Old News - August 2007
31st Aug 07. GCT in Glens Youth teams sponsorship ... HERE
Distillery game - Match Betting: Glentoran 1/2, Distillery 11/2, and a draw 13/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
29th Aug 07. Deja Vu?
BBC headline 1st September 2006 - Walker joins Armagh in loan deal ...
BBC headline 29th August 2007 - Smyth moves to Crues in loan deal ... almost to the very day ... you decide.
28th Aug 07. Glentoran 2 Comber Rec 0 - Dean Fitzgerald twice. Line-up: Morris, McGovern, Hill, S Ward, Smyth, Ben Browne, Fitzgerald, Berry, McCann, M Ward, Hamill. Michael Ward the only starter from Saturday! Elliott Morris off injured and replaced by Wayne Drummond (15 years old I think). Anyway, in tonights 8 County Antrim Shield ties, NOT ONE of the Junior sides managed a goal against Irish League opposition ... and conceded 26 between them! Results page updated.
Halfers ... was won by Wilbur Graham 5610. Wilbur won £150 at a poorly attended game. Better than a poke in the eye!
26th Aug 07. Glentoran 3 Larne 2 - God help us if Gary hamilton ever gets injured, 2 more today from the Glens striker to take his personal tally to 7 in 3 games! League table now updated ...
Halfers winner v Larne was ... Matt Meeke with the ticket no; 5108 Matt won £410
24th Aug 07. Larne game - Not a lot more to say from the pre-match write up I did on the Whites game last week, at this stage of the season we really should be far fitter and sharper than most other Irish League sides, and nobody in this group
Match Betting: Glentoran 3/10, Larne 8/1, and a draw 10/3. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
23rd Aug 07. Paul Leeman Neil "Razor" Ruddock Gala Dinner ... HERE
20th Aug 07. DOGHOUSE TO GET THE 125 BIRTHDAY PARTY STARTED AT THE PA! More at GCTni.com HERE
19th Aug 07. Lis Distillery 1 Glentoran 2 - A goal either side of half-time from the best striker in the league by a mile Gary Hamilton enough to secure the points yesterday, but it weren't pretty I can tell you! A wins a win as they say, and of course it is still very early days, but I saw more than a few heads shakin on those terraces already yesterday ...
A good start, but still a fair bit away yet. League Table updated
17th Aug 07. ONE FINAL PUSH ... Response to the Ghana Glens Academy appeal over on the GCT website has been absolutely astounding! Since the GCT started taking sponsors for the Girls team just yesterday 19 of them have already gone!! With the girls squad numbering 25 in total, that means only 6 children remain of the 75 in the whole Academy still to find a sponsor! Worth considering folks, if all 75 of these kids find a sponsor that's going to be at least £1,500 to send to the Academy in sponsorship money alone, never mind the pin-badge sales and fixture lists to come out next week! Absolutely tremendous stuff! Let's have one final push and see if we can get these last 6 kids paired off. Click here for more
Remember tonight ... 1st Glens Northern Ireland Supporters Club ... are holding a "Night at the Riots" in the Ballymac's Wilgar Street clubrooms (Fri 17th Aug). Doors open at 7.30pm with "Rioting" getting underway around 8.30, and entrance is free! A few rioters still remain unsold at £5 each and a couple of riots are still without a sponsor (£25), anyone interested in buying/sponsoring a riot/rioter please email glensnisc@hotmail.com. The Races will be followed by a spot of Karaoke and all visitors are very welcome to come along for a good nights craic!
Distillery game - As you were? Don't see why not, Elliott Morris won't be fit yet and still don't think Sean Ward's available. Be a good one to win this after that shocker we had there back in January this year, I know it can be hard enough at Ballyskeagh but losing that day in the fashion we did, and against 10 men ...!! No, it's payback time tomorrow, and a chance to bate it up a few of those half-baked bluedogs that can't be arsed going to the swamp and call themselves Whites fans. At this stage of the season and given the games we have under our belt already we should be far fitter and sharper than most other Irish League sides, and until they all catch up I would expect no less than a few more convincing wins in this competition ... starting tomorrow. Be interesting to get a look at Gary Browne too won't it ;-) 4/5's a gimme.
Match Betting: Distillery 3/1, Glentoran 4/5, and a draw 23/10. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
16th Aug 07. Liepajas Metalurgs v AIK Solna ... in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the UEFA Cup tonight folks, ko 5.30pm and you can follow the score at the 'LIVE' link above. ** AIK were beaten 3-2 after being 2-0 down at half-time.
Unbelievable response to Ghana Glens Sponsorship! - The generousity of Glentoran fans never fails to amaze, the Glentoran Academy in Ghana sponsorship appeal was on the GCT website last night for just over a couple of hours and ALL 50 children are now sponsored! The response to the project has been so tremendously successful the GCT have decided to see if the generousity of Glentoran fans will stretch to the Ghana Glens Academy Girls team! A list of the girls names has now been requested from Christopher at the Academy in Sunyani. The deal is the same as for the boys, £20 and your name will appear in both the Glentoran Gazette and on GCTni.com for the entire 2007/08 season. Please keep those pledges coming in folks, I can tell you the GCT received a call from Ghana late last night and the children at the Academy are absolutely overwhelmed by your support, hopefully there'll be a few grand off to Ghana by early next month!
Give yourselves a very well deserved pat on the back! Click HERE for more ...
15th Aug 07. Just £20 will get your name in the "Glentoran Gazette" for the whole of the 2007-08 season ...
AND sponsor a child at the Glentoran Football Academy in Ghana for a year ... MORE
14th Aug 07. Careful where you put your hands ... things are not always what they appear ...
Away bus info ... Once again any clubs wanting their away bus info on the site this season drop me a line!
13th Aug 07. A wee quiz ... one of those close-up pics. Anybody any idea what the picture below is?
12th Aug 07. Glentoran 6 Armagh City 0 - Excellent stuff! Expected no less after the very searching pre-season we've had but must say the Glens did not disappoint! Glentoran completely overwhelmed Armagh yesterday, and quite frankly the 6-0 scoreline flattered the away side. Gary Hamilton looked as dangerous as I've ever seen him and but for some seriously dodgy refereeing and the woodwork could have doubled the hat-trick he finally had to settle for. New boys Fordyce and Scullion also got on the scoresheet, and I know Colin Nixon would have been absolutely delighted with his effort and the Glens 4th. Rome wasn't built in a day as they say, but I must say it's been a long time since I've been entertained by a Glentoran team like I was yesterday. Chuffed to bits :-)
Halfers Draw v Armagh ... was won by Stanley Titterington with the ticket 4557 Stanley (a former Gazette editor from Castlereagh GSC) won £430
GCT KOPPARBERG WINNERS WERE ... Stewart Mawhinney, Gary Cowan, Jeff King, David McCreadie, & Tommy Craig.
10th Aug 07. Armagh game - Ballymac will be open from 1.00pm if u fancy a quick pint. Let the games begin ...
I think it's fair to say the League Cup has been fairly good to us over recent years. The only final we haven't contested of the last 7 was that of 2003-04, when they kicked us out of the competition at the semi-final stage as part punishment over the Gary Smyth registration cock-up. Of the remaining 6 finals that we were allowed to contest we've managed to win 4, including last years 1-nil defeat of Cliftonville - the only silverware incidentally to have sat on the Oval shelves since err ... well actually since we last won the bloody thing some 3 years ago! I suppose you could be forgiven for having a wee bit of a soft spot for it :-) Now all due respect to Armagh tomorrow folks, but given the games we have below our belt already this season, if the Glens don't win this one at a canter on the way to topping yet another easy CIS Cup group, then we really should start getting concerned! Match Betting: Glentoran 1/4, Armagh 9/1, and a draw 4/1. All odds by TOALS bookmakers
9th Aug 07. 5 CASES OF KOPPARBERG CIDER UP FOR GRABS!!
Glentoran 0 Man Utd 3 ... Gotta say a pleasure to see the Oval 'bunged' again last night, brought back many happy memories indeed. The fact the Ronaldo's and Rooney's of this world weren't on show did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the bumper crowd, and I take my hat off to everyone down Mersey Street who put in all the hard work to make it happen. The game itself was never really in doubt of course, but the entrance fee for me was worth it alone for that 'Nani' goal, and an absolutely first class performance from Glens captain Paul Leeman. I hope the Glens made an absolute fortune! Great stuff! Wouldn't it be great if it was like this all the time ...
Halfers - The draw v Manchester United was won by Michael Anderson, who said that his nephew Jordan Anderson and friend Dean Craig brought him luck! Michael won £500 with the ticket 2967 and the organiser would like to apologise to all those who could not buy a ticket. Operational difficulties meant that the vast majority of the bumper crowd were unable to buy tickets for the draw. Hopefully we can learn from this, and if we are lucky enough to get a game like this again in the future, we will get a bumper payout for the winner. (although I don't think Michael is complaining) Thanks again for your support. Tommy McKee
8th Aug 07. Man U seconds it is ... No Ferguson, No Ronaldo, No Van der Sar, No Tevez, No Scholes, No Rooney, No Giggs ... looks like the Milk Cup team have stayed on an extra week. No friggin Joke!
6th Aug 07. Another year - Another damp squib :-( Well so much for that eh! Enthusiasm well and truly drained before yet another season has begun, and 200+ Glentoran fans left with egg on the face in yet another European backwater. I'll tell you what, if you're a seasoned European traveller and happened to miss Allianssi 3 years ago you have my deepest sympathy, because quite frankly that's as good as it's gonna get unless you plan to live for another 125 years. All this "Roll the sleeves up" rhetoric we have to listen to every year counts for nothing when you're a supporter sitting with your face in your hands (again), the laughing stock of Europe, and paying big money every year for the privilege! I thought our 6-2 hammering at the hands of Shelbourne 2 years back was a low ebb, but I tell ya, 9 friggin nil? Five shots we had in 180 minutes of football against a team 4 from bottom of their league, the opposition keeper having to move just once. You can analyse it from now til doomsday folks, but the sad fact remains I remember not so long ago if we lost in Europe at least we could hold our heads up after the game, not anymore. I have good friends (converted to Glenmen) all over Europe and I can't even bring myself to open their emails. We just can't compete. It's not just the players fault, I have no doubt they done their best, but sadly their best just isn't good enough right now. If we are serious about European football our league needs drastically re-structured and played in the summer, players need to be fitter and faster, and at the very least need to know who and where the guy next to him is! That ain't gonna happen after 4 friendlies and still a stone overweight after your summer holidays, that's if you're even back from your holidays! After 16 European trips over 20-odd years even I'm having my doubts now, just 6 goals I've seen us score away from home in all that time ... for God's sake a second-rate Swedish outfit got near that many at the Oval 2 weeks ago!!! Oh we're goin places alright, and fast ... unfortunately for us we're stuck in reverse! Waste of time and supporters money ... never mind my friggin liver! Says it all when the highlight of the match is the Freelance lads holding the 6-foot AIK Squirrel mascot hostage til they get their flag back!
Sure there's always next year eh, and we'll learn from the experience ... my bo****ks!
1st Aug 07. Sverige här vi komma!
7th Aug 07. No drink at the Oval? That's what I hear, unless your brown-nosin it in the hospitality tent that is. Unofficial, but rumour has it there was a problem with insurance cover for beer tents inside the ground for us ordinary 'Joe Soaps', so it looks like it's gonna be a dry night for you and me! Remember though the Ballymac will be open from 3pm Wednesday til about 6.45pm or thereabouts. All visitors are of course very welcome to drop in for a pint and a yarn before the big game. So why not avoid the big crowds and leave the car at Wilgar Street, then dander down to the Oval for the 7.45pm kick-off. We're also open again immediately after the match :-)
Ronaldo confirmed ... ? Just received confirmation that Cristiano Ronaldo could be strutting his stuff at the Oval tomorrow night. Alex Ferguson has confirmed he may be parading the Portuguese star, together with Edwin Van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, and new signings 'Nani', and Brazilian Anderson.
Special Souvenier Programme for Utd friendly ... Wednesday nights Man U friendly will also feature a special souvenier programme. Over 3,500 copies of the A4-sized "Glentoran Gazette" have been produced for the game, and are packed with 48 pages of full colour features and interviews. Priced just £5 they're bound to sell out fast so be sure to pick up your copy early!
Remember too folks ... please dig deep for Ghana Glens ...
Remember folks the "Ghana Glens" Football Academy Pin-badges have arrived and will be on sale at the Oval tomorrow. The metal Badges, commisioned by the GCT, are available for just £3 each, and EVERY PENNY of profit from the sale will go directly to the Academy in Ghana to help fund the ground-breaking initiative. The kids are in dire need of funding folks, so please dig deep, 3 quid could go a long long way in Africa. More details of the venture can be found HERE
Glentoran Community Trust members who travelled to Sweden for the recent AIK v's Glentoran UEFA Cup tie could be going home from Saturday's Armagh CIS Cup clash with a free case of Kopparberg Cider! Visit GCTni.com for more ...
Click on the image to reveal all ...
... literally!
Stockholm parade pic no. 2 ...
yez don't know what you missed ;-)
Move your mouse over the image for a closer look ;-)
should be getting near us - especially at the Oval. Larne have had 2 home games so far, a 1-1 draw with the Whites and beating a hapless Armagh team 3-1 last week. Only 2 points separate us going into tomorrows fixtures, I expect it to be 5 come close of business. Need to be a marked improvement on last weeks showing though, when I thought we looked far too ordinary for long spells. Wonder will big Alan make any changes now Sean Ward's back available?
Remember too, the GCT will have a pre-match stall in the Oval car-park tomorrow. Available will be the new GFC 07-08 fixture lists for a small donation of at least 50p to the Ghana Academy HERE. You'll also be able to grab the remaining Ghana Glens pin-badges, and pay any sponsorship money owed to the Academy youngsters. That and an opportunity to renew your GCT membership or finally sign up :-)
13 years and £100,000 ... take a bow Tommy McKee! HERE
Comber Rec game - First round of the County Antrim Shield tonight, Amateur League side Comber Rec at the Oval. Fair to say the Shield will be well down Alan McDonalds list of priorities this season, so I imagine we'll have a fairly mixed 11 out there for this one. Shouldn't matter who plays though, should still be far too strong for the visitors, who have scored just a solitary goal in their 4 League starts this season. Please note, Kick-off tonight is 7.30pm, 6 quid and 4 quid in, and no season tickets.
