Ballymena United Football CLUB NEWS

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Corporate Lunch Dates 2024/25

The ever popular corporate lunches are back with 3 dates for the 24/25 season!

Get in touch to secure your table in what’s always a superb day out at the Showgrounds!

The two remaining Corporate Dinners are;

BUFC v Portadown Saturday 22nd February 2025 at 12.30pm

Min of 8 per table - £400

£50 per additional person up to 10

Contact Alan Francey - 07402 521070

This week will see our first £1000 Jackpot winner of 2025.Last January it was Sports Bond member Karen Bell who was a £1000 winner .Could Karen possibly become our first ever member to win the £1000 jackpot twice .In Sports Bond 23 year history no one has ever accomplished this Feat and Promoter Brian Thompson would love to see this Feat achieved. The £1000 Jackpot was ensured for this week when last week's Jackpot numbers 5 7 22 27 saw no member had won the £950 Jackpot . So the latest £1000 Jackpot will be won this week 

The winners this week were divided equally between Male and female members. In fact our Malor winners are all long term members. Another win for Julie Adair (B2174) in Ballymena on the agency of Patricia Thompson. Out in Kells Elizabeth Houston (A8045) was a £50  Major winner. While over in Randalstown one of our first members in Neillsbrook Davy Mott (A2882) was a £50 Major winner on the agency of Alastair Shaw

The £10 Minor winners were all Ballymena town based and were Winnie Henry (A1602) partner of Sports Bond agent David Brown. Rory Gallagher (B3128 ) another long time member was also a £10 Minor winner while it was a First win on Sports Bond for Billy McMullan (A5085 )

Join Sports Bond now on 07831 803970. 

A Birthday celebration this week for Sports Bond member John Balmer who celebrates another Birthday on Friday. While on Saturday it's a birthday celebration for Ian Robinson. Ian a member on Maurice Anderson's agency is with wife Donna the proprietor of Chloes cafe in Harryville. It is highly recommended by both Maurice and Brian Thompson so get along and give Ian your support. 

Best wishes is extended to Sports Bond member Gordon Blair who recently had to sp7time in hospital. Happily Gordon is now home to recuperate. Also Billy Herbison has been feeling poorly of late with a bad flue so we hope he is feeling better. 

Broughshane  Sky Blue Supporter David Craig as normal purchased a couple of First Score cards .One of them was a No Score card. Now since Carrick Rangers had three no score draws in the last four fixtures that was a good card to draw and so it was to prove as the Match finished as a no score draw. This meant David was the First Score winner but as this was David's second win of the season and so he wins a double up of £100.This means he joins Gary Mark with two wins and both now go in search of a third win and a complimentary season ticket for next season. Their first opportunity will be on Saturday at Inver park.

December 30th saw the New year draw take place. The First prize of a trip to see Tottenham play Crystal Palace in May 2025 was won by Marie Hall of Broughshane who bought her ticket from her brother Sports Bond agent Sammy Bones. The second prize sponsored by Sports Bond was £150 and this was won  by  Tom Downey husband of Sports Bond agent Margaret Downey in Portglenone. Back in Ballymena Third prize of a meal for Two people sponsored by Castle Kitchen and Bar was won by Ronnie Clarke,a well known Ballymena United supporter. Another well known Ballymena United supporter is Mervyn Lynn from Cromkill. Mervyn won the £50 cash sponsored by First Score .Antrim man Billy Gould got his ticket from work colleague and Sports Bond agent Alastair Shaw. Billy won't he fifth prize which was the 2 tonne Hydraulic Floor Trolley sponsored by Telstar Marketing. 

A full list of winners are as follows 

1st  Marie Hall      0613

2nd   Tom Downey 0358

3rd   Ronnie Clarke 1503

4th    Mervyn Lynn    0725

5th     Billy Gould       1823

6th    James Anderson 1735

7th     Roy Mckay        1488

8th     Hilda McKeown 1538

9th     George Moore    0449

10th   Leslie Kinnear    0709

            John Montgomery 0857

            Roberta Whitbread  0449

The New year draw was very successful. Brian Thompson would like to thank all Sport Bond agents and supporters who sold tickets.Once again tere were some whose contribution was considerable and we pay special mention of Margaret Downey, Brenda Russell, George Stirling, Alastair Shaw,  and Sammy Bones. 

There are a few players who are available for Sponsorship. Please contact Gary McConnell on 07730 06 48 46 for details and benefits.

With the postponement of the  Match with Glentoran there are few Calendars still left If you want one contact Brian Thompson on 07831 803970 

Ballymena United FC would like to acknowledge the successful outcome of Loughgall FC’s recent appeals against The Northern Ireland Football League on 2 decisions relating to Sunday Football. 

We supported our colleagues at Loughgall during the process and had been invited to attend the appeal as guests of Loughgall but this was denied. 

As a club we missed the appeals cut off point but signed a participation agreement with a caveat that we did not waive our right to non participation in Sunday Football. We fully supported Loughgalls stance that clubs should be free to enter the NIFL league cup without waiving their rights to non participation in Sunday Football and that they should also not be penalised financially for non participation in Sunday Football. 

We will continue to oppose Sunday football on the basis of the religious beliefs of the players, staff and supporters of Ballymena United FC and also the mental and physical health of our players, staff and volunteers involved in the day to day workings of our club. 

Sunday football will deny a club operating on a part time basis the opportunity to have a rest day of which we should all be entitled. 

It’s been well documented and spoken about in local football circles that volunteers are the lifeblood of the majority of clubs. Asking them to now be available for Sunday football matches puts a lot of volunteers and therefore the clubs under undue pressure. As we’ve mentioned, we place the health and wellbeing of our club stakeholders at the top of our priority list and for that and the others reasons outlined we will continue to oppose Sunday football.