Christmas spirit in short supply in United’s December fixture list

Christmas spirit must have been in pretty short supply when it came to the Danske Bank Premiership’s fixture compilers as they agreed Ballymena United’s schedule for December.
Ronnie McDowell, Ballymena United Management Committee, receives a cheque from Johnny Russell and members of the Paradise Supporters Club.Ronnie McDowell, Ballymena United Management Committee, receives a cheque from Johnny Russell and members of the Paradise Supporters Club.
Ronnie McDowell, Ballymena United Management Committee, receives a cheque from Johnny Russell and members of the Paradise Supporters Club.

A casual glance at United’s fixture list for the final month of the year shows a clutch of away games, broken up only by a home game against Crusaders on December 21.

United’s players, staff and supporters will be clocking up more miles during December than Santa’s sleigh as they contemplate away trips to Portadown, Glenavon, Coleraine and Ards over the holiday period.

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Of course there are reasons behind that; it’s Ballymena’s turn to be away to Coleraine for the annual Boxing Day ‘derby’ while the club’s contractual arrangement with the stock cars - who traditionally get priority on January 1 - means that on occasions when Ballymena are due to be at home on New Year’s Day, the match is either often brought forward or put back until the next day to accommodate the Raceway meeting.

Having said that, it’s particularly Scrooge-like for Ballymena to be the only team in the league who won’t have a home fixture on either of the two big holiday dates.

Thank heavens that Ballymena have qualified for the semi-final of the League Cup - also away from home - this month, where a share of the ’gate’ will at least ease the financial blow somewhat. Had United not reached the last four, it would have been a thoroughly miserable December from a monetary point of view.

Even the one game at home this month falls on the worst date in December - the Saturday before Christmas is always notorious for lower attendances as casual fans either forego a match in favour of some last-minute Christmas shopping, or else the outlay for Christmas means that supporters don’t have a spare tenner in disposable income to pay their way into an Irish League game.

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Of course, if you think that Irish League clubs survive on what they bring through the turnstiles on matchdays, you’re living in cloud cuckoo land.

The need for clubs to incorporate other sources of income streams is greater than ever and it was heartening to see such a bumper attendance at United’s final corporate dinner of 2013 before Saturday’s win over Ballinamallard.

It’s no mean feat to attract 30 tables to such a function, not only in the current climate, but also in the mouth of Christmas and the organisers of these events deserve the utmost praise for their efforts on behalf of the club.

Similarly, those who go to the expense of attending and supporting the dinners, many of them attending each and every function - it’s terrific to see such levels of backing for the club and the atmosphere created at the events.

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* There will be no column for each of the next two weeks, but it will return on the paper dated December 24 looking ahead to the Boxing Day clash with Coleraine.

* Follow Ballymena Times Sports Editor Stephen Alexander on Twitter (@Stephen_Bmena)