Game of Clones

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The last time I was in Northern Ireland was in 2001. I used to travel there at least half a dozen times a year on business and had done so for the previous 10 years. At the time, my work colleagues had tried to avoid any visits there and after my recruitment, it soon became "my area". We had grown up watching news of "The Troubles" and despite the heavy duty military presence and constant security alerts, I enjoyed pretty much every trip. I can recall everybody always telling me to be "careful" and the employer recommendation was to overnight away from Belfast. I soon dispensed with that idea. I was often in some form of perceived danger, but mostly through overdosing on Guinness. I thought I had seen all the good, the bad and the ugly during that time, but the military activity on one of my final trips was surreal. It was day of 911 - 11th September 2001. I watched from an office in Portadown, as the security services flooded the main street unsure if the events in New York were a trigger for elsewhere. I had often talked with the Other Half about taking a return trip now that all had changed. I was keen to see the 'new" Belfast and all the developments such as the Titanic Experience since the agreement between the two sides to put away the weapons. It had taken the best part of 20 years, but we finally booked the flights to Belfast City Airport.

The peace was fragile at East Midlands Airport on the way out, as the Flybe ground staff fought tooth and nail to enforce their new cabin baggage rulings in pursuit of imposing a series of £50 fines. It is amazing what difference a takeover can make to an airline's attitude. I suspect a number passengers will be thinking hard about choosing a different airline, if their schedules permit. A bit of good old Northern Irish negotiating later, all was well and we left the ground. In the old days, flights to Northern were segregated in a special area. The Police checks at that time had more to worry about than if a carry on bag was a centimetre or two over the prescribed measurements,. The flight was only just an hour. We were landing in no time. The City Airport is so convenient and just a short distance from the city centre in east Belfast. It sits along side the Belfast Lough, a stone's throw from the shipyards of Harland & Wolf. When the aircraft land in daylight, the huge cranes known as Samson and Goliath make a striking vision on the skyline. The airport is named after one of east Belfast's most famous sons. George Best grew up here, before moving on to a footballing genius and arguably one of the first sporting superstars. As he once said, "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered". It was the last flight on a Friday night, when we landed on a breezy, drizzly night. The Other Half was a touch shocked when we took a taxi to our hotel in what is now known as the "Queens Quarter". I had been doing a spot of trip research earlier in the day. The Belfast Telegraph had been reporting on disruption on the previous day, not 200 metres from the hotel. A "device" had been discovered, which the PSNI described as "non viable". In layman's terms, that probably means it was a pretty rubbish attempt to make a bomb. Food for thought, though. I thought it best to keep my Belfast newspaper reading quiet from the Other Half. She would only fret. However, I wondered how much had really changed. I took the easy option in my mind and blamed it on Brexit. After all, it seems to be singlehandedly responsible for making a mess of just about everything else at the moment! Mr Value Cabs was indeed value. The aiport used to be a real pian to get out off, but they have now added a tunnel under what they used to call the Sydenham Bypass. The taxi raced down to the city in no time, skirted the Waterfront Hall, the Markets area, cut down the Ormeau Road and we were installed in the hotel in no more than 15 minutes door to door.

Snow had covered the hills surrounding the city, whilst we slept. It had large passed over and we ventured out into clearing skies. The Botanic area of Belfast is a place I know reasonably well. I often used to stay in the Wellington Park which was substantially cheaper than bedding down at the Europa and had the benefit of being a less profile target for those with bad intent. Albeit, it still had some substantial security fences in those days. The first difference I had noted about 2019 Belfast was the rise in graffiti tags. The street artists have always had an outlet for their talents in the city, but it was mostly confined to the very elaborate murals - both Unionist and Nationalist - that display on the gable ends of buildings across the 6 counties. We wandered down towards Shaftesbury Square and into the Sandy Row area, probably the most inner city of areas with some extensive artworks. The identity of the residential area is clearly given away by the Union Jack flag fluttering in the brisk wind outside a large Glasgow Rangers supporters club. The shop a few doors along was making a living selling marching band supplies. The Orange Order marching season is still a valued part of the Unionist community calendar. Alex "Hurricane" Higgins, the ex snooker world champion who hailed from these streets, was celebrated on a building across the way. The murals ranged from a celebration of sporting heroes including the Northern Ireland football team, to a huge display on William of Orange and a tribute to an Ulster Freedom Fighter killed in the "Troubles". I have added a few photos of the wander in the blog content without comment. I am concious of you can't do right for doing wrong with some of this material. I merely photograph and say what I see. At the edge of Sandy Row stands the Boyne Bridge. Posters urged the signature of a petition to prevent its demolition. The Other Half was definitely concerned that the very impressive lights on the bridge should survive. It is too late for one of the area's former major employers. The offices of the Murrays Tobacco factory still look splendid on the approach to the bridge, but the actual factory that once stood adjacent has long gone. Tobacco was a big business in Belfast and this and the Gallaher factory employed thousands.

We turned into the city centre. Belfast has many pubs, but perhaps the most iconic is the Crown Liquor Saloon. A classic Victorian public house, the interior is worthy of a peek inside even should you not wish to indulge in a refreshment. The ornate private cubicles and centrepiece bar will change your perception of licensed premises. The staff must tire of the tourists who wander in with their cameras and no intention of buying a drink. I also used to frequent Robinsons next door, which another famous and much larger pub. The Europa Hotel across the road was once the most bombed hotel in Europe, until it had the title taken by the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo that was caught in the middle of the Bosnian conflict. At one point, it wasn't quite as easy as it is now just to wander aimlessly through Belfast city centre. Checkpoints and barriers prevented free movement, in order to reduce attacks on business premises. Today, all that has long gone. It is much more vibrant than many mainland cities and all the main brand outlets are here. The buildings are a mix of statements of Victorian confidence and modern developments. There are many striking similarities with Glasgow. The new shopping centre on the block is the Victoria Square. It is very impressive in the context of retail therapy. The centrepiece is a glass dome on the very top floor. We took the lift to the viewing platform within the dome itself for a panoramic view across the city. It is free and well recommended. The view stretches across West Belfast, where the sectarian strife was possibly at its worst. The hills beyond were still covered in a light dusting of snow. In the East, the River Lagan disappears into Belfast Lough. The new Titanic Quarter is in the foreground with the entertainment zone at the SSE Arena. The ferries Scotland line at anchor in the distance on the north side. The south side is dominated by the shipyards of Harland and Wolf. The unmistakable huge yellow cranes tower over what is left of the original expanse of the works. I stopped to photograph the Jaffe Fountain, now restored literally and restored to the city centre after being removed to relative safety in the Botanic Gardens. The yellow paintwork glistened in the sun. The Cathedral Quarter was not an area I knew and always seemed a forgotten part of the city. It has now been rejuvenated as a night life centre to rival the Malone and Lisburn Road areas. We passed the art deco building that once housed the Bank of Ireland, the Belfast Library and the red sandstone offices of the Belfast Telegraph newspaper. The Cathedral was mainly off limits due to a youth art project exhibition. The Cathedral Quarter is alive with pubs, jostling for customers in the lanes and alleys that run from the main streets. Waring Street was once among the most prestigious addresses in the city. The old Bank of Ulster headquarters is now a hotel. The old MD fell to his death down the front stairs in 1867, but they possibly don't mention that in the hotel promotion literature. The Albert Tower showed a sign of a lean, as we cut through to the water. The Customs House faces the end of Lough, looking ou to the new Arena. One of the more unusual new additions - the giant salmon - sits on the quay here to the fascination of most visitors.

We returned to the main city square. Belfast City Hall stands proud in the centre. We obtained a pass for a free tour to commence at noon and filledin the time tackling part of the 16 rooms that house an exhibition on the history of Belfast. The City Hall was completed in 1906 and is full of ornate interiors and chambers one would expect. There are some seriously good stained glass windows. The place is decked out in marble grandeur. Belfast was a city, which in 1910 could claim among other things as follows:


• largest single shipyard
• dry dock
• linen mils
• rope works
• tobacco factory
• tea manufacturers & distributors
• tea machinery factory



After a lunch and the first sneaky pint of Guinness on the trip, we set off for Glentoran. We passed the Ulster Hall, where I read that Led Zep first played Stairway to Heaven. St Georges Market is now a mix of all things, including live dance performance. It was strangely flamenco and not Irish. There were your usual market stalls, souvenirs and food outlets. Donald was promoting making burgers great again at one stall. The dancers looked like they agreed and had sampled a few... well more than a few. My first football experience at Glentoran was in 1992. The two big teams over here are Glentoran and Linfield. Linfield play at the Windsor Park - home of the Northern Ireland national team - which has seen significant redevelopment to keep up with UEFA and FIFA. The Oval on the other hand is a proper old school ground. An iconic stop on the groundhopping tour of Europe, it has been left largely undisturbed by the modern world. We turn off the Newtonards Road into the Dee Street area. A huge mural about the Titanic marks the route and the first block houses the Harland and Wolf Social Club.

The ground comes into view when we reach Mersey Street. The main roads are all named after rivers. In 1992, I recall rows of tightly packed red brick terraces all adorned with decorated gable ends and showing allegiance to the Unonist heritage. As in Sandy Row, a beautifully maintained memorial to the those who did not see the end of the "Troubles" stands at the end of the street. The inscription reads "They were there when they were needed". The terraces are all gone now and all replaced with modern houses. The huge green main stand of Glentoran towers above. We paid our admissions of £11. There was no difference in price to sit or stand. The visiting team today were Ards from just down the road. There was no segregated entrance and both Glentoran and Ards fans mingled at the entrance, before the Ards contingent of perhaps 100 or so took up positions in the seats or on the bank of curved terracing on the railway line side. The Glentoran fans hedged their bets and waited for the ref to toss his coin and decide which end the home team would attack in the 1st half. The fences in English football are largely a distant memory, but over here some sizeable obstacles remain to a pitch invasion. After events in Birmingham and Edinburgh over the weekend, it look like the removal could be reversed. The continued presence in Northern Ireland allowed the various Glentoran supporters clubs to add some colour to the Sydenham end of the ground. Flags are very much part of the Northern Ireland experience. If you like your football grounds with a World War 2 pill box gun emplacement, the Oval is for you. On the grass banking high to my right remains the relic placed there to defend the shipyards. A group of small boys, perhaps more interested in events across the water in the Englidh Premier League, paid no attention to the match and used it as a goal frame outline.

I see plenty of evidence of visitors from foreign lands with various stickers attached in the stands and toilets. NEC Nijmegen are much in evidence as the Dutch club share a friendship and the same colours. The Germans who get everywhere had added to the decoration. A large bowl of a ground - the Oval once held 55,00 for the visit of Glasgow Rangers in the 1966 European Cup Winners Cup. Today capacity is listed as 15,000, though I read it only has a safety certificate for something just over 6,000. The games against Linfield and possible appearances in European competitions are the only realistic chances of testing the current safety levels. The current side are a long way from Europe at the moment. The club who became the first to be eliminated from any European competition on away goals - after a 1-1 home draw with Benfica in 1967 (in case you were wondering) - are in no danger of repeating that anytime soon. The current team are not in the calibre that could hold a Benfica team (featuring the great Eusebio) to a goalless draw in the Stadium of Light. The history of Glentoran is very much linked to their proximity to the Harland and Wolf shipyards from where they drew support and the yellow cranes dominate the skyline from where I sit. The game itself is a shocker. Passing was in short supply. Alas, the model of hit and hope had been cloned into the majority of the players. The guy in front of us continually shouted "Not good enough, Glens". he was right. The stiff wind is not the lower league footballer's friend, but both teams persisted in playing the long hopeful ball forward. Ards who were struggler the foot of the league table, grabbed a goal and despite losing a player to a straight red card, put their bodies on the line to defend the lead. It nearly worked. Glentoran equalised and the game largely fizzled out, except for a looping effort that bounced on the top of the Ards crossbar and then on to safety right near the end. The locals trudged off in disgruntled mood. The Other Half breathed a huge sigh of relief that we go somewhere warmer, once we had found a bus back on the Newtonards Road.

We stayed local in the Botanic Avenue area in the evening. The Other Half was already complaining her step count had been exceeded, so after a pint of the black stuff we had a very acceptable evening meal in the informal surroundings of Tribal Burger. It comes highly recommended by us and TripAdvisor circles. The night was only just beginning, but for us it had been a long day. There were signs that it was going to be busy. Belfast always did like a night out!



Danske Bank Northern Ireland Football League Premiership


Glentoran 1 Ards 1

Date : Saturday 9th March 2019 @ 1500 Hours

Venue : The Oval, Parkgate Drive,Belfast. BT4 1 EW. Northern Ireland

Attendance : 1,065

Scorers : 0-1 McLellan (Ards) 41 Mins, 1-1 Murray (Glentoran) 70 Mins

Glentoran : Nelson, Garrett, Kane, Peers, Gallagher, Allen, McDaid, Kerr, Pepper, Murray, Gwiazda subs Morris (not used), McMahon (not used), Gordon (not used), McCarthy (not used), O'Neill (not used), Smith (not used), Glover (replaced Gwiazda 65)

Ards : Johnston, Kerr, E. McAllister, Taylor, M. Kelly, McLellan, J. Kelly, Tommons, McClean, Nelson, McNulty subs Davidson (not used), Byers (replaced M. Kelly 83), Cherry (replaced E. McAllister 73), D. McAllister (replaced McLellan 46), McAleenan (not used), Smith (not used), McCawl (not used)

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Comments

[Rainyb]

I loved this album! Sadly, I've never been to Ireland ;o(