31st Mar 04. Full time: Estonia 0 N Ireland 1 - David Healy (45 mins)
A first win for Norn Iron in 16 matches!! And by all accounts Estonia weren't even at the races!! (God they must be crap)!!
New ground move - update. Rumours are rife at the minute regarding the sale of the Oval and subsequent move to a new stadium. To that end I've been contacted by Stafford Reynolds, and he has asked me to put some of the more damaging ones to bed. I am more than happy to do so. Below is a cutting from his most recent correspondence:
Hello Jim
I think it is important to state that the following rumour is completely untrue and without any foundation whatsoever.
I can state that the Oval has not been sold, that we have not been offered an extra £400k, or had any counter offer of any kind. Shareholders were given details of the intention to sell, and it was underlined by our Solicitor at the EGM, and myself at the last AGM that safeguards were in place to avoid anything like the 'Ards' experience. To recap, when Glentoran have secured an alternative site, planning permission and funding, then and only then will Glentoran sign the sale document. These are the conditions of the sale contract that any shareholder can inspect!!!!! Thereafter Glentoran FC will remain at the Oval for a period of up to six years at £1 per week.
So there you have it folks, rumour over ........ and this time I can assure you it really IS from the horses mouth!
Fear-Us .... must have missed me, only back 2 days and the rants are flying in already! HERE
Andy starts - Andy Smith starts alongside David Healy up front for Northern Ireland, in the friendly against Estonia in Tallin later today. Highlights on BBC1 @ 11.25pm ....... strange it isn't on live (that was a joke :-)
30th Mar 04. Oliver Donnelly ...... remember him? Just heard this morning that the 1970's / 80's Irish League referee collapsed while officiating a charity game in Newry last night, and despite attempts to resuscitate him, was pronounced dead at the scene. I'm sure most of you who remember Oliver refereeing will have your own personal memories of the colourful official, I know he got a few 'gunders' from me in his time in the middle. But I'm sure most of you would agree we could probably be doing with some more like him around at the moment. Our thoughts are with the family circle.
29th Mar 04. What day is it! - Ok folks, that's me finished with airplanes for a wee while - now back to business :-)
Hard to believe it's Irish Cup semi-final day this Saturday, have I been away that long! (Who'd the scum get ;-) Mourneview Park was always lookin a good thing wasn't it, especially with the other game going to Ballymena. But after last year's performance by the Glens in Lurgan we can't really complain can we, and sure anything that keeps the scum from gettin a cut of the gate money right :-) Tickets at £8 and £5 can be had at the Oval all week between 10am and 2pm, and Tues and Thurs nights between 6.30pm and 9pm. A replay if required will be back in Lurgan the following Weds night (7th April), but even failing that it'll be home to Institute on Tuesday 6th in a re-arranged League match, a busy week regardless.
So, a decent stadium and a decent pitch, given some decent weather it'll all come down to who wants it more on the day.
If there's anyone out there in a green shirt who's not up for this one, they should be shown the door.
BTW - there's a rumour doin the rounds that Saturday's kick-off could be put back to 4pm because of the Grand National. Just ignore it, far as I'm told it remains 3 o'clock, any change and I'll stick it online, but I very much doubt it.
Castlereagh Quiz - It's that time once again folks, Castlereagh GSC invite you to enter their annual quiz, usual rules, £5 per 4 man / woman team. Heats will be held Mon 19th April and Mon 26th April, with the Final on Thursday 29th April. Entries would be appreciated ASAP, email Michael at michael.fee@glentoran.net or phone the club on 02890 790065
26th Mar 04. Ballymac's bus leaves for Coleraine tomorrow at 1.15pm folks, all visitors are very welcome to come along.
As for me, I'll update the whole site, Results, Table, Stats Pages etc on Monday, so anyone running a bus to the Irish Cup semi-final at Lurgan next week get it in and I'll put the departure time online. Gotta go, plane to catch ........... again!!
25th Mar 04. I'm back! ....... for a wee while :-) Wha'd a miss? Not a friggin lot by the looks of it. Duffed by the hillbillies, Institute rained off, drew with Cliftonville ...... just as well I got back before the bloody cup semi-final isn't it! Fraid I won't be at Coleraine though folks, prior engagement, but the site will be back up to full swing again as from Monday - promise :-)
20th Mar 04. Just checkin in - Greetings and salutations folks, just thought I'd have a wee look in to make sure the Glens got my message and called the Institute game off. Hope it's not too wet back there in old Norn Iron!
Great news about wee Scotty by the way. I happen to know he was 'quietly' approached by a certain Irish League manager while he was laid up in hospital a while back. No names of course, but I reckon wee Scotty's square dancin woulda let him down anyway at their annual hoe down. Cya's soon. Now where did I put that sun cream ........
17th Mar 04. Hang in there! - Hi folks, Jim here, hang in there for a while yet will yez! Gavin has buggered off and left us so I´m afraid I´m left tryin to update the site from .... well from very very far a friggin way !! Updates I´m afraid will therefore be patchy for another week or so, you probably know more about what´s goin on with the Glens at the minute than I do!
Anyways ....... back to the sunbed zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ;-)
14 Mar 04. I'm Outta here as well !!! .... The editor has disappeared on holiday for a wee while, now its my turn, im away to sunnier climbs for a week as well. Apologies for no updates over the last few days, my pc is playing silly buggers. Not sure when the editor is back so bear with us as we will be a bit scant on the updates for a few days.
Cliftonville re-arranged game announced .... The game postponed from Saturday 28th Feb has been pencilled in for Tuesday 23rd March at the Oval, keep an eye in the press for a kick off time closer to the date.
Portadown 2-1 Glentoran .... was it a good thing or was it a bad thing ?? At least it keeps tabs on the tossers (bottle) from the piggery. A game we bossed for long periods, we should have won the game and probably would have without the numpty of a referee Courtney being in charge, as bad as Malcolm was last week. Still if we play like that in the semi final and hopefully final of the Irish Cup then we should be good for a day on the drink 1st May. Andy Smith came back with a second half substitution for Michael Halliday but i thought the other sub Damian McLaughlin had more of an effect on the game. Next up is Institute at the Oval Saturday 21st in what traditionally is quite an easy fixture for the glens, but as you all know anything is possible this season.
Michael O'Neill departs .... As im sure most of you know by now, Michael O'Neill has amicably parted company with the Glens. Michael picked up another injury at the piggery in his brief second half appearence as substitute and with chances of first team football looking slimmer with the return of Lockhart and Scotty next season he thought it would be best to bow out. Thanks for the memories Michael, my favourite moment was his winning goal against the great unwashed at the Oval after being 2-0 down early in the first half.
10th Mar 04. I'm a celebrity ..... So I'm gettin the **** outta here! Off to spend some of the money I won on the Glens last weekend folks, sun, sea, and still a sore head from Saturday/Sunday/Monday!! :-) Be back in time for the Irish Cup Semi-Final though. In the meantime, me aul chum Gavin will be keeping you up to date with any dirt that might be doin the rounds, and I'll be lookin in now and again just to see if there's any bluedogs need barred from the messageboard ;-)
You'll still be able to get me at the site's email address, so any bus info etc ... Adios amigo's ... Be good.
9th Mar 04. Coleraine - have beaten Newry 3-1 tonight and now meet Limavady in the other semi-final of the Irish Cup.
8th Mar 04. SCUM! - In case any of you were ever in any doubt before Saturday's disgraceful scenes at the swamp, just get a load'a this..... Last Wednesday night's County Antrim Shield Final between Ards and the scum at the Oval should have proved a warning of what was to come. During the second half of that game, linfailed supporters encroached the Ards end of the ground and set about beating a sole Ards supporter to a pulp before police intervened. By the end of the game, the Glens new seating in the Railway stand also had it's capacity reduced by 51 seats - all completely destroyed by the same brainless scum who we all watched kick holes in their own stand at the end of Saturday's ass-whopping by the Glens! And it gets better ... Glentoran FC have now taken to sending representatives from the club to Windsewer Park
BEFORE every Glentoran match, they were there on Saturday .... to count any broken or missing seats, then count them again AFTER the game! I have it on good authority there are suspicions of a scam in operation over at the swamp, whereby after every Glentoran match a number of broken seats are produced and a bill sent to the Oval, while not a single person at the matches can recall any damage being done whatsoever! Sounds about right!
Well now there's a big surprise!! - Wanna hear what Fear-Us had to say about Saturday? ..... HERE :-)
BTW - Altogether now - to the tune of ' You're not singin anymore ' ......
'We can see you sneakin out' ..... 'WE CAN SEEEEEEEEE YOUUUUUUUU SNEEEEEKIN OUT!' :-)
7th Mar 04. scum 0 Glentoran II's 1 - Well they do say the cream always comes to the top don't they? The old adage 'if this had been a boxing match the referee would'a stopped it', couldn't have been more apt than in this Irish Cup tie, the scum were quite simply stuffed! Second rate defending, second to every ball, second rate tactics ..... second rate club!
And when their scum supporters were faced with the reality of just how crap their band of misfits really are, they then proceeded to pelt Glens goalkeeper Elliott Morris with beer bottles and golf balls, to the resounding cheers and applause of the linfield stands! Absolutely disgraceful! The game had to stopped no less than three times as Elliott nursed bruise after bruise on the back of his head, while the linfield ball boys and stewards raced to remove offending missiles, and manhandle photographers trying to capture the blood lust! Welcome to the National Stadium folks, sure bring your wife and kids along to the next Northern Ireland game!!!! Absolute filth! The whole damn place should be razed to the ground.
As for the game itself, well Glentoran were simply colossal. Every single player ran his heart out for the green jersey in this one, I was so proud of each and every one of them at that final whistle, all of us knew what this game mean't to those players yesterday, and it showed that they knew what it mean't to us. That my friends is what being a Glenman is all about ...... bluedogs quite frankly, will just never understand.
Omagh Town now await us in the last four, yet another carnival day in May is just 90 minutes from reality, and European football beckons once again. Thank-you, thank-you each and every player for yesterday ...... although I really could have done without this sore head - I'm off for a cure ;-) LE JEU AVANT TOUT ........ & FTB
6th Mar 04. "Bless 'em all", "Blesss 'em all" ... "The long and the short and the tall", "Bless all the forwards and half-backs and backs", "Bless all the players in Red, Green and Black", "For we're saying goodbye to them all", "It's back to the Oval we'll go", "For we'll not be mastered, by no Linfield B******", "So cheer up the lads Bless 'em all".
LE JEU AVANT TOUT
5th Mar 04. It's Shhhhhhhowtime!! Not a lot to say about this one really is there - except for the fact it's sh*t or bust! Fifteen points adrift of second placed Portadown in the League means it's the Irish Cup or nothing, never mind European football next season. You could have picked a better time too couldn't you? At the time of writing the Glens have Darren Armour out suspended, Scotty Young on crutches, and very serious doubts surrounding no less than 6 of our other 16 first team squad members!
Yes folks, if we're gonna do this one it'll have to be done the hard way. One thing's for sure though, we will rely on whoever pulls on that green jersey tomorrow to run their friggin guts out for Glentoran FC, we supporters will be there, and in big numbers again ... another page in history awaits. Le jeu avant tout.
4th Mar 04. Early Betting for Saturday ...
Linfield 5/4, Glentoran 2/1, and a draw 11/5. (A single bet in Cup Quarter-Finals is allowed)
To win the Irish Cup outright: (Before Saturday's game) Linfield 9/4, Glentoran 11/4. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
Roy Stewart - The Quiet Man. This Saturday not only sees the quarter-finals of the Nationwide Irish Cup, it also marks the 30th anniversary of the death of one of Glentoran's greatest ever players. Ironically, a player who arguably had one of his most memorable days in the Final of this weekend's very competition, against the same opposition, and at the same venue ... way back in 1973! The day Roy Stewart had to go into goals at half-time for the injured Alan Paterson in a 'big two' Irish Cup Final !! Courtesy of the Glentoran Gazette ... Roy Stewart - The Quiet Man ... HERE
3rd Mar 04. ** Bus Change ** With Saturday's Irish Cup quarter-final now designated cash 'pay at the gate', Ballymac's bus departure time has been brought forward to 1.45pm, in an effort to avoid lengthy queues at the turnstiles.
2nd Mar 04. New Paper - There's a new newspaper coming out this Thursday 4th March folks, called the East Belfast Observer. I'm told thereafter it will be available weekly in the greater East Belfast area and cost 50p. It'll contain 48 pages of news, sport & features etc, but I'm assured what'll interest you most is the 10 pages of sport - of which we're promised at least 3 of those dedicated to the Glens. Click HERE for more
