Ballymena United honour young fan's life with new kit design
Lydia Ross, who was from the Ballymoney area, died after sustaining serious injuries in a single-vehicle crash in 2023
- Published
Ballymena United's manager has said a 21-year-old fan who died in a car crash will always be in their hearts after she was honoured in their new kit.
Lydia Ross, who was from the Ballymoney area, died after sustaining serious injuries in a single-vehicle crash in County Londonderry in December 2023.
In memory of Lydia, Ballymena United have featured a sky blue ribbon on the front of their third kit for the 2025/26 season.
The team's manager, Jim Ervin, said the "shirt represents Lydia, Paul and the family".
'They always say I spoiled her'
Lydia's dad Paul said he "very rarely missed" a Ballymena United football match with his daughter and that going to the games are "special" memories.
"You're there win, lose, or draw, and that was the way we did it.
"It was just me and her - they always say I spoiled her," Mr Ross told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme.
"We have been carried the whole 17 months by so many people, we just can't get over [the support], and it's still coming.
"The likes of the video, the third kit, there's just always something has been there in front of us, especially for me to focus on, which gives us great strength."
The team's new third kit features blue and grey diagonal stripes with a small sky blue ribbon design in the middle
Mr Ross said he and Lydia were lucky enough to meet some of the players when they attended matches.
"The players were all so nice and so welcoming," he said. "Her favourite was Steven McCullough."
Mr Ross said his late daughter "would not believe" how much public speaking he has done since her death as he continues to raise money for charity.
"Even though I'm a sales rep and I talk all day, every day, I'm not a good public speaker," he said.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The team's new third kit features blue and grey diagonal stripes with a small sky blue ribbon design in the middle in line with the club crest.
The ribbon is in reference to Mr Ross' fundraising campaign for Air Ambulance NI, and Ballymena United's nickname - the Sky Blues.
A contribution from all the sales of the shirt will be donated to Air Ambulance NI - a charity Lydia's family has been raising money for since her funeral.
Lydia will always be 'in our hearts'
Ballymena United manager Jim Ervin said the club will always be there to support the Ross family
Ballymena United manager Jim Ervin said the third shirt "represents more" than just the club.
He added: "I think it goes to show what Paul and Paul's family mean to everybody associated with Ballymena and also the Irish League, and what Paul has done through this last 17 months in supporting and keeping Lydia's memory going.
"She's certainly someone that at Ballymena we'll always have her in our hearts, and she'll always be very close, like Paul and Paul's family.
"We'll always be there to try and help support them as much as we possibly can."
Mr Ervin said he knows that Lydia would have been "very proud" of her father.