In tomorrow’s Glentoran Gazette, one of the few match programmes in the UK by the fans for the fans, we profile Saturday’s opponents, the rejuvenated Ballymena United, the club that keeps making headlines and one that Declan Devine expects to give the Glens another tough game. The boss also reflects on the highs and lows of the last few games and praises the progress of Academy products James Douglas, Aaron Wightman and Jonny Russell. Gazette publishers, the 1923 Committee, slip in a push for a change in the NIFL season if we as a league are serious about improving our standards in Europe while John Grayden warms to the subject saying we should look to the achievements of Olimpija Ljubljana to see what is possible. Our writers reflect on the comings and goings at the Oval with the surprise departure of Director and former manager Mick McDermott and the signing of Ciaran Coll from Derry City while a busy Henry Muldrew looks at the state of the game at local and international level. Brian McClelland relates the tale of how the penalty kick came into being and we have news from the Glens Ultras visit to Holland – a trip that was reciprocated ending with a surprise gift for Marcus Kane and we examine the financial position of League of Ireland clubs. Tommy Sewell brings us a portrait feature of some of the flags that fly regularly at the Oval and, of course, Tommy and Norman Ternahan deliver their individual take on recent games in pictures and words respectively. All that and another fabulous cover graphic from Beth Stafford depicting one of our players as a movie hero. Saturday’s 40-page Gazette is £4.
