Glentoran Football Club is delighted to announce that seven-year-old supporter Jake Holmes has been named the winner of the Glens’ BetMcLean Cup Final Flag Competition.

Jake, who lives in the Cregagh area of East Belfast, impressed the judging panel with a colourful and imaginative design that perfectly captured both his love for Glentoran and the club’s deep roots in the city.

His flag proudly features the club’s famous red, green and black colours alongside the iconic Harland & Wolff cranes, reflecting the East Belfast heritage that sits at the heart of the club.

A pupil at Knocknagoney Primary School, Jake is a keen young footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Clonduff FC.

Like many young Glentoran supporters, he dreams of one day playing at The BetMOval – and counts Glens’ goalkeeper Andrew “Millsy” Mills as his favourite player.

As the competition winner, Jake received two tickets to the BetMcLean Cup Final at the Clearer Twist National Stadium and a life-size version of his winning flag, which he will proudly wave among the Glentoran support on matchday.

Making the moment even more special, Jake also had the chance to meet his hero Andrew Mills, who presented him with the tickets and his winning flag ahead of the final.

Jake’s mum Nichola Holmes said: “Jake is football mad and absolutely loves Glentoran. When he heard about the competition he was straight away talking about designing a flag and making sure it showed how much the club and East Belfast mean to him.

“He hasn’t stopped talking about it since he found out he had won. He’s been telling everyone at school, his friends and the whole family all about it.

“The chance to meet Millsy made it even more special. Andrew is his hero and Jake was determined he had to wear his Millsy goalkeeper kit when he met him.

“We just want to say a big thank you to Glentoran for making him feel so special. It’s something he’ll remember for a very long time.”

The competition was launched by the club to give young fans the opportunity to play their own part in the build-up to the BetMcLean Cup Final, with supporters aged between 6 and 16 invited to design a flag showing their support for the Glens.

Andrew Mills said: “It was brilliant to meet Jake and see the flag he designed. You can tell straight away how much Glentoran means to him and how proud he is of the club and of being from East Belfast. The Harland & Wolff cranes on the flag were a great touch. They’re such a big part of the area and the club’s history, so it was great to see them included.

“Young supporters like Jake are what this club is all about. The excitement he had about the Cup Final and bringing his flag along to the game was brilliant to see. Hopefully we can give Jake and all the Glentoran supporters something to celebrate on the day.”