Glentoran have strengthened their youth development setup by launching a formal partnership with Dundela. The collaboration, agreed in September, focuses on sharing coaching expertise, performance analysis, and player welfare resources to benefit young players at both clubs.
It was launched with a special coaching session at The BetMcLean Oval last Wednesday, where Glentoran Academy U13s trained alongside their counterparts from Dundela and Dungoyne. The event featured a notable guest in former Everton and Scotland striker Duncan Ferguson, who joined Glentoran manager Gary Bollan, assistant manager, and first-team defender Daniel Larmour in working with the youngsters. Academy Manager Jacko stated the initiative is about building strong relationships and creating clear opportunities for young players and coaches, which he believes will strengthen the future of both clubs.
The session also included hospitality for the participants, with pizza provided. This partnership builds on Dundela's existing relationship with Dungoyne and is designed to foster coach development alongside player progression.
The move to bolster the academy comes as Glentoran's first team enjoys a strong run of form, sitting fourth in the Premiership with 20 points from 12 games, having recorded six wins and two draws. They are currently unbeaten in their last five matches, a sequence of four wins and a draw. This result is part of a recent run that also includes a 2-0 win over Dungannon Swifts, a 2-0 victory against Carrick Rangers, and a 2-1 away win at Cliftonville FC, following a 0-0 draw with Portadown.
This positive form has seen the team score 16 goals while conceding only 10 this season, giving them a goal difference of plus six. Attention now turns to maintaining that momentum on the pitch, with a key away fixture against league leaders Coleraine FC this Friday 30 October. Glentoran will be looking to close the 14-point gap to the top of the standings in that match.
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