Glentoran owner Ali Pour
Glentoran owner Ali Pour has denied social media rumours that the club is facing financial strife.
The Welsh-Iranian businessman gained control of the East Belfast club in 2019, with help from football coach Mick McDermott and ex-Glens manager Paul Millar.
Under Pour’s ownership, Glentoran lifted the Irish Cup in 2020 but the club have struggled to mount a sustained challenge in the Sports Direct Premiership despite huge investment.
Last week, rumours surfaced online of financial problems. Pour branded these rumours ‘absolute nonsense’ and ‘dangerous’ on the club’s official YouTube channel.
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Pour – who attended Saturday’s 6-0 win over Coleraine – explained: “I arrived from London, I checked into the hotel and I got dragged to The Oval by the board for ‘crisis talks.’
“I wasn’t aware of anything until I was told of these various rumours. And I thought, ‘again?’
“I was here a few months ago and the same things were talked about then.
“I hear things like, ‘I’m pulling out’, ‘There’s no money’ and I thought to myself how much long can this nonsense go on for, because it is absolute nonsense.”
Pour promised that he will continue to invest in the Glens, who are desperate to win their first Irish League title since the late Alan McDonald guided the club to Gibson Cup glory in 2009.
He said: “Nothing has changed financially since the day I started four years ago. We are still in a very strong position.
“I’ve seen some of the stuff on social media about our debt. That debt is my money. We don’t owe anyone
Read on belfasttelegraph.co.uk