Ballymena United Football CLUB NEWS

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Ballymena United are happy to confirm the arrival of defender Zach Nolan to the club.

Twenty year old Nolan joins the Sky Blues as a free agent, having left Bray Wanderers earlier in the year, with the left back making thirty-nine appearances for the Irish First Division side having made the step up from their Academy. Since leaving Bray, Zach has spent time on trial with a number of clubs across the water, but the pacy and versatile Irishman has opted to bring his talents to the Showgrounds for his next move.

Speaking to the club about the next step in his career, Zach outlined why he feels Ballymena is the place for him. "After coming up here for a training session, the club liked what they saw and I was interested as well. The playing style is the way I like to play and from the off, this place just felt right for me."

Delving further into his way of playing, Nolan, who can operate in any role down the left side of a defence, spoke about his strengths and how United can play to them. "I see myself as a fast, attacking defender, but defending always comes first. I've a good engine and like getting up and down the pitch and here I'll have the freedom to do that. Hopefully I'm able to add a few assists to clean sheets, but here I think I can show what I've got and learn a lot too."

Whilst new to the league, Zach already knows a few of his new team mates and has kept an eye on the club since a move was first a possibility. "It's nice coming in and knowing a few faces and not having to worry so much about settling in. I've been following the club and league for a while and know what the goals are for us this season." 

Manager Jim Ervin also chatted about Zach's arrival, saying it's been a move a while in the making. "We first came across Zach in January last year. We had him in and had a look at him, but it was touted he could be going across the water, but that didn't quite happen. With the numbers we are missing and as we try to climb the league table, we need to get quality in like Zach." He added, "He can play left back, left wing back, left of a back three and gives us more quality and legs in that area of the pitch. I'm excited to get him in, he's

tough tackling, willing to get forward with the ball and has a good delivery and hopefully he can hit the ground running. He's been playing friendly games recently as part of a Republic of Ireland agency set up, but there's a difference obviously between friendly games and competitive. The good news is he's available straight away, but we'll get a look at him to see where he's at."

Ballymena United have added to their midfield options for now by completing the short term deal signing of former Scotland international Dylan McGeouch.

The thirty-two year old midfielder arrives on Warden Street with a wealth of experience in the Scottish Premiership and League 1 and League 2 in England, as well as two senior caps for Scotland. Having played for Celtic, Aberdeen, Sunderland and Forest Green, he was also an important part of Hibs' Scottish Cup and Championship winning sides. Most recently, the Scotsman was with Mark Hughes' Carlisle United, but left in the summer and now joins United as a free agent.

Speaking to the club, with a full interview to follow in due course, McGeouch is excited for the latest chapter of his career in Northern Ireland. "The opportunity came up to talk to the guys behind the scenes here and I jumped at the chance to be able to come and help this squad and club going forward." Dylan is also aware of the value his experience could have for the club. "Experience is something hopefully I can bring on and off the pitch. I've been at a lot of good clubs and still think I have a lot to give." He added, "One of the selling points was that the club have a lot to play for. We're looking to compete and get into that top six, along with the cup competitions and it's exciting times."

Manager Jim Ervin also spoke on the signing of McGeouch and highlighted why the Sky Blues have made their move in between transfer windows. "It's well documented the injury list we have and it seems to be increasing week by week, so it's great to get another body available to us, but it's more about the experience he brings. He's one we've been looking at for a number of weeks and he's come in as a free agent so is able to play straight away."

Ervin also touched on the excitement and eagerness of the ex Rangers youth team player to come onboard. "The desire Dylan showed when we started conversations struck me straight away. He could've held fire to see what came up in January, but he was happy with what we discussed with him. He's a quality player and we're looking forward to seeing him on the pitch."

 A Magical Darts Success on Sports Bond 

What a great week for the Ballymena Darts Academy. Sports Bond have been providing Sponsorship for the group of young Darts enthusiasts who are based at the Bowling club. In return their parents are members of the Sports Bond agency run by Aaron Todd. This week the agency had a double success with a Major and Minor winner. The £50 winner was Brendan Patterson (A 7359), however Brendan recently joined under a magic member promotion which means the agency also wins £50 as a bonus commission. This bonus will go directly to the Darts Academy. 

The other Minor winner was Shelley Armstrong  (A7236). Congratulations to both winners and a huge thank you to Aaron Todd for running an excellent agency. This week a number of the Academy members are representing Northern Ireland in a Youth Tournament in Gibraltar. 

In Randalstown, a First £50 win for Helen Drain ( A1249) on the agency of Alastair Shaw. Helen had a £10 Minor winner previously. 

In Kells there was a First win for Uel Browne (A9530)) on the agency of Brett Thompson, whilst in Ahoghill there was a £10 win for Laura Gilmore (B9172) on the agency of Maurice Anderson. 

No Jackpot was allocated with the numbers 16 22 23 26 and so the Jackpot for this week is £350.

Join Sports Bond now on 07831 803970. 

                                                            Agents News

A big week for Sports Bond agent Elaine Dempster as on Thursday as her daughter Sophie marries fiancé Mark Patterson. The wedding has been in the planning foe over a year and we hope Elaine and the happy couple have a sensational day. We wish Sophie and Mark happiness in their married life.

Aaron Todd has enjoyed a remarkable week with two Sports Bond winners. On Wednesday his Ballymena Darts Academy members attended a reception in the Braid for International and World team champion Josh Rock. Then on Saturday, Aaron, who was accompanied by Five members of the Ballymena Darts Academy, flew to Gibraltar to take part in a week of tournaments. The five are Thomas Elliott, Jamie Black, Leo Jamieson, Jacob Todd and Ethan Todd. The tournaments include the World Open, The Luke Littler Legacy Open World JDC championship and on Thursday, JDC World Cup team event. .We wish all the boys well for what promises to be a fantastic week. SPORTS BOND are delighted and proud to be associated with the Ballymena Darts Academy. One of our early marketing line was promoting people in Sport in Co Antrim and this is a great example of this. 

                                                                      First Score 

The opening goal scored on Saturday at the Showgrounds was recorded on 32 min(31 min 6 sec). The winner with a 32 mins card was Sports Bond agent Alex Beverland. Now Alex had won a First Score away to Portadown at the start of the season, so this was his second win of the season and therefore qualified under First Score rules for a double up of £100. Alex was delighted to pick up £100 from Promoter Brian Thompson. If Alex wins another Irish league First Score, he will qualify for a complimentary season ticket for season 2026/2027!

The First Score for the Northern Ireland v Luxembourg  was won by Hazel Bones who is the mum of Sports Bond agent Sammy Bones. The winning time was 44mins and for this winning card Hazel won £50.

For the First Score at Mourneview on Saturday there will be a bonus of £25. This is because we had an away First Score where there was no winner at Windsor Park in October. Make sure you get your First Score at Mourneview. 

 Ahead of this weekend's visit to The National Stadium at Windsor Park, manager Jim Ervin has provided an update on a number of our players, as well as looking ahead to Saturday's game with Linfield.

𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲 left the pitch late on Saturday in the defeat to Glentoran with a nasty looking injury and the manager has confirmed that it looks like the forward has sustained a broken collarbone. Whilst Ryan will require further hospital consultations to assess the full extent of the injury, early indications point to a spell of around 10-12 weeks on the sidelines.

𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗱 has missed our last two games through injury, but the teenager has returned to training this week and is in contention for Saturday. 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗰𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘆 has also returned to training in the last week following his injury lay off, but this weekend may come too soon for the midfielder.

𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗢'𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘆 sustained a concussion against Coleraine and is still unavailable for the weekend with concussion protocols, but he should return to training as normal on Tuesday.

𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀 missed a couple of games for personal reasons recently, but did return to the squad and made a late substitute appearance on Saturday as he gets back to full fitness. 𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆 was substituted at the Oval, with Jim confirming Ben has been playing through the pain barrier for a number of weeks and he is being monitored daily and weekly, as the management look to be careful with him.

In terms of longer term issues, Jim Ervin has been able to provide a further update on 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀. As previously reported, Donal's surgery went well a couple of weeks ago and the manager is hoping he could return to training around the start of December.
Neither 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 or 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁 have featured at all this season for United, but the gaffer says both are now progressing well. "Andy did a pitch session this week, albeit a very light one and Josh is due to do a bit more this week too." He continued, "both are looking to build their fitness up now, but they are probably a month or so away from joining training again with the boys."
Briefly previewing the visit to the National Stadium on Saturday, the manager is hoping to right some wrongs from last week. "What we need to do differently is not give away cheap goals. There was very little in last weeks game watching it back, but we've conceded a sloppy goal from a corner." He added, 'we need to be ruthless against the full time teams. You might only get one or two chances, you need to take them." "We're looking forward to Saturday, we know they're going to be a wounded animal and we need to make sure we're well prepared. We'll look after ourselves first and foremost."

Ballymena United are delighted to announce that Patrick McEleney has signed a contract extension with the club.

The experienced midfielder was a major addition when he arrived from Derry City in January, going on to make 15 appearances and score 3 goals for the Sky Blues last season.

Now wearing the No. 10 shirt for the upcoming campaign, McEleney said it was an easy decision to stay:

🗣️ “I’ve loved it here so far, and when the club came to me about extending, it was done quite quickly. I came in with an open mind and was looking forward to a new challenge — the changing room has been brilliant.”

Looking ahead to the new season, which kicks off this weekend, Patrick added:

🗣️ “It’s about pushing on now — finishing higher up the table and seeing what we can do in the cups. I want to play as much as I can and help the younger lads around me too.”

💫 More McEleney Magic coming our way in 2025/26!

Emma, a life-long supporter, has held various important roles at the club over many years, initially as a volunteer in our club shop, before managing the club’s human resources and policies on the Management Committee, before her progression to the Board of Directors.

Ballymena United Chairman Chris Selwood said: “Emma brings great personal and professional skills to our Board and will be a great asset to the club moving forward. She knows the club inside out, she buys into the goals and vision of the club going forward and will be instrumental in achieving those goals.”

Speaking of her appointment, Emma said; “I’m honoured to be appointed as the new Director of Operations at the club. This club is a huge part of the community and is massive to my family, so to be tasked with driving us forward is an exciting challenge that I am ready to embrace.

“The club is entering an exciting new era both on and off the pitch, and alongside my fellow Board members we are working tirelessly to ensure we return the club back to the top and make the Showgrounds a place where fans can be proud to call home again.”

Emma added, “To be the first female on the Board of Directors is naturally an honour, but whilst I am the first - I want to ensure I am not the last! We are building a dynamic and progressive club and hopefully this appointment will show the pathway is open for talented women to get involved and make a difference.”

Ahead of the 2025/2026 season, the Ballymena United FC Board of Directors is as follows: Chris Selwood (Chairman), Liam Wilson (Vice-Chairman), John Anderson, Ivan Russell, Gary McConnell, Ronnie McDowell and Emma Russell.

Having been in and around the club over the last year or so, bringing his substantial experience in business management both within and outside of football, Liam now takes on the role of Vice Chairman, working alongside Chairman Chris Selwood.

Speaking to the club about his new role, Liam was keen to stress how professionalising the club has been one of his main goals. "I hope people have started to see a lot more professionalism around the place, both on and off the pitch. That's been my main driver and reason for being part of this club and this community. The club has already played a big part in my family settling in here and I want to give back as much as possible. The club is driving forward, with key decisions like having Jim here full time, investing in our facilities, and realigning and strengthening the relationship between the senior club and the Academy is helping piece together a strategic vision as to where the club needs to go."

Liam has valuable experience working in business in his home country of Australia and with various football clubs in Scotland and he is bringing that experience and those connections to hopefully enhance standards at United. "I want to be able to use my connections and expertise in business here. In Scotland I've gained an insight into how the bigger clubs are run and it's about using those learns and connections to hopefully bring up our levels of structure. The top four or six clubs in this league are streaks ahead of the rest and we need to do everything we can to bridge the gap and that's something I'm super passionate about doing."

Chairman Chris Selwood also commented on his delight at having Liam alongside him at board level. "Liam is business minded like myself and I felt I needed some extra support to implement our vision. Liam has helped me before coming onto the board with advice and he was a natural fit to step up to Vice Chairman. Myself and Liam have been at the forefront of driving the club forward off the pitch and we're always singing off the same hymn sheet." He added, "It's exactly what we needed. The club is heading in the right direction and I have to say the board as a whole have signed up to our vision and long may it continue as we look to get to a place we believe we can be."

A full interview with Liam Wilson will follow at a later date.

Ballymena United are pleased to announce that defender Ali Gould has joined the club following a successful trial period. 

The nineteen year old Scotsman arrives at United following spells at the likes of Motherwell and most recently Watford and now officially joins the squad after impressing for a number of weeks as a trialist.

Speaking to the club for the first time after becoming a fully fledged member of the team, Ali has appreciated the opportunity to already have integrated into the squad. "The boys have been magic with me since I've came in and I feel I've got to know them better and better in the game's I've played." He added, "I think I need men's football now and I feel like Northern Ireland is a great place for me to be and I'm really looking forward to it."

Manager Jim Ervin outlined that he and his team have been impressed with what they've seen so far. "We've had Ali in the last number of weeks, running our eye over him. He's a good young pro and has shown he's up for the challenge. He's gelled really well and has settled in quickly and he has a lot more to offer."

Welcome to Ballymena, Ali! 🩵🫡

Ballymena United are happy to announce the signing of defender Joel Thompson from Finn Harps on a multi year deal. 

After bursting onto the scene when making his Crusaders debut aged just 15, Joel made the move across the water to Nottingham Forest in 2022, where he spent two injury plagued years before leaving for Colchester. A loan spell at Aveley FC followed, but after returning closer to home earlier this year at Finn Harps, the 19 year old has now put pen to paper at The Showgrounds.

Speaking to the club about returning to the Irish League, Joel is happy to have made his way to The Showgrounds. "I'm buzzing, really delighted to be here. I spoke to Jim a few times about his plans and the players he has here already and it's exciting the experience the squad has." The former Crues man is also ready to hit the ground running this season. "I'm here to come in and play. We have high hopes for this season, we want to push up the league and go on a few cup runs. I loved my time at Finn Harps, played plenty of games and it was really my first full season of men's football and I was ready for it."

Manager Jim Ervin is also thrilled to add the exciting teenager to his ranks and outlined it's been an arrival a while in the making. "We're really happy to get Joel in. He trained with us in January and did extremely well, but because he'd already played for two UK clubs last season, he couldn't play for a third. He ended up at Finn Harps for six months but we kept in contact with him and when we knew he wouldn't be staying there we were keen to get him in the building." The manager continued, "We were even more happy after sitting down with him and hearing what he wants to do. He can play a number of positions, left back, left wing back, even as a number 6. He'll have a bit of a break because he's been playing constantly for Finn Harps recently, but he's up to speed and we're looking forward to getting him in."

Welcome to The Showgrounds Joel! 🩵🙌

Ballymena United are pleased to announce the signing of full back David Toure.

The 20 year old joins the Sky Blues following the conclusion of his contract at Glenavon, with United beating a number of clubs on both sides of the Irish Sea to secure the services of the highly rated Irishman.

Toure joined Glenavon from Shelbourne in the winter window of 2024 and enjoyed an impressive eighteen month spell in Mid Ulster which placed him on the radar of a host of sides, but David outlined to the club why Ballymena felt right for him. "From the outside looking in I could see this was a squad that's improving and it was a no brainer really. I spoke to a few lads already here and they love it." The right back also believes he can play a key role in building on the ambitions of the club. "I've had a good season and a half in the league and have a good grasp of it. The club made a good start to last season but it's about maintaining that and pushing on and the top six has to be what we're aiming for at least."

Fresh off the back of bringing Daire O'Connor to the club, manager Jim Ervin knows Toure is another eye catching capture. "David is a quality signing and an exceptional talent. He's young, energetic, enthusiastic and has a big future ahead of him. There was a lot of competition for him and thankfully he's bought into the vision we shared with him. He's another who sets out the standards we're trying to create."

Glad to have you with us David! 🩵🙌 

Ballymena United are thrilled to announce the signing of forward Daire O'Connor from Hamilton Academical on a multi year deal.

The Sky Blues beat a number of local rivals to secure the signature of the 28 year old Irishman, who returns to the Irish League after a spell in Scotland. Formerly of Cliftonville and Glentoran, with a stint at Ayr United in between, O'Connor left East Belfast in 2024 to join Hamilton but spent the second half of last season on loan at East Kilbride, helping the South Lanarkshire side secure a spot in the SPFL after winning the Lowlands League.

Chatting to the club about becoming a Braidman, Daire highlighted why Ballymena stood out to him over other potential suitors. "I was drawn by the ambition. They're very motivated to push up the table, finish closer to Europe and get a cup run." Returning to a league he knows well, the winger is excited to get back to business here with United. "This is a league I've thrived in before, I feel like I know it almost inside out. Things didn't work out in Scotland but I have a spring in my step again to prove some people wrong and show The Showgrounds what I can do."

Manager Jim Ervin is delighted Daire opted to make The Showgrounds home. "He's an unbelievable talent that we all know about and he's another one we've targeted and spoke to for a few months once we heard of the possibility of him coming home. Other clubs were interested as is well documented, but thankfully we were able to sell him the club and the vision."

The boss is also aware of the quality O'Connor adds to the squad. "He's very direct, pacy and has a great delivery. His numbers at the Glens prove that and when a player of that ability comes up, you'd be silly not to go for it. I'm really excited to work with him, he's been brilliant so far with his enthusiasm in our conversations and he's a really experienced senior player we can't wait to have."

Great to have you with us Daire! 🩵⚡️

Ballymena United are delighted to announce the signing of defender Matthew Clarke. 

The 31 year old joins the club following a spell at Livingston, where he helped Livi secure promotion back to the Scottish Premiership, as well as lifting the Scottish Challenge Cup.

Prior to his time in Scotland, Matthew's eleven year stint at Linfield needs no introduction as he established himself as one of the league's best and most decorated defenders and we are thrilled to have secured his services as he returns to Northern Ireland.

Commenting on our newest recruit, manager Jim Ervin outlined how exciting the transfer is for the club. "Matthew is a brilliant signing, he is a big coup for us. When a player of his calibre comes up, you'd be stupid not to be interested and after a few conversations, thankfully he thought here was the place for him."

The manager is also well aware of the experience a man who lifted countless trophies with Linfield brings to The Showgrounds. "The experience he brings with him is huge from our point of view. Sometimes it's just about adding that bit of know-how to the team. Matthew can play a variety of positions, so it's huge for us with what we're looking to do."

Stay tuned to hear from the man himself when the first interview with Matthew Clarke drops a little later... 💬

Welcome to The Showgrounds Matthew! 🩵