Jeffrey out to give fans something to cheer about in Showgrounds return
DANSKE BANK PREMIERSHIP DAVID Jeffrey is determined to pay back the Ballymena United fans who return to home turf today after supporting the team so passionately on the road this season.
In what has been a promising campaign to date with a newlook team, Ballymena have had to play all of their games away while work on the Showgrounds was completed.
That will change this afternoon when they host a Newry City side, admired by Jeffrey for their togetherness as well as their footballing ability.
October 6 has long been a date marked on the calendar for United fans keen to see the Sky Blues on their own patch.
“It was a very clear choice that the club made and I was part and parcel of all that decision making,” explained Jeffrey.
“The club has a great desire to make sure the Showgrounds is as good a facility as it can be, and in order to try and facilitate that, the council was prepared to invest money but that meant ramifications when we started playing this season.
“We agreed to it without hesitation because we want a stadium that is fantastic for the players, the fans and the town as a whole.
“We really want to deliver at the Showgrounds for our fans. On the journey that we have been on this season our supporters have been brilliant, following us wherever we have gone and giving us great backing.
“This is now a time for us to give them some payback.
“We still need their support and encouragement and hopefully we can produce a big performance against Newry.”
Jeffrey’s side are seventh in the Danske Bank Premiership, three points ahead of today’s opponents. Given some of the football the Sky Blues have played this season they are unlucky not to be further up the table. In their last three games versus Cliftonville, Coleraine and Linfield they deserved more than one point from nine and would have got them but for refereeing decisions going against them.
“There is no doubt decisions haven’t been kind to us,” said former Linfield boss Jeffrey.
“But we have to look forward now and pick up points in our next number of games against sides with ambitions of breaking into the top six.
“I watched Newry against Crusaders and they were impressive with their work-rate and energy. They looked like a real brotherhood and I’m delighted to see them back in the Premiership.” Home-bound: Ballymena United boss David Jeffrey