Old News - July 2006
31st July 06, 9.30pm. Result: Glentoran 1 Airdrie 0 (Jason Hill 80 mins) (and some fat ballix won the half n' half)
That was a week that was ... Just home last night folks, hence the prolonged silence on here. Anyways, where do you start ...?
Homer. Well we were bang on the money with that one weren't we! While we thank the player for his services to the green cause and wish him well with his new club, I can't help but think it could have been handled better. Shaun was down to travel and play at left back in Norway when he turned up last Wednesday morning, so when he dropped the 'right, I'm off' bombshell on big Windy he left the squad far too late to find a replacement. Fortunately Kyle Neill was able to stand in and acquitted himself well, but the fact remains the manager was left with reduced attacking options on a night we needed to score at least 2 goals. Come to your own conclusions.
Foyle Cup. What a worthwhile venture that turned out to be. The Under 16's finishing 5th from a starting line-up of 24 teams, ahead of the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Sporting Lokeren, and Raith Rovers, and only losing to the two eventual finalists Norwich City and Ferencvaros throughout the entire week! But what a tremendous achievement for the Under 18's, unbeaten throughout the tournament and the first ever Irish winners of the Under 18's Foyle Cup! I hear all the kids are to be paraded on the Oval pitch tonight (some people have a brass neck) before the Glens friendly with Scottish First Division side Airdrie. Please be sure to give the lot of these kids a resounding Oval welcome, they certainly came away with a lot of respect from this years Foyle Cup ... even if they did have to pay for it themselves! Maybe next season the parent club could consider doing more to support and encourage some of the best and most talented youngsters in the country, before the lot of them sling their hook and head across the bridge!
Norway trip to follow ...
26th July 06, 7.50am. Homer Quits? - Yet to be officially confirmed, but word reaching me this morning is that Shaun Holmes has just left the Glens for Derry City. I hear Shaun turned up before the teams Norway departure this morning to wish the squad all the best on their Euro trip and say his goodbyes. As I say, all yet to be confirmed.
25th July 06. NORWAY BOUND? Well listen up! The Ballymac advance party have been in Bergen from lunchtime today and checking the place out. First up: Bottle of Bud £6, 500ml beer £7 (£2.40 a can in the offy), Burger King £10! The boys bought some bacon in the local supermarket as we're all staying in apartments and it cost them over 15 quid! So my advice is to stock well up on the duty free folks, and take plenty of friggin mars bars! Oh, on the bright side though, word is bring yer shorts, sunny and warm in Bergen and it's to stay like that all week :-)
Foyle Cup update ... Glens Under 16's beat Strabane & District 2-0 today in their first game. The Under 18's play Finn Harps tonight (7.00pm), with a win putting them into the semi-finals.
UPDATE - 9.30pm: Glens U 18's beaten Finn Harps 3-0, and go into the Foyle Cup Youth semi-finals on Thursday.
24th July 06. Comber Rec 1 Glentoran 2 - A second half pen then one from Peter McCann, after falling behind!
Good luck to the Glens Youth and Colts teams ...
23nd July 06. ALMOST FOYLED! - Imagine you're in charge of a bunch of unruly 15 year old kids, but all Glentoran daft, and all eagerly looking forward to the Harry Potter equivilent of this years' World Cup on Monday (TOMORROW!). Goodwill money starts to roll in from well-meaning sources ... then at the last minute your parent club withdraws your total funding? I have the utmost respect for the people charged with the running of our youth football set-up (or should that be set-ups?), but quite frankly their dedication and commitment deserves an awful lot better! But sure cheer up, thanks to the generous sponsorship from outside sources the Glens two youth teams WILL be competing in this years' Foyle Cup, even if they will now be forced to parade through the streets on Tuesday looking like Pat McGibbon's 'Rag-Arsed Rovers'!
It's a bloody shame. Ever feel like you've been mugged?
21st July 06. And there's more ... Foyle Cup plea to Ballymac reaches £1,000!
All the way from sunny Slovenia ... right, shoes and socks off ... I make it 37 this year :-) HERE
20th July 06. Brann .. just got chinned 3-1 tonight in the Norwegian Cup, by 2nd bottom in the league Start Kristiansand
19th July 06. Glentoran FC / East Belfast - 125th Anniversary Badge ...
18th July 06. Ballymac WILL be running a bus to the Bangor friendly this Saturday - departure time 2.00pm.
17th July 06. Killyleagh 0 Glentoran 2 - A first half Gary Hamilton strike from just outside the box, then a Jason Hill tap-in from a Shaun Holmes cross 15 minutes from time, was enough to see the Glens past another 90 minute work-out. As to who played? By the time it was all over nearly everybody who isn't on holiday got a run out, Gary Hamilton even came on twice! ... Oh, and you might be interested to know Ian Mannus was in nets.
16th July 06. Killymoon Rangers 2 Glentoran 0 - Dear oh dear, what an absolute shocker! Almost a full first team out too and still never looked like breaking down the Mid Ulster Intermediate League sides' defence - they could'a played all friggin day I tell ya! Plenty of huffing and puffing mind you, but very very worrying indeed the fact we looked completely devoid of ideas! Fair play to Killymoon by the way, they worked their socks off and were good value on the day.
Spoke to Elliott Morris by the way, he didn't play yesterday of course, but confirmed my suspicion he left the field with a pulled hamstring the other night. Elliott tells me he's not likely to play again in any of our friendlies before the Norway trip, but maintains he's still confident of being fit to make the trip nonetheless. Here's hoping.
Next stop Killyleagh tomorrow night - kick-off 7.00pm. Cya there :-)
15th July 06. Remember the Ballymac are NOT running a bus to 'Brigadoon' today ... kick-off by the way is 2.30pm
13th July 06. UEFA Cup tie - Glentoran 0 FC Brann 1 ... but there's a lot of football left in this one folks believe me!
Match Report has been moved HERE
11th July 06. Just a brief update - Work begins on a new facelift for the site next week, hard to believe it's the new season already ... did the football stop? Anyways, bear with me and we'll get back to regular updates. One thing though, just in advance of the Glens friendly with Killymoon Rangers this Saturday - please note the Ballymac will NOT be running a bus to the game. (So who's givin me a lift ;-)
6th July 06. CIS Cup Draw - The draw for this season's CIS League Cup ... top 2 from each group qualify for next stage.
Group A: Donegal Celtic, Glentoran, Loughgall, Newry City
Group B: Ballymena Utd, Crusaders, Limavady Utd, Portadown
Group C: Glenavon, Larne, Linfield, Lis Distillery
Group D: Armagh City, Cliftonville, Coleraine, Dungannon Swifts
5th July 06. MeLaugh completes moves to Celtic - Glentoran midfielder Gavin MeLaugh has as expected moved across town to join West Belfast Premier League newcomers Donegal Celtic, putting pen to paper on a 2 year deal with his new club. One thing's for sure, Celtic are guaranteed no less than 100% effort from their new signing, coz it's the only way he knows how to play! Good luck Gavin from all here at the Ballymac, and thanks for the memories.
4th July 06. Ballymac answer the call from Glens Youth teams in the Foyle Cup.
Glentoran Football Club's Under 18 and Under 16 teams are this year taking part in the North-West's Foyle Cup from 24th - 29th July. The Under 18's are entered into the 'Youth' section of the tournament, featuring sides from the likes of Drogheda United, Bournemouth, Donegal Celtic, Derry City and Boston United.
The Under 16's, in the 'Schoolboy' section, face an even sterner test, with full-time clubs Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, Ferencvaros, Sporting Lokeren and Raith Rovers all in opposition.
Sadly though, it seems that due to a serious lack of funding for our Junior sides from the parent body both teams faced the real prospect of being unable to take their place in the competition.
Under the circumstances the Ballymac were delighted to be able to help out, and with further assistance from other local businessess and individuals the wee Glens will after all be represented in this summer's North-West showpiece.
Photo Page HERE
The Glentoran Community Trust are celebrating the 125-year link between Glentoran Football Club and East Belfast with the release of a 125th Anniversary Enamel Pin Badge. Pictured left, the limited edition 1 inch badge has been designed by Glentoran fan Clifford Logan, and is made of the finest top quality enamel.
All proceeds of the sale will go towards a number of projects currently being explored by the Glentoran Community Trust, to equally benefit both the surrounding East Belfast Community and Glentoran Football Club.
Priced at £3.00 each, the pin badges are on sale now, and will be available at the Glens friendly at Bangor on Saturday. They can also be purchased online at the GCTNI.com website HERE
On the back of the Ballymac donation a few weeks back to help support the Glens Junior sides competing in this years' Foyle Cup, club member Mark McCammond decided to get in on the act. In addition to his main vocation in life as a member of the Ballymac, Mark also happens to be a Director of SPAR, and has topped up the Ballymac gesture with a further £300 of sponsorship in cash, and £500 worth of SPAR isotonic drinks and energy bars - enough to supply both teams for the entire tournament!
In the photograph ( Left to Right) pictured at SPAR Ballyhackamore are ...
Under 16 Captain Aynsley Gray
Under 18 Coach & Manager Michael Whittley
Ballymac member and SPAR Director Mark McCammond
Under 18 captain Reece Moore
Glentoran Under 18's and Under 16's today finally headed off to compete in this years' Foyle Cup. Pictured left are members of both junior sides before they emulate their peers with a traditional Cup departure from the Park Avenue Hotel this afternoon.
As to the debacle regarding the kids having to turn out like a rag-tag outfit due to their lack of Glentoran Track Suits, a saviour in the shape of Youth co-ordinator Valerie Acheson came in with a last gasp rescue. Said Valerie today, "Yes I paid for all the tracksuits myself, £1,575. Maybe they can all pay me back a tenner a month or something, I don't know, we'll worry about the money when we get back. Anyway, I don't care, these are all great kids, I just couldn't have watched them parading through those streets like that".
Thanks to Valerie both teams will now proudly don the Glentoran crest in Tuesdays street parade - but sure that's who they're representing ... isn't it? I'll say it again - a cryin bloody shame!
(Under 18's kick-off against Oxford United tonight at 7pm, full details HERE)
UPDATE - 10.00pm: Glens Youth won 3-1
Proud to represent Glentoran FC, members of both youth sides with Ballymac members Davy McCullough and Mark McCammond
