lifted the cup three times with former club Linfield in 2010, 2011, 2012, all under David Jeffrey who will be in the opposite dugout on Saturday.
“They are all very special memories,” said Burns. “Everyone with an interest in the league watches the Irish Cup final and it’s all about that one day in May.
“I don’t know if it gets more special as you get older, but you do take it in a lot more. It’s that old saying.. you don’t know if this final is going to be your last.”
As well as adding to his 12 trophies as a player, Burns hopes to bolster a quirky stat as he and Philip Lowry bid to lift the Irish Cup for the fifth time as teammates.
Lowry also won the trophy with Linfield in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and scored in Crusaders’ comfortable victory over the Mallards in 2019.
“Funny enough, we were talking about that the other day,” said Burns.
“People were asking how many Irish Cups they had won and Phil and I were both on four and we’d won the four together at Linfield and the Crues.
“We’ve been playing together since the age of 20 so we’ve built up a good relationship and we’ve won a lot of trophies in each other’s company.
“Hopefully we’re having the same conversation on Saturday night.”
While Crusaders are odds-on favourites against Ballymena, Burns warned: “A cup final is a cup final and it’s not always about performance. It’s all down to whoever holds their nerve.
“I do think this final is wide open. Ballymena have beaten us twice (in four outings) this season so they’re probably thinking they can get at us and score goals.
“Finals aren’t always a great spectacle and they can be edgy, but we are playing well, the boys are confident and hopefully that bodes well for us.”
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