Sky Blues aiming to break cycle of failure

ROY Walker is confident that his third season in charge of Ballymena United won't finish on the same disappointing note as the previous two.

The Showgrounds supremo has overseen a root-and-branch restructuring of his squad during the summer as he attempts to build upon two successive tenth place finishes - nothing to write home about in a 12-team Carling Premiership.

That's why the revolving door hurtled around at breakneck speed for a month at the end of last season as Walker dismantled the panel which had let him down on so many occasions.

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Barley had the final whistle of the last game of the season blown than Walker was revealing to an incredulous support base that star striker Kevin Kelbie would not be offered a new contract.

Within a matter of weeks, former Portadown and Larne striker Gary McCutcheon had been signed to fill that void and a host of other new faces arrived including goalkeeper Ryan Brown (Larne), midfielder Ryan Berry (Glentoran) and striker Richard Gibson (Coleraine).

Walker has also attempted to instil a new ethos whereby players take pride in pulling on the sky blue shirt - something which will be added to by the capture of Clough-based defender Denver Gage and Harryville man Maurice McDowell, from Saturday Morning League kingpins Carniny Rangers.

Walker wants to give the people of Ballymena a team to be proud of after years of failure - maybe this year's crop can do just that.

United's fixtures for the season ahead are:

United fixture list up until that point is:

CARLING PREMIERSHIP

August 7 - Linfield (a)

August 14 - Donegal Celtic (h)

August 21 - Portadown (a)

August 28 - Glenavon (h)

August 31 - Crusaders (a)

September 4 - Cliftonville (a)

September 11 - Newry City (h)

September 21 - Glentoran (a)

September 25 - Coleraine (a).

October 2 - Dungannon Swifts (h)

October 5 - Lisburn Distillery (h)

October 9 - Donegal Celtic (a)

October 16 - Portadown (h)

October 30 - Linfield (h)

November 6 - Glenavon (a)

November 9 - Lisburn Distillery (a)

November 13 - Cliftonville (h)

November 20 - Newry City (a)

November 27 - Crusaders (h)

December 11 - Dungannon Swifts (a)

December 18 - Glentoran (h)

December 27 - Coleraine (h).

January 1, 2010 - Glenavon (a)

January 4 - Portadown (h)

January 8 - Lisburn Distillery (a)

January 22 - Crusaders (h)

January 29 - Linfield (a).

February 5 - Cliftonville (a)

February 19 - Coleraine (h)

February 26 - Donegal Celtic (h)

March 12 - Dungannon Swifts (a)

March 19 - Glentoran (h)

March 26 - Newry City (a).

CO-OPERATIVE INSURANCE CUP

September 18 - round two

October 23 - round three

December 4 - round four

Tues/Wed, February 1/2 - semi-finals

April 2 - final.

JJB SPORTS IRISH CUP

January 15, 2011 - round five

February 12 - round six

March 5 - quarter-finals

April 9 - semi-finals

May 7 - final

COUNTY ANTRIM SHIELD

Tuesday, September 9 - quarter-finals

October 26 - semi-finals

November 30 - final