Ballymena United Football CLUB NEWS

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Ballymena United are pleased to announce the signing of attacking midfielder Finley Thorndike from Crusaders.
 

The 24-year-old Englishman arrives on Warden Street as part of a swap deal with Crusaders that sees Donal Rocks move in the opposite direction.
 

Thorndike made over thirty appearances for the Crues following his signing last summer, including starting their opening game of this season in the North Belfast derby. Finley's first taste of Irish Premiership football came at Glentoran, where he made twenty-nine appearances during his one year stay at The Oval two seasons ago.
 

An exciting midfielder with bundles of creativity, Thorndike came through the youth set up's at both Aston Villa and his boyhood club Birmingham City, including a loan spell with Boston United, but it was from Birmingham's U21 side that he made the move to Northern Ireland. Thorndike had represented Villa in the EFL Cup and Premier League 2.
 

Speaking for the first time as a Sky Blue, Finley said:
 

"I was really excited to get this deal done after speaking to the board and manager. It has all happened so quickly, but I'm looking forward to meeting the lads. I know one or two of them and they seem a great group. I'm just really excited to show the fans and the team what I'm about."
 

Manager Oran Kearney also spoke about why the club have moved to bring Thorndike in:
 

"Finley's a player who can make things happen and unlock a door. When we lost Ben Kennedy it was important we looked for a similar type of player who can have a real impact at the top end of the pitch. He comes across a great lad and we're looking forward to working with him."

Sky Blue Rewind goes us back almost fifty years to relive a landmark visit from Glentoran to the Showgrounds through the eyes of Ballymena's goalscorer on the day, Billy McAvoy.
 

Born and brought raised in Greyabbey, Co Down, Billy McAvoy's senior football career kicked off at the tender age of sixteen playing for his local side Ards.

"I made my debut against Crusaders at Seaview playing on the wing. I was always a striker but as I was just a young lad, the manager played me initially as a winger," he explained.
 

McAvoy's obvious talent was scoring goals and he was soon making a name for himself in the Irish League and beyond.
 

"I played in what would have been known as the inside-right position and wore the number eight jersey, playing just off the centre-forward. We got to the Irish Cup Final in 1969 and after a scoreless draw with Distillery, we won the replay in extra time."
 

Twenty-year-old Billy was the hero for the North Down outfit scoring all four goals in a 4-2 win although he had one regret from the game...
 

"I missed a sitter near the end and should really have scored five. I don't think anyone else would ever have achieved that again scoring five goals in an Irish Cup Final."
 

Cross channel clubs came calling and following his Cup final heroics, Billy went to Stoke City on trial but due to a knee injury he had suffered in the final, nothing came of it.
 

Billy played his part in Ards famous four-trophy winning campaign in 1973-74 but after a couple more seasons, he felt it was time to move on from the club where he had spent thirteen years as a player scoring almost three hundred goals in just over four hundred games.
 

"I just felt I had gotten stale at Ards and needed a change."
 

McAvoy's transfer request in October 1977 alerted a number of interested Irish League clubs and the week before Halloween, Billy became a Ballymena United player.
 

The new striker's first game was to be a Gold Cup tie at the Showgrounds against a formidable Glentoran side who were the reigning League champions and Gold Cup holders and who were fresh from a thrilling European Cup tie against Juventus at The Oval just days before.
 

"The Glens were a great side," Billy recalled. "Arthur Stewart was their manager and they had players like Warren Feeney, Rab McCreery and Alex Robson. You always knew you were in a game against those lads."
 

22nd October 1977 was something of a gala day at Ballymena Showgrounds as United were back playing on the main arena having spent the previous nine months playing home games on the "Wee Showgrounds" pitch (located where the current 4g pitch is now).
 

New changing rooms, club offices and a players' lounge had been erected underneath the old O'Kane's Stand and were officially opened before the game by Northern Ireland manager Danny Blanchflower.
 

A sponsorship deal had also been announced with Northern Ireland Datsun car distributors, Phillips Ltd, making United the only side in the League at that point with a shirt sponsor.
 

As part of the deal, the football club had been donated a brand-new car as a raffle prize. The vehicle was driven around the stock car track pre-match by former Manchester United and Scotland striker Denis Law.
 

"There was a huge crowd there that day, and I remember us playing in a new strip with Phillips Datsun on the front," Billy said, "and there was a thunderstorm during the first half as well!"
 

The game itself started at a breakneck pace with the visitors scoring after six minutes when Billy Caskey powerfully headed home Warren Feeney's cross. Two minutes later Feeney had a goal chalked off for offside. In the tenth minute, McAvoy equalised with his first touch of the ball when Tom Sloan's shot came back off the post and the debut boy scored from the rebound.
 

Glentoran bossed the game for long periods but were unable to find a second goal. The match erupted in the last ten minutes when Glens' defender Rab McCreery received a red card (a rarity in those days) in the 83rd minute. Four minutes later, the home fans were ecstatic as Billy McAvoy rose to head the winning goal from Ronnie Butcher's inch-perfect cross.
 

"It was a great way to finish my debut," smiled Billy, "and the good thing was there was barely any injury time played back then. The final whistle normally was blown as soon as the ninety minutes were up."
 

By Billy's own admission, things didn't go the way he'd have liked at the Showgrounds.
 

"Unfortunately, it didn't really work out for me at Ballymena. I started to pick up injuries, and I never really got going which was a real disappointment as the club were really good to me."

Despite his own regrets about his time at the club, Billy played a major part in United's 1978 Irish Cup run.

"I scored in every round that year including the goal that put my old club Ards out of the competition in the quarter-final down on the wee pitch. I picked up another injury that day and although I scored again in the semi-final against Crusaders, I was out for the final against Linfield which we lost 3-1."
 

After a stop-start season in 1978-79, McAvoy opted to retire from football after manager Billy Johnston was relieved of his duties.
 

"Alan Campbell came in and he said he could get me a move but playing on didn't appeal to me. I'd made my reputation as a goalscorer and moving down the league wasn't something I wanted to do so I was happier just to call it quits."

Billy returned to United in the early nineties as reserve team manager under first team boss Jim Hagan. After initial reluctance, Billy enjoyed his coaching role.
 

"I never really had an interest in management or coaching but Jim insisted he wanted me there. Ballymena had some really good players at the time like John Heron and Goosey Young and it was a good set-up to be part of. For someone who had played in the top division in England and also in Spain, Jim was a very modest guy but he was a real football man."
 

Now aged 77, Billy lives in East Belfast and still maintains a healthy interest in local football.
 

"I live close to where Sirocco Works play so I watch them and I also follow the fortunes of Rosemount Rec who are from my home village in Greyabbey. I'm also involved with a new initiative called Players Against Dementia which helps support former footballers who suffer from this condition."
     

   Senior Citizen enjoys Sports Bond 

We are always delighted to see Senior citizens win on Sports Bond. This week, one of our  long standing members was a Major £50 winner -  Mary McIlroy (A0227) has been a member for around 20 years and is a previous winner. We we hope Mary goes on to have many more. Mary is a member on the agency of Brett Thompson. 

It was an excellent week for Lady members as the other Major winner this week was Maureen McGavock (A6758) in Broughshane on the agency of Sammy Bones. Maureen has also been a previous winner. 

There were two lady members amongst the Minor section. A First win for Andrea Kernohan (A6643) on the agency of Aaron Todd and Rosemary Colhoun (A5084) on the agency of Maurice Anderson. The only male winner this week was Dean Paine (A6636 ) on the agency of Alastair Shaw. 

The Jackpot numbers 9 18 27 28 saw no Jackpot allocated and so the Jackpot is £350 for this week. Join Sports Bond now in our anniversary year on 07831 803970. 

Agents News 

Sports Bond send their congratulations to Sports Bond agent Rosemary Lynn and   Husband Raymond as they celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary on Tuesday. The couple are spending a few days together to celebrate. 

We are delighted to learn the Kathleen McCormick has returned home after many weeks in hospital. Great to have you home again Kathleen. 

Happy Birthday wishes go to Gareth Downey this last week. Gareth is a son of Sports Bond agent Margaret Downey. 

First Score 

The opening goal in the Community Shield was scored by Califiori on 26 seconds which meant that one minute Scratchcard was the winning card. So far we have not had a winning claim. If you are a holder of a one minute card please contact Brian Thompson on 07831 803970. 

First Score will be at the Showgrounds on Friday evening for the match with Glentoran. Cards are priced at £2. On Friday evening Alex Beverland will be presented with his complimentary season ticket which he won after Three First Score wins last season. In recent years David Craig and Keith Turner have also had three wins to qualify for a season ticket.

  With the season opener at Linfield fast approaching, Johnny Doak caught up with the last United player to score a winner for the Sky Blues in a League game at Windsor Park.
 

When Dom Melly's goal gave Ballymena United a 1-0 win at Windsor Park in October 2004 - few would have thought the wait would continue for almost 22 years for a repeat.

Newtownabbey winger Dom Melly had joined Ballymena United as a 16 year-old back in 2003, as he explained.

"I'd played for County Antrim Under-16s at the Milk Cup for Sammy McVicker, who was manager of the reserve team at Ballymena United. I'd actually played a year up in 2002 and then with my own age group the following year. Sammy brought about six or seven of us to the Showgrounds at that time and although I was just 16, I went straight into Reserve team football without playing for the Youth team and then myself and a few of the other lads eventually made it into the first team."

Dom's debut came in a League game at Windsor Park in November 2003 when he came on as a second half substitute. After making a couple more appearances that season, his real first team breakthrough came the following season.

"I played all my youth football as a central midfielder but then Kenny [Shiels] pushed me out on to the wing so I played there quite a bit for the first team. We had a few really experienced lads such as Gary Smyth, Nigel Boyd, Jamie Marks and Tim McCann, and of course Oran Kearney was a first team player then too. Albert Watson had been a regular for a couple of seasons, though he was still very young."

Dom began to feature more regularly as a first teamer just as the League campaign was kicking off in late September 2004 following the completion of the League Cup. After an opening day loss, Shiels' side won two and drew one before the Sky Blues made their annual visit to face Linfield on October 23rd. Traditionally a tough fixture for United, their last League victory at Windsor had come in November 1989 when goals from Dessie Loughery and Stephen 'Goosey' Young gave the visitors a 2-1 win.

On the day, Dom Melly's twenty-seventh minute goal was the difference between the two teams. The Linfield defence had been unable to clear the ball after a free-kick and the youngster pounced.

"I remember there was a bit of a goalmouth scramble, big Albert took a swing at the ball and then it fell for me and I managed to connect and put the ball in the net."

Indifferent form through the winter months meant United descended into the upper reaches of mid-table where they remained for the season though a decent Irish Cup run saw them face Larne in an Oval semi-final.

"We had no luck at all that day, Alex Spackman saved absolutely everything and their goal came from a penalty kick. It was a really disappointing end to the season."

Melly's United career continued under new boss Tommy Wright though he soon began to be troubled by niggling injuries. International commitments meant that any real rest was rare.

"I never really got to have the summer off back then as once the regular season stopped I was into Milk Cup prep whether it was at Under-16s or then competing at Elite level for Northern Ireland Under-19s."

International football had provided Melly with a number of highlights having been part of Kenny Shiels successful Under-17 squad which qualified for a European Championship Finals in 2004, then enjoying an away victory against England as a schoolboy International before playing in Mal Donaghy's Under-19 squad which beat Brazil in the Milk Cup.

"The constant training and playing just caught up with me and I had an injury called a Gilmore's Groin which I really struggled to get rid of. I fell out of love a bit with football when I was in my late teens as I just couldn't get fit to play."
 

Spells followed at Bangor, Crusaders and Lisburn Distillery until an ankle injury at the age of 27 finished his career in the Irish League.

"There wasn't any kind of focus on strength and conditioning at that time and that made the possibility of returning to play a lot more difficult."

Picking up from his playing days, Dom is now heavily involved in the fitness industry as the owner of a private gym.

"I've been based at Nortel in Newtownabbey now for ten years where I'll have my own private clients and I also put on strength and conditioning sessions. I've done a lot of work with the Irish FA and do off-season programmes with a number of Irish League players. People understand now the work that needs to be done in that area."

Just recently turned 39, Dom reflected on his time at the Showgrounds, "I had a good four or five years at Ballymena and made many good friends. It was a good springboard for me into Irish League football."

At the time of that winning Windsor goal in 2004 there were no thoughts of it being the end of one win drought and the beginning of another as he explained.

"No, not at all. To be honest, I was really good mates with Ryan McLaughlin whose dad Bryan was assistant manager at Linfield. My first thought was getting round to see him and slag him about me scoring the winner against the Blues!"
 

Find out more of what Dom does these days on Instagram @dommellyhealthfitness

 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. 

   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.