MANAGER MICHAEL O’CONNOR SIGNS NEW DEAL

Glenavon Football Club are delighted to announce manager Michael O’Connor has signed a new two-year contract extension with the club.

O’Connor and his staff led a monumental effort to survive relegation from the NIFL Premiership after taking over club responsibilities in late 2025 at a time when Glenavon was positioned far adrift of the rest of the league. Though that effort narrowly failed, there is no doubting the significant improvement on the pitch since O’Connor took over.

The Glenavon board and owners recognise the effort, the vastly improved performances on the pitch, the team spirit behind the scenes, and the fact that the 38-year-old was nominated by NIFL for its ‘Manager of the Year’ award. As we prepare for next season in the Championship and aim to bounce back, we believe there is no better man for the job than the man in the job.

The board also recognises O’Connor’s coaching team had a large part to play in the turnaround, and are equally delighted that assistants Andy Doyle and Mark Ferguson have also agreed terms to stay at the club.

Now that we have secured senior team leadership, O’Connor and the board are deep at work behind the scenes to plan how a relegated Glenavon will operate next season. Further information regarding that process will be released as it is confirmed.

Director Cathal Morrison said of the extension, “Michael did a tremendous job under trying circumstances, and there’s not a board member, a player, a volunteer, or a fan that doesn’t want to see what he can do with a squad of his own making, and without having to give the rest of the league an 11-game head start. To his genuine credit, Michael wanted to come back and finish what he started, and his staff hold the same attitude, so we go again next season.”

Fans will be able to hear from Michael in the near future in an upcoming interview but you can play your part in joining the Premier Club and help boost the player budget for the season ahead!