As Club Historian Trevor Clydesdale explains, the history of Glentoran and Portadown in the Irish Cup is for the most part, a tale of success for the men from East Belfast. The connection goes right back to The Ports first season as a senior club, 1924-25 and takes us up to this weekend’s encounter. In all the sides have met 28 times, with 17 wins for Glentoran, 3 wins for Portadown and 8 drawn matches.

The first meeting, a first round tie, took place at Shamrock Park on 29th November 1924. Tom Wilson missed the opportunity to put the Ports in front from the penalty spot, before outside left, Alfie Snape, scored the only goal of the game to send The Glens into the next round. Solitude was the venue for the next meeting in 1931/32, a semi-final tie at Solitude. The IFA drastically increased admission prices for the semi-finals, and when a protest from Glentoran went unheeded the fans voted with their feet. A poor crowd of 5,500 turned out to watch Fred Roberts hit the winner in a 2-1 victory for the Belfast men.

The teams did not have long to wait for the next encounter, just over a year later at The Oval, but it was not as comfortable a victory for the Glens as the 4-1 scoreline would suggest. Portadown squandered a number of excellent goalscoring opportunities and there was controversy around Glentoran’s second goal, when Roberts, who had been of the field for treatment, came back on without the referee’s permission. He latched onto the ball and crossed for Sandy McNeill to score, amid protests from Portadown, the goal was allowed to stand.

The Ports withdrew from senior football in 1942 due to the effects of the war, and they returned again in 1947/48. The following season they progressed to the Irish Cup semi-final where a crowd of 15,000 were at Windsor Park to witness the action, including a dog and a goat bedecked in Ports colours.  Portadown leading 2-1 and with clock running down looked destined for their first Irish Cup Final, but a last minute equalizer from future Northern Ireland manager Billy Bingham, took it to a replay. The re-match on the following Wednesday again ended all square before Glentoran put paid to The Reds final dreams with a 3-0 win in the second reply.

A second round tie in 1955 would also go to three games, with 1-1 draws at The Oval and Shamrock Park, before the ‘Cock and Hens’ progressed with a 2-0 win at Solitude. The first meeting at The Oval saw the headline in the Ireland’s Saturday Night, “ Fisticuffs and Fierce Excitement”, with at one stage up to a dozen players becoming embroiled in a punch-up.

Glentoran’s Irish Cup supremacy over The Reds would continue unabated with a 4-0 semi-final victory in 1956 and a similar result in a second round tie in 1965. Their success looked likely to be added to in a last four meeting at Windsor Park in 1988. With ten minutes remaining Glentoran were coasting at 2-0, when Gregg Davidson shocked the East Belfast men to reduce the deficit to one goal. Mickey Keenan then brought down Jameson and Cleary restored the two goal cushion from the penalty spot. The late drama continued with McKeever sent off for Portadown before Millar reduced the arrears once more to a single goal. Glentoran hung on to progress to the Final 3-2.

Two years later The Ports ‘double’ hopes were shattered when The Glens beat the newly crowned Champions 3-0 in the final. A  1-0 replay victory at Shamrock Park in 1993 and another Cup Final success in 2000, this time with a 1-0 win continued the Glens unbeaten Irish Cup record against Portadown. The seventeenth meeting took place in a quarter-final tie at The Oval in 2002, ending all square at 1-1. And so the 78 year unbeaten record stood intact for Glentoran as they prepared for the replay at Shamrock Park. In seventeen previous meetings we had witnessed drama, excitement and all facets of entertainment that the Irish Cup can produce. Game eighteen however was to outdo all that had taken place previously. Portadown took the lead through Arkins on 12 minutes, but just six minutes later Armour’s 20 yard effort levelled it for Glentoran. Cullen Feeney restored the homeside’s lead four minutes before the break but would then turn villain when he handled in the box with Walker converting from the spot to tie it at 2-2. On the hour mark Batey put Glentoran ahead for the first time in the match and the ten men Ports looked done and dusted. The drama was not over however and it took just four minutes for Batey to deflect a Douglas shot into his own net. The packed crowd at Shamrock Park were ecstatic but it was nothing to the wild scenes that greeted an 82nd minute from Peter McCann. After 78 years and 18 games, Portadown had recorded their first Irish Cup win against Glentoran.

In the ten games since then the drama had continued to unfold, including three semi-final wins for Glentoran and a penalty shoot-out victory for Portadown. The sides met again in the 2002/03 semi-final at Mourneview Park, a match that Ports fans would rather forget as they finished on the end of a 6-1 mauling, and saw red cards for Convery and Atkins, and all this after Hamilton had given Portadown the lead. Two years later Portadown gained a measure of revenge with Marc McCann’s 74th minute goal securing a semi/final replay victory. Meetings between the sides continued year on year with Glentoran winning 2-0 in 2005/06 and the following season the Ports won a fifth round replay after a 4-3 penalty shootout success. 2013 and 2014 saw Glentoran claim they bragging rights before that still talked about 2015 Final.

It was a final shrouded in controversy from start to finish. With the structural faults in the West Stand at Windsor Park, the Final was moved to The Oval amidst loud protests from Portadown. We then had the ticket fiasco with the IFA being forced to abandon sales of tickets via Ticketmaster and permit both clubs to distribute their own ticket sales. The game itself was no less controversial, with Referee Ross Dunlop failing to send of William Garrett for a professional foul on Michael Gault as he bore down on goals. Glentoran immediately counter attacked as the Portadown players continued to protest. David Scullion beat David Miskelly at his near post to give The Glens the lead. The referee and his officials then missed a handball in the box denying Portadown a penalty. The match finished 1-0 to Glentoran amid protests from Portadown.

The last meeting between the two sides in the competition came back in January 2020 – Portadown, then of the Championship, came to the Oval as massive underdogs however took the lead via Lee Bonis and would hold that advantage until the third minute of injury time at which point Glentoran were awarded a hotly disputed penalty which Hrvoje Plum scored to take the game to extra time. The Ports would take the lead again in ET via a Liam McKenna header before Glentoran equalised again, this time Johnny Frazer was on the scoresheet for the Glens. The game would be decided on penalties with the Glens winning through 5-4 and ultimately going on to lift the trophy by beating Ballymena Utd in the final.

  • 29/11/24 / Round 1 / Shamrock Park / Portadown 0 Glentoran 1
  • 06/02/32 / Semi-Final / Windsor Park / Portadown 1 Glentoran 2
  • 11/02/33 / Round 2 / The Oval / Glentoran 4 Portadown 1
  • 26/03/49 / Semi-Final / Windsor Park / Portadown 2 Glentoran 2
  • 30/03/49 / Semi-Final replay / Windsor Park / Portadown 1 Glentoran 1
  • 04/04/49 / Semi-Final 2nd Replay / Windsor Park / Portadown 0 Glentoran 3
  • 05/03/55 / Round 2 / The Oval / Glentoran 1 Portadown 1
  • 10/03/55 / Replay / Shamrock Park / Portadown 1 Glentoran 1
  • 14/03/55 / 2nd Replay / Solitude / Portadown 0 Glentoran 2
  • 24/03/56 / Semi-Final / Windsor Park / Portadown 0 Glentoran 4
  • 06/03/65 / Round 2 / The Oval / Glentoran 4 Portadown 0
  • 09/04/88 / Semi-Final / Windsor Park / Portadown 2 Glentoran 3
  • 05/05/90 / Final / Windsor Park / Glentoran 3 Portadown 0
  • 23/01/93 / Round 5 / The Oval / Glentoran 0 Portadown 0
  • 27/01/93 /Replay / Shamrock Park / Portadown 0 Glentoran 1
  • 06/05/00 / Final / Windsor Park / Glentoran 1 Portadown 0
  • 09/03/02 / Quarter-Final / The Oval / Glentoran 1 Portadown 1
  • 12/03/02 / Replay / Shamrock Park / Portadown 4 Glentoran 3
  • 05/04/03 / Semi-Final / Mourneview Park / Glentoran 6 Portadown 1
  • 02/04/05 / Semi-Final / Windsor Park / Glentoran 0 Portadown 0
  • 05/04/05 / Replay / Windsor Park / Portadown 1 Glentoran 0
  • 04/03/06 / Quarter-Final / The Oval / Glentoran 2 Portadown 0
  • 10/02/07 / Round 5 / The Oval / Glentoran 2 Portadown 2
  • 20/02/07 / Replay / Shamrock Park / Portadown 1 Glentoran 1 (4-3 pens)
  • 06/04/13 / Semi-Final / Windsor Park / Glentoran 1 Portadown 0
  • 11/01/14 / Round 5 / Shamrock Park / Portadown 1 Glentoran 3
  • 02/05/15 / Final /The Oval / Glentoran 1 Portadown 0
  • 04/01/20 / Round 5 / The Oval / Glentoran 2 Portadown 2 (5-4 pens)


Ports Irish Cup Record against Glentoran

  • P28 W3 D8 L17 F22 A55 

Portadown come into the game off the back of a 6-1 defeat to Linfield at Shamrock Park last Saturday while on Monday evening Glentoran continued their great form under new manager Rodney McAree with a 2-0 win over Crusaders thanks to a brace from Shay McCartan.

The last time the two teams met was back in November at Shamrock Park with Glentoran winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Sean Murray & Bobby Burns.

Portadown have only 2 wins in their last 24 games against Glentoran, both coming at Shamrock Park – you have to go back to December 2015 for the Ports last home win over the Glens, a goal laden 5-3 win with goals from Gary Twigg x2, Darren Murray x2 and Robert Garrett while Glentoran replied through Marcus Kane and Curtis Allen x2.

Glentoran will be without Conor McMenamin while Paddy McClean and Rhys Marshall are doubtful, the Ports will be missing Paul McElroy and Benny Igiehon who are both cup tied. New Ports signings Alan O’Sullivan, Ondrej Mastny & Aaron Harkin may be in line to make their Ports debuts while Glentoran may hand a first start to Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe who checked in at the Oval on deadline day.

On the game, Ports boss Niall Currie said

We know we let ourselves down last week so we really need a response from the boys on Saturday, we’ve got to move on quickly and put the defeat to Linfield behind us – we don’t want a repeat of that and the boys all know we let ourselves down.

We’ve got to give tomorrow our all as we’re against a top top side again, who are in great form with full time players everywhere and signing players everywhere, so it’s going to be a real difficult day but the main thing is to be competitive.

It’s an Irish Cup day and if we can get Glentoran on an off day we have to be at our very very best to capitalise and that’s what we’re planning to do, boys have been working hard and been brilliant in training all week so fingers crossed we can eliminate the mistakes we’ve been making, certainly defensively, and give ourselves a chance.

 

  • Match Sponsor – ATP Consumables
  • Match Ball Sponsor – Statement Menswear
  • PSS Man of the Match Sponsor – Eden Reds
  • Mascots – Ellis Anderson & Phoebe, Violet & Margot Dunlop
  • Bucket Collection – Hiking for Little Heroes

 

Last Five Head to Head (All competitions)

  • Saturday 26 November 2022 – Portadown 0 Glentoran 2 (Murray, Burns)
  • Friday 26 August 2022 – Portadown 0 Glentoran 3 (Singleton, McMenamin, Plum)
  • Tuesday 8 February 2022 – Portadown 1 (Conaty) Glentoran 1 (McMenamin)
  • Saturday 4 December 2021 – Glentoran 3 (J Donnelly x2, McMenamin) Portadown 1 (Ruddy)
  • Saturday 23 October 2021 – Glentoran 2 (J Donnelly, McMenamin) Portadown 2 (Ruddy, Bonis)

 

Last Five Head to Head at Shamrock Park (All competitions)

  • Saturday 26 November 2022 – Portadown 0 Glentoran 2 (Murray, Burns)
  • Friday 26 August 2022 – Portadown 0 Glentoran 3 (Singleton, McMenamin, Plum)
  • Tuesday 8 February 2022 – Portadown 1 (Conaty) Glentoran 1 (McMenamin)
  • Tuesday 16 February 2021 – Portadown 1 (Bonis) Glentoran 3 (McMenamin, Plum (pen), J Donnelly)
  • Tuesday 3 January 2017 – Portadown 0 Glentoran 5 (Allen x2, Novo, Lavery, Smith)

 

We Are Ports TV LIVE will have live coverage of the game against Glentoran, the live stream is available at a cost of £10 and can be purchased and viewed via https://portstv.com/

 

Online tickets for the game are available via https://tickets.portadownfc.co.uk/fixtures. While online tickets for matches still remain, a cash gate is also available for HOME SUPPORTERS ONLY (except in the event where a game has sold out online in advance of the game). We would add however that purchasing your ticket online is the quickest and most convenient way to secure your seat for games and would still actively encourage supporters to avail of the facility.

 

A reminder about the Ports Hub facility at games at Shamrock Park which give you match info, player stats and exclusive interviews. To access the Ports Hub simply scan the QR code placed on every other seat’s backrest at Shamrock Park (as well as in the clubrooms) and you will give brought to a host of great content, think of it as your digital matchday programme!

 

With more families and community / youth groups visiting Shamrock Park on match days, the club has decided to re-launch our FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AREA. BLOCK B in the home stand has been designated as this area, a traditionally slightly quieter block and further away from opposition supporters. We recognise that football matches are noisy and passionate experiences for players and fans alike but we would also like children, families and community visitors of mixed abilities and needs to feel comfortable when they visit a match, for some, their very first football match.

Guidelines for supporters sitting in Block B will be clearly displayed at the front of that area and we encourage all patrons in the block to follow them:

  • PLEASE BE AWARE OF THOSE AROUND YOU.
  • PLEASE USE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE.
  • BE POSITIVE TOWARDS PEOPLE ON THE PITCH.


A reminder that season tickets are not valid the game and due to Glentoran supporters being allocated a block of the home stand Portadown fans will enter the ground through the usual home turnstiles and make their way around the back of the main stand and take their seats via the Clounagh end of the ground. Glentoran fans will enter through the away turnstiles as normal to access the away stand however if sitting in the allocated section of the home stand they will enter through the designated turnstiles allocated within the traditional home block of turnstile and take their seats via the Chalet End of the main home stand.