Walker's call to town's lower-league footballers

The Sky Blues manager has already proved he is not scared to dip into the lower divisions to sign players, with players such as Michael Smith, Gavin Taggart and Mark Surgenor now fully established in his first team plans.

Now Walker has moved further down the footballing 'ladder' by signing winger Maurice 'Mo' McDowell from Saturday Morning League kingpins Carniny Rangers - the first step in what he hopes will signal a sea change in the thinking of people in footballing circles in the borough.

"I have been talking to local managers and there has been a perception that local players don't feel that they have been given a fair chance, that Ballymena United has only been interested in bringing in bigger name players - I want to change that perception," Walker told Times Sport.

"My long-term view is to try and build around the foundations of people who have more of an interest in the club than simply playing football - people who live here, work here and who know what Ballymena United means to the town.

"I want local players to know that if they are good enough, they could do worse than come to their local senior club - we don't want to see talent drain away from Ballymena as it may have done in the past.

"Clearly it is dependent on the player being good enough but the challenge to the local clubs and the Youth Academy and Carniny Youth is to push the best players towards the senior club and to cement the relationships between the clubs - we have already shown that we're not scared to blood young players.

"Mo is a good example of what we're trying to do, he is two-footed, comfortable in possession of the ball and he impressed me in the games I watched him play."

It brings to six the number of new faces signed by Walker this summer as he attempts to revitalise United's fortunes.

Defender Albert Watson has also-resigned for a year after accepting the reduced terms put to him, but that is likely to spell the end of Chris Ramsey's time at the Showgrounds.

"We will have Albert, Aaron Stewart, Denver Gage and Mark Surgenor as our four main centre-backs next season so unfortunately we can't have any more. I had spoken to Chris and he said his agent had talked about a possible move to Australia but I had warned him that he could return from his holidays to find I had signed a player."

Walker remains in the hunt for a wide player with either Glenavon's Eamon Murray or Institute's Sean Friars the likely target.

CLUB AGM

Ballymena United FC Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday, June, 23 at the Ballymena United Social Club at 8pm. The club would request that all shareholders attend this event. Letters will also be sent out this week to all shareholders and they are reminded that season ticket applications can be processed on the evening.