31st Dec 03. Twas the Night Before Christmas ........ HERE
Crusaders game - Last day of 2003 - wonder what the New Year's resolution in the Oval Board room is gonna be eh? Answers on a postcard (Registered mail of course). I know what I want ........ Can we start the season tomorrow please :-)
We can? Ok, Seaview it is then - sitting comfortably? We shall begin ........
Once upon a time not so very long ago, (I'm sure quite a few of you remember), a certain Trevor Smith stepped up for the Glens to take a penalty kick in this wee ground, it was the last minute, and the situation was all too similiar to the one we find ourselves in now - only worse! If he missed, the Glens would almost certainly be getting relegated!
As Trevor stepped up at the Shore Road end of the ground, and hundreds of Glenmen held their breath ....... slow motion kicked in, (just like the movies). Trevor struck it low to the keepers left, the ball took an hour and a half to get there, before agonizingly hitting the base of the far post. A further hour passed as the ball then trundled along the goal line, behind and below the flailing arms and legs of the Crues keeper ...... and hit the base of the OTHER post!! Then, just at that moment, everything came back up to real time speed again (just like the movies), and as all the glenmen gasped at once (remember they'd been holding their breath for the last 2½ hours), the sudden blast of air blew the ball over the goal line, the referee whistled for time, and the Glens eventually went on to avoid the drop!! Well that's how I remember it anyway :-)
Moral of the story? If we all stick together we can get out of this mess, the League Title may well be gone, but there's still the County Antrim Shield and the Irish Cup to play for. We could still come out of this season with more trophies than anyone else, and rest assured we WILL have a major say as to where that League Title of ours finally goes!
No, this season's not over yet, not by a friggin long shot - far as I'm concerned ...... it only begins tomorrow!
Ballymac's bus will be leaving Wilgar Street at 2 o'clock .... ish ;-) Why not come along, after all, it is opening day :-)
Match Betting: Crusaders 3/1, Glentoran 4/5, and a draw 9/4. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
30th Dec 03. Remember ......... Thursday signals the opening of the transfer window again. Course it's not as if we need any players though is it ;-)
Institute travel to Omagh Town tonight in a League match, switched from New Years Day.
Update: Game off - apparently in all this frosty weather McCreadie's gotten lockjaw! (Well that's one New Year's wish granted ;-)
29th Dec 03. Crues game - Just a wee quick word ahead of the Crusaders game on New Years Day Roy - if that Glentoran side put in another display like they did on Boxing Day ................
27th Dec 03, 5.15pm. linfield swifts 1 Glentoran II's 2
The wee Glens showed the first team how it's supposed to be done, after duffing the scum's juniors at the swamp today in the Reserve League.
Glentoran 1 Scum 3
There are a few people I can think of out there, who need to have a good long hard look at themselves this morning.
It's not just this defeat, it's the manner in which it came about. The first 45 minutes from what's fast becoming an excuse for a Glentoran side yesterday was absolutely lamentable! No effort, little or no football, and for me, the most unforgivable of the lot ...... NO BALLS!
I would name names, but to be perfectly frank I wouldn't know where to start! Some will point to a much depleted squad, Leeper and Armour out suspended, Locky, Kilmartin and Scotty all on the sick list, Michael O'Neill and Andy Smith only half fit, but I'll tell you this .... that linfield side have gotta be the poorest table toppers I've seen in this country for donkeys, and we never even got a kick! Absolutely shameful, that's what it was!
I won't go into the refereeing, suffice to say good riddance to Mr Irvine.
24th Dec 03. Enjoy the Halliday! - I reckon our Michael has scored in some 5 out of the 7 or so games he's played in against the scum, since that winner he got in the 2001 Irish Cup Final. Take a braver man than me to bet against it happening again on Friday! The scene is set - be just what the 'Doc' ordered actually ;-) Have a good one everybody
23rd Dec 03. Early Betting - Boxing Day: Glentoran 13/8, linfield 13/8, and a draw 2/1. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
It's Irvine!! - Man in the middle at the Oval for Boxing Day is to be Leslie Irvine! It's not all bad news though, it'll be his last ever game as a referee here, he's hanging up his boots after the match! We've had more than one run-in at Glentoran with our Leslie over the years, let's hope he's not the type to carry a grudge eh ............ (BTW, the last 'Big Two' game I remember Irvine refereeing was the Irish Cup Final in 2001 ............. Happy Christmas Leslie mate ;-)
22nd Dec 03. Yer too dear Andy! McIlroy ends Stockport rumours ....... for now! HERE
20th Dec 03, 12.30pm. OMAGH TOWN GAME OFF! Waterlogged pitch folks, just have to go get blitzed now ;-)
19th Dec 03. Omagh Town game - Try as I might, I just can't get excited about this one, but then again, Omagh's one of the most miserable places on earth to visit at the best of times!
McCreadie of course will try to make us feel about as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool, but with rain forecast, the Glens goin bad, and Christmas just around the corner ........... my advice? Bring plenty of beer for the bus :-)
As for the League? Well let's be honest here, all the top teams need to have a real stinker of a festive programme don't they, and we need to have a real blinder - and that's just to get into a position where a European spot is a distant hope! At a time too when you need all hands at the pump, we're about to lose Darren Armour and Paul Leeman through suspension, Andy Smith's still out injured, Scott Young's got a broken leg, and even influential Michael O'Neill only seems fit for half a game! I suppose a win tomorrow would at least keep the mini revival going, but it's a long road ahead isn't it.
Tis the season to be jolly eh :-(
BTW, as it is the last game before Christmas ......... everybody feel free to buy me a drink - Ho Ho Ho :-)
Ballymac's bus leaves Wilgar Street at 1.15pm, cya there - other clubs buses at the link above.
Match Betting: Omagh Town 3/1, Glentoran 5/6, and a draw 11/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
16th Dec 03. Anybody else ............ hear of a recent change in staff at the Oval?
Update: It's Official - (it wasn't when I posted above early this morning - no matter what you're led to believe elsewhere).
Glentoran Secretary Margaret Stewart has indeed packed it in at the Oval from last Saturday.
I can assure you all that the Secretary's job at Glentoran FC is no cakewalk, I can also tell you a lesser person would have walked away from the job ages ago - long before the recent Gary Smyth fracas.
There will be those this morning who will derive some sort of pleasure at seeing Margaret go - I can assure you I am not one of them, far as I'm concerned her leaving is a backward step for Glentoran FC.
I would put on record my personal thanks for all Margaret has done for both myself and BallymacGSC over her 5 years in the job. We wish her well. Good luck to Alex McWilliams who takes over.
15th Dec 03. Suspended! - Just heard that Darren Armour and Paul Leeman will be given a one game suspension after the IFA's latest disciplinary meeting, both will now miss out on the Boxing Day game! Told you all those silly bookings would add up :-(
On the move? - Told you there'd be murmurs about the Oval move last week didn't I? Well if you believe the Sunday Life
yesterday we're off to the 'Billy Neill' playing fields in Dundonald! Nothing has been said 'Officially' yet, but I can tell you I'd heard the Billy Neill option mentioned before - but it's not the one I've heard rumoured lately! I do know the Glens have been looking at various options, and there's been all sorts of wee secret meetings going on over the last month or so. Whether you all want to travel 8 miles up the road every week though is a MAJOR concern to me - look at the Whites!
I ran a wee story on the Billy Neill site when it opened a few years ago, it's actually still there - have a look HERE
Update, 6.30pm - Stafford Reynolds is just off the box, and neither confirmed or denied the rumours surrounding the Billy Neill playing fields area. Like I said earlier, I've been hearing of a few options lately - don't rule any of them out yet!
14th Dec 03. Glentoran 4 Glenavon 0 - Well well well ........ didn't half sort Coyler out there didn't I :-) I know, I know, one swallow doesn't make a summer blah blah, but I'll tell ya this - it made my Saturday friggin night! Glenavon match report has now been moved HERE
12th Dec 03. Glenavon game - Coyler tells us confidence is still 'high' in the changing room, have patience and it'll turn. Well I don't know about you Roy, but I watched us play Ards last week and bar the last 10 minutes we were pedestrian. Possession counts for sh*t when you can't turn it into goals, and the Ards keeper didn't have a single save to make till half past four! 14 goals from 12 games isn't good enough, and that's including the one the IFA took away from us! A single win from the last 6 is an absolute disgrace for the reigning Champions of any League, Christ what's it gonna be like when our 'confidence' goes!!! No. Time for you to get the finger out Mr Coyle, and do what you're paid for - that's why we brought you here. You brought some of these players in Roy, and they're obviously not doing the business - promote someone who can! Sod all the possession, sod the 'confidence' - I really don't care how you do it ......... but start doing it tomorrow.
Match Betting: Glentoran 4/9, Glenavon 13/2, and a draw 13/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
9th Dec 03, 10.00pm. Limavady Utd - have just beaten Glenavon 3-2 to leave us 3rd from bottom :-(
Free downloads! - How do you fancy having the BallymacGSC Crest on your WAP phone ........ FREE! In fact all Irish and most English club logos can be had as well :-) The facility has been set up on the Dundela FC website, all they ask in return is that you consider making a small donation to their chosen charity - BREAST CANCER CARE. To download the Ballymac logo, simply type the following address into your WAP phone and when the image is received hit SAVE - http://dundelafc.co.uk/wap/bm.gif - For other club logo's and further download information please visit the following LINK
Omagh Town switch? - The Glens away trip to St Julians Road scheduled for Saturday week could be switched to the Friday night, if Mac 'the mouth' gets his way. The Omagh manager has asked the Glens to play the League tie on the 19th. I thought there may be a likelyhood of this happening given the 20th is the last Saturday before Christmas, but I've been pressing the Glens for weeks and still no word. Keep your ear to the ground.
Don't Forget! - Glentoran Colts take on Glenavon III's tomorrow night at Seaview in the Youth Cup Final - ko 7.45pm.
8th Dec 03. On the move? - Expect an update on the new ground move some time this week.
7th Dec 03. Ards 2 Glentoran 1 - Match report coming as soon as I can get to a computer ;-) BTW - Scott Young is in hospital with his leg broken in TWO places.
5th Dec 03. Old Year's Night - Anyone hoping to attend the Old Year's Night function in the refurbished Ballymac clubrooms get your finger out! There are still a few tickets left, but soon as they're gone that's it. Entertainment on the night will be provided by 'Electric Avenue' and it's still only a tenner in. Don't be disappointed - get in touch asap.
Gutes Glück Nordirland! - It's World Cup 2006 draw day today folks, get those German phrase books out! Proceedings get underway in Frankfurt at 4.00pm, and teams will be divided into three groups of seven and five groups of six. You'll be surprised I'm sure to hear Northern Ireland have NOT been included among the 8 seeds! The top side in each group will qualify for the finals automatically, along with the two best-placed runners-up. The other six second-placed teams will then be paired off to play each other over two-legged play-offs for the remaining three places. Think I'll get another flying pig ready!
Update, 5.30pm - It's England and Wales!! Talk about falling on your feet! With nearby Poland and Austria also thrown in, the IFA will be absolutely delighted! The only stinker from today's draw is an away trip to Azerbaijan. Maybe we could leave a few of the 'Rules and Revisions' Committee behind after that one ;-)
Ards game - What's to say I haven't already? No more if's and but's, you all know the score. On the team front, Chris Walker should make a return, although I hear Andy Smith will be a while longer, otherwise I guess it'll be as you were on Tuesday. Rest assured this won't be easy either, Ards posse of ex Glenmen will be well up for this one, and eager to twist the knife even more at Bangor's Clandyboye Park. With only a point separating the sides going into the game, I'm sorry to say it has all the makings of a real mid-table dogfight. Unfortunately .......... it won't be the last. My advice - get used to it!
Ballymac's bus leaves Wilgar Street at 2.15pm, you'll find some of the other clubs running a bus at the link above.
Match Betting: Ards 5/2, Glentoran EVENS, and a draw 11/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
4th Dec 03. Boxing Day - Admission prices for the Oval Boxing Day clash with the scum have just been released. Season tickets are of course valid, otherwise £7 and £5 will get you a stand seat, while it'll cost you just a fiver for a place on the terraces - whatever age. Meanwhile come back 7 days later for the League visit of mighty Limavady United .......
....... and that same standing room goes up to 7 quid! Am I missing something here?
3rd Dec 03. Glentoran 0 Coleraine 1 - Dear oh dear - never rains does it! Huffed and puffed, hit the woodwork 3 times, Darren Armour misses a penalty kick right at the end, and ex Glenman Gary Haveron scores a candidate for 'goal of the season' to sink us yet again :-( Match report can now be found HERE
Coleraine game - Hope it doesn't rain eh? No Chris Walker (suspended), and doubts surrounding the fitness of Andy Smith and Leeper, although I'm delighted to say I hear Darren Lockhart is available once again - he's been sorely missed. A win here tonight could see us leap to the lofty heights of 6th in the table too, and just 7 points behind our opponents! Then again, as they say in the Chinkies down the road - "A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step." So there you have it, said it on Friday, we win this one or we start looking forward to the 5th round of the Irish Cup in January. QPR have no game tonight so I'll definitely be at the Oval for the 7.45pm kick-off ;-) You know something too? Despite all the doom and gloom .. I actually fancy us!!!
It's the scum ....... again! - Semi-Final draw for this season's County Antrim Shield has once again paired the Glens with the scum, this time at the Oval on Weds 4th Feb. If you remember it was at this stage last season that Tim McCann won it with his first ever strike against his favourite team, an extra time 'Golden Goal' winner over at the swamp (watched by a packed Kop Stand HERE). Two years ago we duffed them once again, in the Final at the Oval 2-0, while the season before we lost out 2-1 at the swamp, (the only game incidentally, we've lost in this competition in the last 5 years)!!
Ballymena United play Ards in the other semi the night before.
1st Dec 03. Boxing Day Draw - There's to be a special draw for the Half n' Half at the Oval this coming Boxing Day. Ballots at the big game will cost £2 each, and I'm told the people running it are confident the winner on the day will lift between £1000 - £2000. Anyone willing to help by taking a few to sell at their work or supporters club etc. would be greatly appreciated. Contact Tommy McKee at 07802 354696, or by email tommymckee@glentoran.net
