31st Jan 04, 11am. MATCH OFF! - Bad news folks, today's match has been rained off!
30th Jan 04. Newry game - Hands up who knows the last time we lost to Newry Town? No? Well it was way back on 8th November 2000 - some 14 meetings ago! If you recall it came at the Oval too, in the first leg of a two-legged Gold Cup Semi-Final, we lost 1-0. A fortnight later we went off to the Marshes and turned them over 3-1, to go through to the Final 3-2 on aggregate. That was the last year of the famous old Gold Cup, and the final against Coleraine at the swamp turned out to be a 4-3 classic - yet another trophy for the Glens :-) The last time we lost away to Newry incidentally was in October 1999! Has anybody told the 'GUB'! Yip, new manager Mac 'the mouth' McCreadie will be hoping to put that record right tomorrow. It must be said though, the only 3 games they've lost at home all season, were by a single goal to each of the top 3 clubs! So what about us. Four wins and a draw since the turn of the year sees us back up to 6th spot in the table, a point behind Ballymena United. A win, and should the Sky blues fail to beat the Crues at Seaview and we're 5th, against 14th just four short weeks ago! How times can change. Once again Coyler should have everyone fit bar wee Scotty (assuming Locky hasn't got that chicken flu yet), but it'll be interesting to see his selection with the Shield Semi-Final coming up on Wednesday. No matter, league football tomorrow and hopefully another good result to keep confidence high for next week.
Ballymac's bus will be leaving at 1.45pm, you're welcome to come along, some other buses can be found at the link above. And don't forget those roadwork's I told you about on the back road to Lisburn. C'mon the Glens :-)
Match Betting: Newry Town 3/1, Glentoran 4/5, and a draw 12/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
29th Jan 04. Walker out! - Chris Walker must sit out next Wednesday's Oval Shield Semi-Final clash with the scum. Big 'Wooly' has been given a one match ban in the latest round of IFA suspensions, effective from Monday 2nd February!
Share why not! - At Monday night's AGM at the Oval, recently elected Director Tom Neill outlined a proposed new scheme, which he hopes will generate extra income for Glentoran FC. Basically the idea is that supporters would agree to open a facility with their bank, and make a voluntary donation of £10.00 a month to the club. Reward for taking part in the venture is unfortunately nothing more than the feel good factor, ie, knowing that deep down you're doing your bit for the Glens. I can't remember all that was said at the meeting, but we're promised more details on the scheme in the coming weeks. In the meantime though, one concerned supporter has sent off a suggestion to Glens Chairman Stafford Reynolds, proposing an incentive to get punters interested, and encourage them to subscribe. As of yet he's received no reply, so has sent me in a copy.
I thought I'd put it on the site just to see what the rest of you think. Have a look HERE
28th Jan 04. Where's Conor? Wondering where Conor Walsh has gotten too?
You'd be forgiven for thinking the 21 year old, who made 6 starts for the Glens recently and 3 from the bench, has just vanished into thin air! Well I hear different. My wee bird tells me his contract ended at the Oval about 3 weeks ago. Word is he's been offered a new 3 year deal but hasn't made up his mind yet, but in the meantime is turning out for Drumaness Mills - he played against Killyleagh YC last weekend in a league game!!
Leeper Re-Signs! Paul Leeman will be staying with the Glens until the end of season 2007-08 ......... at least!
I'm absolutely delighted to tell you the Glens favourite utility player last night agreed a further 4½ year deal with Roy Coyle, taking his time at the Oval to 15 years - from he was a 16 year old kid in 1993, right up to the ripe old age of 31! Already a clear candidate for 'Player of the Year' this season, it's fantastic news for all Glentoran fans :-)
Money just couldn't buy what Paul Leeman gives us.
27th Jan 04. Have Your Say - The Glens were pressed at last night's AGM, to promise to consult the fans before a final decision was made on where to relocate the club. The Billy Neill playing fields out at Comber is the one place strongly rumoured as to where the Glens are in favour of, and it was confirmed last night that it is one of the options they are considering. Negotiations have been going on behind the scenes for months, possibly years, and it became abundantly clear last night that not everyone was overly chuffed at the prospect of having to hoof it six miles up the country every other Saturday to watch a 'home' match! Don't you think it's about time somebody asked YOU?
I've added a poll to the site above, with simple Yes, No or Undecided answers. Please take the time to vote, once a decision is made there's no going back. I'll leave it on line for a week or two, and I promise the Glens will get the results
26th Jan 04, very late! AGM update - Sorry folks, tonight's meeting went on a bit, and by the time I got home ...... Anyways, as I said below, we were told progress on the new stadium site is at an 'advanced' stage, but not where the preferred spot is - more so where it ISN'T gonna be! Forget about Laburnam, it's gone. I have to say though, on the evidence of tonight's 'ducking and diving' it wouldn't take a genius to work out where they're looking at.... and the prospect of heading off to the Billy Neill playing fields got a very mixed reception indeed!
Other business, all directors re-elected .... sorry about the Gary Smyth thing .... lost more money .... At one stage I thought they were gonna pass the bloody hat round! Oh aye, and Davy Chick said he has absolutely nothing to do with the new buyers of the Oval ..... and with a straight face too!!! Very impressive ;-)
What happened in Coronation Street!
AGM - Glentoran FC's Annual General Meeting time again tonight, for year ending March 2003. I have the numbers here, but it's a chance to hear officially just how much further into debt the club fell in the financial year :-( There'll be more to the evening than that of course, I hear we're also going to be told that planning permission is about to go in for the new Stadium, but they'll stop short of actually telling us where for! I reckon it's a fairly safe bet a certain Mr Smyth will get a wee mention too don't you. Anything exciting I'll stick it on the site.
25th Jan 04. Glentoran 3 Ballymena United 1
Should'a been 10, oh if only we could turn that clock back a few months :-(
Mr dependable Paul Leeman with a double, and a Darren Armour effort in between. I also reckon Darren must be a 1/5 shot for miss of the season, he adds at least 2 contenders every week! That one yesterday!!! Him and Kevin Keegan must be training together. Although to be fair, Darren does put his fair share of them away all the same :-)
Glens up to 6th ... we're comin to get ya ;-)
Note: As a concerned supporter said yesterday ...... 'I'm a wee bit worried about Darren Lockhart, if anybody's gonna get this chicken flu it'll be him!'
23rd Jan 04. New National Stadium? - Maybe ....... HERE
Ballymena game - Deja Vu - only back to League business this time.
Would you believe it? A win tomorrow, and if Ards lose at high flying Coleraine, the Glens will be up to 6th!
My God, we would even just be a point behind tomorrows opponents in 5th!! I wonder how much those 5 points we lost are going to cost before this is all over? Can we keep this run going? Why not? Far as I can see, bar Scott Young we're back to a full squad, Locky will feature again soon, and even Kevin Keegan's back, hope he enjoyed his round the world cruise!
I'll tell you what though, with 12 games still left to play, there'll be a few teams looking over their shoulder at us now won't there. All the top sides have to play us again, I told you we would have a big say where this title of ours finally goes ;-) In the meantime though let's just take each game as it comes, keep climbing the table, confidence is growing all the time, and when that sorts itself out ............. NOBODY WILL STOP US! TOMORROW THE WORLD!!!
(Just keep it a wee bit tighter at the back this time will yez lads :-)
Match Betting: Glentoran 4/7, Ballymena 9/2, and a draw 5/2. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
22nd Jan 04. SETTING THE STANDARD - Just 3 years into the new Millenium, and already ...........
GLENTORAN FC - IRISH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS - 1
GLENTORAN FC - IRISH LEAGUE CUPS - 2 (CHEATED OUT OF A 3RD)
GLENTORAN FC - GOLD CUPS - 2
GLENTORAN FC - COUNTY ANTRIM SHIELDS - 3 (SOON TO BE 4)
GLENTORAN FC - IRISH CUPS - 2 (SOON TO BE 3)
OF 17 COMPETITIONS COMPLETED SINCE 2000: WINNERS 10 times, BEATEN FINALISTS 3 times, & LEAGUE RUNNERS-UP Once. **** THAT'S WINNERS OR RUNNERS-UP IN 14 OF THE 17 COMPETITIONS PLAYED!
ALL THIS AND A NEW 12,000 SEATER STADIUM ON THE WAY!!
AIN'T NO STOPPIN US NOW! THE FUTURE IS MOST DEFINITELY GREEN :-)
21st Jan 04. CYA Jimmy! - Nicholl dumped as Sanchez get's Northern Ireland job! HERE
20th Jan 04. Result: Omagh Town 1 Glentoran 4
Omagh Town game - Just won't be the same at Omagh without the 'Gub' will it, have to wait till we go to Newry on Saturday week now ..... hold those tomatoes :-)
Would you Adam & Eve it, Omagh are a point ahead of us in the League with a game in hand? Have we been that bad ....!
Well they haven't done too well against us lately you know, it's been over 2 years since they last beat us, 2-1, 12th Jan 02. Indeed that was the last time they even scored a goal, the 4 games between the sides since finishing 2-0, 2-0, 2-0 and 4-0 to the Glens. Something similar will do me tonight thank you very much :-) A win for the Glens would leapfrog us up to the lofty heights of 7th in the table, just 4 behind Ballymena in 5th place, who we meet at the Oval again on Saturday - although still a whopping 15 points behind 3rd placed Coleraine! More importantly though it would keep this wee run going, unbeaten now in 4 since the turn of the year, and very welcome indeed after the second half of 2003. I don't see any changes in the line-up from the weekend, I hear Michael O'Neill has stayed on to be available tonight, a sign maybe of just how much the manager wants this run to continue as well. Every win now is a major plus, at times on Saturday you could see the old flair return, maybe we could have a happy ending yet.
There's a 7.45pm kick-off tonight, so the Ballymac bus won't be leaving Wilgar Street till 6 o'clock if you fancy tagging along. Some other clubs running a bus can be found at the link above.
Match Betting: Omagh 3/1, Glentoran 5/6, and a draw 9/4. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
BTW - the Glens are now down to 5/2 for the Irish Cup.
Mucker Murder! - Ex Glentoran striker Darren Fitzgerald has just hammered 5 past poor old Donard Hospital in last night's 10-0 Irish Cup 5th round thrashing at Clandyboye. That's almost as many as he got for the Glens in 3 friggin years! I reckon most of the hospital side have been lyin on trolleys ;-)
19th Jan 04. Believe in Omens? - Remember the last time a referee got carried off in a Glens match? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was against the Crues in an Irish Cup Semi-Final replay at the swamp in 1996 wasn't it? Once again the referee (Herbie Barr on that occasion) was atrocious, and once again we were a goal down. Then a freak accident, and
Barr had to leave the field, to an almighty cheer from the Glenmen. The game was turned on it's head, and after Judas McBride equalized, Liam Coyle stuck in the winner with just a few minutes to play.
Believe in omens? We beat Ballymena in the previous round that year, and the Glens went on to win the cup!
18th Jan 04. Glentoran 4 Ballymena United 2 - Eventful to say the very least. Another 6 goals to add to the 11 the sides shared in the two ties at the Oval last season! And biggest cheer of the day? When referee Michael Ross was carried off injured on 35 minutes, after running into Paul Leeman! Match report has now been moved to HERE
16th Jan 04. Ballymena game - Biggie errrrrrrrr what! Irish Cup time again folks, seems like I've only just gotten the red, green and black paint out of my pores since the last one too ;-) So how's Ballymena doin lately, well in the League not too bad actually. Of their last 10 games they've won 7 of them, drawn 1, and lost just twice, both interestingly enough away from home. In last years Irish Cup they actually did very well in their opening game, drawing 1-1 with Portadown at Shamrock Park. They'll want to forget about the replay though, they got tanked 6-0 three days later at the Showgrounds! I reckon they'll have learned a lot from that game! Of course we played them twice ourselves last season, both knockout ties at the Oval, and both times we won. The only time we've played them since then was earlier on this season in a League tie, a very disappointing game up at their place, it finished 0-0. I would imagine that result will have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on tomorrows game though. Irish Cup ties are something else.
So what's the team? Well I've heard of no injuries since last Saturdays clash with the Whites, and with a wee bit of luck Michael O'Neill and Darren Lockhart could be added to that list. I was talking to Locky last week, he says he thought he'd just pulled a thigh muscle in training a few weeks back, but on closer examination the physio said he'd torn it, hence the delay getting back. He is hoping to make it for this one. No matter who plays though, it's all gonna be on the day. If the confidence is coming back like Coyler says it is we shouldn't really lose at home, but we had better be well up for it too, coz make no mistake, Ballymena will! Can anyone remember the last time we lost an Irish Cup tie at the Oval?
Fingers crossed that statistic still stands at a quarter to five ......... anything else is unthinkable! COME ON YE GLENS.
Update: Found out when we last lost an Irish Cup tie at the Oval - 12th March 1994, 2-0 in a Quarter-Final v Bangor! Prior to that you have to go way back over 27 years, to March 1976, when we lost 2-0 again, this time to the scum in the Semi. BTW - We've played Ballymena in the Irish Cup twice in recent years, last time was in this round in January 1998, we drew 1-1 away then won 2-1 at home in the replay. 2 years before in 1996 we met at the Quarter-Final stage. After a 0-0 draw at the Oval the Glens travelled to the Showgrounds and won the replay 4-2 ....... a certain Mr Glen Little getting a hat-trick!
15th Jan 04. Irish Cup Betting - Just got the early betting for the Irish Cup: Glentoran 4/6, Ballymena 7/2, a draw 5/2.
Outright: Linfield 5/2, Portadown 3/1, Glentoran 7/2, Coleraine 9/2, Distillery 33/1, 50/1 bar .... All odds supplied by TOALS.
12th Jan 04. I received a letter here at the site yesterday, it took me all morning to write the bloody thing up, so the least you can do is read it :-) HERE
Teddy Horner Memorial Trophy - Holders Centre Spot GSC are inviting 5 man teams to enter this years Teddy Horner Memorial Darts Trophy. The competition this year will be held in the Centre Spot on Friday February 6th, with a kick off time of around 7.30pm. Clubs can enter more than one team if they prefer. Contact 07791 467242 for more.
11th Jan 04. Distillery 1 Glentoran 1 - 2 points thrown away in my opinion, a day when 5 of the other 7 games in the Division were drawn, a golden opportunity to climb the table missed. Match report has now been moved HERE
9th Jan 04. Distillery game - Bring on the Whites, as the Glens look to consolidate their recent jaw-dropping surge up the League table ;-) We've already played Distillery once this season, at the Oval in the League way back on September 27th. That one finished 0-0, but then of course the postman recalled how he'd forgotten to deliver Gary Smyth's registration papers, and the Whites were awarded a 1-0 win. Unfortunately that only accounts for 3 of the 12 points we find ourselves behind them in the table at the moment ......... surely somebody's made a mistake!
Last season the sides met on 3 occasions, twice up at their place, and the Glens won them all - 2-0 at the Oval, then 1-0 and 3-1 at Ballyskeagh. But even then I recall it wasn't easy, and it'll be harder this time. Distillery have played 8 times at home in the League this season, and are unbeaten, winning 6 and drawing the other 2. They've also just beaten Portadown there, and drawn with Coleraine at the Showgrounds in their last game, I'd say they're going fairly well wouldn't you? Oooohhhhhhhh Scarrieeeee :-) Haven't a clue where we are fitness wise, Leeper came off before the end last week, hopefully he'll be ok as he's been a revelation lately. Be nice to see Locky back too wouldn't it, especially for this one, it's always hard work in the midfield at this place. So there you have it, a win keeps the wee run going, and confidence grows ahead of the Ballymena Irish Cup clash at the Oval the following week. A loss? Well we're not gonna lose are we - certainly not going by the odds Toals are giving below! .... Obviously they don't get to many games ;-)
Ballymac's bus will be leaving Wilgar Street at 2.00pm, you're welome to come along. Other buses at the link above.
Match Betting: Distillery 7/4, Glentoran 5/4, and a draw 12/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers.
7th Jan 04. It's Ballymena hey! - Ballymena United at the Oval, that's the opener for the Glens in this season's Nationwide Irish Cup! It's a repeat of last season's County Antrim Shield Final, and League Cup Semi-Final, both of which were also at the Oval, the Glens coming out tops. Other all-Premiership ties include Portadown v Glenavon, Cliftonville v Distillery, and Larne v Institute, but I don't think there's any doubt the Glens / Ballymena game will be the tie of the 5th round. The Glens are of course the renowned Irish Cup kings, winning 10 of them in the last 20 years, but Ballymena remember are no slouches either. Back in the 80's the Braidmen and the Glens shared this trophy between them in 9 out of the 10 competitions played! With the sides sharing 11 goals in their two knockout games last season it all points to a real cracker on January 17th. Hopefully they'll bring a decent crowd to add to the occasion. Replays if needed will be the following midweek. Full draw HERE
6th Jan 04. Mac 'The Mouth' McCreadie does a runner!
The 'GUB' quits Omagh for Newry Town. And guess where we play in 3 weeks :-) Full story at the BBC HERE
5th Jan 04. AGM date - So now we know. Glentoran FC's AGM will be held at the Oval on Monday 26th Jan. My wee bird was right again too, Tom Dick is the new Chief Executive. It seems now that four Directors will be seeking re-election to the Board, Ted Brownlee's 2 year stint is up, and recently co-opted members Tom Dick and Jim Rogers will stand as well, together with another new face, Tom Neill.
(Although I suspect there may be one or two other things to discuss that night too don't you).
Pssst - Who's that I see ....... training at the Oval? HERE
4th Jan 04. Cheep Cheep - My wee bird tells me there have been a few changes at Board level since Saturday .........
Glentoran 2 Limavady United 1 - The Limavady match report can now be found HERE
2nd Jan 04. Anybody know ....... when the draw for the Irish Cup's made?
Update - I'm reliably informed (by a bluedog no less ;-) that it's Wednesday at 11.00am
Limavady game - Home to Limavady, wee buns eh? Well I wouldn't get too excited about this one, we're not out of the woods yet! We actually beat Limavady at their place at the start of this League campaign, 1-0, before having those three points deducted in the local witch hunt. That was way back on September 27th, when the Co Londonderry side had just finished bottom of their CIS Cup group without a single point, and lost their only other League tie to Cliftonville. How things can change - guess who the form side are in the country at the moment? Yip, Limavady United! They've won 5 of their last 6 games in the League, their only reverse being a slim 2-1 defeat at Coleraine. They've scored 15 goals in this latest run and conceded only 6 ...... I wont tell you what our record is!
So there you have it, any thoughts of an easy charge up the table can be put well and truly on hold. And then we have to go to the Whites next Saturday, where title chasers Portadown came a cropper yesterday! Welcome to the real world.
Match Betting: Glentoran 4/9, Limavady 6/1, and a draw 11/4. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
1st Jan 04. Bah Humbug! - I'm laid up with the bloody flu today folks, and won't be at the match - bad news for me of course, but good news for you. I'll be keeping in touch with all the goings-on down at Seaview, and will be putting all the goal action here on the site. So if like me you can't get to the game, just keep checking back after 3 o'clock for updates :-)
Result - Crusaders 0 Glentoran 1 - Paul Leeman (36 mins)
