Glentoran F.C. are a football club from Northern Ireland and current IFA Premiership champions. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.
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| Full name | Glentoran Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Glens or The Cock 'n' Hens | ||
| Founded | 1882 | ||
| Ground | The Oval, Belfast | ||
| Capacity | 10,000 | ||
| Chairman | Aubrey Ralph | ||
| Manager | Scott Young | ||
| League | IFA Premiership | ||
| 2008/09 | 1st | ||
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Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield. Linfield and Glentoran are nicknamed Belfast's Big Two as they have traditionally dominated local football in Northern Ireland since the demise of Belfast Celtic. The two play a league match on Boxing Day each year,[1] which regularly attracts the largest attendance of the Irish League season.
Many former Glentoran players have gone on to play for teams in England and Scotland, such as Danny Blanchflower, Peter Doherty, Bertie Peacock, Billy Bingham, Jimmy McIlroy, Terry Conroy, Tommy Jackson and Tommy Cassidy. More recent examples are Glen Little, Stuart Elliott, Andy Kirk and Andy Smith, with Elliott a member of the Northern Ireland squad.
History
In 1914, Glentoran won the Vienna Cup, becoming the first Irish team to win a European trophy, although as this competition took place several decades before the formation of UEFA, it is not recognised as such.[2]
George Best watched Glentoran with his grandfather as a youth, but was rejected by the club for being "too small and light". However, Best did make one appearance for Glentoran, in the club's centenary match against Manchester United.[3]
In 1964-65, Glentoran faced Panathinaikos in the European Cup and drew 2-2 at home and lost 3-2 away. In the following season's Fairs Cup, they faced Antwerp resulting a 1-0 defeat away and 3-3 draw at home. The Cup-Winners' Cup in 1966-67 saw Glentoran draw 1-1 with Rangers in front of a packed Oval before losing the away leg 4-0.
Glentoran's finest hour came in a European Cup encounter with Benfica in 1967. The tie was played over two legs, the first being at the Oval. Glentoran scored a penalty early on and held out for nearly sixty minutes until football great Eusébio equalised. The match ended 1-1. The return tie was at Benfica's famous Estádio da Luz. Part-time Glentoran were expected to crumble under the pressure of the occasion, but again held out for a famous draw. Benfica advanced to the next round on the away goals rule. Glentoran were the first team to lose out to this rule and the first team to stop Benfica scoring at home.[4]
In 1967, the club ran the Detroit Cougars football franchise in the United Soccer Association.[5]
In 1973-74, Glentoran reached the quarter-finals of the Cup-Winners' Cup. They faced Borussia Mönchengladbach in the quarter-finals and were beaten 2-0 and 5-0. Four seasons later they faced Juventus in a European Cup match and lost 1-0 at home (Warren Feeney missing a late penalty) and 5-0 away.
In 1981-82, Glentoran reached the second round of the European Cup and faced eventual semi-finalists CSKA Sofia. After a 2-0 defeat away, Glentoran went 2-0 up in the return leg to force the game into extra time. The final result was 2-1, Glentoran going out 3-2 on aggregate.
The 2002-03 season was one of the club's most successful in recent times. Of a potential four trophies, Glentoran won three, capturing the Irish League championship, Irish League Cup and County Antrim Shield but fell at the final hurdle, losing the Irish Cup Final 1-0 to Coleraine.
On 23 April 2005, Glentoran defeated their rivals Linfield in the second last game but one of the league season. In the 93rd minute of the match, Glentoran, who needed victory in order to have a chance of clinching the league title, scored a goal via their centre forward (and former Linfield player) Chris Morgan. The goal sealed the victory for Glentoran. There were confrontations between the two sets of fans following the match. Hooliganism was commonplace at matches between the clubs in the past. However this has reduced significantly in recent years.[6]
After eight years in charge of Glentoran, Roy Coyle resigned as manager after a string of indifferent results. On 14 February 2006 the club announced that former Newry City manager Paul Millar was to take over the manager's position.[7] Since taking over, performances improved and he led his team into the Irish Cup final with rivals Linfield. Despite taking the lead in the first half, Linfield won the game with two goals from Peter Thompson. He also lead his new club to their biggest ever defeat against their bitter cross-city rivals Linfield in a 6-0 defeat at Windsor Park. The Glens have sought to reduce the gap between them and Linfield by signing Kyle Neill and Gary Hamilton from Portadown and re-signing former fan's favourite Gary Smyth. Also arriving was another former player, Jason Hill, former Portadown and Newry City player Cullen Feeney and promising young keeper Ciaran McLaughlin from Ards.
Paul Millar was sacked as manager on May 17 2007 after less than fifteen months in the job, having steered the club to two successive seasons finishing second in the League behind Linfield. He had the backing of chairman Stafford Reynolds, but the majority of the board and fans wanted his departure. The start of his second season in charge had looked promising. As Glentoran led the league summit, they were five points clear of Linfield at Christmas. Arguably ten minutes of football wrecked what looked to be a very successful campaign. Glentoran were leading Portadown 2 - 1 with eighty-five minutes gone. Two late goals sealed Glentoran's first defeat of the season and ultimately led to successive defeats, and the slight climax (8-0 vs. Armagh City). Fans were disappointed with the style of football displayed by the team in the later months of Millar's reign.
On May 24 2007 former Crusaders and Glenavon manager Roy Walker was appointed as Glentoran manager along with assistant manager Billy Sinclair. Walker previously led Crusaders to two league titles in 1995 and 1997. After leaving football management for seven years, Walker became a football analyst with BBC Radio Ulster. He was quoted as saying, "Glentoran were my boyhood team and are probably the only club which could have attracted me back."[8]
However, on May 26 2007 it was revealed that Walker would not be able to take up the post, due to not possessing the necessary UEFA coaching qualifications.[9]
Less than one week later Glentoran appointed head coach Alan McDonald as manager. Roy Walker gracefully walked away but stated in the Belfast Telegraph that he would not rest until director of football Tom Dick stood down. Mr Dick then did so, but also criticised the club chairman Stafford Reynolds. Reynolds replied with a statement confirming that he would step down, but only if the right man could be found to take over. Alan McDonald, the new manager, has so far secured former Glentoran player Rory Hamill, Daryl Fordyce from Portsmouth, winger Jamie McGovern from West Bromwich Albion and Dungannon Swifts winger David Scullion and has given Chris Morgan and Tim McCann new contracts. Darren Lockhart left the club at the same time to join Crusaders on a one year load deal along with defender Gary Smith. In January Glentoran managed to bring in Shane Mcabe from Dungannon and Darren Boyce from Coleraine.[10]
Recent history
Glentoran have finished three successive seasons second to Treble Double Champions Linfield. Since then, notable signings at the club include Matthew Burrows, from Dundela (where he scored fifty-three goals last term), Johnny Taylor (from Hearts) and former Lisburn Distillery player Andy Waterworth for a fee of £30,000. Glentoran's build up to the season included friendlies against Hearts, Burnley and Ipswich. However, Glentoran's start to the season was delayed by a referee strike led by their association's Chairman, David Malcolm, citing higher wage demands. This ultimately postponed all week one fixtures. The following week, in the game against Glenavon, Glentoran's pitch was declared unplayable. Matches against Bangor and then Linfield were cancelled, and this led to Glentoran facing Bangor in the first Irish League game to be played on a Sunday. The historic scoreline was 1-0.
Glentoran have also unexpectedly reached the final of the Setanta Sports Cup 2008, a cup in which the top four clubs from both the Irish League and League of Ireland play each other. Glentoran defeated Linfield with a 4-1 win, making the group a more open competition. This was followed up by a 1-0 win in a home match again St. Patrick's Athletic. In the final on 13 October 2008, Glentoran were defeated by League of Ireland side Cork City 2-1 at Turners Cross.
On the 2nd May 2009 Glentoran won the first ever Irish Premiership by defeating Cliftonville 3-1 at The Oval. This was their first league title since a 2005 win, ending Linfield's 3 year dominance on all fronts. Alan McDonald would in the coming weeks sign a new 2 year contract with the club after much speculation, keeping him there until 2011. Glentoran's only summer signings for 2009 was Richard Clarke from Newry City and Northern Ireland international Keith Gillespie on a free transfer.
Redevelopment
In March 2003, the club's board of directors advised the shareholders of Glentoran Recreation Company Ltd to sell the Oval to a property development holding company called Girona. To date no new ground has materialised. A campaign waged by a group of volunteer supporters called Rest In East, was then set up to keep the club in east Belfast. The club's Board of directors have suggested moving close to a town called Comber, well outside the city bounds of Belfast, which the majority of supporters firmly oppose.
On November 3, 2005 a fans forum voted 417-0 in favour of forming Glentoran Community Trust, the first supporters' trust to be formed in Northern Ireland. It was officially formed on 15 May 2006 and registered with the Registry of Companies Belfast under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 -1978. The trust sits completely independent of the parent club, giving the ordinary non-shareholding supporter a voice.[11] On the 29th of January 2008, the GCT took another historic step in giving the fans a voice, when one of its members, Stephen Henderson was elected to the board of directors by the shareholders of Glentoran FC.
Trivia
- In 1995 Glentoran played their traditional Boxing Day match against Linfield on a snow-covered pitch. In the first half the orange ball was damaged, and not having a replacement the teams were forced to play with a white ball for the remainder of the game. The incident was used as a "What Happened Next" question on the BBC's A Question of Sport.[12]
- The 1985 Irish Cup final between the big two saw another famous incident. Glentoran supporters brought a cockerel, the club's emblem, to the match and a pig, painted in royal blue colour, the colour of bitter rivals linfield. The two animals stayed on the sidelines for the duration of the match. Glentoran fans also brought a cockerel to the 2006 Irish Cup final, it too stayed on the sidelines for the duration, Glentoran lost the game 2-1, thus ending their unbeaten post-war record against Linfield in Irish Cup finals. This run of 5 victories over Linfield in post-war finals which started in 1966 continued until Glentoran's defeat in the 2006 final.[13]
- In Roy Coyle's first cup final in charge he gave up the right to lead the team out, instead he asked long serving Kitman Teddy Horner have this honour.
Honours
Senior honours
- Irish League/Irish Premier League/IFA Premiership: 23
- Irish Cup: 20
- 1913/14, 1916/17, 1920/21, 1931/32, 1932/33, 1934/35, 1950/51, 1965/66, 1972/73, 1982/83, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1989/90, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2003/04
- Irish League Cup: 7
- 1988/89, 1990/91, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2006/07, 2009/10
- County Antrim Shield: 25
- 1900/01, 1901/02, 1910/11, 1915/16, 1917/18, 1924/25, 1930/31, 1939/40, 1940/41, 1943/44, 1949/50, 1950/51, 1951/52, 1956/57, 1967/68, 1970/71, 1977/78, 1984/85, 1986/87, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2007/08*
- Ulster Cup: 9
- 1950/51, 1952/53, 1966/67, 1976/77, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1988/89, 1989/90
- Gold Cup: 15
- 1916/17, 1941/42, 1950/51, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1965/66, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1982/83, 1986/87, 1991/92, 1994/95, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01
- City Cup: 18
- 1896/97, 1898/99, 1910/11, 1911/12, 1913/14, 1914/15, 1915/16, 1916/17, 1918/19, 1931/32, 1950/51, 1952/53, 1956/57, 1964/65, 1966/67, 1969/70, 1972/73, 1974/75
- Floodlit Cup: 2
- 1987/88, 1989/90
- County Antrim Centenary Chalice: 1
- 1987/88
- Vienna Cup: 1
- 1913/14
- Inter-city Cup: 1
- 1943/44
- Blaxnit Cup: 1
- 1972/73
Intermediate honours
- Irish League B Division/B Division Section 2/Reserve League: 9
- 1958/59†, 1985/86†, 1986/87†, 1989/90†, 1992/93†, 1995/96†, 1997/98†, 2001/02†, 2002/03†
- Irish Intermediate Cup: 9
- 1894/95†, 1898/99†, 1909/10†, 1913/14†, 1916/17†, 1918/19†, 1931/32†, 1941/42†, 1962/63†
- George Wilson Cup: 8
- 1965/66†, 1966/67†, 1979/80†, 1986/87†, 2000/01†, 2001/02†, 2002/03†, 2004/05†
- Steel & Sons Cup: 9
- 1904/05†, 1908/09†, 1910/11†, 1914/15†, 1918/19†, 1932/33†, 1937/38†, 1957/58†, 1965/66†, 1966/67†, 1989/90†, 2000/01†, 2001/02†
† Won by Glentoran II (reserve team)
Junior honours
- Irish Junior Cup: 1
- 1889/90†
† Won by Glentoran II (reserve team)
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Former managers
References
External links
- Official Website
- Glentoran Community Trust - the first ever Supporters Trust in Northern Ireland
- Rest in East - Fans' Campaign to keep the club in East Belfast
- Forza TV - Glentoran Match Highlights & Interviews
- BallymacGSC.com - Popular Supporters Club Website & Away Bus Information
- Irish Football Club Project
- nifootball.co.uk (fixtures, results and tables of all leagues in Northern Ireland)
- Club Captain