Another who during his time at the Oval played in a variety of roles for Glentoran. A former trainee at Manchester United , Andy was originally a right winger , but would later play up front or in midfield during his twelve seasons with Glentoran.Won many league and cup medals whilst at the Oval and also quite a few with the Seconds for whom he led to Steel and Sons Cup glory in 1989. Sadly a broken leg ended his playing career at the Oval however he returned in a managerial capacity in 2006 as Assistant to Paul Millar. Played 228 times for Glentoran, netting 41 times.

Three broken legs and a fractured cheekbone were just some of the injuries sustained by Barney during his 15 years at the Oval yet Barney still managed to amass over 500 appearances for the Glens.  Barney had slipped through the net as a youngster and was picked up by Cliftonville from whom he signed for Derby County in the late 70’s .Sadly Barney never made a competitive appearance for Derby but that still didn’t stop Ronnie McFall from swooping for Barney in August 1981.  In a side that contained star names such as Paterson , Cleary, Jameson and Blackledge , Barney excelled initially in midfield alongside Cleary and Kingon and played his part in the many trophy wins of the 80’s and early 90’s.  Goals were also a big part in Barney’s game and he also managed over 100 in his Glentoran career.  As the years passed Barney dropped back into a sweeping role and really came into his own as he was the cool head in the centre of the defence. In 1991 he finally got his just reward for all his efforts in a Glentoran shirt when he led Glentoran to the league title and in doing so finally got his hands on a league medal, the only one that had previously eluded him.  A record that Barney set later that year still stands today, 22 appearances in Europe, a record for any Glentoran player in European competition.  In 1995 the curtain finally fell on Barney’s Glentoran career when at 36 he opted to join Ards for whom he played for two seasons including a couple more appearances in Europe. Total Appearances for Glentoran – 528 – 104 goals.

During his first spell at the Oval, Billy played as a centre forward and amassed almost 60 goals from over 150 appearances before he caught the eye of the then Derby County manager, Tommy Docherty. The summer of 1978 was spent playing for Tulsa Roughnecks in the NASL; however upon his return to the Oval that September, Derby paid £90,000 for the services of both Billy and his Glentoran and Tulsa teammate Victor Moreland.  Although he enjoyed the experience of the English League, he only scored three goals from 34 appearances between 1978/79 and 79/80.  During this spell Billy was selected for Northern Ireland and scored on his debut away to Bulgaria. It was the first of seven full appearances for Northern Ireland.  During the close season of 1980-81, Billy and Victor returned to Tulsa and went on to enjoy a total of six very successful years stateside and began to earn a high reputation as a very competitive midfielder, so much so that he was often selected amongst the top players in the NASL.  By the time the NASL collapsed in 1984, Billy had helped them to a Soccerbowl in 1983; sadly he missed the final with a knee injury. He was also second to Moreland in All-Time Appearances for Tulsa (162 to 177) and second in their goal scoring charts with 37 goals.  In October 1984, Billy packed his bags and returned to the Oval along with another stateside ex-Glenman, Terry Moore, However after only one season and winning his first Irish Cup medal v Linfield he returned to Tulsa for another season, this time playing only in exhibition games.  Anxious for a return to competitive football again, Billy signed for Glentoran for a third time at the start of the 1986-87 season. He was now 32 but far from over the hill or past-it as he played a large part in Glentoran winning the Double in1987-88 and was voted as the Football Writers Player of the Year and selected for the Irish League side.  By 1992-93, now aged 38 Billy knew his legs couldn’t hold out, so he opted to hang up his boots.He wasn’t out of football for long though as the following season he entered management for the first time, as Assistant to Robert Strain.  At the age of 40, Billy would return to the playing again this time with Dundela, with whom he played for a further two seasons before dropping down to his local junior sides Abbey Villa and Meadowbank, for whom he still regularly turns out.  Total Appearances for Glentoran - 440 - 110 goals

Player biography coming soon.

Utility player for Glentoran, Darren can play in defence or in midfield. Famous for his trademark headband and wholehearted commitment to the side. Signed for Glentoran in 1990 and went on to make 119 appearances, scoring 5 goals before he moved on to Ballymena in 1998.

Left sided midfielder who came up through the ranks at the Oval before making his debut at the tail end of the 1985-86 season and impressed enough to secure a place in the squad that toured America in the summer of 1986.Was a regular in the squad for the next season but opted to move away from the Oval in 1987 to Crusaders. Scored one goal in 26 appearances for Glentoran.

A player who’s Glentoran career was blighted with injury and one that promised so much only to be taken away by those injuries. In six seasons at the Oval, Due to his constant injury battle his time in the first team was spent more often than not as a substitute but when given the chance he shone bright. During his time at the Oval he won many B Division honours including a Steel and Sons medal, his only senior medal came in the 1991 Gold Cup win over Cliftonville. By 1994, he drifted away from the Oval and played for many years with H&W Welders in the B Division. Scored 11 goals in 39 appearances for Glentoran.

To many people “Blackie” was the best centre forward Glentoran ever had. Over 150 goals in just 200 games are testament to his qualities as a goalscorer, when you remember that he spent a season on loan in France and also had two seasons blighted with injury you wonder just how many more he would have scored. A typical old fashioned centre forward he was Ronnie McFall’s first signing in 1979 when he paid Portadown £9,000 for his services. A former Under 21 international he was an immediate success with over 20 goals in his first full season. The following season, as Glentoran romped unbeaten to the title he played his part with 40 goals in 43 appearances and formed a formidable partnership with Ron Manley and also won the Footballer of the year award along with a call-up to the Northern Ireland squad. Despite a further 27 goals in the 1981-82 season, a small band of supporters took a dislike to Blackie and with the arrival of Gerry Mullan, his form suffered. An offer of a loan spell with French 2nd Division side, Chaumont came in and with much reluctance he took up their offer. Chaumont offered to sign Gary on a permanent deal but he was determined to prove his critics wrong so he returned to the Oval and returned with great effect, scoring 28 goals from 37 appearances during the 1983-84 season. Sadly though it proved to be Gary’s last 20 plus season tally as a mixture of injuries and the form of Gary Macartney and Gerry Mulllan pushed him unto the sidelines at the Oval. In January, 1988 Glentoran received an offer from Glenavon for Blackie and it was accepted however like so many others, Blackie who was though to be “over the hill” came back to haunt us on more than one occasion as he enjoyed quite successful seasons at Mourneview before moving on to Crusaders to great effect before winding down his senior career with Carrick Rangers .After a year out of the game he was coaxed back to junior football by The Welders for two seasons. Perhaps one of the best memories for Glenmen of Blackie will be that 25 yard screamer he scored in the Centenary friendly with Spurs. Without a doubt one of the best ever players to don the Red, Green and Black. Total Appearances for Glentoran – 262 – 159 goals

Stylish centre half who enjoyed three separate spells at the Oval during which time he amassed 364 appearances and scored 31 goals. Began at local juniors, Holywood before signing for the Glens in 1988. In his time at the Oval Gary won many honours and became something of a free-kick expert, scoring some vital goals. In between spells at the Oval, Gary also gave great service to Glenavon and also enjoyed a couple of year at Ballymena United. One of the best defenders of the last 20 years.

Born in Enniskillen, Jim was a former G.A.A. player at county level and began his career at Portadown.
As Ronnie McFall tried to re-build Glentoran he made Jim one of his first signings in August 1980 Cleary played his part in an undefeated League title win by the end of his first season.  The following season was perhaps Jim’s best ever in a Glentoran shirt for him personally as he scored 23 goals from midfield and showed some terrific form throughout that season that saw him firstly represent the Irish League on tour in Canada then he gained his first Northern Ireland cap v Scotland in the Home Internationals before his season was crowned with a call-up to the Northern Ireland squad for the World Cup in Spain.
The departure of Dermot Keely saw Jim take over the captaincy of the team with Jim now acclaimed by many as the most influential midfielder in the local game and he was again capped by Northern Ireland. As captain of Glentoran, Jim would perhaps be our most successful ever lifting a league title and four Irish Cups not to mention numerous other trophies.  After nine glorious seasons at the Oval, Jim surprised many when he announced his retirement from the game at the end of the 1988-89 season, in which he signed off in style scoring 25 goals from 51 appearances.

One of the best centre backs to grace the local game in the last twenty years , John burst unto the scene as a raw 17 year old on Boxing Day 1987 and by the end of that season had played a large part in our Double success ,indeed he scored our opening goal in the title clinching game at Coleraine. As a junior player, John had been a midfielder but by the time he had progressed to the Seconds, John had been converted to a centre half.    During the 1989-90 season John would set something of a local football record when he was capped by N.Ireland at three different levels within the space of 30 days. First he won an Under 21 cap v Israel then played and scored for the Under 23’s against the Republic of Ireland and then rounded the month of with a substitute appearance against Uruguay to win a Full Cap.  That summer it looked as if John would be on his way to Southampton but sadly for John, an offer of £70,000 for John was declined by Glentoran and then suddenly Southampton pulled out of any further negotiations and John never got his dream move.  However, John continued to put in some great performances for Glentoran over the years and in 1996-97 season John received a testimonial game with Notts.County and in 1998-99 by now he was club captain and led Glentoran to another championship win.  That summer of 1999, John shocked many in the local game and not to mention the Glentoran fans when he brought his Glentoran career to an end by opting to sign for Coleraine.  Subsequently, John would also see service at Glenavon and Larne before retiring from the senior game after a brief spell at Larne as Manager.  Total Appearances for Glentoran – 468 – 34 goals

In a Glentoran career that spanned some 14 seasons, Johnny amassed almost 500 appearances and scored over 100 goals not to mention a plethora of winner’s medals including a post-war record of six Irish Cup winners medals with Glentoran and seven in total.  Affectionately known as the Flying Angel, Johnny was snapped up by Ronnie Mc Fall in 1980 from Linfield after previously plying his trade at Bangor and Huddersfield.  His best season from a personal level came in 1981-82 when he netted 16 goals from 44 games and picked up the Glentoran Player of the Year Award.  However, the greatest moment came as the season drew to close when Billy Bingham chose Johnny along with Jim Cleary as a member of his World Cup squad for the Spain 82 World Cup. Sadly he never got a game but will forever be famous for declining a place on the bench for the game with France because it was being played on a Sunday.  He made up for that disappointment at the 1983 Irish Cup Final when netted a brace in the replay to clinch the cup for Glentoran for the first time in ten years.
Other highlights for Johnny in his time at the Oval would be his goals in Europe against Paris and Dundee Utd and also his goal against Liverpool in the Centenary friendly in 1982.  Sadly in 1993-93 season, Johnny received a serious head injury and missed much of that season however he fought back to fitness and began the following season in his regular number seven shirt , however , after only four games the old injury re-occurred and Johnny was forced to retire, sadly only two appearances short of 500 in a Glentoran shirt. Total Appearances for Glentoran – 498 – 124 goals

Stocky but prolific goal scoring forward who was signed from Carrick Rangers in August 1991 and scored 20 goals in his first season as Glentoran won the league. Continued to find the net with great regularity for the next 9 years and won numerous honours along the way including an Under 21 cap in 1994.In total he would win three league titles whilst at the Oval. Was honoured in 1999 – 2000 season with a testimonial but shocked many Glentoran fans in the summer of 2001 when after being released by Glentoran he opted to make the move across town to sign for Linfield. Spent two years at Windsor before moving on to Ballymena and is currently at Ards. Made a total of 330 appearances and scored 132 goals for Glentoran..

The best left back in the Irish League for more than a decade, Mark gave nothing less than 100% during a game and although a defender scored almost 100 goals in his illustrious career. Began at Bangor before moving on to Glenavon then arrived at the Oval in 2001.Won both the League and Cup during his six seasons at the Oval ,playing 185 times and scored 30 goals.

Player biography coming soon.

A permanent fixture in the Legends side since their formation, Pete still remains a highly competitive and determined midfielder as he was during his seven years at the Oval after joining from Bangor in 1995. Like John Devine, Pete is a former Glentoran captain, with perhaps his proudest moment coming in 2001 when he led Glentoran to Irish Cup glory over Linfield.  Won every medal in local football many times over during his 259 games for Glentoran in which he scored 28 goals.

Signed from Distillery in September 1996 in a double deal with John Drake. Philip added great experience to the Glentoran midfield and won both League and Irish Cup winner’s medals during his time at the Oval. Got his fair share of goals from his midfield role. Left the Oval in 1999 to go into coaching firstly with Linfield Youth and recently with Crusaders Reserves and Linfield Swifts. Scored 15 goals in 77 appearances for Glentoran.

Hard a nails full-back and one of the most feared defenders in the league during his career; Rab never shirked a tackle and went in where others feared to go.
Joined Glentoran in 1970 from Lombard Youth Club and was a virtual institution for 11 seasons at the Oval. Played in a variety of roles, starting off as a midfielder, Rab also played centre half but will be known as one of the top right backs in the history of local football.  Although never capped at full international level Rab did win Irish League caps and was also a member of the IFA XI that faced New Zealand at the Oval in 1979.  Throughout his career Rab would be regarded as a “hard man” but in 1977 Rab came face to face with a player of equal reputation , Claudio Gentile of Juventus.During the game spectators winced as both men went into tackles that others would stay clear of.  However, at the finish both men shook hand knowing that neither had appeared “soft” in this battle.  Fittingly in his benefit season Rab captained Glentoran to their undefeated league title in 1980-81 and previously he was also a member of the squad that reached the Cup Winners Cup Quarter Final in 1974 although he broke his leg in the second round game at Brann Bergen.  Sadly within a year of that title win Rab was up against a youngster called George Neill for the number two shirt and also long running arguments with former team mate Ronnie McFall, now Glentoran manager were the beginning of the end for Rab and in 1982 he left the Glens .Soon after he was snapped up by Ballymena United, linking up with former team mate Alan Harrison, and won another Irish Cup medal in 1984 before he retired to manage his pub, The Cock N Hens full-time.

Known to everyone as Nuts , Raymond was a managers dream , a goal scoring midfielder who could also add bite in the middle of the park , the Paul Scholes of the Glentoran side throughout the 80s and 90s. Signed for Glentoran in 1982 and would enjoy over 13 years at the club before moving on to Ards. During his time at the Oval, Raymond helped Glentoran to many trophies, including six Irish Cup wins and was a former PFA and Football Writers Player of the Year. Like Pete Batey, Raymond is another mainstay of the Legends side and loves to don the Green Red and Black again. For a midfielder, he netted he had a great record of 105 goals in 432 appearances for Glentoran.

Promising young goalkeeper who is a Northern Ireland Schoolboy international. Son of Mark, his grandfather Davy was a former player for Crusaders. Looks set for a bright future in the game.

A former Cliftonville winger who became a very popular player for Glentoran after his shock signing in 1998 .It proved a vital signing for Glentoran as they went on to clinch the league title that season thanks to Tim’s wing play and vital goals. Linked up perfectly with Colin Nixon on the right flank for the next six seasons before he was sensationally released in 2004. Joined Ballymena but suffered a serious knee injury that almost brought an end to his career but in typical fashion Tim fought his way back to full fitness and even better a return to the Oval. Sadly though just as he was again making an impact in the side his cruciate went again and his senior career was over. Now, manager of the Glentoran Seconds. Played 281 times for Glentoran and scored 41 goals.

Another highly skilful left sided midfielder, Tom signed for Glentoran in December1988 from Distillery and would spend three seasons at the Oval, unfortunately for Tom most of the time would be spent on the subs bench. In 1991, Tom would re-join Distillery in an exchange deal with Billy Totten coming to the Oval. Played 64 times for Glentoran, scoring 6 goals.

Tough tackling defender, Tom enjoyed two spells at the Oval with an eighteen month spell at Rangers squeezed in between. Won two Irish Cup winners medals during those two spells, v Linfield in 1985 and Coleraine in 1986. Highly competitive, Tom was very popular with the Glens fans during his time at the Oval. Sadly never scored in any of his 64 appearances for Glentoran.