Glentoran, the pride of East Belfast, is a club with a fantastic record of achievement and an incredible ability to overcome adversity.  One of the darkest days for the club was on Monday May 5 1941, when the stands and terraces stood in smoldering ruins and the pitch was a water filled crater. For hours during the night German bombers had rained terror on Belfast.  The target was the ship-yard, but in the Oval lying beneath the shadows of the gantries, caught the full blast.

The last match was against Cliftonville and for the rest of the season they competed in kit provided by Crusaders.  Indeed it was only the casting vote of Chairman John (Toby) Mercer which prevented them shutting down during the Second World War and sent the club into exile at Grosvenor Park sharing the Stadium with Distillery.  It was not until August 20 1949 that the Glens returned to the Oval for a match with Linfield amidst great celebrations.  Glentoran founded in 1882 took its name from the residence of the first president Maurice Coates on the Ravenhill Road.  The famous red, green and black colours were copied from the blazers of Na Shula a Dublin Cricket side who had played at the North of Ireland ground on the Ormeau Road.  Early Irish League Success were attained but the first Irish Cup win came in 1914/15 with a defeat of Linfield pat Grovensor Park.

Their half back line that day was George Ferrett, Johnny Scraggs and Billy Emerson.  It was a triumph which led toDavy Lyner being transferred to Kilmarnock and Manchester United Emerson to Burnley and Scragge at Clydebank.  A tour of Austria brought them the Vienna Cup which still remains at the Oval today, but the 30's was the supreme era when Center-Forward Fred Roberts scored 96 goals in 1930-31 in competitive football, including 55 in the Irish League and 107 in all games.  That was the era too, of Peter Doherty the young bus conductor from Magherafelt who became one of the greatest inside-forwards of all time with Blackpool, Manchester City and Derby County.  He was also Northern Ireland's first international manager, steering his team to the 1958 World Cup quarter final in Sweden

Glentoran like most Regional League teams during the war years paraded many cross channel stars such as Peter McKennan, Walter McMillan, Johnny Deakin, Ted Sugar, Albert Young and Bobby Langton.  There have been legendary managers among them Jimmy McIntosh, Gibby Mackenzie, Ronnie McFall and Ken Chisholm, Billy Neill was the epitome of a true Glenman Bobby McGregor was the physiotherapist with the healing hands, and let's not forget charismatic Glaswegian John Colrain.  Coleraine led the Glens on their incredibly successful 1967 US and Canadian tour as the Detroit Cougars sponsored by a Ford Motor Company subsidiary in the fledging US league.

Arguably that was one of the finest teams in Northern Ireland football with stalwarts like Walter Bruce, Arthur Stewart, Eric Waugh,  Billy McCullough, Trevor Thompson, Jim Weatherup, Billy McKeag and Billy Sinclair.  Crowds lined the route from the City hall to the Oval for the welcome home parade.  No analysis of Glentoran would be complete without mentioning their three superstars, the late Danny Blanchflower, Jimmy McIllroy and Billy Bingham who all learned their trade at the Oval. But look at this galaxy of talent: Sammy Hughes, idolized in song and story, Tommy Breen, Bertie Peacock, Alex Elder, the Lowry brothers, Ambrose Fogarty, Sammy Ewing, Danno Feeney, John 'Bap' Dunlop, Sammy Pavis, Jim Cleary, Billy Caskey, Johnny Jamieson, Alan Patterson, Hugh Davey, Gary Blackledge and the inimitable Rab McCreery. 

Trophy after Trophy has been won by the Glens, now there is a new era under Roy Coyle. Glentoran despite heavy financial commitments, have ambitious plans for the millennium which include a new purpose built Oval.  East Belfast needs the Glens and so does Irish League Football.