Community engagement will prove essential to the development of Dundalk

The season may not have started well (either on or off the pitch), but finally on the field at least the season kick-started into action with Dundalk thrashing high flying St Patrick's Athletic 5-0 last Friday night.

Dundalk just brushed Pats aside with a top class performance that was as good as seen in any of the Kenny and Perth eras.

Off the pitch however, the same old problems remain for the owners of the club with no investors coming in. Chairman Sean O'Connor confirmed that the Hull City talks had gone as far as they were going.

He added that reports that the talks had gone to such a detail that a deal was all but sealed for a take over by Hull were way wide of the mark. He said the talks had never come that close at all.

Well I stand behind my story that just over two weeks ago a deal was expected to go through, that Hull City were coming in to take over and that the ownership would leave Hull with 70 per cent of the shareholding and 30 per cent to be controlled by the current owners.

Needless to say as the talks went on opposition to the proposed deal grew. Finally came the long letter to the supporters saying that there was no take over in the offing. The chairman ended any idea of a deal being made with Hull by saying the club would not be going down that road again.

I'm sure they will go down the road of either selling again or maybe one of the partners in the club will sell their share. But that could be well into the future, and of course it is their right to do so.

It's very easy to criticise the owners of any club. And I am not going to do that here. But the club must not only look to so called big investors to keep the club going. I have said it far too often; Dundalk needs to do what the previous owners used to do - raise funding in the community.

I know all about the community draws. One time I won a top prize of a car in the early 1990's. But as my dad was on the board of directors I was given the last prize of a dining room trolley or two hundred pounds. I took the money.

Sligo have recently raised €110,000 in their latest fundraising project. That's more than the League winners get in prize money. The club must fundraise in the community. That is if they want to call themselves a community club, which they do.

Supporter Club's AGM

I was disappointed that no representative from the club turned up at last Tuesday's Annual General Meeting of the supporters club. Even if a player had been asked by the owners to represent them, that would have been something. But what are supporters to feel when the club owners don't turn up at a supporters meeting or fail to send along a representative.

Last season Stephen O'Donnell attended. It is of course fair to say that maybe the night just did not suit anybody from the club to attend. But surely somebody could have been found. To be fair to those at the meeting it did not cause any controversy.

I was not at the meeting myself. But when I heard on Friday night that nobody from the club turned up at the AGM I was stunned. The turnout at the meeting, to be fair, was low. And as I would say to the owners I say it also to supporters, if you want a vibrant club then everybody must work together. 

The chairman in his interview on the club's official website last week fails to see that investment for new facilities at Oriel need not come from big investors. They are not out there. The club must give the supporters a message about their plans for a new stadium going forward.

Big investors are not the answer. Nobody expects the owners to pay for a new stadium. The government must be lobbied heavily by the club, as must all politicians including local councillors, TDs and senators.

Supporters and the public must lobby as well and tell them if they are not going to play ball then there will be no votes coming for them from their household. The managers of the club who are the owners must rally the people. I have spoken to some politicians locally and they have never heard from the owners of Dundalk FC about funding a new stadium.

There was a committee which was set up some time ago with the purpose of looking at the issue of infrastructural development at Oriel. To my knowledge they only ever met twice. This is not good enough.

It's not the fault of that committee. Covid was rampant and did affect members meeting up. But as the committee only met twice I wonder if the club pushed the idea of meetings by Zoom.

The owners must push the message vigorously that a new stadium is needed. Leadership, communication and motivation are three essential skills that club owners must have. If they do not do these things then the foundations of a club won't be strengthened.

It's very easy to get carried away about Friday night's 5-0 win. But we must look at the big picture. The people of Dundalk have a huge interest in the club and what's happening. That is not always the way. The owners must tap in to this feeling of goodwill and channel the very positive energy there is towards the club among the public.

If they continue down the road of failing to communicate with supporters on a regular basis and fail to give the leadership needed, there will be choppy waters ahead for the club.

Dundalk V Pat's

Last Friday night saw Dundalk put in a magnificent performance. Stephen O'Donnell used his three loan signings to magnificent effect. There were four changes from the side that were beaten by Bohemians the previous week. Archie Davis was on the bench along with Ryan O'Kane, Alfie Lewis and Paul Doyle missed out through injury.

Alfie is getting over concussion after being struck on the head by a ball from a free kick taken by Bohemians the previous week. Paul Doyle was also sidelined with an injury.

In came Darragh Leahy at left back and Hayden Muller at right back. Johannes Yi-Koko was played in his first full game. He occupied the central midfield role along with Conor Malley. Daniel Kelly returned for his first full game since last July playing as a right winger.

New signing Rayhaan Tulloch played on the left wing. Greg Sloggett was centre midfield. Louis Ammesley was put back to his more familiar position at centre half.

The shape of the team was much better on Friday night than it was against Bohemians. The two full backs were excellent in defence, as was Andy Boyle in the centre. Rayaan Tulloch and Daniel Kelly were superb on the wings. These two guys are as good as any players in the league. They are traditional old style wingers.

Conor Malley had a quality performance in centre midfield. Greg Sloggett was so much part of the engine room in centre midfield that he set up Daniel Kelly for the goal of the game. 

Dundalk went in front after just five minutes. Conor Malley's free into the box allowed Pat Hoban to get down low and head to the net. The second goal came on 15 minutes when Hayden Muller hooked an excellent cross into the box. Louis Annesley shot home in a crowded penalty area. It was the Gibraltar centre half 's first club goal of his career.

Dundalk got their third goal five minutes after the break. Hayden Muller's shot was spilled by Pat's keeper David Odiumouso. Raheen Tulloch shot home. The fourth goal was sheer magic. Greg Sloggett played a defence splitting pass to Daniel Kelly. He took off at the speed of sound. He got into the box behind a defender and shot home from 12 yards.

The goal rout was complete with only minutes remaining when Conor Malley finished off a great move to the net.

Stephen O'Donnell

Stephen O'Donnell said his team showed great quality. He also says they showed strength and competitiveness. He said it was great for supporters to see the team doing so well, but he warned it was still only a work in progress.

He said he told reporters after the Bohemians game in Dalymount the previous week that his team had great potential. They showed that at Oriel on Friday night he said. The manager said it always helped to get a couple of goals early on and that they were able to kick on from there.

O'Donnell said his team were ruthless after they got their third goal and that Daniel Kelly was like a breath of fresh air when he plays. He said it's vital the winger realises that he is a player who can make a difference for Dundalk. And he is doing that. He described Conor Malley's performance as outstanding.

O'Donnell says he is really looking forward to the game against Derry City. O'Donnell says football pales into insignificance when one loses a member of their family. Derry manager Ruaidhri Higgins's brother died three weeks ago leaving a young wife and family behind him.

O'Donnell said that he visited Ruaidhri on Sunday and that football will never get in the way of his friendship with him. He says the sport can be cut-throat and ruthless. But he says Ruaidhri and himself are way too close to allow that in anyway come between the friendship of the two.

Andy Boyle

Dundalk centre half Andy Boyle said the win over Pat's was a fantastic performance. He said that he did not think the 5-0 win flattered Dundalk. He says they could have beaten Pat's by more and that the performance should act as a benchmark as the season takes shape.

Andy says that Pat Hoban's goal after just five minutes was top class. He says Hoban's contribution to the side is so good.
The Dundalk centre half told me he was hopeful that the result will kick start their season. He says it was a crucial win given the way the side had begun the season.

He thought Dundalk were unlucky not to get a result in the Bohemians game. Andy says Louis Annesley's goal would give him a lot of confidence. He felt the new signings in the past number of weeks were excellent. The Dundalk centre half said that Daniel Kelly's goal was magnificent. Boyle says Conor Malley also had a great game.

Andy says that he is looking forward to going to the Brandywell. He believes Dundalk can beat Derry in their own home ground.

Daniel Kelly

Daniel Kelly, who scored the goal of the game said that it was a great win over Pats. He said that the manager had instilled into the team the importance of having a good start. Daniel said that Pats just seemed unable to cope with the way Dundalk went at them from the start.

Daniel said that in the five years he has been at Oriel he does not remember a Dundalk side blowing away not only a Pat's team, but any team in the manner at the way they did. Daniel says that he believes 100 per cent that if Dundalk can keep producing performances such as last Friday night that they can win the league.

He says he sees the talent the side has every day at training and that it is top class. He says Dundalk did have an unlucky start to the season. But the real Dundalk team was the one that beat Pat's on Friday night.

Daniel says that Friday was only one game. He says it's important that the team keeps the momentum going. He says it was a bitter sweet moment for him on Friday, as it was his first full game on his return from injury. He has not played a competitive league game since July 2022.

Daniel was full of praise for Rahaan Tulloch, who got the third goal. Daniel says he is a very good player and that Stephen O'Donnell has a great eye for talent. He says he has shown that again with the new players he has taken in.

Daniel says his goal came about when Greg Sloggett put him in with a great pass. He says he saw the defender moving towards him. He took the ball around him and cracked the ball to the net at the near post. He says it was a great team goal.

Daniel says that Dundalk can compete with Derry on an equal footing. Daniel says that it does not feature with him the fact that Dundalk have lost five players to Derry in the past season. He says he is great friends with Michael Duffy, Patrick Mceleney, Will Patching, Cameron Dommigan and Mark Connolly.

Daniel says his own fitness is fine and that he feels great. Daniel says it was well worth getting booked for the fourth goal when he took his jersey off in celebration. He says he has had it very hard the last seven months through injury and says it's just great to be back.

Jimmy Hasty

The story of Dundalk's one armed striker Jimmy Hasty, called 'The Extraordinary Story of Jimmy Hasty' can now be seen on UEFA TV.

Jimmy led Dundalk to a league title in 1962-63. He was signed from Newry by then director Jim Malone. When Malone revealed he had signed Hasty with his own money, the board told him they would not back him until they saw Jimmy themselves.

The following Sunday he won the game for Dundalk literally all on his own, scoring a couple of top class goals. The board gave Malone his money the following night at the weekly board meeting. They realised Dundalk had a winner. Jimmy went on to become a League Of Ireland legend.

The documentary will air on TV as well. But it's not yet known when that will be. UEFA commissioned a communications company to make this historic film. They were asked to make documentaries on three famous European players. Jimmy was one of the players selected.

The documentary opens with a quick word from John Murphy speaking on the pitch at Oriel. John played with Jimmy in the 1962-63 league winning team. Both were also on the famous Dundalk team that were the first Irish club to win away in the European Cup.

Footage of Jimmy scoring in Zurich can be seen and then him hitting the crossbar with a thundering header. If that had gone in, Dundalk would have made it to the next round.

Jimmy was shot dead on 11th October 1974 about nine years after leaving Dundalk. He worked in a local bookies near his home. He was gunned down in cold blood by loyalist terrorists. He was a completely innocent victim.

I remember the day he died. I was at home in Blackrock. My da was naturally shocked and upset, just as the people of Dundalk were.

The documentary also opens showing the scene where Jimmy was shot and has an interview with the man who found Jimmy lying on the pavement.

I am really glad that Jimmy and his family and friends and all connected with him will finally get the national and international recognition they deserve.

Dean Arrowsmith

Dean Arrowsmith, former member of the Dundalk FC backroom team and chairman of Head in the Game, who now lives in Chicago with his wife and child, was home in Dundalk recently.

Dean took part in the Charlie Mae memorial match organised by Féileacáin, which supports bereaved parents. Tragically Dean's wife and himself were faced with the horrendous experience of a stillbirth.

Dean made sure it was his team that won the charity game, while raising €4,255 for Féileacáin and €500 for the Harry Taaffe mental health initiative. Have a safe week. Please everyone look after each other. And remember to be careful out there.