THOUSANDS VISIT THIS OLD STADIUM EVERY YEAR... FIND OUT WHY (Glentoran Football Club, The Oval)
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2022
- I visited the historic home of Glentoran Football Club in Belfast, The Oval.
The Oval was bombed during World War 2, has played host to Benfica, Manchester United, Glasgow Rangers and many more great teams. It has old school terracing and is a holy grail site for groundhoppers the world over.
I even got to hold the Vienna Cup (often seen as the first ever European trophy)!
People visit this incredible football stadium from all around the world and it's clear to see why!
My Social Media:
INSTAGRAM: / footy.adventures
TWITTER: / the_sam_north
#football #belfast #soccer - Sport
Are there any stadiums in the world that are as historic and atmospheric as this?! I don't think so!
Um no
Yes there is Windsor park as biggest stadium in historic Northern Ireland with 18,000 capacity of fans
are you a glentoran fan or linfield fan be honest Sam
@@christophercampbell4272
On club in Belfast
Come on you Glens.
Hands across the water.
Go to Derry
The Glentoran media man is top-notch. Very informative and has a lovely manner about him.
Couldn’t agree more 🙌🏼
Belfast has an abundance of such people in my experience
He’s brilliant, and he loves the club which comes through during his conversation with FA. Would love him to do more about the clubs history.
Agree! Great ambassador for the club
I am so happy to get to know this club better! I became really into this football club!
As a Cliftonville fan, I have respect for Glentoran as a football club, and respect also for that interesting wee story about the pillbox. David is a good ambassador for the club and the next time I visit the oval I will have a bit more knowledge about the Glens as a club & also about the history of the ground itself. Nice one.
As a Cliftonville fan I have been here many times and to cheer the Glens on in EUROPE. ITS Time
Glentoran ground WOW !!!! Full of character compered to the new looky likey soulless stadium's of today....Great showcasing Irish football & grounds...👏👏👏
Despite being lucky enough to have visited many of the best stadiums in England and Scotland, the Oval just feels like how football should be. Definitely recommend catching a game if people ever find themselves in Belfast.
Old football grounds have character and atmosphere
There it is 🏟️
Thank you very much for showcasing our iconic stadium Sam. We look forward to welcoming you back for a game very soon!
Keep up the great work 👏
How about a star on the shirt to commemorate his visit?
Proper FIFA star, not 5 dicky made up stars
Incredible club. Incredible stadium!
I'm a lifelong Glentoran fan since the 1960's. Love the history of the club and have many happy memories of seeing them play teams like Benifca and Rangers. My favourite memory is the 1966 Irish Cup final when the Glens beat the Blues 2-0 at the Oval!
Been watching Glentoran for 32 years home and away since the age of 2, the Oval hasn't changed much from when I started. It'll be a shame the day it's demolished but it's desperately needed.
Great video, loved watching your tour of Northern Ireland and hopefully more to follow 💚❤️🖤
Hi, love this channel, greetings from New Zealand. Back in the early 70's John Hill played for Glentoran, he emigrated to New Zealand in the mid to late 70's, and became a member of the New Zealand 1982 world cup squad. The story is that Glentoran played Arsenal in 1971, and were looking for a right back, as their squad had been depleted. John Hill was considered as a possible transfer candidate for Arsenal, but it didn't eventuate. A few years later he left Northern Ireland for New Zealand, where he still lives.
Love these in-depth visits with all the amazing history. Thanks Footy!
Glad you like them! Lots more to come :)
This video is excellent.
I live in East Belfast and didn't know a lot of this.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Fantastic. Great Channel. Loving the Irish stuff recently.
Nailed it Sam ! ... Very thorough video tour of an iconic football ground, helped along in no small part by the very knowledgeable media man David who made an excellent guide, giving you access all areas. Top marks to yourself and Glentoran FC for making this happen. Loving your Irish adventures !!!
Outstanding video! Great to see someone showcasing what we have over here.
Great video, a proper old school stadium. I remember there was a WW2 pill box at Borough Briggs, Elgin City's ground which was sadly demolished a few years ago.
As an American it was super cool seeing that plaque in the shape of Texas and Detriot pennant hung so proudly in a club as much history as Glentoran. Love the videos as I'll probably never it make it to most of these places so I live vicariously through your vids.
I love this video so much. No matter where you are. Fans love their clubs and clubs love the community they are in. Brilliant piece of work.
Great video and wonderful reception from Glentoran . David has put his side on the youtube football world map one way or another . Well done !
Such a fantastic video, loved this!
This and Odsal in Bradford are the last pre-Taylor stadiums in the UK that encapsulate that feeling of what it was like to play in those terraced bowls. I hope Glentoran don't lose that historic charm that The Oval has in redevelopments.
Excellent report and glad you enjoyed the visit. There's so much history not told in this video, like how the ground is sinking at one end, that the pitch was rotated 90 degrees when we first moved to the ground, how we got our famous red, green and black colours, how we got out name and club crest, I could go on and on about other little stories.
The club ran a first rate ground tour before Covid, lets hope it starts again.
David, you're a credit to our club!
Very interesting, enjoyable vlog Sam.
Your host was very good at explaining, and was easy to listen to, a real asset for the cub.
Great vid, old school footy is full of great history! I still miss our old Den!
Fantastic work
Great video! Always liked the teams in the Irish leagues!
Hi Sam best stadium tour of your trip. I hope you can came to Australia soon we have several older stadiums you will enjoy for sure.
That's the best ground you have ever visited. What a magnificent stadium.
Glad you enjoyed your visit! There really is no place like home ❤️💚🖤
You should get over for a big two match some time 👀
Stoked about this one Sam.thanks.
Love this content mate COYG 💚❤️🖤
Top notch vlog again Sam, lovely seeing these football grounds.ENJOYING YOUR iRISH TRIP, GREAT LAD THE MEDIA LAD.
Love this channel. So many grounds I may never visit. There are some great people in football
As a glen man this is brilliant to see this, fantastic video👍🇬🇧GFC
What a great video mate, glentoran are my local team and this was really excellent
Greetings from Antwerp 🇧🇪👊
Royal Antwerp FC ❤⚪
Another great video, I learned so much about our rivals across the city. Linfield super Linfield
Superb video. So interesting. Full marks to the guide.
Very informative video always learning on your channel .
Glens fan here - Dixon Park in Ballyclare is a gorgeous little ground, home to Ballyclare Comrades. Probably my favourite venue outside of The Oval in Northern Ireland. Very old-school little place.
Great to see the ground up north from down South. Football is a positive connection between both jurisdictions
Nice one FAD.
I really must get over and see this old pillbox. Living WW2 Belfast history, as well as the wonderful grounds and stadiums with all their living footballing history.
Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills of Northern Ireland.
That was a belter mate. Really enjoyed it.
So glad you visited the oval I live in East Belfast if I had of noing this I would of met you but hope you enjoyed your time and more importantly visiting the home of the very first British team to win a European trophy
Fantastic!!
i know it's not footy but headingley rugby/cricket ground in leeds has constant plane flyovers.
also in uruguay, in and around montevideo i think there are 6 clubs fighting in the top flight. same for some cities in brazil having 3 or 4 teams and argentina have loads of clubs in beunos aires, in fact it seems it's a south american thing lol.
i love the glentoran oval, i could look at pics of old grounds, maps and maps around footy grounds forever
one of the best videos. You can tell the media David has a deep love for the glens
What a great video and so much interesting History.
I live 5 minutes from the Oval and go to every game. I'm still in disbelief when I walk through the turnstile after decades of games. It's seen as a dump to all of our rivals, but I wouldn't change it for anything else in the world!👌
full of character and history. i love your ground mate. I'm always in favour of redevelopment instead of new builds. so many stadiums lost forever. i hope they don't ruin the oval if they get to tart it up.
I'd love to watch a game at your place before it goes.
@@mowvu5380 type into Google "The Oval redevelopment" there's new pictures of the plans and it retains the shape and terrace just modernised with 2 newer stands. Still keeps the character and historic design.
@@jordangchelseafc2007 Don't let them ruin it as once it's gone it's gone forever.
@@jordangchelseafc2007 yeh it looks pretty good, i hope they don't fck it up lol. yous deserve sumat nice. top man Jordan up the glens
@@DavidUKesb l'll believe it when l'm standing in it. It's been promised all my life and l'm 47! Bless them all 💚 ❤️ 🖤
I'm glad you've toured the Oval, as a Glens fan myself it's truly a breathtaking stadium, if you ever do come again go to a boxing day match againts linfield at the oval, the atmosphere is 1 of the best in the world no doubt!
Amazing vlog. What a story. I never saw Glentoran play. I was at Anfield for the CSK Sofia game, after they knocked out Glentoran. Think we won 5 - 1 over the two legs. I would love to visit that ground. Much of it open to the elements, but no one is going to fuss about a 'drop' of Belfast rain after enduring three Luftwaffe bombs.
Been waiting on this one. Glad you enjoyed our great club. Come back for a match some time :)
another top effort, Sam
What a fantastic stadium. I hope that any modernisation is done carefully and with respect.
Absolutely , need to retain the old with the new
top video big man
Keep up the great work Sam
From Northern Ireland myself live in armagh or just outside it border area.
Cool to see you over here doing a video on Northern irish football. Hope you enjoy your time over here it's a great place with good friendly people
when i was a kid that box was open, we used to be in and out of it and on top watching the Glens.
Welcome to Belfast hope you enjoyed yourself🙌💚
sensational ground, loved having a season ticket there in the McCann, leeman days
Beside the European trophy is my grandfathers irish fa cup medal, Jimmy Duncan, he also won a league winners medal with sligo rovers wich is displayed at sligo town hall, i was kindly invited over to sligo to present the two clubs with my son, always look out for both teams results, as kids in the street we would bring the medals out my mums house and play football to win them
Planning on a trip to Belfast at the end of August for the Crusaders game. I was going to stand on the terracing but wow, I'm tempted by the view in that main stand 👌
Did you go?
@@99dndd I did, great little visit. Beautiful under the lights too 🙂
Class.
Mon the Glens! 🟢🔴⚫
fascinating club with a very rich history it seems.
They have a great history the Glen's
Ballymena utd fan.... Great video and we'll done to Glentoran for making it a fantastic time for you... unfortunately my home team Ballymena utd you couldn't get in but I sure if you went in the other side you would of got in ...... COME ON SKY BLUES...,👍⚽
That really cool
It would be great to see a video on Belfast Celtic :)
their is one called the history of belfast celtic.
Would you mind sharing a link@@lesleypithie6227?
Proud to be a Glensman watching this 😊
Very good
Thanks!!
could be up there with the best video on the channel this
Alan Shields
Hamilton
South Lanarkshire
Scotland.
Thank you Sam for visiting
my favourite club in
Nothern Ireland
The mighty Glentoran.
I know a lot about The Oval & about
The Belfast Blitz I once wrote a poem about The Belfast Blitz & about East Belfast in this poem
Glentoran where included.
The Poem was could
The Glentoran way I no longer have the poem it was part of a class that was designed to help me with my spelling & punctuation something I have always struggled with.
The first time I seen The oval was
In 2011 from Victoria Park that is behind the home terrace..
Glentoran is a club close to my heart & always will be I love Belfast & in particular East Belfast.
I remember visiting
Carrick Castle & part of the tour was about how the
Luftwaffe bombers where spotted heading towards Belfast from Soldiers on watch in the castle but
The R.A.F did not believe that
Belfast as a legitimate target for them so they tried the call as a mistake so no R.A.F fighters where sent to intercept The
Luftwaffe Bombers.
Apparently you could see the Flames as far away as Dublin they where that high in Belfast that night in 1941 apparently Fire brigades as far away as Dublin came up to Belfast that night to help put out the
flames it was not until the following day The British Government consumed they had made an error in judgement not to consider
Belfast a legitimate target.
Sam I am extremely glad you produced this vlog thank you very much I consider it to be right up there with your very vest vlogs keep up the good work.
Keep Safe Sam.
Hey Alan, hope you’re keeping well. Really glad you enjoyed this video and shared your poem about the club. They really are an amazing team!
This video was really down to the great knowledge and passion of David. He’s the man to speak to about anything Glentoran related!
Thanks again! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
@@FootyAdventures
I hold David in reality high esteem after watching this vlog.
I would say The Glens are a very unic club with a very unic history I love that they are such a working class club I always say they are
Sons & Daughters of the docks that's how I think of the club.
Visted The Oval last time I was in
Belfast in 2019 Glentoran where away to Cliftonville that day we had a look around though we where over for an American College Ice Hockey Tournament being held in Belfast as
Belfast is twinned with Boston that's why Belfast was the venue.
The photos of The Oval after
The Belfast Blitz where amazing to beable to see.
C.O.Y.G.
Don’t make me 😂 laugh…. The “mighty Glendora’s”me bollox
@@sydbarret1973
C.O.Y.G.
To hell with that lot from
Windsor Park you would be nowhere without the financial help you lot get from the I.F.A. let's not kid ourselves on Windsor Park in nothing spectacular just a very plan ordernery stadium with about as much aesthetic appeal as a lump of anthracite.
Interestingly Northern Ireland took part in WW2 as they were (and still are) part of the UK whereas the independent Ireland didn't get involved. This led Britain relying on Irish workers for a lot of the everyday stuff such as railways, road building and ship building in Liverpool. Lots of my favourite band the Dubliners songs talk about this with the most notable one being McAlpine's Fusiliers which starts with a little back story about how a Paddy ended up in London:
It was in the year of 39 (1939) when the sky was full of lead
When Hitler was heading for Poland and Paddy for Holyhead
Come all you pincher laddies and young long distant men
Don't ever work for McAlpine, for Whimpy or John Lang
For you'll stand behind a mixer til your skin is turned to tan
And they'll say good on you Paddy with your boat fare in your hand
The craic was good in Cricklewood we wouldn't leave the crown
With bottles flying and Biddies (women) crying sure Paddy was on the town
Oh mother dear I'm over here and I'm never coming back
What keeps me here is the rake of beer, the ladies and the craic.
Then the song starts with the link for a version here (czcams.com/video/kF-RNAedKA8/video.html)
Amazing. Unique too. I wonder what kind of attendances they get…..
Around 2,300 a match, maybe 3,000 for a big match
@@adammu79 Approx 10,000 for big matches especially against Linfield.
Love Belfast it's amazing the area by the Titanic Museum. Proper place to be Belfast.
A grand old ground . I turned up for a Linfield match when Glentoran last won the league and it was sold out. Lord knows what the crowd was. Warning though it's not as close to Sydenham station/George Best airport as it looks so don't get off the bridge with 10 minutes to kick off.
I’m a big follower of both leagues in Ireland from England (Derry City follower in FAI neutral in IFA). But particularly the NIFL. Hope to get myself over soon to watch a few games (around April when both leagues are on) and Glentoran is second on my radar after Brandywell
the views and the all round beautiful natural decay reminds me of donny rovers old ground belle vue. not the aesthetics, but the view from the top of the grandstand and the wooden seats lol. absolutely love it. i hate vacuous soulless new builds.
The wooden seats may seem nostalgic, but they are as uncomfortable as hell compared to modern plastic seats! ☹️
@@davidbatthews3811 i agree lol. belle view had a top deck of fully wooden seats in the main stand up to the last game ha. rovers bought some red plastic beauties from Sunderland's roker park before it got demolished. but only a few hundred. memories lol
Correct me if I'm wrong ,did Glentoran not play Kilmarnock FC in a European competition during the 80,s or 90,s I'm sure I was at Rugby park at this game ?? Sorry I'm wrong it was Coleraine in 1971 ,But played Glentoran in a testimonial match in the 90,s I think
❤️
Finally, An english youtuber discovering the beauty of glentoran football club. Pity you didnt show the fans, we are top notch(crazy)
You should go to the Ayr v elgain and Ayr v st Johnstone
Mind boggling to think that there were 40,000 in the Oval when Rangers played there in the sixties. How did they get them in ?
Will you be visiting the arsenal this season?? Love your content mate
Definitely! I have a really cool arsenal video planned that I’ll be shooting in the next few weeks. Thanks so much for watching! Lots more coming soon 😀
@@FootyAdventures That's brilliant man! As a passionate Dutch gooner i can't go to many matches myself so to see my team and the atmosphere around the emirates via your content is amazing! I love english and scottish football in general so keep up the good content mate, god bless you!
It looks like Cowdenbeath's stadium!!
On the table there is a mispelling at the 1973-1974 ECW. The correct spelling is Chimia Ramnicu Valcea . It was a romanian football club. Ramnicu Valcea is the name of the town and ''Chimia'' comes from '' chemistry'', because the football club belonged to the local Chemical Factory . In communism everything was state owned so many different factories and even universities had football clubs also.(UTA- belonged to the Textile Factory from the town of Arad; Poli Timisoara- belonged to the University from town of Timisoara and ''poli'' comes from polytechnic because it is an university that teach engineering; Cimentul Medgidia- they belonged to the local factory of Cement from the town of Medgidia etc)
Also has Patrick Thistle instead of Partick Thistle......
I had no idea that the ground was blitzed. It makes me thinks it’s a miracle that Cappielow didn’t suffer the same fate as Greenock got blitzed due to its shipbuilding
As an NI resident, I love seeing these videos.
Character wise, The Oval is hard to beat. The Brandywell in Derry is worth visiting. It actually used to have an old stand called the Glentoran stand, that I believe came from the Oval originally (I'm sure somebody more in the know could give the full story).
Ferney Park is also worth a visit. A tiny stadium out inthe countryside.
They're an eyeopener for someone like me who lives in England. Although the likes of Glentoran, Cliftonville and Linfield are modest clubs when compared to the likes of say Newcastle United and Liverpool, they have their own history and traditions. The media seldom shows day to day life in NI, preferring to concentrate on the politics so it's a refreshing change to see normal stuff like football.
We sold Derry our old stand when we were getting our first grandstand built (demolished in the blitz) and why it's called the Glentoran Stand. As to how they transported it, I haven't got a clue!
@@GlentoranMark I assume they must have done something like they do at the museum in Cultra, where they mark every piece of the building, and tske ir down and rebuild it brick by brick.
Literally never heard of this ground
I remember my grandfather telling me about the Belfast blitz. Lived here all my life and never knew about the old pillbox in the oval
Same my granny lived on amcomri street in beechmount and that got bombed too
@@conorsmith8551 they were from Beechmount, I think their old house was at the bottom of Beechmount Crescent, their house got totally wiped out
@@ajorngjdonaydbr was so much damage done from the blitz , saw pics of it around beechmount, lucky there wasn't casualties , to my knowledge it was just property damage
@@ajorngjdonaydbr though i could be wrong but i never heard people mentioning casualties as a result
@@conorsmith8551 as did I mate, grew up around there myself, could see walking down Beechmount avenue and up old Beechmount Parade
Yep i agree William the grounds
well below the standard required, However there are
Issues pertaining to funding
for redevelopment of the Oval
in its existing location and moves to find a new site, to
relocate too have proved
fruitless for a variety, of reasons, some financial ,
some to do with the fact
that people dont want a
ground in their locality with
the potential problems with
parking access etc and i suppose trouble in some cases
Lack of recent success, with
the team hasnt helped ,either
so unless something happens
with investment from local
government for Irish league
grounds or Ali the owner decides the Glens are not his
wisest financial investment
and sells the club ,then its
the oval for the foreseeable
Another shirt to your collection!
Wish they would redevelop it to an all seater 10-15000 seater ground (which isn’t an outlandish suggestion) it’s very run down now
I SAW THE TITANIC TOO
By the look of things, my winter in Australia is as warm as your summer!
Mike Yes probably,but even for irish standards its been a dreadful summer,i have the oil on at the minute
That depends where you are from - I met an Aussie once who complained about the heat here in UK (sic), and I was a bit confused until he explained that he was from Tasmania.
@@davidbatthews3811 - Many Aussies would struggle to accept Tassie as part of Australia.
Best ground so far! I really hope the new soulless modern stadium doesn't happen.
Was at the match with benfica.the ground hasn't changed.
Well you did upload this video on 6th July and July is marching season for Northern Ireland. Pretty much all over NI. Well… except for the catholic villages or towns. But yeah Belfast has the biggest parade. The big parades are the 1st July Somme memorial parade and 12th July Boyne Celebration parade. So that explains why there are union jacks everywhere.
1971, it was Eintracht Braunschweig. 15.09.71, 1:0 for the away team.