A short Service of Remembrance was held at the Oval at 11am this morning to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
It was led by club Chaplain, Rev. David Thompson and the message he delivered is outlined below....
Glentoran Remembers: Battle of the Somme Centenary
We gather together as the Glentoran family on this morning of the 1st July, the Centenary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, for this short act of remembrance.
The Battle of the Somme had a huge impact in terms of the outcome of World War One, in terms of subsequent European history, but also in terms of its impact on a whole generation of Ulstermen, Irishmen, Belfast men and the community that lived in the streets around this football club.
One hundred years on, despite all the books, television programmes and commemorative events, it is still difficult to get our heads around the scale of the injury and loss of life that occurred.
The Battle of the Somme began on 1st July 1916. There were more than one million casualties on both sides by the time it ended, after 141 days, on 18th November 1916. The 36th (Ulster) Division alone suffered more than 5,000 casualties - 2,069 of whom were killed on 1st July.
Five thousand casualties. 2,069 killed on one day – this day 100 years ago.
The reality behind those figures is hard to fathom and imagine. However, we can imagine this football ground with a crowd of 5000 inside, can’t we? Take a moment to do that.
Then imagine that big a number all injured.
We can imagine a crowd of 2,069. Picture them in the stand. Dotted around the terraces. Behind the goals. Alive with anticipation and camaraderie before the match begins. Then gone. Their place empty, silent, vacant.
Perhaps that brings home in a way we can visualise something of the scale of what we are here to remember - that mixture of the heroic and tragic that is always the mark of war and conflict.
Psalm 121 is one of the passages from the Bible that Army Chaplains read to soldiers before they went over the top 100 years ago. Let’s hear it as a reminder of where our help is still to be found in our lives today.
Psalm 121
1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
And so, as the Glentoran Community, we remember, we honour, we give thanks today, for those who didn’t just stand and watch as World War One unfolded, but who crossed the line to win the peace and freedom in which God wants all of us to be able to live our lives.
Let us remember before God those who have died for their country in war; those whom we knew, those from our family circles whose memory we treasure; and all who have lived and died in the service of mankind.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them…
When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrows these gave their today.
A Prayer of Remembrance
Eternal God, you are our refuge and strength in times of trouble.
On this day we remember before you
all who experienced the battle at the Somme:
those who faced the terrible carnage and devastation,
who fought against all the odds, enduring the clinging mud,
and the squalor of the trenches.
We recall with thanksgiving the loyalty shown amongst soldiers and the bravery of those who overcame their fear,
the courage of those who daily faced the pounding of artillery, gun-fire and shrapnel.
May we never forget the devastating loss of this battle,
the sacrifices that were made,
the grieving of the many who lost loved ones,
and the impact it had upon this island of Ireland.
Through our remembrances today, strengthen our resolve
to love our neighbours as ourselves
and to speak your word of peace in times of conflict and insecurity.
Give us strength to face the future, humility and wisdom to learn from the past,
as we remember those who have given their lives in the service of peace and justice.
This we ask in the name of the Prince of peace,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Following a minute's silence, Glentoran FC's vice-chairman, Ian Kerr, laid a wreath on behalf of the club.