Stuart Addis

Experienced goalkeeper who had three separate playing spells at the Sky Blues over 13 years but will be best remembered for his heroics in the 2012 County Antrim Shield final.

The son of former Distillery goalkeeper Selby Addis, it all began for the Lisburn born stopper at Glenavon, having forged his teenage career through Lisburn Youth, Glentoran and Dunmurry Rec before signing non-contract forms with Glenavon in August 1998.

At 19-years-old Stuart made his senior debut for Roy Walker's Glenavon side in a 5-0 Gold Cup victory over Dungannon Swifts and followed it up a few weeks later in a 1-0 defeat to Crusaders in the Irish League Premier Division. Addis proved a more the adequate deputy for Dermot O'Neill, during his maiden 1998/1999 campaign, as the Lurgan Blues finished fifth.

Walker brought in Phil Matthews from Larne for the 1999/2000 season with O'Neill having departed to Ballymena United, and Stuart was sent on loan to First Division club Armagh City in August 1999. His stay at Holm Park only lasted six weeks and eight games as he was recalled to Mourneview Park and he went onto to establish himself as first choice goalkeeper that season. The following season (2000/2001) Colin Malone replaced Walker in the Mourneview dugout and lead Glenavon to runners-up in the Irish League in the table and the League Cup final (which Glenavon lost 1-0 to Glentoran). Addis was a virtual ever present having also featured in his first European games - as Glenavon lost on aggregate to Slaven Belupo of Croatia in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

The 2001/2002 campaign was disappointing for Addis and Glenavon as despite the early season optimism stemming from their performances against Kilmarnock in the UEFA Cup - the Lurgan Blues would finish a disappointing seventh, and Addis would lose his place early in the season to Paul Rice. He was even permitted to leave on loan in February 2002, joining First Division Ballymena United for the remainder of the season. Stuart made his debut for Kenny Shiels’ Sky Blues in a 3-0 defeat away to Lisburn Distillery, the first of 14 appearances for the club in a transitional season for the club following their relegation to the second tier.

Following his release from Glenavon after 100 appearances, the now 23-year-old goalkeeper signed for Newry Town manager Alfie Wylie for the miserable 2002/2003 campaign which seen the border side finish bottom of the Premier Division and only retain their senior status via the relegation playoff victory over Bangor. The following season under new manager Roy McCreadie proved slightly more positive for the club on the pitch, as Addis found himself sharing goalkeeping duties with John Connolly.

On the move again in the summer of 2004, Joe McAree brought Stuart to Dungannon Swifts as first choice custodian in a remarkable fourth place finish, the club's highest ever position in the Irish League. Addis found himself out of favour the following season following the arrival of David Wells and was freed to move to Ballymena United in January 2006 as cover for William McFrederick in Tommy Wright's new look team but only managed a handful of appearances at the end of the 2005/2006 season.

By the summer of 2006, he had slipped behind Paul Murphy and the emerging Sean O'Neill in the Showgrounds pecking order and was allowed to join Loughgall on loan in August 2006 for the first half of the season. He was eventually released by the Sky Blues in May 2007 and within a few weeks had completed a return to Armagh City under former Glenavon team-mate Gary McKinstry.

In June 2008, he answered David Jeffrey's call to join Linfield to provide cover for Alan Mannus in newly established IFA Premiership. Addis remained on the bench for the majority of the 2008/2009 campaign, playing only seven times with over half of these games in the Blues' run to the final of the County Antrim Shield which ended in defeat to Cliftonville.

Stuart remained as the back-up as Alan Mannus departed for Shamrock Rovers and was swiftly replaced by Ballymena United goalkeeper Alan Blayney. A shaky start to life at Windsor Park for the former Southampton goalkeeper, allowed Addis to step in and play a vital role throughout the season as the South Belfast club won back the Irish League title and lifted the Irish Cup. Stuart was an unused substitute in the showpiece final victory over Portadown but amassed 18 appearances over the course of the 2009/2010 season, it would be a season high total during his time at Linfield.

The following year Blayney returned to form and coupled with injury, left Stuart struggling for game time, This led to a short loan spell at his hometown club Lisburn Distillery in January 2011, helping Tommy Wright's side to victory in the semi-final of the League Cup against Newry City before returning to Windsor Park, to watch on as his team-mates won a second League and Cup double. The emergence of Ross Glendinning during 2011/2012 would spell the end of Addis' time at Linfield, but his time ended with a third consecutive League and Cup double as he moved on having made 38 appearances over four seasons.

Former Linfield team-mate Glenn Ferguson brought the goalkeeper back to Ballymena United for a third spell in June 2012 to compete with Dwayne Nelson for the number one jersey. The Sky Blues suffered an indifferent start to the season and following a heavy 8-0 defeat to Cliftonville with Nelson in goal, Addis found himself back in the team just in time for the County Antrim Shield final against Linfield in which will go down in club folklore with Addis' penalty saving heroics in the shootout ending the 23 year trophy drought at Warden Street.

Playing time at the Showgrounds always seemed to come in bursts for Stuart, as an injury to Nelson allowed for an extended run in the team through the Autumn of the 2013/2014 campaign before a badly dislocated finger suffered on Boxing Day against Coleraine would keep him out for the remainder of the season and mean missing out on the Irish Cup final against Glenavon. He returned to the first-team fold almost a year later after complications with the dislocation but following a run in the team, he was dropped for the League Cup final against Cliftonville after conceding five against Portadown the week before, as Ferguson swooped to bring in Australian Tim Allen for the remainder of the 2014/2015 season as his first choice keeper.

The 35-year-old was released in May 2015 and despite original indications that he may retire from the game, he was recruited by Dungannon Swifts in August for the 2015/2016 as cover for first choice Andy Coleman. Addis continues to roll back the years with the Swifts as a reliable figure when called upon between the sticks at Stangmore Park and also starred in the County Tyrone club's first major silverware when they defeated Ballymena United in the 2018 League Cup final at Windsor Park.

Stuart eventually transitioned into Rodney McAree’s goalkeeping coach at Stangmore Park and made emergency appearances between the sticks right up until the 2019/2020 season, as one of the oldest players in the Irish League having turned forty in the summer! The arrival of Dean Shiels as Swifts marked the end of his time at Dungannon, and after a short spell out of the game he returned to Armagh City as coach under Shea Campbell in 2021.

In June 2023 he returned to the Showgrounds for a fourth spell – this time as goalkeeping coach under his former team-mate and newly appointed manager Jim Ervin.

Career
(1993) Lisburn Youth; (1994) Glentoran; (1998) Dunmurry Rec; (Aug 1998) Glenavon; (Aug 1999) Armagh City – loan; (Feb 2002) Ballymena United – loan; (Jun 2002) Newry Town; (Jun 2004) Dungannon Swifts; (Jan 2006) Ballymena United; (Aug 2006) Loughgall – loan; (Aug 2007) Armagh City; (May 2008) Linfield; (Jan 2011) Lisburn Distillery – loan; (Jun 2012) Ballymena United; (Jun 2015) Dungannon Swifts; (2021) Armagh City

Honours
(with Glenavon)
Irish League: (runner-up) 2000/2001
League Cup: (finalist) 2000/2001
(with Linfield)
Irish League: (winner) 2009/2010, 2011/2012
Irish Cup: (winner) 2009/2010, 2011/2012
County Antrim Shield: (finalist) 2008/2009
(with Ballymena United)
County Antrim Shield: (winner) 2012/2013
League Cup: (finalist) 2014/2015
(with Dungannon Swifts)
Mid Ulster Cup: (winner) 2015/2016
League Cup: (winner) 2017/2018