Ballymena United hope Lydia Ross tribute provides ‘some comfort’ for family

Ballymena United boss Jim Ervin delighted the club continues to show its support to the Ross family

Ballymena United boss Jim Ervin says he hopes the family of Lydia Ross take comfort that she will always be in their thoughts as they honoured her memory with a special tribute.

Lydia was a lifelong fan of the Sky Blues travelling all over the country with her dad Paul to support her heroes.

The Ross family were left devastated when the 21-year-old died after sustaining serious injuries in a single-vehicle crash in County Londonderry in December 2023.

The Irish League as a whole showed their support for the family and backed Paul’s fundraising efforts for the Air Ambulance, as he sold sky blue ribbon badges around the grounds raising thousands for the charity close to their hearts.

Ballymena United have continued to help Paul and his family through the most difficult of times, and ahead of the new season they took the decision to make a heartfelt tribute to Lydia by putting the sky blue ribbon on the front of their new third to honour her memory.

“Obviously with the work that Paul did last year it touched everybody, and I think when we were bringing the new top out there was a thought behind putting the sky blue ribbon on the shirt,” explained Ervin.

“Then it obviously grew stronger and stronger and the club approached Paul and saw if it was going to be okay to do, and he was completely taken back by the club coming up with it and it’s time to give them a bit of comfort.

“The club have decided that they’ll donate so much of the proceeds of the shirt sale to Air Ambulance which again just grows the fundraising that Paul has set out to do and that’s credit to him.

“Let’s be honest, we’re never going to be able to imagine what they’re going through but hopefully we’re able to give them that bit of comfort that she’s always in our thoughts and prayers and will always be loved and it’ll be for anybody that pulls on that shirt and what it means to Paul and his family.

“I don’t think anybody would realise what that family have gone through. I’m thinking of Paul and Ruth, his wife, and his other two daughters and what they go through on a daily basis is nothing to what we sort of feel.

“Paul has done massive work for the Air Ambulance from Lydia’s passing. When you look right across the league, we always talk about an Irish League family and I think when some things happen you realise how close everybody is in the league.

“Opposition teams invited Paul to their games, not even when they were playing Ballymena, they’re just random games and they’re bringing him along and the charity that day, the proceeds to go to the Air Ambulance in memory of Lydia and the work that Paul and his close family and friends have done has been incredible.

“He’s such a strong person. I’ve known Paul from a play at the club and I’ve grown close to him long before I came in to manage the football club.

“Lydia was well known right across Ballymena, and they never missed home and away and she’s extremely missed.”

Fans from all over the world have shared their support following the release of the new Ballymena third kit and Paul said that has helped them get through the tough times over the last year and a half.

“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,” he said.

“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 main thing that is keeping us going is that we know that one day we will see Lydia again. Lydia had a strong faith as do we, we don’t know when it will be but we will see her again.” #shewore