Party time for Ballynahinch to celebrate 50 glorious years

Party time for Ballynahinch to celebrate 50 glorious years

17 October 2018

BALLYNAHINCH United will celebrate their golden anniversary in the Milbrook Lodge Hotel on Friday night.

The Amateur League Division 1B club came into existence in 1968 when a group of young men from the town had become somewhat disillusioned with their football playing opportunities. 

In those days, the local football team was Ballynahinch Recreation who played at the Millbridge. The newly-formed Ballynahinch United played in a local summer league which involved teams such as Montalto, Drumaness Mills, Plessey, Saintfield, Magheradroll and another called the Bachelors, who apparently had an Italian playing for them. 

The club made their competitive debut in Division 1 of the Newcastle and District League in September 1968 when they travelled to Ballykinlar Army Camp to take on the Light Infantry.

This fixture would prove to be quite an ordeal in many ways with the team being beaten 8-0 as player and car owner Ted McKibbin had to make double journeys to ferry players to and from Ballykinlar. 

Not a single league victory was recorded that season, although they won a number of friendly games.

Although the 1969/70 season started more optimistically with a 2-2 draw away to Down Olympic, it was a further seven games until they defeated the RAF at Bishopscourt 4-2. During the summer of 1970 the team won all eight games to win the Kilmore and District Summer League.

Things improved significantly in the 1970/71 season as they  were promoted as runners-up in Division 2 and also won the Enterprise Cup, which was played on a league basis, beating Saintfield AYC 4–2 in the replay after a 3-3 draw in the first match.

The Swifts were formed for the 1971/72 season and they played in the Willowfield League recording their first win against Saintfield United on October 16, 1971. 

Having been promoted to Division 1 of the Newcastle & District League, they won it at the first attempt and with the Swifts moving to the Newcastle League for the 1972/73 season, both teams performed a unique double by winning Divisions 1 and 2 while United reached and lost the Harry Clarke Cup final.

United went to the Northern Amateur Football League for the 1973/74 season and were promoted from Division 2B and they also reached the Irish Junior Cup only to lose to Moyola Park. They won the Division 2A title in 1975/76

In the 1979/80 season they lost the Irish Junior Cup final to 1st Bangor Old Boys while the Swifts were probably the first reserve team to reach the Harry Clarke Cup Final which they lost after a replay to Downshire Hospital.

Consecutive Cochrane Corry Cup finals were lost in 1980/81 and 1981/82, as well as a second County Antrim Junior Shield final in 1981.

Manager Billy Hamilton, who had guided the team through the 1970s so successfully, stood down at the end of the 1980/81 season and then went on to become secretary of the County Antrim Football Association for a number of years. The playing strength within the club led to the formation of the Albion, in 1984. 

In the mid 1980s Ballynahinch Recreation folded. United took over the Millbridge playing fields and undertook significant development work which led to it being admitted to Division 1C of the Northern Amateur Football League.

Under the management of Bobbie Reid, they played their first games at intermediate level in the 1986/87 season while the Swifts switched to the NAFL reserve section, However the Albion remained in the Newcastle League.

Success came quickly when Brian McKibben’s team won the Border Regiment Cup in the 1989/90 season after extra-time and penalties. Brian stood down as manager in 1991 and through the efforts of Gerry McCormick and Cyril Lennon mid-table league positions were achieved.

Under the leadership of club chairman Campbell Allen, great strides were being made with improvements to the drainage of the pitch, erection of tubular steel fencing around the pitch, construction of new dugouts and the erection of floodlighting to the training pitch with the clubhouse being substantially refurbished. 

For the 1995/96 season Noel Dean was recruited as manager and he steered the team to their first and only promotion at intermediate level when they moved from Division 1B to 1A as runners-up to Dromara Village. 

The following season a mid-table position was achieved together with a memorable midweek Irish Cup replay defeat of Harland & Wolff Welders at Millbridge.

Dean stepped down during the season and he was replaced by Michael Savage, who led the team to the final of the Clarence Cup which they were awarded as a result of Knockbreda Parish fielding an ineligible player. 

That same season the Swifts, under manager Geoffrey Smith, lost the Purdy Cup final while Davy Teggarty’s Albion won the Bignian Cup and were also promoted to Division 3 as runners-up. Sadly, this team broke up and there followed a decade of struggle during which managers Eamon Wilson, Norman McCullough, Davy Teggarty and Alan Brown worked tirelessly to halt the downward trend. 

The occasional bit of encouragement came along with the Albion reaching two successive Shimna Cup finals in 1997/98 and 1998/99 only to lose out in penalty shoot-outs while in 2000/01 the Albion won the Donard Dairy Shield defeating Castlewellan IIIs 1–0.

Campbell Allen stepped down due to business commitments and the current chairman Gilbert Cromie took over. 

In May 2004 the club were awarded the honour of hosting the Britton Rosebowl International between the NAFL and the Scottish Amateur League at Millbridge. 

Nigel Neale managed the team for the 2004/05 season, but resigned with ten matches remaining. Experienced first teamer Alan Stevens took over, assisted by John Jones, and they led the team to one of their highest finishes in years.

Former manager Cyril Lennon came in for the 2005/06 season and United enjoyed their highest league position for years. Stuart Buchanan came in as manager of the Swifts and led them to the Newcastle & District League Division 2A title. 

The following season United again narrowly missed out on promotion, as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the Intermediate Cup when they were defeated by Harland & Wolff Welders at Millbridge. The Swifts re-entered the Northern Amateur League and were promoted as runners-up in Division 3E to Bangor Rangers. 

Much to everyone’s disappointment, Cyril Lennon stepped down and Steven Bell took over along with John Jones and they led the team to a very respectable fourth place in Division 1B. United were awarded the North East Referees Association Merit Award for Fair Play at the AGM of the NAFL. 

The Swifts continued their good form to finish runners-up to Downpatrick IIs in NAFL 3D, but manager Stuart Buchanan stepped down due to study commitments.

In the summer of 2018 the club celebrated its 40th anniversary which a special former players’ night and a friendly match against Irish Premier League side Lisburn Distillery. The Albion managed by Johnny Reid won Division 2 of the Newcastle & District League.

In 2008/09 the club was awarded a 75% grant from the IFA to undertake an upgrading of its facilities to meet new Intermediate regulations. 

Steven Bell stood down in January 2009. A new management team of Colin Murray and John Jones took over the role and they guided the first team to a fourth place finish on goal difference. Much to the club’s disappointment the Albion had to be withdrawn from the Newcastle League due to a reduction in the club’s player pool. 

In the 2012/13 season the club embarked on its usual Irish Cup campaign little knowing that it would reach the fifth round for the first time and be drawn against Premier Division side Coleraine. This brought about a wonderful adventure during which the club was able to garner a massive support which necessitated the ordering of two double decker buses for supporters as well as a bus for the team. 

Everything was done as professionally as possible and despite a heavy defeat, although the score was 0-0 at half time, the players and their management gained enormous respect.

In more recent times the team has been managed by Keith Hamilton, Scott Brashaw and Ross Hayes as caretaker managers,  Alan Davis and Paul Allison. In the current season, former player Glynn Robinson and Dale Davidson have taken on the role and have made a promising start with good results in both league and cup competition.

Over the last 30 years the club has been involved in a number of proposed amalgamation initiatives involving Ballynahinch Recreation, Ballynahinch Olympic and Temple Rangers, but none materialised. 

One amalgamation that did happen was with Ballynahinch Youth Football Club, which now means that the club includes male and female from age six years forward and a ladies’ senior team. This fits in superbly with the club’s ethos of being inclusive to all within the local community which has been something that is reflected in its history from day one. 

It also brought to the club an outstanding group of coaches and administrators which has invigorated the club.

No club could ever function without committed individuals being involved in its organisation and the club has had a cadre of them over five decades.

The passing of the club’s elder statesman, Billy Hamilton senior, in December 2017 brought to an end outstanding service not only within the club as a player and administrator, but also within the leagues and governing bodies. 

Billy was no stranger to working hard on the ground, putting up nets and marking the pitch both at Fee’s Field in Dromara and Millbridge, aided and abetted by club president Winston Brown, who works away in the background and has done so for 49 years. 

Jimmy Brown has toiled tirelessly and selflessly for well over 30 years, keeping Millbridge well-manicured as well as using his building, plumbing and plastering skills to maximum effect.

In addition to Billy senior, the Hamilton family have made an outstanding contribution with Billy junior managing for over a decade. Graham scored hundreds of goals over those early years while Wilson — better known to all as Chico — played for all three teams and continues to serve as a committee member to the present day. 

We can never forget the contribution that Sally Hamilton has made as she continues to attend the home matches and has made the sandwiches served to visiting teams at the Millbridge for decades. In addition to managing the team and being involved administratively with the club, Bobbie Reid has served as the club’s Newcastle League representative for many years. Last, but not least, there is Davy Teggarty, who has fulfilled every role possible. 

While all of these individuals and others have helped over the years we are most fortunate to have a new generation who have stepped forward and will see the club move forward for which we are extremely thankful.