This weekend’s Glentoran Gazette editorial raises the subject of Sunday football, once banned, now approved but seldom used and previews the visit of two Glenmen back at the Oval after 50 years. Ahead of the latest league game Mick McDermott tells why he was disappointed with the midweek defeat by Coleraine but says there were a lot of good individual performances that he hopes to build on, while Bill Wray says Ballymena come into the match on a high after successive league and league cup wins. Matthew Brown hears why a Glentoran Women’s international striker thinks the Northern Ireland squad going full-time will benefit the local game and we throw the spotlight on the Academy’s former stars making their way in the professional game. Henry Muldrew brings us another part of his personal A-Z of Glentoran and Wayne McGuigan argues it’s imperative Irish League clubs tell their story and those of their communities through matchday programmes. He will be pleased as Brian McClelland tells how the Glens Vienna Cup quest almost turned into a nightmare before kick-off while Philip Stevenson brings a tale that revolves around John “Toby” Mercer, the man who stopped the Glens going out of business in 1941 after the Oval was blitzed. Designer Beth Stafford and photographer Joe Burns make Ruaidhri Donnelly their cover star and we have a round-up of news around the club and a review of all the latest action in words and pictures by Norman Ternahan and Tommy Sewell. The Gazette, by the fans for the fans, is a snip at £3.
