Like all Dundalk fans, the DFC Trust have been looking forward to the start of the season. It has been a busy pre-season period. Dundalkfc.com and the Dundalk FC magazine are two important projects for the DFC Trust and work has been carried out on both since last November.
Last year, dundalkfc.com won the SWAI Best Website award. However, we believed we could do better and today we launch our brand new website. Work is going to continue to improve some elements so please forgive us any early glitches. Some elements are not yet complete. We anticpate that the online shop will be ready next week and the new improved online lotto facility to be ready very shortly also. However, in the meantime if you have any feedback or suggestions on the website please give me an email at colm.murphy@dfctrust.com.
I would also like to thank Trust members Ruth Hardy and Keith Wallace for their hard work in recent months in getting the website ready. Also, a big thank you to Gareth Preston for his programming assistance.
Outside of the website, the DFC Trust held a successful public meeting in McManus' Pub last Monday night. We will be having more such meetings over the coming months. We are very keen to develop further as a group in 2008. Fundraising remains very important to us and we would welcome any help Dundalk supporters can give us.
From Thursday-Sunday, the DFC Trust will be present in the Marshes Shopping Centre. We will be available to answer any questions and we will also have new Dundalk FC Merchandise, Patron Schemes and the March Prediction Competition on sale. Rumour has it that Lily the Panda may even make an appearance along with a few players on Saturday afternoon. Please come along to say hello.
As regards fundraising, the main Trust fundraiser continues to be the Dundalk FC Patron Scheme. We have approximately 300 people signed up to this scheme. The entire club has united behind this fundraiser and it has proved to be very successful. We will be releasing details of new benefits for new and existing members in the next week.
The March Prediction competition forms are also available. This is a fun monthly competition (€5 entry) that is ideal to distribute to your friends, family and work colleagues. Please contact us if you can help us out. Upcoming are competitions for a trip to the UEFA Cup Final and also a trip to a EURO 2008 match in Vienna.
Finally, the DFC Trust would like to wish all of our teams well this weekend. Obviously all eyes will be on John Gill's men in Tolka Park this Friday night but, as shown elsewhere on the website, our U14 Ladies team face Shelbourne on Saturday morning in the FAI Cup and then on Sunday afternoon (1pm) in Oriel Park the Dundalk Youths take on Fairview in the FAI Youth Cup. Dundalk Football Club is much more than just the first team and we would like to wish all our teams the best of luck this weekend. There is no doubting the main attraction of course. However you get there we would encourage all Dundalk fans to make the trip to Tolka Park and get behind John and the players.
Colm Murphy
Webmaster / DFC Trust
Dundalk Football Club Oriel Park, Carrick Road, Dundalk Tel: 042 9335894
