Ballymena United Football CLUB NEWS

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 Ballymena United is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Balmer as the Club's new Ticketing Lead, a key role as the Club continues to build on a hugely successful period of growth in matchday and season ticket sales.

Michael's appointment comes, following the successful transition to TicketCo as Ballymena United's official ticketing partner. The move has already streamlined the process for supporters purchasing season tickets and match-day passes, providing a smoother, more modern experience for fans across the Sky Blues community.

A lifelong Ballymena United supporter, Balmer has previously been involved with coordinating the club’s official website and has been an active member of the club’s Management Committee.

Commenting on the appointment, Neil Coleman, Director of Marketing and Communications, said:

"Michael's appointment as Ticketing Lead comes at exactly the right time for the Club. Our move to TicketCo has been a real success, and Michael will be central to making sure that success continues as we head into a huge season ahead.

"He brings real energy and attention to detail to the role, and supporters will benefit from a smoother, more reliable ticketing experience both for season tickets and individual matches. It's a great appointment for the Club and I'm delighted to welcome him to the team."

Supporters are reminded that Season Tickets for 2026/27 continue to sell extremely well, with sales already **exceeding last year's targets at this stage; a reflection of the growing excitement around the Club's ambitions on and off the pitch.

Individual match tickets for the opening home games of the new season will be going on sale soon, with further details to follow shortly via the Club's official channels and TicketCo platform.

Ballymena United would like to welcome Michael to the Club and wish him every success in his new role. 

More Success for Glenwherry on Sports Bond  

A few weeks ago, Trevor Davidson of  Glenwherry was our £1000 Jackpot winner. This week, there was more success for  Glenwherry when John Cahoon (B1153) was a £50 Major winner. John has been a previous Major winner and also won a prize in our New Year's Draw. John's agent is Patricia Thompson. Patricia also had a £10 minor winner with Sky Blue fan Adrian Kerr (A7279).

Meanwhile, there was a first £50 Major win for William Murphy (A7015) on the agency of Alastair Shaw. Both William and Alastair live on the Steeple Road.

The other remaining Minor winners were Ronnie Magill (A8627)  and  there was another Darts winner on the agency of Aaron Todd  - thar was Brendan Patterson (A0596).

The Sports Bond Jackpot reaches £200 this week after the numbers 5 7 9 22 saw no member allocated.

Join Sports Bond now in our 25th anniversary year on 07831 803970. 

  Agents News

Sports Bond sends their deepest sympathy to one of our long standing members, Theresa Donnelly. Sadly Theresa was bereaved of her mother Catherine Donnelly on July 22nd. Catherine had enjoyed a remarkable life and had reached the magical age of 100.

Birthday greetings go to Jacqueline Hogg this week on the agency of Maurice Anderson. Jacqueline celebrated her birthday on Monday 

 First Score 

Two more individuals have been found as winners of the World Cup final First Score and both are well known Ballymena United supporters - Leslie Kinnear and Declan O'Boyle. Both received £50, which sets them up nicely for the next First Score which will be for  the Community shield. 

   Ballymena United are pleased to confirm the signing of Michael Leetch, who joins the Club from Ballyclare Comrades. 

The nineteen-year-old Ballymena native arrives at his hometown club from Ballyclare, with whom he enjoyed a fruitful three and a bit seasons to begin his career in the senior game. Leetch spent a decade with Ballymena United’s Youth Academy, before exiting for Dixon Park three years ago at the age of sixteen, where he embarked on a rapid rise through their youth system to become a first team player in his first season. 

Michael, whose preferred position is on the right wing, went on to make over seventy senior appearances for Ballyclare, as well as featuring against United when the sides met just a fortnight ago during pre-season. 

Speaking for the first time since returning to the Showgrounds and becoming a member of United’s first team for the first time, Michael outlined his delight at coming back: 

“It’s always been my dream to come back to my hometown club and play in the Premiership. I learnt so much at Ballyclare about the game and how to deal with the physical aspect of men’s football, but Ballymena is where I want to be and I can't wait to make the step up." 

United boss Oran Kearney also spoke on Leetch’s arrival, again highlighting the benefits of having local talent in the squad: 

“Both Barry Johnston and John Gregg have been aware of Michael and he has caught their eye, as well as other coaches at Ballyclare, so there has been a lot of homework done on that side. He’s also another local lad from Ballymena. Of course that isn’t the be all and end all, but it’s a bonus for me that he’s from the town. He has a bit to go but he has all the right attributes. He’s excited and we’re excited too.”   

 Ballymena United are pleased to announce the addition of Caoimhin McConnell, following a successful trial period with the club.

The versatile 25-year-old, who can play in a number of positions across the midfield or on the wing, officially joins Oran Kearney's squad having already featured as a Trialist in pre-season.

Caoimhin began his career in the Irish League with Cliftonville, making twenty appearances as a teenager for the Reds, before a loan move to Ards in 2019. A year later, McConnell headed for pastures new as he began a scholarship in the United States, where he represented the likes of Crusaders, Bryant Bulldogs and Little Rock, at a high standard of USA football. However, the former Northern Ireland U19 international has now returned home and has chosen the Showgrounds as his next destination.

Speaking to the club following confirmation of his arrival, Caoimhin had this to say:

"The standard at training has been really good and so have the friendlies we've played and I'm delighted to be here. I've felt welcomed since I've came in and now I'm really part of the team."

He added:

"I know Barry Johnston and Donal Rocks from my time at Cliftonville, so I reached out and asked if I could come in and luckily I was able to."

Oran Kearney also spoke about his latest summer signing, stating:

"Caoimhin was actually one of the first we looked at back in December. Barry Johnston knows him and his pathway well both here and in America and its clear to see he has a really good brain and technical ability and with a bit of time to adjust, he could become a big player for us."

He continued:

"He probably plays more central in a midfield, but he can play at the top or bottom of a midfield too, as well as inside positions. His versatility is a massive bonus."

 Ballymena United can confirm that manager Oran Kearney has added to his backroom team with the appointment of John Gregg as a first team coach.

While he has become a well known and vastly experienced coach within the Irish League, Gregg is a former Ballymena United player, spending two seasons at the Showgrounds between 1999 and 2001. His playing career also took in the likes of Glenavon and Cliftonville, as well as spells in Norway and England.

John's distinguished career as a coach has seen him hold the role of manager at both Institute and more recently Portstewart, as well as a period as assistant manager at Glentoran. John was also assistant manager to Rodney McAree at Dungannon Swifts, helping the Mid Ulster side to Irish Cup glory in 2024.

The 51-year-old has also worked alongside Oran Kearney before, during an impressive five-and-a-half year spell as Coleraine Academy manager from 2017-2023.

Speaking about his new role with his former club as a player, John said:

"Anybody who knows me knows I love coaching. I spoke to Oran a few times and he laid out his plans and they ticked the right boxes. The excitement is about getting in, meeting new players and working as hard as possible. I'm really looking forward to getting involved with a new group and I'm extremely grateful." 

Ballymena United  are pleased to inform supporters that Jonny Addis has returned to the Club following the expiry of his contract at Cliftonville.

The 33-year-old central defender returns to the Showgrounds for a second spell, five years on from when he last represented the club. In that period, he has enjoyed a successful time with Cliftonville, cementing himself as a real fans favourite at Solitude, as well as being one of the most reliable central defenders in the league. He also won an Irish Cup winners medal, as well as two BetMcLean Cup's, as he made 227 appearances for the Reds.

Addis' first spell in United colours lasted three seasons, following the defender's arrival from Glentoran in the summer of 2018. He was an integral part of the side that finished 2nd in the league in his first season on Warden Street, as well as making a League Cup final. He also started the Irish Cup final defeat to Glentoran a year later and lined out against Malmo in our Europa League endeavours. Addis made over 100 appearances for United first time around.

Speaking to club about his return, Jonny had this to say:

"When I look back at the player I was when I left five years ago, I feel like I'm a very different player now with what I can contribute on and off the pitch. When I made the decision to leave Cliftonville and considered the options on the table, I felt like Ballymena was the right club again."

Manager Oran Kearney also expressed his delight at being able to bring Addis back to Ballymena United:

"The career Jonny has had in this league, the respect he has and the leadership qualities he has are valuable. It was important to me that he'd been here before and knows the identity of this club. He just ticks so many boxes. We have good squad depth and quality in Jonny's position and he only adds to it now."

Jonny will wear the number 4 shirt during the upcoming campaign. 

Ballymena United are delighted to announce the signing of goalkeeper David Walsh, following the expiry of his contract with Linfield.

The 23-year-old shot stopper bolsters Oran Kearney's goalkeeping options ahead of the new campaign, after the departure of Brad Wade this summer.

Walsh, who has spent his whole career with the Blues, amassed 54 appearances for the Windsor Park outfit, keeping 23 clean sheets in that time. He was David Healy's no.1 for the majority of the 2024/25 season and impressed from the off, providing a clean sheet in half of his 24 starts, as Linfield secured the league title. Walsh also played an important role in Linfield's BetMcLean Cup success last term.

Speaking for the first time since putting pen to paper at the Showgrounds, Walsh said:

'I'm already looking forward to getting out on the pitch and hopefully playing a lot of games. I got taste of being a number one at Linfield a couple of seasons ago and after speaking to Oran about his plans, it was something I'm really interested in."

Manager Oran Kearney had this to say about David's arrival:

"The quality of David is undoubtedly there, dislodging a goalkeeper of Chris Johns' stature a couple of seasons ago tells you that. The frustration since has been David's lack of gametime, but what he's looking for now is a run of games and he has all the attributes to be a top 'keeper here."

Oran added:

"The goalkeeping situation wasn't ideal last season for one reason or another, which we respect, but goalkeeping isn't an area you want to be chopping and changing and we now have two high quality 'keepers which is vitality important."

David will wear the number 1 jersey for the 2026/27 season. 

Charlie Allen has become Ballymena United's sixth summer signing, following confirmation of his arrival from Linfield upon the expiry of his contract with the Blues.

The much thought of 22-year-old attacking midfielder has spent the last two seasons at Linfield, returning to the Blues following a spell in England, but will now be seeking to kick on under Oran Kearney at the Showgrounds.

Having made his Linfield debut as a 15-year-old, making him the Blues' youngest ever senior player, Allen's huge potential saw him make the move to Yorkshire to join Leeds United in 2020 and whilst he never made a senior appearance, he plied his trade for the Elland Road side's U18 and U21 teams. Allen made 55 appearances in his second spell with Linfield, lifting the Gibson Cup and BetMcLean Cup in that time. Charlie was also capped 14 times at U21 level for Northern Ireland, including netting for his country at The Showgrounds.

Speaking to the club after his arrival, Charlie touched on why United was right for him:

"It's a fresh start for me and speaking to Oran and others in and around the club, the ideas they had and where they want to go really interested me. Hopefully at Ballymena I can get plenty of games under my belt and show people what I can do."

Manager Oran Kearney is understandably excited about bringing Allen to the club:

"Charlie reminds me of a few players I've had in the past, in that he just needs let of the leash and allowed to play football. He probably hasn't quite been given a real run and opportunity yet and we'll give him loads of football."

Oran continued:

"He has all the tools and ammunition to be a really exciting signing and get people off their seats. He's someone who's more than happy to take people on and create things for himself and others. He's one I've liked for a long time and I'm glad to have him."

Charlie has been given the number 10 shirt ahead of the 2026/27 season.
 

Ballymena United are pleased to confirm the arrival of Stephen Fallon to the club.

The talented, experienced and versatile midfielder joins United following the expiration of his contract at Coleraine this summer, with Fallon spending the second half of the last campaign on loan at Bangor.

Although still only 29-years-old, Fallon brings a wealth of quality and knowhow both on and off the pitch, having won a remarkable six league titles, three League Cups and two Irish Cups in a successful near decade spell at Linfield. Having made the switch to Coleraine last summer, Stephen was unfortunate with injuries, much like the end of his Linfield career, but a winter window move to Bangor saw Fallon get a string of games under his belt.

Heralded by his former manager Ruaidhri Higgins as 'one of top midfielders in the country,' those are sentiments echoed by his new boss Oran Kearney:

"On his day, a fit Stephen Fallon is probably in the top five midfielders in the league. He's someone I've followed for a long time and the important thing for me is he's gone to Bangor and put together a good number of games on the bounce after a couple of years of niggles and bad luck. You can never have enough guys like Stephen in your dressing room."

In his first interview with the club, Fallon outlined his reasons for joining the Braidmen:

"I spoke to Oran over the break and when he told me where the club is going, it's one with a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to getting started. I've struggled with injuries recently, but the last six months I got a run of games together which has given me a bit of confidence and this is somewhere I can kick-start my career again."

Stephen will don the number 20 shirt in the 2026/27 campaign.
 

Ballymena United are delighted to announce the signing of midfielder Josh Archer.

A hard working and energetic central midfielder, the 23-year-old arrives at the Showgrounds following the expiry of his contract at Linfield, where he made 120 appearances for his boyhood club.

Having joined the Blues at U14 level, he worked his way up through the ranks to the senior side, debuting in 2020. Archer went on to become a regular in David Healy's midfield and made over 50 appearances in his final season at Windsor Park. That included starting in all but one of Linfield's victories during their BetMcLean Cup success last term. Archer was part of a Linfield side that won multiple League's and League Cup's during his time there.

Josh also spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Portadown, picking up their Player of the Year award after a breakout campaign.

Speaking for the first time in United colours, Josh stated:

"Once I knew of the interest, I was keen to get it done. This will be a good thing for me, stepping out of my comfort zone and hopefully I can hit the ground running. I had a lot of people to learn from at Linfield but now it's time for my next step and hopefully I can keep on improving and bring as much as I can."

Manager Oran Kearney also spoke on his delight at finally securing Archer's services:

"This wasn't my first attempt to sign Josh as a manager. He has all the tools to succeed, he's still very young but yet so experienced with things like league and cup wins. He comes similar to others we're looking to bring in, in that he'll just improve with more games.

Hopefully he is another one that is exciting for people looking at what we're building. For me, he's a really exciting addition."

Josh will wear the number 8 shirt during the 2026/27 season.   

Ballymena United are thrilled to announce Scot Whiteside has returned to the Showgrounds upon the expiry of his contract at Linfield.

The 29-year-old centre back spent six years on Warden Street from 2018-2024, making 134 appearances in total, including being a mainstay in the side that finished 2nd in the 2018/19 season. Whiteside also lined out in two Irish Cup finals for United, missing out on a third through injury.

In his two year spell away at Linfield, Scot picked up a league winners medal, as well as being part of the BetMcLean Cup winning squad in the last campaign, as he made 40 appearances in total for the Blues. Before his first spell at United, Whiteside played in the Rangers Youth set up, as well as a loan period at Coleraine, before eventually joining United for from Derry City.

Speaking to the club about his return, Scot started by saying:
 

"Once I heard the plans here on and off the pitch, it was an easy decision. This is such a family-oriented club and I'm so excited to get back. There's a real freshness about the place this time round and hopefully with the experience I've gained at Linfield, I can offer so much more."
 

Oran Kearney had this to say on why he has brought Scot back to his old stomping ground:
 

"Ballymena United was very good for Scot in his first time here, as he was for the club and he's at a good age now where he wants to be racking up appearances and this is a great opportunity to write his second chapter here."
 

The manager continued:
 

"I'm very big on creating a local identity for this club and Scot's been about this area for a long time and knows what it's about. David Healy spoke very highly of him and how he conducted himself at Linfield, but now is a good time to have him back here."
 

Scot will once again wear the number 5 shirt for the 2026/27 campaign.
     

Ballymena United are pleased to confirm the signing of Micheál Glynn after the expiry of his contract at Cliftonville.

The versatile left sided player, who predominantly operates as a left wing back, is the second additional to Oran Kearney's squad ahead of his first full season in charge, with Glynn following Chris McKee into the building.

Although still only 24-years-old, Micheál brings a wealth of experience, following spells at Dungannon Swifts, Glenavon and Larne, winning two league titles with the Invermen. He has spent the last two seasons at Cliftonville, for whom he made seventy-five appearances, scoring four times, as well as winning the BetMcLean Cup in 2025. He is also a former Northern Ireland U21 international and will now bring all of that experience with him to United.

In his first interview after becoming a Sky Blue, Glynn remarked:

"I'm still very young in my career but I've played a lot of games in the league. I've picked up a few medals so far and the project here is one of trying to pick up more and pushing for Europe. There's a great squad here with a lot of quality players that I've first hand experience of playing against."

Manager Oran Kearney was keen to stress why Glynn fits the profile for his squad, saying:

"The aim for us is to have two good players in every position and whilst Matthew Clarke has seen off a few in his position already, it's my job to provide competition to challenge him and Micheál's job is to do that. Like many we'll look to bring in, Micheál isn't green and this isn't his first gig, but he has so much growth ahead of him. He has a lot of games behind him and many successes and it's a good time for him to come in and move us forward."

Micheál will wear the number 3 shirt for the 2026/27 campaign.