Ballynahinch United Awards 2022/23

Ballynahinch United held their Awards Dinner at the weekend at Spa Golf Club. The club celebrated another year, focusing on the positives and a bright future ahead with a number of youth team players making the breakthrough into the senior team appearing for the Swifts and Firsts and the recent approval of plans to develop the facilities at The Millbridge.

On the night, Diarmuid Lavery picked up the award for Swifts’ Leading Goalscorer after 5 goals in just 8 games. Gareth Bingham and David Teggarty announced Manager’s Player of the Year to Club Cult Hero, Matthew Lindsay, joint with Will McNeill and Captain, John Stevenson, was awarded the Barry Hayes Memorial Cup Players’ Player of the Year trophy in a narrowly-contested vote.

Swifts’ Manager’s Player of the Year, Matthew Lindsay – joint with Will McNeill (not pictured)
Swifts’ Leading Goalscorer, Diarmuid Lavery

Graeme McMullan picked up Leading Goalscorer for the Firsts and the Overall Club Top Goalscorer award and Conor Graham collected Most Improved Player after a great second half of the season.

Most Improved Player, Conor Graham
Club and Firsts’ Leading Goalscorer, Graeme McMullan

The rest of the awards were cleaned up by the club’s teenage sensations, Sam and Robbie Lurring with Gareth King and Ian McMullan selecting Robbie as Manager’s Player of the Year while Sam won Club Young Player of the Year and the Firsts’ Players’ Player of the Year.

At just 17, their performances in their debut year in senior football were one of the positive shining lights of an otherwise difficult season. 

Firsts’ Players’ Player of the Year, Sam Lurring
Firsts’ Manager’s Player of the Year, Robbie Lurring
Young Player of the Year, Sam Lurring

Chairman Gilbert Cromie thanked the players, coaches, committee, and volunteers for their efforts during the season, our sponsors for their continued support, and looked forward to next season, the club’s 55th year. Ballynahinch United would also like to thank Spa Golf Club, the caterers, and DJ Simon Walsh for putting on a great night.

Preseason will return in June with all new players welcome.

Round up

And the winners are…

  • Club Top Goalscorer: Graeme McMullan
  • Trevor McNeice Young Player of the Year: Sam Lurring
  • Most Improved: Conor Graham
  • Firsts’ Players’ Player of the Year: Sam Lurring
  • Firsts’ Manager’s Player of the Year: Robbie Lurring
  • Firsts’ Top Goalscorer: Graeme McMullan
  • Barry Hayes Memorial Cup Swifts’ Players’ Player of the Year: John Stevenson
  • Swifts’ Manager’s Player of the Year: Matthew Lindsay and Will McNeill
  • Swifts’ Top Goalscorer: Diarmuid Lavery

Congratulations to all the winners.

Season Statistics

A full overview of each player’s statistics are available.