A Love Affair With The Irish Cup...

Glentoran players in the centre circle during Monday’s tense semi-final penalty shoot-out against Cliftonville.As I lay upon my bed last night, I fell into a dream...

Well the European Cup is unlikely ever to be won by a Belfast team, as the old song goes, but last night’s dream for Glen-men near and far had less lofty, but equally critical, implications.

They said the club’s days were numbered before its penultimate success in modern Glentoran’s favourite competition, a 3-1 success over league champions Cliftonville in 2013. It was still the cry two years later when they defeated fancied Portadown in the 2015 final, as the club struggled on. Attempting to pay down unmanageable debt and…