Harry McConkey’s rebuilding of the Ballinamallard squad is well under way, with the manager admitting there will be big decisions to be made ‘in the coming days and weeks’.
The make-up of the squad for next season is still shrouded with uncertainty, but the new manager has already said his farewells to several high profile members of last season’s team. Ryan Curran has signed for Cliftonville, Sean Noble has moved to Ards, Shane McGinty has signed for Ballymena and Stephen O’Flynn is not expected to return. Michael Kerr has returned to his parent club Crusaders following his loan spell, and central defender Packie Mailey has also departed. Club captain James McKenna has also had to call a day on his time at the club with injuries forcing him to hang up his boots.
Adding to the uncertainty, many of the remainder of last season’s squad are still to commit their futures to Ferney Park for the Championship campaign, but the manager is hopeful that the next few weeks will provide a clearer picture. 
“There are on-going talks and I have given players time to think it over, but I am now coming to the stage where I will be asking for firm answers in the coming days so we can get some clarity and move forward,” said Harry. 
“The players that I have spoken to and am waiting to get confirmation of their situations are Colm McLoughlin, Jason McCartney, Matty Smyth, Richard Clarke, Davy Kee, Stuart Hutchinson, Ryan O’Reilly and Jonathan Leddy. 
“We still have no firm commitment from them, but equally they have not said they will not return to the club either. It’s all a ‘wait and see’ at the minute, but we would like to think in the coming days and weeks we will have a decision on those, because we need to see some movement.”
Harry’s tireless work since the end of the season has already been rewarded with three new additions to the team. Goalkeeper John Connolly, midfielder Dwayne McManus and forward Warner Mullen have all signed deals for next season. Striker Josh McIlwaine, who scored Ballinamallard’s final goal in the Premier League, has confirmed he will return and Harry is confident Ross Taheny will also be back.
“I am delighted to get John Connolly, because of his experience,” said Harry. “He is a keeper who has played in Europe and has played for Cliftonville for eight years. He’s a great man in the changing room and what impressed me when I was interviewing him was his enthusiasm for the game at this stage in his career. 
“He reminds me of another Roy Carroll, who can offer a lot on and off the pitch. That experience in a key position after losing Brush has been very pleasing. Young Josh Brownlee can challenge him and can develop from working with him.
“Dwayne McManus is a player I have always admired. I have had him with me as a kid at Ballinamallard and I also had him at Dergview. I also had him in some of the Umbro Cup squads, and although due to injury he never got his cap, he is a talented player. He knows we have an action packed pre-season planned and I hope he embraces that and gets himself in good shape for the start of the season where we can give him a stage to show his talents.
“Warner Mullen is another player who has played at Junior International level for me in the past, and has played for me at Dergview, as well as my region teams. He had a tremendous season the year before last at Loughgall but last season he flitted about clubs and didn’t produce his best. He is someone I know very well and hopefully I can bring out the best in him.
“I’m delighted to get Josh McIlwaine in and give him the chance to develop and make a mark in the team. He is a local lad and one of our own and I’m delighted to get him because Dungannon were expressing interest and had made an enquiry about him, but he committed very quickly to me and to the club which I’m delighted about.”
The urgency to get the squad confirmed is further increased by the manager’s personal plans, with a holiday and pre-arranged surgery taking Harry away from frontline duties before the start of pre-season training on June 25. 
Before that he is planning to bring his new squad and backroom team together to outline his plans for the season, and in addition to the confirmed signings and players who are remaining at the club, Harry is expecting to welcome in players from both the club’s youth set up and also from local clubs.
“There is now clearly a strong focus on some of the local clubs and I will be speaking to some of those players in the coming days and weeks ahead,” he revealed. 
“It will be a great opportunity for some of our own younger players and some local players to grasp and embrace the challenge of the championship. 
“There is no question that the club is in a transitional period, and we will have to look at our own local talent much more closely. I am bringing in my Under 20 squad along with some of the new signings and some of the present squad to introduce them to the new staff and to prepare them for the pre-season. The emphasis will be on the players that train with us regularly, and at a level we know will help their fitness and development which are key areas for us at this stage of the season. 
“There will be opportunities for people and those opportunities are maybe now more focussed on local players largely due to finance, and that can be a blessing for some. I am confident that when the first league game comes round we will have a team that will be made up of a good mixture of youth and experience, and some local players.”
Harry acknowledges the restructuring of the squad has been difficult, but he remains confident that by the time the season starts on August 11, he will have a squad ready to take on the challenge of the Championship. 
“It has been a daunting task,” he acknowledged. 
“It’s always a nervy time of the year for all clubs, but especially for ourselves with so many departures. It does put an added strain on your pre-season because you are trying to rebuild and there is that uncertainty that you may need a few more players and you may not, and all of that on a more limited budget which makes it a bit more challenging. 
“We are still hopeful some of those lads who are undecided will commit to the club in the coming weeks and things will all fall into place,” he said.