Glentoran Pursue Jim Magilton After Devine Exit

Glentoran have set their sights on Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton as the man to steady the Oval after Declan Devine’s departure, moving quickly to make a formal approach for the experienced coach.

Devine left on Monday after two years in charge, his reign undone by a poor start to the season that drained early optimism and sharpened scrutiny. By Tuesday night, the transition was already under way, with assistants Paddy McCourt and Tim McCann taking the team for a home defeat to Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine – a result that underlined the urgency of the search.

The focus has now landed firmly on Magilton. The 57-year-old has emerged as Glentoran’s preferred candidate, with the club seeking permission to speak to the Cliftonville boss. The timing adds an extra edge: the two sides are due to meet at Solitude on Saturday in a league fixture that suddenly carries a storyline far beyond the three points on offer.

Magilton’s stock within the Irish League has risen sharply over the past two seasons. Appointed Cliftonville manager in 2023 as successor to Paddy McLaughlin, the former Northern Ireland international wasted little time in reshaping the Reds in his image. A year later he delivered Irish Cup glory, ending a 45-year wait for the trophy and restoring a sense of weight and purpose to the club’s modern history.

That breakthrough silverware was no one-off. Magilton went on to guide Cliftonville to the 2025 BetMcLean Cup, with Glentoran themselves on the receiving end in the final. It was a result that will not have faded from memory around the Oval and only strengthens the logic behind the current pursuit.

The season did still carry a sting. Cliftonville reached another Irish Cup final, only to fall to Dungannon Swifts in the decider two months later. Even so, the pattern was clear: Magilton had turned Cliftonville into a side that competed for, and regularly reached, major finals.

His coaching journey has taken in significant roles beyond the Irish League. Spells with Ipswich Town, the Irish FA, Dundalk and Melbourne Victory have added layers of experience and perspective, shaping a manager who now looks a natural target for an ambitious club seeking a reset.

Now Glentoran want that know-how at the Oval. Whether Cliftonville are prepared to lose the architect of their recent resurgence – and whether Magilton is ready to swap Solitude for east Belfast – will hang over Saturday’s meeting like a cloud. Or an omen.