TWO BIG BIRTHDAYS

On Friday 12^th January 20024 current Glenavon defender Sean Ward and former manager Terry Nicholson celebrated landmark birthdays. Sean reached the age of 40 and Terry became an octogenarian.

Sean is the “Peter Pan” of the Irish League. He has made 771 appearances at senior level and scored 29 goals. He has played in League Championship winning teams with Linfield, Glentoran and Crusaders. In 2020 he put pen to paper for Glenavon. He is the nephew of Gerry Clarke who played as both a central defender and centre forward at Mourneview Park during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Earlier this season Sean hit the headlines by scoring two brilliant extra time goals in the 2-1 victory against Dergview in the BetMcLean League Cup first round. His only other Glenavon goal came in a Mid-Ulster derby at Shamrock Park in March 2021. He has already indicated that this will probably be the last season of his professional career.

Terry Nicholson had a distinguished playing career as a goalkeeper with Portadown, Crusaders, Bangor, Coleraine and Distillery. In 1967 and 1968 he played in the Crues’ team which won back-to-back Irish Cups. The Magheralin man became Glenavon’s player-manager in June 1982. Although he hung up his boots in the summer of 1983, he continued in the manager’s dugout until October 1991. During his tenure Glenavon won the Budweiser Cup, League Cup, Gold Cup and County Antrim Shield. The club also finished runner-up in the Irish League Championship and Irish Cup.

Remarkably, Terry, who now lives on the North Coast, still plays occasionally for Donacloney F.C. and the Northern Ireland Invitation Veterans’ eleven.