Glentoran Gazette contributor and former editor, John Grayden, first saw the Glens play in May, 1959. In this series he picks imaginary sides from throughout the years in a random selection of categories. A few are factual while most are subjective and by no means definitive. While he has seen most of the players in action, a few from earlier eras are included because of their contribution to the club’s history.
Eurovision: A team whose members have scored in European competitions
4-4-2 formation
Goalkeeper: PETE BATEY
With no goalkeeper among our European sharpshooters, I’ve cheated again and placed Pete Batey between the sticks. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I have a picture of him taking over in goal during a game when no substitute ‘keeper was available. However, he’s in the team because of the hot Mediterranean night in Haifa in August 1998 when he levelled the game with a vital away goal in the Kiriat Eliezar stadium in a European Cup Winners Cup tie. Unfortunately, two soft penalty decisions for the home side took the polish off his glory night. Pete made nine European appearances for the Glens.
Right back: COLIN NIXON
In my book Nicky is one of the all-time greats to have donned the shirt. Lesser players have had decent professional careers. However, the greatest of many great moments in the marauding defender’s playing days came in the Finnish town of Vantaa in 2004 when he scored an 81st minute goal that gave the Glens their first away victory in Europe. Colin played 26 times in Europe for the Glens and scored twice.
Centre back: BILLY WALKER
The big centre half grabbed the all-important equaliser in the European Cup Winners Cup second round tie against Brann on that infamous October night in Bergen in 1973, stabbing home a Warren Feeney corner on a dangerous pitch that in places resembled a swimming pool. Billy - an absolute gentleman, we worked for the same firm for a while – fractured his leg against Borussia Moenchengladbach in the quarter final tie at the Oval. He made three European appearances for the Glens.
Centre back: ALEX ROBSON
The man Irish League forwards feared playing against was lucky to be included in the team for the European Cup second leg tie against Valur Reykjavik at the Oval in September, 1977, after leaving an Icelandic striker prone on the pitch at the end of the away tie. The then hod carrier brought the Glens level on the night before Johnny Jamison struck the winner. Alex played eight times in Europe for the Glens.
Left back: MARK GLENDINNING
Sass picked his Glentoran debut to quicken hearts and raise hopes by scoring an equaliser seven minutes from time on his Glens debut in a UEFA Cup away tie against Midtjylland in August 2001. Unfortunately, the Danes turned up the heat in the return leg at the Oval to win easily on aggregate. Mark made five appearances in European competitions for the club.
Right midfield: JOHNNY JAMESON
The Flying Angel sits near the top of the club’s all-time European appearances chart in joint sixth place with a couple of other modern greats. The man who played almost 500 games for the Glens made 18 European appearances for the club and scored goals in the Champions League, the Europa League and the Cup Winners Cup competitions.
Centre midfield: JOHNNY JAMISON
The Newtownards Road maestro scored five goals in European competitions for the club – more than any other player. The highlight of his 18 European appearances came in the 1973/74 season when he was the fulcrum of the side that reached the quarter finals of the Cup Winners Cup.
Centre midfield: BILLY CASKEY
The much-travelled midfielder-cum-striker-cum defender made 17 European appearances for the Glens. His solitary goal came on a disappointing night at the end of September 1987, when the club exited the Cup Winners Cup on away goals to Rovaniemi. After a scoreless draw in Finland, the visitors scored at the Oval with a 1-1 draw sending them into the next round.
Left midfield: JIM CLEARY
Two of Jim’s three goals in his 17 European appearances came in the 1981/82 European Cup campaign. He scored in the opening minute of the away tie against Progres Neidercorn to put the Glens in the box seat and set the team up for a comfortable victory over the two legs and then scored in the 67th minute of the home tie against CSKA Sofia in the next round to set up a thrilling comeback in a game that was ultimately lost in extra time.
Striker: RON MANLEY
That game against CSKA in November, 1981, was arguably the night of the Glens greatest ever goal in Europe. Four minutes after Jim Cleary had put the club ahead in the leg, the late Yorkie slalomed through the Bulgarian defence to bring the teams level in one of the best European games ever seen at the Oval. His effort, sadly, was in vain, with Sofia’s Dimitrov settling the game with five minutes left on the clock.
Striker: GARY BLACKLEDGE
for a man who scored 159 goals in 262 games for the Glens, it could be argued that Blackie should have featured more in these lists. His two goals in eight European appearances came in the home tie against Progres Neidercorn at the end of September, 1981. His other European experiences came in the 1982/83 season when he joined French club Chaumont on loan.
Substitutes:
RAB McCREERY
That filthy night in Bergen in 1973 could have finished the carer of the hard as nails defender. Rab challenged three Norwegians for the ball in the mud and water towards the end of the game and was left with a broken ankle and his leg broken in two places, injuries that put him out of the game for 15 months and prevented him from breaking the 400 appearance mark for the Glens. His solitary goal in his 17 European games had come in the first round of the Cup Winners Cup that season when he opened the scoring for the Glens against Chimia Vilcea in a 2-2 draw in Romania.
TERRY MOORE
The Canadian international who went on to captain the Glens played 11 times in Europe for the club, scoring once, a goal at the Oval in the European Cup in 1988 in the 1-1 draw with Spartak Moscow. In two spells at the Glens Terry notched up 333 appearances for the club.
BARNEY BOWERS
Another wonderful player who possibly could have featured more in these selections after more than 500 appearances including 21 in European competitions and more than 100 goals. Three of those came on those European sorties including the equaliser against Standard Liege in the 1-1 UEFA Cup draw at the Oval in 1984.
TREVOR THOMPSON
Glentoran’s all-time leading goalscorer who found the net 375 times in 463 games. Anyone who saw the big man bustle his way through defences will never forget him. The stories about him missing sitters then scoring spectaculars from close to the corner flags are all true. Along with Jim Weatherup, Trevor, who scored four goals in his ten European appearances, is a life member of the club.
GARY HAMILTON
Other forwards have scored more goals in the European adventures than Gary but I’ve included him simply because of the man’s artistry. An impressive strike rate of 70 goals in just over 130 appearances for the Glens doesn’t begin to do him justice. His football brain often put him on a different level to his teammates and even pushing 40 he was still dominating games for Glenavon last season. How I would love to see a young Hamilton in the squad Mick McDermott and Paul Millar are building. His solitary goal in Europe was a 56th minute penalty in the 2-2 draw against KR Reykjavik at the Oval in 2010.