Old News - March 2007
30th Mar 07. It's alrite we're still here, just sobering up after the Norn Ireland / Sweden match ... how refreshing :-)
27th Mar 07. Drogheda 2 Glentoran 0 - Two games still left to play in the group and we're out of the competition already ... AGAIN! A header from Michael Halliday, and a decent effort from the same player from outside the box, both second half - the latter was the first, and if I remember correctly, the ONLY save the opposition keeper had to make all night. Half past midnight and just home, I need my friggin head looked at! 'Results' & 'Table' Pages now fully updated
26th Mar 07. Glenavon 0 Glentoran 3 - Yes I know, just 2 days late ... body's here ok but head's still in Liechtenstein! Bus to Drogheda next! We'll get the rest of the site updated tomorrow morning I think ;-)
23rd Mar 07. Glenavon game - Hanging in there aren't we, and still only 4 points behind. What would you give now for some of those silly dropped points against the likes of Ballymena, the Whites, and Donegal Celtic :-( No matter, battle on it is, in the hope somebody else slips up. While some of our football of late may not exactly be "just like watching Brazil", we have won our last 4 league games on the trot, and if you ask me playing very much like we were when we started the campaign ... winning ugly! But hey, I'm past caring, if we can win the last 5 like we did the first 5 I'll take it - ugly or not!! Problem is, they're all cup-finals at this stage, and every team we have to play in the run-in has something to battle for - Portadown, Linfield, Cliftonville & Crusaders for obvious reasons, and Limavady & Glenavon to avoid the play-offs ... the latter, and our first opponents of the 6 tomorrow, currently only 4 points clear of second-bottom! Remember too back in November the Lurgan Blues left the Oval with a 2-2 draw and a point, and that after going ahead twice!! No gimme that's for sure. Team-wise, haven't a clue, between me being away, suspensions, injuries, and the Setanta Cup I have no idea! Franky I'm not sure it really matters who we put out though, they all seem to play the same shape to me anyhow!
So, could be some very interesting stuff in the script over the next few weeks, defeat tomorrow though and I'm afraid we can finally tear it up. Ballymac's bus leaves Wilgar Street at 1.45pm, all visitors are once again welcome to come along.
Match Betting: Glenavon 5/1, Glentoran 8/15, and a draw 5/2. Poor odds I know, but stick Norn Iron in at 2/5 in their trip up the Alps later in the evening for an even-money double :-) All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers.
22nd Mar 07. 2007 Castlereagh GSC Quiz Draw ... HERE
20th Mar 07. At least somebody down there's winning ... Halfers v Loughgall won by Harry Clarke, £400 ticket no 9599. Halfers v Drogheda won by Jim Hawkes, £250 with ticket 0587.
19th Mar 07. Glentoran 0 Drogheda 1 - I'm not that far out of the country I couldn't hear the sighs at full time ...
125 Anniversary Community service of Thanksgiving. I have been asked by Glentoran Chaplin David Thompson to mention the above Thanksgiving Service this coming Sunday 25th March, a local celebration of Glentoran's contribution to the community down through the years. The relaxed and informal affair will include interviews, video material and special music. Special guest on the evening will be Rev. John Boyers, Chaplain to Manchester United, and there will also be input from players, both past and present. Mountpottinger Baptist Church, Templemore Avenue is the venue, with proceedings getting under way at 7pm.
Glentoran 4 Loughgall 0 ... sorry for the delay folks, out of the country at the minute.
16th Mar 07. Loughgall game - Match Betting: Glentoran 1/8, Loughgall 14/1, and a draw 5/1 Shouldn't be any trouble there then eh!
13th Mar 07. 'Hub Caps' moves on ... It appears Glentoran striker Jody Tolan (remember him) has now officially gone. BBC Sport this morning say that Jody has reconsidered his position, and has rejoined former manager Marty Quinn at Coleraine. Signed on a 3-year contract for the Glens from Coleraine in May 2005, Jody lasted just a handful of games before a cruciate ligament injury resigned him to the stands. I remember him initially remaining upbeat, claiming he was always a good healer and would be back playing again before long, but the weeks became months, then a year, and when he eventually pulled the boots on again in August last year the 29 year old was farmed out to Donegal Celtic on a 3-month loan deal to regain fitness. Just 4 weeks into that arrangement Jody shocked the Glens and Irish League football by declaring he was quitting the game altogether, stating he'd lost interest after the long lay-off and was finished. Rumours since then suggested he may be reconsidering his position, and given this mornings news it seems he finally has. A pity we didn't get to see the best of a very talented played at the Oval, and frankly if he's back in the game I wonder why not? Is it another money decision? Maybe somebody at the Oval could tell us? Still, good news for your Hub Caps though ;-)
12th Mar 07. Results and Table pages now updated ...
10/11th Mar 07. Coleraine 1 Glentoran 2 - My turn on the bar in the Ballymac, hence the very late update. But before I head off to bed I'll say well done indeed to that Glentoran side today, ran themselves into the ground each and every one of them and got what they deserved. First sing-song on the Ballymac bus in yonks! The plane's back out on the runway ... :-)
9th Mar 07. Coleraine game - Have you ever felt so flat in March :-( Only 7 to go after this one too, where on earth has the season gone ...? Awe well, we battle on I suppose, so what of tomorrows' opponents Coleraine? We've already played the Bannsiders this season of course, at the Oval way back on November 11th. Beat them too, 3-2, but I remember being awfully glad to hear the final whistle that day after conceding the second with about 5 to go and sweating it right to the end! Coleraine weren't much kop back then either, the Glens expected to sweep them aside, but on reflection it was yet another hint at our over-achieving to date, yet another warning of what was to come. That was in the eighth game of the campaign, by the tenth the Glens had amassed a whopping 26 points from a possible 30, Coleraine just 10. Sixteen points divided the teams on the morning of December 1st 2006, if the Bannsiders beat us tomorrow they'll be just 3 behind ... they've lost just once in the last 12 games!! I know there's still hope of winning the League Title, but for me personally I believe it's now all about consolidating 3rd place and hoping Cliftonville and Linfield reach the Irish Cup Final. It's not about giving up, European football is an absolute MUST for this club next season, anything else right now would be a massive bonus. We're gonna have to do it without Nicky tomorrow as well, that injury now confirmed as a torn cartilage requiring surgery. I suppose simplest solution would probably be to move Sean Ward to right back and big Smicker into centre-half, but then what about the next couple of games, left back Kyle Neill just suspended for 2 matches by the Disciplinary Committee ... Has it stopped raining yet :-( But sure look on the bright side ... at least we found out the Oval's not sold :-)
Match Betting: Coleraine 9/4, Glentoran 11/10, and a draw 11/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers.
I'm gonna have to have a serious word with Gary Toal !
Ooops, forgot Gary Smyth was suspended ... better bring my boots!
8th Mar 07. Latest news is ... Colin Nixon could be out for the rest of the season. He picked up an injury at the swamp on Monday night, and after having a scan done on his leg/knee this week looks like he needs a cartilage op :-(
Legends Match - GCT Ormeau Park Festival ... The ULTIMATE Photo Album ... HERE
Castlereagh GSC Quiz ... This years Castlereagh GSC Quiz will take place in April. The first two heats will be on Thurs 12th & Monday 16th April with the Final taking place on Thurs 19th April. Entry costs will be £5 for a Team of 4 with a first prize of £200. To enter please contact Michael Fee on michael.fee@glentoran.net or phone 028 9065 9695
7th Mar 07. Lukasz Adamczyk can play ... finally! For those of you not up to speed - In short ... The club Lukasz played for in Poland before he came over - a highly successful 5th Division outfit, were looking for a backhander! Lukasz's Glentoran debut has been on hold all this time while we gained clarification from FIFA, through the IFA, as to the legality of a claim from his former club for the lofty transfer fee of around £1,800! Thankfully it would appear now that clearance is FINALLY through! Now that I think of it, we haven't been told yet if we had to pay the fee ...!
Coleraine game - Please note the Ballymac bus departure time for Coleraine has been put back to 1.30pm
5th Mar 07. Linfield 1 Glentoran 1 - Awful conditions tonight at the swamp, hence there wasn't a great deal of football played, but I suppose under the circumstances an exciting enough game. One down after about 20 minutes when last man Sean Ward farted around just outside our own area, lost the ball to leave Elliott Morris exposed and out of nowhere we're behind. Jason Hill equalised about 10 minutes later firing home after a great cross from McDonagh, and that's how it ended. Gotta say at the end of the day though we had by far the better chances, and had we brought our shooting boots could have won this one by a margin. Leeper fired over from 6 yards centre of goal first half, McDonagh did the same in the second. Gary Hamilton and substitute Michael Ward were each clear through on goal, Hamilton having his heels clipped for the chance to go abegging, and Ward firing wide with the keeper committed. Kyle Neill received his marching orders for a stupid second yellow with about 10 minutes to go (quite frankly he was looking sent off all night, I dont know how he stayed on so long), while Michael Gault for the opposition picked up his second yellow and was sent for an early bath 3 minutes from time. Like I say, awful conditions, and certainly some frantic defending at times, but the points were there tonight and at the end of the day we could only leave with one ... I suppose it's a start. We'll not mention the referee!
1st Mar 07. GCT Ormeau Park Festival - 125 Commemorative Match Draw ...
On Saturday 24th February in front of a packed audience at the Park Hotel Belfast, the two sides were drawn for the Supporters 125th Anniversary Commemorative game at Ormeau Park Belfast. Hosted by Philip Stevenson, the 'Legends' match co-ordinator, the draw was made by Stephen and David Lowry the two 'Supporters' teams captains.
Updates on the GCT Ormeau Park Festival schedule, including plans for the 'Parade to the Park', 'Legends' game, and the full draw for the '125th Anniversary Match' with full playing strip details are now available HERE
OLDER NEWS ... Feb 07 | Jan 07 | Dec 06 | Nov 06 | Oct 06 | Sep 06 | Aug 06 |.Jul 06 | Jun 06 | Season 05/06 | 04/05 | 03/04 | 02/03
2nd Mar 07. Antrim Glentoran Supporters Club
All credit to the lads and lassies in the Antrim area, hard to believe with the sort of season we've been having that some Glentoran fans would actually be planning to start up a new supporters club! I've been assured though that the demand is there, and Simon and Brian from the area have asked me to plug their new recruitment drive. The first meeting of the new club is already pencilled in for Friday 23rd March, 7.30pm at the Steeple Inn, Antrim. They're looking for interested parties from the South Antrim area, Antrim, Templepatrick, Randlestown etc. who would like to come along on the night and debate the pros and cons of setting up the new club. For more information please contact Simon 07845 490386, or Brian 07766 723703, or email DvPam1@aol.com. The lads certainly deserve all the support they can get :-)
