We are delighted to confirm our ticketing options for the upcoming 2023/24 season.
We have frozen our season ticket prices for adults and concessions, and we have added new exciting ticketing options. Our adult season ticket price remains £110 which gains access to all home league games. Our concession (students over 18, and over 65’s) also remains at £55. Both these options are full membership tickets, and therefore give voting rights at the club’s AGM.
This year we are introducing “Admissions Passes”, giving a great discounted way to attend our home league games. If you are aged between 13 and 18, it’s only £55 for the season, under 12’s are £25, and our new family option is £200 for 2 adults and 2 children under 12 to attend Dixon Park. These passes do not give voting rights at our AGM, but do represent great value for money, allowing the widest range of options for entry into league games that we’ve ever offered.
We have put together a handy comparison chart to allow you to see the savings offered by these ticketing options.
Respect and Safety at Dixon Park
We hope you enjoy your engagement with Ballyclare Comrades. To ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience, its necessary for everyone to show respect for others and to behave in a safe manner.
RESPECT
The club has adopted the IFA’s ‘Giving sectarianism and racism the boot! Football for All’ policy as part of our application to the IFA Club Licensing Standard. The policy states that “Ballyclare Comrades Football Club is an equal opportunities club and will not tolerate any form of sectarianism, racially offensive behaviour or chanting. As part of our ongoing commitment to the IF’s ‘Football for All campaign, Kick It Out’ and to equality, anyone caught making racist or sectarian comments, may be arrested, prosecuted and banned from the club.”
SAFETY
Specific ‘Ground Regulations’ are clearly displayed at the entrances and around the ground.
These polices apply to all those persons within the ground, including spectators, players, club officials and match officials. Please respect the advice and directions from stewards, club officials and public announcements. Failure to do so may result in your removal from the ground and confiscation of your ticket.
To help with the day to day running costs of Ballyclare Comrades, we undertake a number of fundraising initiatives throughout the season. This year we are launching our 200 Club, where you will have the opportunity to win cash prizes every month, while also helping out the club with a £10 donation each month.
We have 4 cash prizes to give away every month, £100, £50 and 2 x £25! Additionally, we will be giving away one FREE SEASON TICKET in our first draw, which will take place at one of our home preseason friendlies.
If you wish to be part of this, you can contact Jackie Murdock on 07870832072. He can take payment at Dixon Park on Friday evenings 7 – 8pm, or from 1:30pm on match days. He can also arrange PayPal / bank transfer if that is easier for you.
We greatly appreciate the support you give to our great club, and look forward to welcoming you at Dixon Park this season!
We are delighted to confirm that 21 year old defender Tomás Gilmour will sign for the club once the window opens.
Tomás came through the ranks at Linfield and Ballymena before spending 4 months on loan at Knockbreda at the end of 21/22 season.
He then moved to Stirling University to continue his studies playing in their impressive run to the Scottish Cup 5th round.
Our manager Stephen Small had this to say about our new signing: “Tomás will bring added athleticism and tenacity into the defence. He is comfortable on the ball and can play anywhere along the back. We are excited to work with him and integrate him to our squad.”
We are pleased to announce that James Kirk has been elected to the role of club chairman at the AGM held last night (Thursday 1 June). James is no stranger to the club, having both played for, and managed the Comrades. He replaces outgoing chairman Trevor McCann, who stepped down after a 25 year tenure. The club would like to place on record its appreciation to Trevor for his years of service, and wish him well for the future.
We will have our first interview with James very soon, and it will be posted on our website and social media channels.
Ballyclare Comrades has recently celebrated 100 years as part of the Ballyclare Community and Dixon Park, in the centre of town, has been our home since 1936. The club purchased the grounds in 1967. The last major development at Dixon Park was in 2009/10 when the club undertook a project to take the facilities up to Premiership standard. It is a totally enclosed facility with a 2.8m perimeter wall, 8 camera CCTV system, full outdoor PA system, controlled entrances, grass pitch and is licensed by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council to accommodate 2398 people.
The club commissioned a business plan in 2014 for the provision of an artificial pitch, upgraded floodlighting, new business and community facilities, and a 200 seat grandstand. Planning was approved for the first phase of this development but the anticipated funding mechanism never materialized, due to the collapse of the Executive in 2016. Planning approval was renewed in 2019. The anticipated funding mechanism has since re-emerged but has been a ‘political football’ and has, as yet, not become available for applications. The club have continued to pursue other funding avenues for the original plan but have so far been unsuccessful. Last year the club secured a loan to upgrade the floodlights to a modern LED system.
In the last decade we’ve transformed from a traditional mens’ football team into a community based club, presently with 100+ boys between the ages of 11 and 18, 240+ girls between the ages of 5 and 18, 38+ men over 20 and 25+ women over 18, along with 50+ coaches and support staff. Plans are already in place to bring on board 80+ more boys between the ages of 5 and 10 later this year. The grass pitch is reserved for competitive Championship and Cup football for the senior team in the period mid-July till end of May, and the club have to rent training facilities for the senior team elsewhere. It also means all these young players have to find alternative facilities for training and competition, all over Northern Ireland, every week, The grass pitch is rejuvenated during the other 11/12 weeks, making it unavailable for summer tournaments, fun coaching sessions, community events, etc. The need for an artificial pitch at Dixon Park, with it’s close proximity to schools, parking and public transport, is overwhelming.
Such a facility will have insatiable demand at certain times from Comrades and other football entities within the community, whilst there’ll be other times when demand may be lighter and the facility can accommodate use by other groups. To be truly effective, it is also desirable to replace the existing clubhouse with a new larger, two storey facility which encompasses modern player, referee, business and community infrastructure. Such a facility would provide additional changing rooms, referee rooms, players room, upstairs viewing area, and adaptable rooms for community activities, fitness area, etc. This would enable the club to broaden their community engagement to include sports science, fitness, coaching, psychology, physiotherapy, food nutrition, mental health awareness, disability access, etc., transforming Dixon Park into a community based ‘sports and wellbeing hub’ to service the needs of our growing club, the town centre and the whole community. The two facilities, artificial pitch and clubhouse can be used simultaneously for different activities. Such a facility could be an ideal springboard for the regeneration of Ballyclare Town Centre. We are pleased that Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council will help us build a business plan to present to potential funders.
You may be familiar with the Peace Programmes that have been running for 25 years and have funded many projects across our Borough over the years. It is expected that the next round of European funding, known as PEACEPLUS, will be the last. This €1.1bn programme is designed to support peace and prosperity and leave a lasting and tangible legacy across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. Early indications have been that the Antrim and Newtownabbey area will receive in the region of €5.1m to deliver a Local Community Action Plan across the following three investment areas: Local Community Regeneration & Transformation, Thriving & Peaceful Communities and Celebrating Cultures & Diversity
To ensure the Local Community Action Plan delivers projects and initiatives which address the issues and needs of local communities across Antrim and Newtownabbey, we need your input and ideas in this development stage of the plan. Therefore, Council invites you to come along to any of the PEACEPLUS Engagement Sessions being held across the Borough and get involved in the design of the Antrim and Newtownabbey Local Community Plan, so that it will make a positive contribution to peace and reconciliation for generations to come.Share your views at these local DEA sessions or email [email protected]
Airport DEA Crumlin Utd FC, Crumlin Wed 25 Jan 2pm & 6pm
Antrim DEA Old Courthouse, Antrim Thu 2 Feb 2pm & 6pm
Ballyclare DEA Town Hall, Ballyclare Wed 8 Feb 2pm & 6pm
Dunsilly DEA Toome House, Toomebridge Wed 15 Feb 2pm & 6pm
Glengormley DEA Lilian Bland Pavilion Thu 23 Feb 2pm & 6pm
Macedon DEA Valley Leisure Centre Wed 1 Mar 2pm & 6pm
Threemilewater DEA Mossley Mill Wed 8 Mar 2pm & 6pm
Ballyclare Comrades FC can confirm Conall Curran, Kyle Beggs & Ricky Purcell have departed the club.
Conall Curran’s loan spell has ended and he is returning to Larne. We would like to thank Larne for facilitating Conall’s loan for the first half of the season. Conall made 16 appearances, scoring 3 goals during his time with The Comrades.
Kyle Beggs will be moving to Ballymacash Rangers. Beggsy made 32 appearances, scoring 7 goals during his time with The Comrades.
Ricky Purcell is moving to Limavady. Ricky made 35 appearances, keeping 6 clean sheets during his time with The Comrades.
Stephen Small: “All three players wished to leave to get more game time and we totally respect their decision. We thank Conall, Kyle & Ricky for their contribution and commitment to the club and wish them all well for the future.”
Ballyclare Comrades FC is delighted to confirm the signing of Cillin Gilmour. The 24 year old central midfielder joins us from Knockbreda.
Stephen Small 🗣 “Cillin brings technical quality, competitiveness and experience to our squad. We look forward to integrating Cillin into our team as we approach the second half of the season.”
Cillin will wear the number 11 shirt this season and will go straight into the squad for tomorrow’s game against Warrenpoint.
Ballyclare Comrades FC are pleased to announce a sponsorship opportunity has become available for our matchday highlights & post-match interviews.
With the 2022/23 campaign just underway, we are pleased to offer this sponsorship opportunity for the new season. The advertising elements of this opportunity includes your company logo throughout all of our match highlights & post-match interviews, as well as a clickable link to your company website when posting these videos to our social media accounts.
For more information or to discuss the below opportunities, please email Zoë at [email protected]
