In 1941, the stadium was severely damaged by aerial bombing during the Belfast blitz of World War II and was unusable until 1949.

[2] During the early 20th century, the land on which The Oval stood was given in perpetuity to Glentoran by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Daniel Dixon.

Aerial bombing destroyed both grandstands, causing the loss of Glentoran's club assets, and also left a large crater in the pitch.

[4][5] As a result, the ground was flooded repeatedly by the Connswater River; the water pumps were insufficient to drain the pitch.

[2] In September 1995, Glentoran had an advertising board with "JESUS" in white letters on a black background erected at the Oval.

It remained at the ground until 2010 when club officials removed it, saying that they needed the space to sell advertising because of serious financial troubles and "the sign had garnered no income for Glentoran for several years.

"[11] In October 2010 the neo-Nazi British National Party (BNP), who were trying to gain electoral support, held a rally outside the Oval.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member of the Legislative Assembly, Robin Newton described the BNP's presence outside The Oval as "nauseous".

[17] In 2012, after considering selling naming rights to The Oval,[18] Glentoran unveiled plans to move the club to a new stadium in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast.

[22] In March 2021, Glentoran submitted plans to Belfast City Council for a major revamp for the football ground.

[23] The Oval is located near the Port of Belfast, and Harland and Wolff's Samson and Goliath cranes are visible from inside the stadium.