With the Glentoran Academy annual awards day just over a week away, this is a fitting time to give our supporters a review of this past season.
As an Academy we have had yet another season of outstanding success stories that can make the loyal supporters of Glentoran FC very proud. The Academy has a burgeoning reputation of quality and professionalism right across Northern Ireland and is one of the most respected youth set ups in the country with players coming from far and wide to pull on the famous red, green and black.
Glentoran Academy has had over 60 players represent or be selected for training squads at various ages for Northern Ireland and we have had players on trial at 16 different professional clubs in England and Scotland including the two Old Firm Clubs and a host of top Premier League clubs including the current Premier League Champions, Chelsea.
We yet again invested heavily in our coaches with over 50 coaching courses from grassroots to UEFA B Part 2 provided for coaches this season along with over 100 places on critical coach education courses such as Safeguarding and Mental Health Awareness. We estimate that collectively our coaches have put in over 50,000 voluntary hours this season which is a staggering commitment and one which we thank them all for immensely.
We were the proud recipients of the Contribution to Sport Award Winner from the East Belfast Business Awards, again highlighting the outstanding work of our volunteers. Our Academy has grown to a membership of over 450 participants which in itself brings huge challenges in terms of staffing, resources, facilities and equipment requirements and we wish to put on record our thanks to the board of Directors at Glentoran for their continued support, encouragement and active involvement in the further development of the Academy
Over the course of this week, leading up to the Awards day itself we will upload a series of stories focussing on the successes of various sections of the Academy. First up is our Invincibles. Glentoran Under 13.
The Invincible Under 13s
There are so many headline worthy stories from this team that it's difficult to know where to start. Perhaps opening with their season stats will give the uninitiated reader an idea of the dominance of this team.
Played 33, Won 33, Drawn 0, Lost 0 for 216, Against 11
Incredible. What makes this all the more incredible is that this was achieved with on average, 4 of the squad playing for the Under 14 every week. No matter who took the field for our under 13 they were outstanding, in all areas of the pitch. The very definition of a squad game and collective achievement as the Manager, Jason Lindsay, maintained equal playing time and a squad rotation philosophy throughout the season with this group.
This group claimed Glentoran Academy's first ever National League title triumph. The reason we haven't won any before is simple, we prioritise development over trophies. We push players hard and make sure they move up through the age groups as early as possible and also try and ensure fair playing time for all - meaning in key league games we don't always appear at 'full strength'. Also, we insist on a particular style of football - the Glentoran way, not win at all costs football as you may find elsewhere. For the competitive edge we allow the coaches to focus on the cup competitions and in particular the NIBFA Cup to try and introduce a competitive edge to the players alongside the development element and we have proudly won more NI Cups than anyone else over the past 4 seasons.
Our under 13 are no different. They follow the same guidelines as the rest. The fact therefore that they have achieved what they have achieved is all the more impressive as they have pushed players on, rotated their squad and played an outstanding brand of football. It is testament to not only the quality of our players, but the sheer depth of that quality that this team has achieved what it has.
The Academy cannot praise the boys, their parents and their superb coaches enough for what they have achieved.
NIBFA National League Winners
NIBFA Northern Ireland Cup Winners
National League Cup Winners
Rocara All Ireland Champions Trophy Winners
Foyle Cup Winners
This team has also unsurprisingly produced a lengthy list of Northern Ireland players with Dylan, Charlie, Aaron, Jake, Jake, Jamie, Elliott, Matty, Callum, Harry and Brandon all having played for Club NI this season and Joe, Josh, Jonny and Jake all playing for the NIBFA National League Select team.
Below are some key games from this season:
Glentoran 4-1 Cherry Orchard (All Ireland Cup Final)
This game came at Christmas time after the Glens had already made a 100% start to the season but it provided the first real test as to their credentials. Teams traditionally get a 'Foyle Cup Bounce Effect' if you have had a successful summer at that competition the fitness and togetherness can provide great momentum to the early stages of the season but around Christmas time things can start to slow down a bit and therefore having this game at that time provided the lift and challenge this team needed to focus their minds for the second half of the campaign. The result was never in doubt with a commanding 4-1 demolition job their Southern counterparts.
Glentoran 3-2 Ballinamallard (NIBFA Cup Semi Final)
NIBFA Cup Semi Final. 15 minutes in, 2-0 down! this was an entirely new situation for this group. They of course have faced difficult games before and battled their way through these but to be 2-0 down in a Cup Semi Final was an altogether new feeling. It showed that these young lads not only have quality but they have the spirit and mentality to come through when the chips are down. A 3-2 comeback victory put the Glens in the final
Glentoran 4-0 Glenavon (NIBFA Cup Final)
The NIBFA Cup Final. As League Champions and Cup holders the Glens were the team expected to win. This can bring its own pressure but not to this group who were 1-0 up inside 5 minutes through the Captain Charlie Lindsay and controlled the game throughout to complete the double
Glentoran 2-1 Glenavon (League Cup Final)
The treble was on. With Victory on May Day in the NIBFA Final the Glens knew that there was just one more game to go to grab the treble. Two weeks after that Final, Glenavon were again the opponents in the League Cup Final. Glenavon are a good side, with good players and were determined to not suffer a repeat of the NIBFA Cup Final defeat. They came at the Glens all guns blazing and lead 1-0 but again Glentoran showed their desire and dug out a 2-1 win, when not playing at their best, to seal the treble.
Glentoran 9-1 Linfield (NIBFA National League)
The final league game of the season, could the Glens complete the league campaign with a 100% record? Any doubts were blown away early on as they swept their great rivals aside with an outstanding performance to put the crowning glory on a fantastic season.
What the Manager had to say on the season:
Name: Jason Lindsay
Period at Glentoran: 4 seasons
Most Enjoyable Game: Portadown away in the league. Boys controlled the game from start to finish
Best Performance: Dungannon away. Played at Stangmore Park and the boys used the big pitch well
Proudest Moment: watching the boys shake the refs hand after every game
Best advice: Hard work never stops
On that note, plans are already well underway for the boys to come in and hit the ground running ahead of another trip to the Foyle Cup and hopefully they heed the advice of their manager and continue to work hard towards their goals and we will see them in the first team in the near future.
