BALLYMENA United welcome English side Croydon Athletic to the Ballymena Showgrounds for the club's Open Day on Saturday.

This is the penultimate pre-season friendly of Ballymena United's successful summer ahead of the opening Carling IFA Premiership next week. The Sky Blues have won all five of their friendlies so far, albeit against a collection of Championship and Intermediate sides.

In team news, defender Mark Surgenor is still on holiday and will miss the remainder of United's pre-season games ahead of the 8th August kick-off against Cliftonville. Winger David Cushley has returned from his holiday but is not expected to start, with the impressive Ormo Okunayia signing a permanent deal this week.

Roy Walker's only injury worry is that of defender Aaron Stewart who required stitches in his face after a collision with his own goalkeeper during a friendly against Ballymoney United last week.

AN INTRODUCTION TO CROYDON ATHLETIC

Croydon Athletic as they are known now were formed 1986, as a merger between Wandsworth FC and Norwood FC and was initially named Wandsworth & Norwood, until changing their name to the current incarnation of Croydon Athletic in 1990. Nicknamed the 'Rams', Croydon Athletic play in the Isthmian League Division One South, which is effectively the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.

They play their football at the 3,000 capacity Keith Tuckey Stadium in Croydon which ironically contains the 'Paul Muir terrace' in memory of one of their deceased former players. After progressing through the local London leagues, the Rams' greatest achievement in their short history was the winning the Ryman (Isthmian) League Third Division in 2001/2002 to gain promotion to the division which they currently reside.

Their best performance in the FA Cup has only been to reach the Third Qualifying Round of the competition in 2004 when they were dumped out by Crawley Town. So far in Athletic's pre-season preparations, they have lost 1-0 to League 1 side Brentford and also Tim O'Shea's side held a Crystal Palace XI to a 1-1 draw last week.

Manager Tim O'Shea has an Irish connection, having made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland Under-21 side in 1987, the 42-year-old was appointed manager of Croydon Athletic in December 2008. This was his second managerial post having been manager of Grays Athletic for six months. He was also a player with Tottenham Hotspur, Leyton Orient and Gillingham, O'Shea also had a spell playing in Hong Kong in mid-nineties.

RECORD AGAINST ENGLISH OPPOSITION

Ballymena United will be looking to end an abysmal run of results against English opposition at the Warden Street Showgrounds, having gone more than thirty years without a victory against any side from England compared with the extremely impressive recent record the Braidmen have against Scottish opponents.

The last English vistors where Championship side Coventry City in 2007, then managed by former Northern Ireland international Iain Dowie, when United lost 6-0. In recent years a number of high-profile Premier League and Football League sides have visited mid-Antrim and also come away with victory; Manchester City (2007), Blackpool (2004), Oldham Athletic (2003), Bolton Wanderers (2002 & 2003) and Scunthorpe United (2002).

SUPPORTER INFORMATION

Admission to the game is free as part of the club's annual open day on Saturday. The event runs from 12 noon and includes various attractions such as penalty kick competitions, bouncy castle, tombola, barbecue and a chance to meet the players.