"American Trip Wins Glens Great Fame"
Glentoran have had their periods of ups and downs, but that after the war struggle for survival must go down as one of the most courageous enterprises in this club's or any other others history.
Floodlights were installed as the Glens realized the future pattern of the game meant many midweek matches played at night. Ground improvements were carried out too until the Oval today measures up to any ground in the country for amenities.
Playing successes began to emerge. They won the City cup in 1965, the Irish cup in 1966, and in 1967 under John Colrain and took the Irish league, Ulster cup, Gold cup and City cup. This was a superb side - one which could be classified on playing ability as the equal of the great Belfast Celtic. That in itself is a wonderful commendation.
Their performance did not go unnoticed. Sponsors of professional soccer in the United States were pouring millions of dollars into the development of the game and invited them to participate in the two month coast to coast series.
Sunday soccer, which of course is prohibited under the Irish FA had to be circumvented and eventually the green light was given.
So on May 23 1967 a wet depressing day, Glentoran's party, wearing green blazers and panama hats, left on their great adventure. They were known as the Detroit Cougars, and although unsung and unheralded, they proved to be wonderful representatives of the United States automobile capital.
As the coach left for Aldergrove airport groups stood outside their homes in Mersey Street and Dee Street to say goodbye and good luck to the Glens. Newspaper sellers, ship-yard, and airport workers on their way to places of employment had a special cheers and salute.
A colour film was shot at the Oval and at Aldergrove airport - part of the complete record of the entire tour which is now in the archives of Glentoran. So too is a booklet compiled by director Mr. A Y Patterson and around the boardroom are the flags and pennants of the various teams. Memorable? Yes, in every way, headquarters was the palatial ultra modern Howard Johnson Motor Lodge at West Grand Boulevard and before the series started the players were put through a rigorous medical examination at the giant Ford Hospital. Indeed it was so rigorous that Colraine quipped "I wonder if it was astronauts they wanted instead of footballers.
The tour began with a match against Shamrock Rovers at the Manning Bowl Lynn, Mass, just outside Boston. Glentoran drew 1-1 but they were actually robbed of victory by a rookie linesman, who later alleged that Colrain had struck him. An indefinite suspension was imposed on him but it was later cut. Colrain however felt he had become a marked man and that referee were out go get him.
Read the Match Report v Shamrock Rovers
So he pulled himself out of some of the later matches. Still Colrain made quite an impact in the States where even big name baseball stars commended: That guy is getting a lot of ink, a reference of course to the publicity.
Incidents piled up on incidents, with Glentoran going through them all in a dignified fashion. There was the riot at the end with Bangu of Brazil which was abandoned 17 minutes from the finish. There were flying fists, brutal kicks and corner flag poles being used as a spear by the frenzied Brazilians. The riot had developed when Danny Trainor one of the guest players in the tour party had been kicked in the face.
Glentoran's record in this tournament was magnificent a credit not only to themselves but to the Irish Football, here where their results
Shamrock 1 Glentoran, Glentoran 1 Sunderland 1, Glentoran 1 Shamrock Rovers 0, Glentoran 2 Aberdeen 2, Glentoran 0 Bangu 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 Glentoran 1, ADO Hague 6 Glentoran 1, Glentoran 1 Dundee Utd 0, Cagliari 1 Glentoran 1, Cerre Montevideo 0 Glentoran 1, Glentoran 0 Stoke City 0, Hibernian 1 Glentoran 1.
Glentoran were given a civic reception shortly after their arrival home, thousands lined the route from the City Hall to the Oval where the great adventure had commenced just over the two months earlier.
The Glens performances in European competitions have been good qaulity too. In the European cup they have drawn with Panathinaikos drawn 2-2 with Anderlect and above all drew 1-1 in Belfast with Benfica and 0-0 in Lisbon only to lose1-2 on aggregate on the principal of the away goals counting as two.
And in the Eurpean Cup Winners Cup they held mighty the Rangers to a 1-1 draw in Belfast under in the Fairs Cup they defeated Arsenal 1-0 in Belfast.
After the US tour and the Benfica game came the break up of the team through transfer deals. Arthur Stewart to Derby County, Billy Sinclair to Kilmarnock, Eric Ross to Newcastle, Tommy Jackson to Everton and earlier Terry Conroy to Stoke.
Glentoran's board of directors are among the most progressive in the country. The chairman is Mr Harry McNeilly and the other members are John Dornan vice chairman : Andrew Patterson, Billy Pollock, Bobby Gregg, John Ewart, Jim Morgan and Billy Ferguson secretary, Johnston Nelson is the president of the club and like all other members of the directorate, a Glenman from boyhood.
Today if visit the Oval on which £250,000 has been spent since the war, there is little sign of the trials and tribulations which beset the club over 20 years ago.
The photgraphs still hang on the walls....photographs collected from here, there and everywhere to replace those destroyed in the blitz..photographs handed in by supporters, among the most fervent in the country.
Now we leave the Oval..a monument to the great heart and courage of Ballymacarret men and woman who were undaunted by Hitler by his bombers and by the tragic, heinous effect they brought to the city of Belfast. Their spirit is the spirit of Glentoran.