Are there any stadiums in the world that are as historic and atmospheric as this?! I don't think so!

The Glentoran media man is top-notch. Very informative and has a lovely manner about him.

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.

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.

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...👏👏👏

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!

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 👏

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.

Incredible club. Incredible stadium!

Old football grounds have character and atmosphere

Fantastic. Great Channel. Loving the Irish stuff recently.

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.

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.

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.

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 !!!

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!👌

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.

Love these in-depth visits with all the amazing history. Thanks Footy!

That's the best ground you have ever visited. What a magnificent stadium.

Greetings from Antwerp 🇧🇪👊 Royal Antwerp FC ❤⚪

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.

Great vid, old school footy is full of great history! I still miss our old Den!

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.

Love this content mate COYG 💚❤️🖤

As a glen man this is brilliant to see this, fantastic video👍🇬🇧GFC

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!

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

Outstanding video! Great to see someone showcasing what we have over here.

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.

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

You skipped over the Detroit pennant. In the Summer of 1967, Glentoran morphed into the Detroit Cougars on the United Soccer Association. That league only lasted one season. Each American city was represented by either a European or South American club. That league ended up merging with the NPSL resulting in the North American Soccer League, the second wave of full-time professional soccer in the US. Boston was represented Shamrock Rovers from Dublin and were called the Boston Rovers. The two teams met at Manning Bowl in Lynn which about 10-12 miles north of Boston. At that time, it was good-sized stadium. That stirred up a lot of passion amongst the Boston Irish, particularly the ex-pats. It as a wild game in front of a big crowd that ended in a draw. I was there.

Glad you enjoyed your visit! There really is no place like home ❤️💚🖤 You should get over for a big two match some time 👀

What a fantastic stadium. I hope that any modernisation is done carefully and with respect.

Such a fantastic video, loved this!

It would be great to see a video on Belfast Celtic :)

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

Another great video, I learned so much about our rivals across the city. Linfield super Linfield

Stoked about this one Sam.thanks.

Great video and wonderful reception from Glentoran . David has put his side on the youtube football world map one way or another . Well done !

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

Mon the Glens! 🟢🔴⚫

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.

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 (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oaxdhbFyysqvcWw.html)

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!

Great video! Always liked the teams in the Irish leagues!

Fantastic work

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.

Very interesting, enjoyable vlog Sam. Your host was very good at explaining, and was easy to listen to, a real asset for the cub.

Top notch vlog again Sam, lovely seeing these football grounds.ENJOYING YOUR iRISH TRIP, GREAT LAD THE MEDIA LAD.

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.

top video big man

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)

one of the best videos. You can tell the media David has a deep love for the glens

Looking at the pre war pic you can see why it was bombed, will have looked exactly like early 20th century explosive storage from the air with steep earthen banks like that.

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.

Love Belfast it's amazing the area by the Titanic Museum. Proper place to be Belfast.

Great to see the ground up north from down South. Football is a positive connection between both jurisdictions

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

Been waiting on this one. Glad you enjoyed our great club. Come back for a match some time :)

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

Welcome to Belfast hope you enjoyed yourself🙌💚

Love this channel. So many grounds I may never visit. There are some great people in football

Superb video. So interesting. Full marks to the guide.

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 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...,👍⚽

What a great video mate, glentoran are my local team and this was really excellent

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

That was a belter mate. Really enjoyed it.

another top effort, Sam

Best ground so far! I really hope the new soulless modern stadium doesn't happen.

Finally, An english youtuber discovering the beauty of glentoran football club. Pity you didnt show the fans, we are top notch(crazy)

could be up there with the best video on the channel this

Proud to be a Glensman watching this 😊

Great video learning alot about Irish and Northern Irish football keep up the great work 🚜🚜🚜🔵⚪️🔵⚪️ I've just found your instergram you have a new follower 👍

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

Fantastic!!

1971, it was Eintracht Braunschweig. 15.09.71, 1:0 for the away team.

Very informative video always learning on your channel .

Class.

What a great video and so much interesting History.

when i was a kid that box was open, we used to be in and out of it and on top watching the Glens.

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

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.

Was at the match with benfica.the ground hasn't changed.

It looks like Cowdenbeath's stadium!!

Very good

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.

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 ?

I SAW THE TITANIC TOO

sensational ground, loved having a season ticket there in the McCann, leeman days

I'm a Spurs fan but followed Glens results since l was a kid if l lived in Northern Ireland l would watch them .

Glentoran...1st ever British professional club to win a fifa recognised European competition

fascinating club with a very rich history it seems.

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 👌

The only club for me Born near the dark side But always have been attracted to the good side off Belfast .

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

P.n.e owner has first choice on buying cork city , agreement come alongside a deal p.n.e did where they brought out a sell on cluse on a players contract , in a wy to help cork city with finance trouble

Glentoran,the,first,British,club Too,win,a,European,trophy