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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Ali Pour offers thoughts on title chances as he outlines Glentoran's philosophy

Glentoran owner Ali Pour admits he has a "good feeling" about the club's title chances this season.

The Glens haven't lifted the Gibson Cup since former captain Paul Leeman raised the famous trophy back in 2009.

Plenty has changed in the 13 years since, notably the significant investment from Pour which has catapulted the Oval club back into championship contention.

Read more: Ali Pour interview: Glentoran owner opens up on Oval investment and future plans

Since Pour and manager Mick McDermott arrived just over three years ago Glentoran have won the Irish Cup and qualified for Europe.

But the big one the fans want is the Premiership crown.

Asked if this could be their year, Pour told Belfast Live: "Every year could be our year but I have a good feeling about this year.

"We have started the season off so well. It is still early days of course.

"If we started off this way last season we could have won it. But we have a great team, on and off the pitch.

"The motivation is very high and we are playing each game as if it is a cup final. We don't look beyond the next game we have and that's the mentality Mick has instilled into the players.

"And you can see we are performing so well, but we have some big games coming up.

"But I am quite confident."

McDermott holds his own ambition to win the Premiership title at Glentoran, and is a passionate advocate for the Irish League.

Pour says he shares that appetite for progress throughout Northern Ireland football, and he hopes to play his part in helping transform the game here.

"I share Mick's ambition," he added.

"When I first came in Mick told me about the Irish League. The quality of football today probably isn't where it was 30 years ago.

"You can tell by the fans. We were selling out the Oval with 15,000 fans on a Saturday, but it is much less now.

"So the quality of football has probably declined since those days, and one of my intentions is to improve the quality, and that's by bringing in better players to Glentoran.

"That should then trickle down to other clubs who may well bring in better players.

"I was hoping if my investment is a success, then other investors might come in and invest in the Irish League.

"We do know there is a lack of funding in Northern Ireland football, so I think it would be good for the country to have a strong football league."

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