31st May 05. TNS - Well did yez miss me :-) Right, Ballymac's bus to the TNS friendly on July 2nd is selling fast, after today we reckon there are only about 10 - 12 seats left to fill. The coach will be leaving Wilgar Street clubrooms at around 4.30am on the morning of the game, travelling Belfast-Dublin and across on the Holyhead ferry to Wales. Returning the same way, we intend being back in Belfast for approx 9am the following day. Cost of the return trip is £55 a head, bus and boat. All visitors are still welcome to travel, but as I say seats are now limited so it's strictly a first come first served deal - and you must pay the full £55 to secure your seat. If you haven't already done so contact any of the club members directly or email me here at the site :-)
27th May 05. Ok folks, I'm outta here for a few days ... c'yez all on Monday :-)
but before I go ... a couple more pre-season friendlies announced: Off to Millisle on Wednesday 6th July (6.45pm ko) to play Abbey Villa as part of their 50th Anniversary celebrations, then another Welsh opponent as we take on Wrexham at the Oval as part of the side's mini Northern Ireland tour on Saturday 30th July.
26th May 05. I see the Glens are now also rumoured to be looking at Larnes' teenage full-back Jeff Hughes ... HERE
FORZA DVD! - Tomorrow sees the launch of the first ever Glentoran DVD, the most comprehensive video record of a Glentoran season ever produced! The double DVD, with a running time of approx 99 mins, features footage from over 30 Glentoran Games this season including: Sweden, Derry City, CIS Cup Final, Irish Cup replay against the scum, 'Morgan' match of April 23rd, the away game at Longford Town & Championship celebrations at Seaview. Over 50 Glentoran goals for your pleasure, a 'Tour of the Oval' video, and even a special feature on 'Rest in East'.
It's priced at just £7 from the Glentoran stall in Connswater Shopping Centre, Dawson's Newsagents Belmont Road, Spar Ravenhill Road, Maxol Service Station Frances Street Newtownards, and Nearbuy 2a Darragh Road Comber. For overseas visitors it can also be purchased online from the Forza Glens site for £11, which includes P&P worldwide!
A collectors item you surely won't want to miss! For more details just click HERE
24th May 05. Just been confirmed ... Jody Tolan, Darren Lockhart, & Mark Glendinning have just signed 3, 2 & 1 year contracts at the Oval respectively :-)
23rd May 05. Champions League Final ... will be on the big screen in the Ballymac clubrooms on Wednesday night - doors open 6.45pm if ya fancy a pint.
TNS friendly - OK folks, you may have already read on the messageboard ... The Ballymac WILL now be running a trip to Wales for the TNS friendly on July 2nd.
22nd May 05. Sorry folks, been among the missin this weekend. Soon as I catch up (and sleep it off) I'll start stirrin it again :-) BTW, the club are indeed running a trip to Wales for the TNS friendly - full details to come tomorrow.
And ... Anybody realised the significance of today's final round of Scottish League games? It means were we now to repeat last year's history-making European venture, and reach the second qualifying round of the Champions League ... we would go into the hat with runners-up Celtic! Click on the link above for the full list of teams in the draw
19th May 05. Anybody need a leek ;-) Ballymac may be running a trip to Wales for the TNS friendly game on July 2nd. Llansantffraid-Ym-Mechain to be precise! Keep an eye on the site after the weekend for an update ...
18th May 05. TNS friendly - here ya go people ... all ya need to know :-) HERE
Big secret's out - Coleraine's Jody Tolan has finally signed a 3 year deal at the Oval :-o
FA Cup Final 'LIVE' ... this Saturday on the big screen at the Ballymac clubrooms folks, doors open 12.30 with just a 2 quid cover charge for a sumptuous buffet! ... seems we now have a free day ;-)
Irish Premier League Champions 2 also rans 4 - Awe well, looks like the FA Cup Final this weekend folks ...
while the 3 buses that brought the also-rans supporters to tonights game will probably have headed straight to Dublin ...
the Garda have insisted they go via Larne, Stranraer, Gretna, Carlisle, Liverpool & Holyhead!
Lucky them eh ... sure all we have to look forward to is the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW :-)
17th May 05. Setanta game - Bar an unlikely chain of events folks, a win of any kind will do us this evening over the auld enemy. And what a fitting way to end the season it would be, after the way it all started way back in July with that great result in Finland! Yet another carnival day awaits for the Red, Green and Black army, this time in Dublin this Saturday.
It just has to be hasn't it, the script was written for this one long ago ... let's finish the season like it began ... in style :-)
(Kick-off tonight is 7.15pm, and the game is being shown LIVE on Setanta Sports from 7)
16th May 05. We get to find out tonight who we'll meet in the Setanta Cup Final this Saturday, as Cork City host Portadown in the final game in group 2 ;-) A win by 2 goals or more sees Cork go through, otherwise it'll be Shelbourne.
Update - Portadown beat Cork 1-nil, Shelbourne are now in the final.
BTW - Some press reports yesterday suggested the Final could be brought forward to a 12 o'clock noon kick-off, I am assured today that as far as Setanta are concerned that is not the case, and kick-off will indeed be 7.30pm.
Also, tickets have already been printed for the final. They are being brought to the Oval tomorrow night and will be given to the winners, presumably to go on sale first thing Wednesday.
14th May 05. Setanta Final - Been talking to Setanta this morning ... a few facts:
1. Contrary to rumour, far as they're concerned the criteria still stands, in that a 1-nil win for the Glens on Tuesday night will see the group winner decided on the best disciplinary record. Currently Glentoran sit on 2 points and linfield 7.
2. Both the Cork City v Portadown game (Monday), and the Glens v linfield game (Tuesday) will now be shown LIVE.
3. Whoever reaches the Final of the competition, it will be at Tolka Park Dublin (Shelbourne's ground). Kick-off time will be 7.30pm in order to avoid the English FA Cup Final on the box.
13th May 05. If at first you didn't succeed ... don't bother your arse goin down to Connswater this morning again either ... THE NEW KIT STILL DIDN'T ARRIVE!!
12th May 05. New kit launch ... The eagerly awaited new Glentoran home kit was launched at Connswater Shopping Centre this morning folks ... unfortunately if you haven't already gotten yours I suggest you stay at home ...
THEY'VE BOTH BEEN SOLD!
Cup-Tie remains at the Oval - Glentoran and linfield have agreed 750 away fans will be allowed into the Oval for our Setanta Cup-Tie.
And just to add a quote from David Chick on today's BBC website ... "I'm bitterly disappointed it has come to this. I could not go down a tribal route - I was there to look after the overall good of football." "I couldn't champion Glentoran's cause
on this occasion."
And from Stafford Reynolds ... "David Chick, who had contributed enormously to the club over the years, found himself
in a difficult "two hats" situation." "He had talks with us revealing he had to consider his position as the Premier League chairman and the club's attitude to the security for this Setanta Cup match." "He'd opted to resign. He remains our President and will continue to do so. There was no anger, no aggression. David has been a great help to us. "Glentoran are going ahead with the ban but what action the Irish FA takes remains to be seen. It is a pity though that David has opted to stand down."
Well look at it this way Stafford - He wouldn't have been elected Premier League Chairman, and elevated himself into that "two hats" situation, had he not been elected to represent Glentoran FC in the first place. As Glentoran's 'representative', Mr Chick was no longer prepared to 'represent' Glentoran Football Club. In that case had he not stepped down, you would have been obligated to dismiss him! Hopefully now we finally have someone in there with no such moral dilemmas.
... and believe it or not Fear-Us also has something to say ... HERE
11th May 05. Glens stand firm - Glentoran FC are today standing firm against ridiculous knee-jerk measures being insisted upon by an increasingly dictatorial IFA, for our 'home' game against the scum in the Satanta Cup ... and rightly so in my opinion! There's even talk now of them switching the tie to the swamp! Why for Gods sake? Either the Oval terracing is safe to use or it isn't. To say it's safe for visiting fans to walk over to access the stand, but then insist it isn't then safe to stand on to watch the game is absolutely ludicrous - simple as that! A meeting between both clubs, the IFA, and the Health and Safety Department is scheduled for tonight, when Glentoran's new IFA representative Aubry Ralph will be fighting our corner.
Setanta qualification criteria? ... If we beat the scum 1-nil next Tuesday and finish joint top of the group, I'm reliably informed it all boils down to the following:
1. Greater goal difference.
2. Most goals scored.
3. Direct match result.
4. Best fairplay record. (1 point for each yellow card & 3 points for each red card awarded)
5. Draw lots.
Setanta Tickets - Glentoran tickets for the Setanta Cup-Tie with linfield will be going on sale this coming Thursday morning. Purchasers are being restricted to Glentoran Supporters Clubs and Season Ticket holders only ... for more information follow this link to a statement on the Official website - HERE
David Chick resigns ... What must surely be a development of the ongoing row between Glentoran FC and the IFA, is last night's announcement that Glentoran President David Chick has stepped down as the clubs' representative to local football's governing body. Vice-Chairman Aubry Ralph has been appointed his successor.
10th May 05. 5.30pm. Wee bird say's ... Jody Tolan was sittin a medical down at the Oval not more than an hour ago!
SAS wins again! - Mark Glendinning has been named Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year. The Glentoran left-back lifted last nights coveted award ahead of Chris Morgan and the scums' Peter Thompson. Nominee for Manager of the Year, Roy Coyle (Championship winner, League Cup winner, Irish Cup Semi Finalist, Second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup) and Larne's Jimmy McGeough, both.missed out after being pipped by Joe McAree who took unfancied Dungannon Swifts to fourth place in the Premier League!
9th May 05. Setanta game - I'm told Glentoran tickets for the forthcoming Setanta Cup tie with linfield will be hitting the usual sales outlets this coming Wednesday, priced £10 and £5. As to who, what and where fans will be accomodated in the Oval, we'll just have to wait and see. There may be a bit of running left in this one yet - keep your ear to the ground.
(Of course it wouldn't be like Fear-Us to have an opinion on it now would it! ... HERE)
Sorry for no updates lately folks, been away for the weekend. I'll get something online soon as I get up to speed with all that's been goin on :-)
5th May 05. CHAMPIONS! - Tommy Sewell's photo's from Seaview now online ... enjoy :-) HERE
4th May 05. Ballymac & the dogs ... and no not the blue type.
Saturday night 14th May we're off to Ballyskeagh for a spot of doggy racing! A tenner a head covers return bus from the Ballymac and late disco at the clubrooms afterwards, guaranteed a good nights craic and you might even win a few bob! Anyone interested contact any member of the club to reserve your seat, or simply drop me an email here at the site :-)
3rd May 05. Europe ... where to? - Here we go again ... HERE
1st May 05. Crusaders 0 Glentoran 2 ... anybody see the other half of my head!
