BetMcLean Oval
Larne
Glenavon
Crusaders
Dergview
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© Glentoran
Glentoran 2023/2024
Formed over 140 years ago, Glentoran are a club with a rich history littered with silverware that makes them one of the most successful in Northern Ireland.
To date the Glens have amassed 23 league titles, 23 Irish Cup victories, 7 League Cup and 26 County Antrim Shield wins as well as claiming a plethora of Gold Cup, City Cup and Ulster Cup successes amongst others.
But those facts only tell part of the Glentoran story.
Take, for example, the Vienna Cup. Played just before the outbreak of WW1, it was a very early forerunner to the European competitions we know today. Glentoran received an invitation after winning the Irish Cup and travelled to the Austrian capital, playing games in Prague and Berlin before arriving in Vienna to face a local Select XI.
That game ended in a draw, but a further game against the same opposition saw the Glens run out comfortable 5-0 winners, thus becoming the first British side to win a trophy in European football.
Indeed, Glentoran's European exploits have become legendary down through the years.
Perhaps their greatest achievement in the UEFA era came in 1967 when they were drawn against Benfica - featuring the great Eusebio - and only exited the competition on away goals, the first side to lose on this rule. Other tussles on the continental stage have brought the likes of Rangers, Arsenal, Ajax and Juventus to east Belfast.
Glentoran's ground, The Oval, is also an iconic part of the fibre of the club. Badly damaged during WW2, the ground has become a mecca for ground hoppers from around the world due to a style and structure that harks back to a bygone era.
