Glentoran Pursue Cliftonville's Jim Magilton as New Manager

Glentoran have set their sights on Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton as the man they want to lead the club out of its early-season slump.

Declan Devine’s two-year spell at the Oval ended on Monday, the poor start to the campaign finally costing him his job. The change in the dugout brought no immediate lift. On Tuesday night, with assistant managers Paddy McCourt and Tim McCann in temporary charge, Glentoran fell to a home defeat against Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine.

The search for a permanent successor has quickly narrowed. Magilton has moved to the front of the queue, with Glentoran making a formal approach to speak to the Cliftonville boss. The timing adds an extra edge to the weekend: the two clubs are due to meet at Solitude on Saturday in a league fixture that now carries a very different subplot.

Jim Magilton's Background

Magilton, 57, took over at Cliftonville in 2023, replacing Paddy McLaughlin. A year later he delivered what many at Solitude had almost stopped believing they would see again – the Irish Cup. That triumph ended a 45-year wait for the trophy and underlined his impact in north Belfast.

His CV stretches well beyond the Irish League. The former Northern Ireland international has held roles with Ipswich Town, the Irish FA, Dundalk and Melbourne Victory, experience that only strengthens his appeal to Glentoran as they try to reset their season.

Recent Achievements

Under his watch, Cliftonville have collected more silverware. The Reds lifted the 2025 BetMcLean Cup, beating Glentoran in the final to deepen the rivalry between Magilton and his potential future employers. Two months later, though, they fell short in the Irish Cup final, losing to Dungannon Swifts.

Now Glentoran want the architect of those recent Cliftonville highs to rebuild their own ambitions, with Saturday’s clash at Solitude poised to unfold under a very sharp spotlight.