IRISH LEAGUE: Glentoran to redevelop Oval home in ambitious £9.2m project
Glentoran Football Club have been given the go-ahead with plans to demolish and rebuild The Oval.
The east Belfast club will build a new 8,000 capacity stadium on the site of their existing ground on Mersey Street.
The refurbishment will cost in the region of £9.2m, with funding coming from the Glens’ share of the NI Executive’s £110m sports grounds improvement programme.
Additional money will be raised from the sale of surplus land for social housing.
Alternative sites at Sydenham and Titanic Quarter had been considered, but at the club’s Annual General Meeting on Monday night supporters gave their approval to completely redevelop The Oval.
New 3G pitches and training and community facilities will be created at the adjacent King George V playing fields as part of a partnership with Belfast City Council and Belfast Metropolitan College.
“It is a massive step in the right direction, and while there will be hurdles to scale along the way at least we now have a starting point. It is an exciting time for the club and the fans,” said chairman Stephen Henderson