​Ballinasloe Town AFC Continues Success

New Main Club Sponsor - The Shearwater Hotel - (L-R) JoeB Kelly, Barry Lynam (General Manager-Shearwater Hotel), and Petie Keighery (Club Senior Team Manager)

The club's annual Summer Soccer Camp has once again proved to be a huge attraction to the youth of the community and is now fully booked out, running until Friday, August 6.
 
SuperValu Ballinasloe has also come on board and is supplying, free of charge, sufficient hand sanitiser to cater for all participants for the week. The camp was cancelled last year and in 2019 the Ballinasloe Summer Camp was the most successful camp in Ireland and this year’s event looks set to be just as successful.
 
Former player Heather Payne recently joined up again with players at the Curragh Grounds for a training session and availed of the opportunity to present the club with one of her Irish International jerseys.
 
Coach Tony Coyne stated: “Ballinasloe Town are extremely proud of Heather's achievements on the International stage.”

Tony Coyne, Heather Payne and Gerry Broderick

They recently initiated another positive community event organising a scrap metal collection throughout the town. Scrap metal was dropped to the  Curragh Grounds while members also called on request to collect items and collected any scrap metal dumped in the area.
It proved also to be an exceptionally good fundraiser and the scrap metal collection raised a total of €4,514.14 for the team while also contributing in a positive way to the local environment. The money was used to buy defibrillator, and housing space for the equipment.
 
The club recently organised and hosted at the Curragh Grounds five weekly Friday soccer sessions for the local Brothers of Charity Services; organised by Chairperson JoeB Kelly and personnel and the Brothers of Charity staff were on hand to assist with  Ryan Burke for his valiant efforts each Friday.
 
Another successful weekly training session is the under-nines Soccer Academy whereby youth players receive top class coaching and an introduction to the sport. They recently concluded their season with a party evening, which was a fun-filled affair with refreshments/minerals/ice creams supplied by Town and bouncy castles/obstacle courses provided free of charge by Hillside Inflatables. The academy kits were sponsored by Bluebird Telco (Wayne Braithwaite), Gallagher Project Management (David Gallagher), Joes Bar (JoeB and Cáit Kelly) and the Shearwater Hotel.
 
The club committee is very hopeful for a positive outcome to their Sports Capital Grant application which is due to be announced soon.
 
Through the grant, there are intentions to upgrade the perimeter fencing/ball retention netting and pitch surfaces of their two AstroTurf pitches which are widely used by members and the public. The total cost of these works is €106,000 and they have a little over the required five per cent of this cost so are hoping to secure the maximum grant of €100,000. Contact has been made with local TDs, Senators and Councillors to make strong representations on behalf of the club to secure this grant.

Presentation of hand sanitisers for the BTAFC. Summer Soccer Camp by SuperValu Ballinasloe were Michael Riddell (Club committee member), Fergal Dunne ( Super Valu), Eddie Kelly (Super Valu), Ellen Egan (Club Treasurer) and Johnny Walsh (Club Development Co-Ordinator).