Tributes for former Ballymena United player Phil Burn

Sky Blues supporters were saddened to learn of the passing of the Scottish midfielder, who became a familiar face around the town during a four-year spell at the club in the mid-nineties.

A native of the Corstorphine district of Edinburgh, Phil began his professional career with Raith Rovers.

His introduction to Irish League football came with a spell on loan with Glenavon, during which he caught the eye of then Ballymena boss Jim Hagan, who signed Phil in November 1992.

He made 130 appearances for the Sky Blues during a turbulent period for the club, playing under four managers - Hagan, Tommy Jackson, Gary Erwin and Alan Fraser - before returning to his homeland at the end of the 1995/96 season.

One of Phil’s closest footballing friends during his time in Ballymena was Neil Candlish, who had made the same venture from Scottish football to Northern Ireland, where he eventually settled.

“I had been signed by Alex McKee the previous year and when Phil arrived, I put him up in my house he stayed with me for a couple of years - there was rarely a dull moment!” laughs Candlish.

“I stayed in touch with Phil for a while after he went back to Scotland but I had lost touch in recent times - not because of any fall-out but just the way people’s lives move in different directions.

“I was shocked and saddened when I heard about his death but after a while I began to laugh when I thought about some of the great times we had together - his personality and character made him very popular.

“As a footballer, he was more than decent. He was a box-to-box midfielder - if I had to liken him to a player of his time, it would have been someone like David Platt,” added Neil.

Those views were echoed by Ballymena United secretary Don Stirling, who got to know Phil from the day he signed for the club.

“Supporters loved his all-action style of play and off the field, Phil had the sort of personality that it was very easy to warm to.

“I used to give him and Jason Gilmore a lift to matches and people who remember Phil being around the club are very saddened by the news of his death, particularly at such a young age,” added Don.

Seven Towers Supporters’ Club chairman Tommy Patterson said: “Phil was a very popular player with the fans and he won our Player of the Year award one season.

“He would also have had a lot of time for the club’s fans and would have regularly attended our dinner and other functions - it’s very sad to hear of his death,” added Tommy.