Q: First question I have for you guys (as I did with everyone else) is: What is your first memory related to Glentoran FC?
O: When I was in my early teens, Glentoran had a pre-season match against Leeds United. My mate was a Leeds fan so I was in the away end, but it was a full house and even though Glens lost, everyone celebrated the game. I loved the experience.
J: My first memory was a pre-season friendly against League of Ireland team Derry City. It was amazing to see the ground where my dad and grandad stood and, behold! I'm talking both my kids there.
Q: You guys remember your first match at The Oval?
O: I think I've already answered that with the Leeds game. My first one backing the Glens was with Jamie actually. I remember we were at the standing area near the gate. The flypast came over shortly before we scored, but you could still hear all the fans losing their head. Can't remember who we played though. Was it Carrick Rangers? Hoping you know Jamie haha.
J: Yeah, I remember it well. Went with my best friend from primary school. In 1994. Still have the programme, it means a lot to me. Walked in and the sheer size of the ground is like no other place, you are not stuck in one seat but you can go around the whole place. Fresh air and airplanes flying over your head from the airport.
Q: I imagined it was the Leeds game in your case, Oliver, but I asked anyway because many others get to know the club by their family members or on the TV first!
O: We don't really get a lot of televised Irish league football here. Mostly online streams, which can be hit-and-miss.
Q: What?! You don't get the NIFL Premiership televised in Northern Ireland?
O: Maybe 4 or 5 games a season, at most. Irish cup semifinals and the final, usually.
Q: You kidding, right? I can't imagine local football NOT being televised…
J: This year has been better, previous years our TV footage was awful, but we are getting a good market for the league. We need a better Glentoran coverage, we have had a hard ten years. Only two Irish cup wins with literally no budget was brilliant, but we only got a clip every Saturday for only two minutes about it!
O: The demand hasn't been there. Most football fans here support Scottish or Premier League teams and would rather watch them. That's changed this season. People are falling back in love with the local game. And this season has been fantastic all around. From a Glens perspective, we were near liquidation a few seasons ago. Now we have an Irish Cup and are competing for a European spot for the second season in a row.
Q: That's insane! I thought Northern Irish football had more support in its country. I know the NIFL has fallen back in UEFA coefficient rankings and so, but I never imagined its own fans were turning their backs to the game itself…
O: It's always had a loyal fan base, but now we're getting recognized on a wider scale. People come to tour The Oval. Glens have a connection with Dutch clubs and we're bringing in more foreign talent. The league now seems like a realistic opportunity to watch potentially top-class talent like Stuart Dallas. Fans in general are loyal. But asking a family to pay £10 per person in some cases every Saturday when you can pay £40 a month to watch lots of games on TV is insane. Glens are regularly the best-supported side. And see when the “Belclassico” (derby between Glentoran and Linfield) comes up, it's breathing room only.
J: It will be getting bigger and better, the names we attracted this year have been a sign of things to come, not just us, but other teams too. Players are now wanting to come and play here in Northern Ireland, take Gaël Bigirimana for example, once a Newcastle lad. In the case of Glentoran, the oval is now a groundhoppers dream so!
Q: Do you guys have a "favourite" memory regarding the Glens?
O: Glentoran beating Portadown on penalties in the Irish Cup last season. Wasn't the most exciting game, but we were screaming for everything. Then it went to something like 7/6 on pens and we went through. Fans jumping the fences, it was just madness.
J: April 2005. A day we won the league against our arch-rivals Linfield. An ex Linfield player, Chris Morgan, popped in a last-minute header to tap it in. And we still call it “Morgan day”. A mini-riot broke out, it was madness! We were with my cousins at the time, they were like 9 and 7 and loved it.
Q: I assume you guys have the same passion when it comes to European matches (Champions and Europa League), right?
O: Glens have a rich history in European football. Historically we've played Juventus and a Marseille side with Papin if memory serves me right. Recent history has been less kind, but every side is pushing for European football. It's huge to the game here financially. There has never been an Irish League side in European group stage matches, but we're fighting for it. The first team to make it will go down in legend.
J: I wish I saw more. The last big game we had in Europe was Marseille in 1992. They went on and won the Champions League that year. We have had players like Abedi Pele at The Oval. We’ve also had other good sides like Sparta Prague play us. Also, silly fact, we were the first team to go out on away goals in any European competition.
Q: Do you guys support other Irish teams when they play in Europe? In the Faroes and Wales, it is a common practice, for example.
J: Anyone but Linfield.
O: Haha I like to see Irish Football succeed. It helps us all in the long run ultimately, but if I had to choose, anyone but Linfield too hahaha.
Q: How do you guys feel about the National Team? It's great past, qualifying for the 1958, 1982, and 1986 FIFA World Cups. It's present and the 2016 UEFA Euro and so on…
O: National nights are some of the biggest on the calendar. We have a world-renowned fan base and regularly one of the best atmospheres in world football. I used to work there. We're only a country of 1.8m, but we have had a huge impact on football. George Best, Brendan Rodgers, Stuart Dallas. We have so much to be proud of.
J: I'm so proud of it. Our own Glentoran’s Danny Blanchflower was our captain in 1958. Billy Bingham, who played for Glentoran, was our manager in 1982 and 1986. And Michael O’Neill, former Glens, was the manager in 2016. We've always punched above our weight, in that sense.
Q: Quick diving into historical topics, do you see the Northern Irish team as a way to separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK? The Ulster Banner, the national symbols and so.
O: I'm not one for the politics of it all. I like that we are our own team. I like that we all have something to be proud of and talk about that isn't about faith or politics.
Q: To close up the national team topic: Do you guys see yourself in Qatar 2022 or perhaps in the 2024 UEFA Euro? And is the rivalry with the Republic of Ireland as violent as the media sometimes make it seem?
O: As a fan, yes, we will be there. Probably through the playoffs, but I’ll always back my country. As a guy in sports, I worry for our national team. We just lost our best manager (arguably) and with most teams, there is a rebuild after that. It depends on how quickly we get to deal with it. Qatar may be too soon but Euro 24 is more realistic.
As for the rivalry, I don't think so. We've moved from the idiot who would ruin the game for others. There is a minority who do treat it with hostility, on both sides, but we just look at it as another opponent to beat I think. Some idiots want to take us back to the Troubles but overall we all just want to enjoy ourselves in peace.
J: Yeah, I think with the UEFA Euro expanding, we’ll be back soon. FIFA World Cup may be harder, last time we missed it thanks to a penalty for Switzerland they shouldn’t have had. The rivalry is not bad, it’s worse when England played the Republic of Ireland. I go in a huff if there's not a good game. I love Northern Ireland though and would struggle to support a joint team like the rugby team, we have our own history.
Note: In rugby, the whole island of Ireland is represented by a single, joint team.
Q: How do you feel regarding a possible merger with the Republic of Ireland league to form an “Irish Superleague”?
J: I feel like there are people in the background looking for a joint league between both countries. I feel it's because our league is moving forward.
O: It's a nice idea and I think it will happen at some point, but I just don't have an appetite for it. I like that I can travel 20 minutes by train to hassle my mate who supports Larne or Glenavon. Can't exactly do that if we're traveling to play Cork City.
Q: What does football mean for an "average" Irish? A way of living, a "Sunday entertainment"?
O: Football is old-fashioned here, in the best way. You work all week, and you have your Saturday to hang out with mates, watch your team and maybe have a drink. A lot of people felt lost during lockdown without it.
J: I love football on a Sunday. God-fearing people over here!
Q: Do you have any pre-match rituals?
J: Yeah, Ollie and I meet up at a bar with a supporters club from the Sydenham end, where we stand. Of to the game after a few pints and hopefully three points to take home.
O: Yeah, us and our manager/mate Michael. We'd normally have our match, and I'd dander around Belfast for lunch. If we win, usually Sushi or something like a treat. If not, Tesco meal deal hahaha.
Q: If I asked you guys to describe "Northern Ireland" with one word, "Glentoran FC" with one word, and "Football" also with one word. What would you say?
J: “Home” for the three of them. That’s my choice.
O: Northern Ireland I’d say “energy”. “Passion” for Glentoran and football, “life”.
Glentoran FC, one of the big teams from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1882, the club’s rich history is filled with success stories, drama, and highs and lows. From their first-ever title in 1894, to suffer due to the two world wars (their stadium, The Oval, suffered greatly due to the German bombing over Belfast), to being rejected by the great George Best (his grandad was a Glentoran fan), to survive through the decades as a fan favourite side. 23 league and cup titles later, Glentoran is currently enjoying a positive spell in the NIFL Premiership. Oliver, 26, and Jamie, 37, are both joint coaches of the U16 side of the club. They talk about their passion for Glentoran and the Northern Ireland national team, the future of Irish football, and the feeling of supporting one of the biggest clubs in the whole country.