The 19 year old midfielder joins from Coleraine.
“Eoghan has impressed with both his ability and his attitude since he arrived in preseason,” said Paul Harbinson. “His determination to do well and to keep improving is a huge asset to the club.”
Eoghan will wear the number 28 shirt this season and you can sponsor Eoghan for the 2021/22 season here.
Welcome to Dixon Park, Eoghan.
We’re back to competitive football this Saturday as we take on Queen’s University in the first round of the Bet McLean League Cup at Dixon Park.
Match Info
When: Saturday 31st July, 2021 – Kick-Off 3:00pm
Where: Dixon Park
What: Bet McLean League Cup First Round
Entry: Pay at the gate – Adult £8, Concession £5. A reminder to all season ticket holders that season tickets are not valid for cup competitions
The Opponents
Queen’s University come into the game in a very similar boat to the Comrades. No league campaign last year meant a ball was hardly kicked and unlike the Comrades, QUB decided not to take part in the Irish Cup. With the lack of recent match action, there’s very little to report on how the opponents might line-up this Saturday. If there’s one thing the Comrades can be sure of, it’s that Queen’s will be just as eager to hit the ground running in the first competitive game of the season.
The Comrades
If pre-season fixtures told the full story, they would say the Comrades have been defensively solid, yet struggled to find that killer instinct in the final third at times. We’re all aware there’s very little you can take from looking at friendly results though, with plenty of chopping and changing of teams. Fans will get a much better idea of how the team are performing come Saturday, in our first competitive fixture of the season. We may well see a few competitive debuts for some of the lads at the weekend.
Paul Harbinson’s summer signings have impressed throughout the friendlies and the manager had this to say about the upcoming fixture:
” It feels like it’s been the longest preseason in the world but thankfully at least it feels the same for all Championship clubs. We are so excited and relieved to finally be here at competitive football and with the new designation of Elite status, the season can get going with assurance that it’s here to stay.
“There will be a mixed bag this year of COVID instances and possibly increased injuries due to the year out, across the league, which will only add to the unpredictability of the Championship. We go forward positively and preparing for an enjoyable season of football.
“This week, we know what to expect from Queens, as Peter will have them well organised and disciplined as he always does. They are always very good with the ball and we will need to concentrate for 90 minutes if we want to compete.
“It’ll be nice to see familiar, and hopefully some new faces in the crowd cheering on the Comrades. We will give our all to ensure it’s worth the visit to Dixon Park.”
Last Time Out
2019/20 Championship Season was the last time we faced Queen’s. The Comrades were the victors that day with a 2-0 victory at Dixon Park in January 2020. Tom Mathieson opened the scoring in the first half before Joe Tully pounced on a mistake at the back to make it 2-0 with 6 minutes remaining. Queen’s ended the game with ten men following Marc McKenna’s stoppage time dismissal for a second yellow card after bringing down Gary Donnelly inside the box but, from the spot-kick that followed, Tully was denied by a save from Brown.
Paul Harbinson has hailed Chris Ramsey’s leadership qualities after confirming the centre half as our new club captain.
The experienced defender takes the armband, following the departure of previous club captain, JB Dobbin.
So why does Harbinson feel that Ramsey is the best man for the job?
“Right from the very first meeting, we were convinced that Chris was the right type of person for this club. His attitude and professionalism stood out a mile and his determination to succeed is very obvious.
“He is a winner who demands high standards of himself and those around him. In the short space of time since his arrival, he has commanded the respect of his peers in the dressing room, making him the obvious choice of natural leader to move the club forward.”
After 150 games and 4 goals across 5 seasons since joining in the summer of 2015 from PSNI, club captain and fan favourite, JB Dobbin, has decided to step away from football due to personal commitments.
All at Ballyclare Comrades FC would like to thank JB for his exemplary professionalism and leadership throughout his time at the club.
You will always be welcome to Dixon Park, JB.
Go behind the scenes at Ballyclare Comrades’ goalkeeper training with our Head of Goalkeeping, Michael Dougherty.
Subscribe to the Official Ballyclare Comrades YouTube Channel
Ballyclare Comrades is Getting Active about Emotional Health & Wellbeing!
Saturday 21st August 2021 @Dixon Park; Gates open 11.30am
Please note: All children must be accompanied by an adult for this event!
This is a TAKE 5 STEPS TO WELLBEING EVENT:
We are seeking to make Ballyclare Comrades a Take 5 Community Group and will be holding a Wellbeing event (Saturday 21st August) to promote the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing message and give parents and young people the opportunity to understand how this can work for them
We will have a number of voluntary/statutory agencies within the Z-card directory of services that will be available to discuss their support at this event and highlight how support can be accessed for these services. We hope to have a number of advice services to discuss access to grants for school uniforms and free school meals etc.
This event will be open to the whole community and aims to encourage Families/Carers/young people from the communities within the borough of Antrim/Newtownabbey to understand the importance/impact of mental health on emotional health and wellbeing; to access support and how using the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing can assist them with this.
We will also have an unsupervised quiet space for children and adults to go to should they require this.
Asda are supporting this event through their Community Champion, so that we can have a BBQ at the event and all money raised is being donated to the local foodbank.
This event is being supported by Bob&Berts franchise.
Ballyclare Comrades FC are delighted to announce the signing of versatile player, Liam McKenna.
McKenna, 22, has impressed at left-back throughout our pre-season friendlies and will also provide competition in the defensive midfield role.
Liam comes with experience playing in the top tier following spells with Warrenpoint Town, Portadown, Knockbreda and most recently, Carrick Rangers.
“I am buzzing to have signed for Ballyclare,” Liam McKenna said. “From the moment I started training and playing in the friendlies, the players and staff have all been brilliant. Paul told me the plans for the future and I was sold straight away. Ballyclare is a great club and I can’t wait to get started.”
Equally happy with the signing, Paul Harbinson added, “I am delighted to get Liam on board. Liam comes with a wealth of experience and we are absolutely confident this is a great signing for us. He is a fantastic versatile footballer with the right mentality to drive himself, and everyone around him, on.”
Liam will wear the number 4 shirt this season. Welcome to the Comrades Liam!
Ballyclare Comrades FC is looking for someone to help with the growth of our digital & social media content.
You will be working closely with the Digital Media Manager, helping to plan and produce engaging digital content.
You will operate and capture high quality footage on your digital camera which will be used on various platforms across the club.
You will be creating aesthetically pleasing audio-visuals, ensuring that framing composition and focus is kept to a high standard.
The role will involve attending matches on Saturday afternoons as well as training during the week, capturing content and working with the media team to edit and distribute content online.
This is a voluntary role and previous experience is not essential (although previous experience is beneficial).
Your own equipment is a huge plus.
What is required, is that you have a willingness to learn and develop with the assistance of the team and have a genuine interest in camera operations, digital content creation and Ballyclare Comrades FC.
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who has a keen interest in photography/videography and wants to develop transferrable digital marketing skills, within their local community football club.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to join the Comrades, email your expression of interest and CV to [email protected] to apply!
Ballyclare Comrades is delighted to announce the signing of forward Ciaran Heggarty.
Ciaran is the latest of Paul Harbinson’s new recruits at Dixon Park, joining from amateur league side Larne Tech Old Boys.
The forward came up through the ranks in his hometown, Larne, where he started his playing days at Larne Youth before going on to play for Larne FC & Larne Olympic. Most recently, Heggarty has been playing at Larne Tech Old Boys after spending two years out of the game following an injury.
“I’m delighted to sign for the club,” Ciaran Heggarty said. “I’m raring for the season to start and am really looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Delighted to recruit the attacker, Paul Harbinson added,
“I’m really pleased we’ve got Ciaran on board. He is an exciting talent who has already shown that he will be a huge asset for the coming season.”
Welcome to the Comrades, Ciaran!
Ciaran will wear the number 18 shirt this season, you can sponsor the forward here.
Ballyclare Comrades FC training & leisurewear range is now available online on our Klubfunder shop.
All orders must be placed by Friday 30th July – the purchase window closes after this date.
Orders can be placed via our Klubfunder shop @ https://www.klubfunder.com/Clubs/Ballyclare%20Comrades%20Football%20Club/ShopItems
