The Claret & Blue Club Drogheda

A P

Drogheda United FC is hosting the most important public meeting in the club's history tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 8 p.m. sharp in the Tommy Leddy Theatre, Matthew's Lane, Drogheda (beside Tesco Extra).

This meeting follows last week's announcement by the board of DUFC that it proposes to transfer its shareholding in DUFC to the Claret & Blue Club and turn Drogheda United into a non-profit-making, community club. It also follows a week of talks involving DUFC management, the founders of the Claret & Blue Club and members of the DUISC (Drogheda United Independent Supporters Club) committee.

It is vitally important that everyone who has an interest in the club and in its role in the community attends.

The agenda will cover the progress within the club in the past year, the present status of the club, the reasons behind the decision to propose transforming the club into a community club owned and directed by the Claret & Blue Club, the mechanisms for the transfer in ownership, the future of the club and its pivotal role in the community. There will also be a number of key announcements on the night.

Main speakers will be:
Vincent Hoey
Jonathan Roche, Chairman Shamrock Rovers
Noel Byrne, Director and General Manager Shamrock Rovers
Alan Mathews, 1st team Manager DUFC

There will also be a number of individuals who will comment and take questions including representatives from the FAI.

Buses to the venue will leave United Park at 7:15 p.m. and McDonald's fast food restaurant at 7:25 p.m.

A P

http://claretandblueclub.com/news_58.html

Drogheda United FC last night hosted the most important public meeting in its history in Drogheda's Tommy Leddy Theatre.

Supporters heard that the board of Directors of Drogheda United had considered the position of the club and its future viability in recent months and had looked at a number of options. They had concluded that the only way in which to put the club on a secure and sustainable footing was the follow the example of Shamrock Rovers, which is now a club owned by its supporters. Indeed representatives from the club had met with Shamrock Rovers in recent weeks to learn how they had succeeded.

Supporters heard how the recently formed and successful Claret & Blue Club, with its now 200+ members, was seen as the obvious vehicle through which to bring about this change in ownership.

The Claret & Blue Club was formed by three Drogheda United supporters just four months ago as a means of bringing a guaranteed income stream into the football club. For the €250 membership fee, members receive discounts in over 35 local businesses and entry into a monthly prize draw with prizes sponsored by a number of high profile organisations such as Panorama/Sunworld Holidays, the FAI, Shelbourne Park, Fairyhouse, Four Star Pizza etc.

The Claret & Blue Club is now poised to take over ownership of Drogheda United with an initial 20% of shares being vested in it by the 31st December 2009, assuming it can grow its membership to approximately 500, the minimum figure needed to bring the required income into the club to make the concept viable. The remainder of the shares will be transferred within an agreed time frame (provisionally set at one year) during which time the current owners will mentor Claret & Blue Club representatives.

Fran Gavin of the FAI, who attended last night's meeting, spoke of his support for the development and how he believed that this was the way forward for clubs generally in the League. Jonathan Roche, Chairman of Shamrock Rovers, pledged the continuing support and cooperation of Shamrock Rovers in assisting Drogheda United in any way that they could in bringing this new initiative to fruition.

There was unanimous support from the floor for the proposal.

Vincent Hoey, shareholder and long-time Director of Drogheda United, said that his and his fellow board members view had always been that Drogheda United was a community club and they saw themselves as its trustees. He said it was now time to give it to the community and his only wish now was to see it thrive into the future and be a beacon for success and a unifying force for the whole Drogheda region.

A P

http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/news/supporters-to-assume-control-of-drogheda-utd-1933047.html

Supporters to assume control of Drogheda Utd
Wednesday November 04 2009
By Hubert Murphy

'HAVE no fear. When the mechanics are in place, this club will be handed over to the supporters'.

So stated Vincent Hoey at last week's meeting at the TLT in relation to a proposed move to allow the Claret and Blue Club take a controlling hand in the future of Drogheda United.

It's been agreed that the Claret and Blue group, once they hit a 500-strong membership, and within a year, will take on the role of running a club, that at the moment, costs over € 700,000 per year to fund.

Jonathan Roche and Noel Byrne from Shamrock Rovers, who went down a similiar road, were on hand to offer advice, stating that their club is now run by a 10-person board, with five directors up for reelection each year at the agm of the supporters.

'The success of this is getting the right people with the right skills onto the board,' stated.

Presuming that the Claret and Blue Club can boost its membership beyond the present 200, they will gain a 20% share of Drogheda Utd, with full control by the end of 2010.

'I've been committed to this club for 45 years and I believe it has contributed a lot to this town. I don't want to see this club go down again, financially, and the Claret and Blue Club has given us the road forward. We have seen how Shamrock Rovers has risen, like a phoenix, and they have given us great assistance with this plan. This club will become the property of the community too,' Vincent Hoey stated.

In respect of the future plans, two new directors have been appointed, Jim Agnew and Brian Markey, supported by Sean Connolly and Peter Halpin in administration and commercial activities.

He also announced that a new club sponsor had come on board, Vandanel, a Drogheda man playing a key role with them. They will be setting up in Drogheda shortly.

Furthermore, season tickets are to come down in price next year, the seated stand € 190 and € 150 for the terrace and ticket holders can bring in two kids free.

Vincent also confirmed that he intended setting up a legacy club, where the business community will be asked for their support.

Sean Connolly outlined the day to day running of the club and since he came in two months ago, changes had been made and he felt the process was now beginning to move in the right direction, although there is still a lot of work to do.

The day-to-day running of the club has proved anything but easy, Sean Connolly admitting that there's cashflow problems 'on a regular basis'.

He also hoped that the commercial arm of the club would bring in € 200,000 next season.

A P

http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/news/campb-club-seeks-500-members-1933049.html

C&B Club seeks 500 members
By Hubert MURPHY

Wednesday November 04 2009

THE Claret and Blue Club was formed out of a desperate need when the club faced its darkest hour, inspired by fans who just wanted to help.

It has 209 members at present, paying € 250 a year and for that they will gain a share in Drogheda Utd come the end of next year.

They also get discounts in 35 businesses around town, between 5% and 10%, and that list is growing.

They also enter a monthly prize draw for holidays, racing tickets, etc and exclusive offers from sponsors.

The aim is to get 500 members as soon as possible.

'We have a year to get the right people on board and learn how to run a football club,' Jim Agnew from the Claret and Blue stated.

The whole issue of the Claret and Blue brought a number of questions from the floor, Odie Gardiner asking would those part of it be asked to match the sum Shamrock Rovers have built their supporters shares to, € 600 a year?

'We know that even € 250 a year could be a big ask so no, there's no intention to ask for anything above € 250. If we get 500 paying that amount, it will bring in € 125,000. With other projects, we can make the finances work,' Sean Connolly stated.

There are various ways to join the Claret and Blue Club and so become a future owner of the club.

Membership costs € 5 per week, € 20 per month or € 250 for the year. The club would gladly accept larger contributions as this would help put the club on a sounder footing even quicker. However the € 250 is the minimum.

You can pay with cash or by cheque, made payable to Drogheda Utd Football Club - ' The Claret and Blue Club'.

A standing order is also available. Contact the club at 9830190 or there's PayPal. Click on www.CandB.ie and pay via the PayPal links on the homepage.

- Hubert MURPHY

A P

The November Claret & Blue Club draw will take place on Gerry Kelly's Late Lunch show on LMFM on Monday afternoon at 3.15pm approx. If anyone intends joining, make sure to do it before Monday to be in with a chance of winning.

The prizes are as follows:

One week sun holiday for 2 people courtesy of Sunworld/Panorama

10 prizes of 5 tickets to Shelbourne Park on either November 20th, 27th, December 4th, 11th or 18th.

2 x 5 free driving lessons courtesy of 1st Choice Driving School

2 tickets to Fairyhouse Winter Festival on 29th November

A month's membership of SFX Gym

Family bowling pass courtesy of Drogheda Leisure Park

€50 voucher courtesy of Punjabi House restaurant

€50 refill voucher courtesy of Recharge Cartridges

€25 voucher courtesy of Bizou Café Bar

8 x 12" pizza vouchers courtesy of Four Star Pizza


In other news:

S.F.X. gym in Drogheda is delighted to offer Claret & Blue Club members a 10% discount on membership on production of a C&B Club membership card. Located at 141 Hardman's Gardens, just a stone's throw from United Park, this recently-opened state-of-the-art gym is run by locals Alan Flanagan and Richard O'Brien.

Whether you're looking to become a competitive running athlete, power-lifter, body builder or if you just want to tone up, lose weight and improve your general fitness while enjoying your training experience, get into SFX and become the best you can.

Not only are they offering a 10% discount, they've also offered a monthly prize of a month's free membership of SFX gym.

For more details, visit http://sfxgym.com , phone 041-9871111 or email info@sfxgym.com

Trafford Lad

Big game now tomorrow against Bray, hopefully a good crowd comes out for this. The pressure will be on the Drogs, from Bray's point of view they have been given a second chance out of the blue so they'll be up for it.

A P

What a night on Tuesday! Roll on next season in the Premier Division!

The November Claret & Blue Club draw took place live on LMFM last Monday. The lucky winners were as follows.

One week sun holiday for 2 people to Fuerteventura courtesy of Sunworld/Panorama
Michael Smith, Killester

A family ticket (2 adults & 2 children) to Ireland v France in Croke Park
Frankie Taaffe Senior, Ard Ri, Drogheda

10 prizes of 5 tickets to Shelbourne Park on either November 20th, 27th, December 4th, 11th or 18th
Christy Clarke, Coolfore
David Smith, Millmount Abbey
Craig Brodigan, Duleek
Donal Halligan, Navan Road, Dublin 7
Gearoid Byrne, Gorey
Craig Reay, Rathmullen Park
Anthony O'Connor, Moran Terrace
Keith Bogle, Balbriggan
Tony Kimmins, Rathmullen Park
David Clerkin, Beamore, Drogheda

2 x 5 free driving lessons courtesy of 1st Choice Driving School
James & Audrey Duffy, Millmount Abbey
Frank Penthony, Stameen

2 tickets to Fairyhouse Winter Festival on 29th November
John Agnew, Tallanstown

A month's membership of SFX Gym
Oliver Stafford, Curry's Hill

Family bowling pass courtesy of Drogheda Leisure Park
Anne-Marie Elliott, Balbriggan

€50 voucher courtesy of Punjabi House restaurant
Aidan Kelly, Middlesex, England

€50 refill voucher courtesy of Recharge Cartridges
David & Stephanie Turner, Bryanstown, Drogheda

€25 voucher courtesy of Bizou Café Bar
Gerry & Maura Lynch, Congress Avenue

8 x 12" pizza vouchers courtesy of Four Star Pizza
Robert Connell, Trim
John Connelly, Maple Drive
Patricia Heeney, Duleek
Philip Monaghan, Togher
Laura McDonnell, Bredin St
Joseph Aspell, Hillview
David Whelan, Bryanstown Manor
Darren Moore, Wheaton Hall

A P

The Claret & Blue Club is running a 'Goal of the Season' competition.

Visit www.CandB.ie and pick your top 3 from the selection shown in the video clip.

We've shortlisted 8 goals from 8 different players.

If your top 3 selection matches that of Alan Mathews then we'll enter your name into a raffle for a 2010 Season Drogheda United jersey and a gift basket courtesy of Eakin's Pharmacy Carrickmacross.

Entry is free.

A P

At the end of the most turbulent year in Drogheda United's history, it is worth reflecting on the events of the last 12 months and how the club has evolved in that period.

One year ago, Drogheda United's future was uncertain to say the least. The challenges posed by examinership appeared insurmountable. Our presence in the League of Ireland was coming to an end and we were powerless to do anything about it. Or so it seemed.

The public meeting on December 4th in DIFE served as the catalyst for the resurrection. The people of Drogheda, young and old, rolled up their sleeves and refused to let the club die. Somehow, over €300,000 was raised in 50 days to save the club. The miraculous escape was confirmed on January 29th when Justice Finlay Geoghegan recognised the remarkable efforts of the community, and granted the club's exit from examinership.

At the start of February, as the worst recession in living memory was fast becoming a reality, Drogheda United had no manager, no players, no kit, no sponsors... The euphoria following the escape from examinership gave way to frantic efforts to prepare for the imminent season-opener in the Brandywell. Jim McArdle and his management team worked tirelessly on a voluntary basis under severe pressure to keep the club's head above water. The short lead-in time made it difficult for the team and background staff to hit the ground running, but both found their feet and made good progress as the season progressed.

The supporters of the club sustained their efforts post-examinership. The inaugural Drogs Duck Derby was a huge success, raising over €20,000. The supporters club DUISC arranged buses to matches, organised several successful fundraising events and undertook to broadcast live coverage of Drogheda United games on 'Drogs Live Radio' for those unable to attend. A number of volunteers helped out on matchnights, from operating the turnstiles to selling the match programmes (which have provided excellent value for the €2 this season!) The Ultras continued to create a wonderful atmosphere at matches. The 500 Club was revamped into the Claret & Blue Club in late June as a means of providing a sustainable income stream for the club. Who at that stage could have predicted the course of events that would follow?

On the pitch, Alan Mathews galvanised his hastily-assembled squad into a force to be reckoned with. A string of demoralising narrow defeats in the first series of games cast us adrift at the foot of the table. However, our lowly points total didn't do justice to our performances, and our fortunes deservedly turned with crucial home wins against St Pats and Cork City. The never-say-die attitude of the players, epitomised by the likes of James Chambers and Conor Kenna, allowed us to believe that we might yet avoid the dreaded drop.

In October, the owners of Drogheda United made an unprecedented offer to transfer ownership to the supporters via the Claret & Blue Club if a membership of 500 could be reached. A public meeting in the Tommy Leddy Theatre laid out the ambitious plans, modelled on the successful structure at Shamrock Rovers. With Claret & Blue Club subscriptions recently passing the 250 mark, the target of 500 is a realistic goal, but it will require a sustained effort from all of us to get there. The turbulent economic climate has made the task of encouraging people to join very difficult, but this has been offset somewhat by the generous offers of discounts from local businesses to Claret & Blue Club members.

As the season drew to a close and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall approached, communication barriers between the club and its supporters began to topple. A new culture of working together is being fostered, and two staunch supporters have been invited onto the board of the club to represent the views of the fanbase and steer the club towards community ownership. Behind the scenes, preparations are underway for the new season and this week brought the great news that Alan Mathews has agreed to stay with the club for the next two years at least. The imminent opening of the new Vandanel shop selling Drogs merchandise is yet another positive move that we can all look forward to.

On November 30th 2008, who could have predicted that the next year would have panned out the way it has? Even Nostradamus would have scoffed at such a premonition. On that date, a treadmill marathon was being organised and two young supporters were planning to sell their toys and books at the market the following weekend to raise money to save the club. We've come a long way since then. There are many reasons to be cheerful. The wonderful playoff win against Bray Wanderers has allowed us to anticipate more duels in Dalymount, Oriel Park, Tallaght and perhaps even Turner's Cross next season. From the depths of despair, we are undoubtedly on an upward curve. The prospect of community ownership of Drogheda United is now within touching distance. Some people believe that this ownership model will not be successful in Drogheda. They may be right. However, one thing is for sure - the last year has proven that the word 'impossible' does not exist in our vocabulary. By working together, we proved the doubters wrong before. It is time to prove them wrong again. It is time for all Drogheda United supporters to grasp the nettle.

Your Club Needs YOU.

www.CandB.ie


[Closed pending review - Mr Magnolia - 07:07, 01/Dec/09]

Mr Magnolia

Opened, all's well.

Fair play on your hard work A P, can't be an easy task.

fh041205

Fantastic summary above AP, well done on that. Brings back some great memories, there are lots of people who really at least deserve a pat on the back for what they've done over the last year.

Are there any events planned for Christmas yet?

A P

Sorry for the delay in replying - it has been a very busy few days. Niall Quinn was in town on Tuesday night - he signed himself and his son up for the Claret & Blue Club! Season tickets will soon be available, and the new Vandanel shop selling Drogs merchandise will be open within the next couple of weeks as far as I'm aware.

Niall Quinn's appearance was covered in yesterday's Irish Times:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1202/1224259893746.html

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION: Emmet Malone was there as Niall Quinn gave an insight into the kind of local initiatives that could make the Claret and Blue club a going concern

HIS CLUB may operate on a rather higher level, but Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn insisted last night the Premier League outfit’s recovery from the brink of bankruptcy three and a half years ago contains important lessons for Drogheda United.

Speaking at a meeting of supporters and local business people where the club launched its Legacy scheme – a fundraising drive intended to help facilitate the handing over of United debt free to their fans – Quinn said there were “important similarities between what you are trying to trying to achieve and what we have tried to do, although I can assure you, Sunderland was in a far worse state three and a half years ago than Drogheda ever was.”

The locals, who had gathered at a large bar restaurant in the centre of the town to hear the former international striker speak almost a year to the day after the landmark meeting in a local college where more than 400 supporters resolved to raise the funds required to steer United out of examinership, might have given him an argument on the respective scale of the clubs’ problems but they reacted positively to his core message that: “you’ve got to make local people love their football club for more than playing football”.

Quinn spoke of the dramatic expansion of Sunderland FC’s foundation, with more than 100 people now employed in a wide range of social and education initiatives, many operating out of the club’s ground on non-match days.

“You have a huge head start because young people look up to footballers and there is an opportunity to make the club a beacon for the town and its people,” he said. “You have to make sure, though, the money you raise through initiatives like this isn’t simply taken in and then passed on to players who do nothing more than come in, play and leave again. The club has to do a great deal more than that but the opportunities are certainly there.”

The enthusiasm required would appear to be there too. More than €300,000 was raised in the seven weeks that followed last year’s public meeting and since the establishment of the Claret and Blue club, around 250 fans have committed themselves to contributing, at the rate of €5 a week each, some €65,000 per annum, although those behind the scheme reckon they’ll need twice that coming in each year if they are to be in a position to take up the current board’s offer to cede control.

The original rescue of United was completed after a remarkable display of unity by the townspeople. “It was really amazing,” says Róisín Hoey, daughter of long-time club chairman Vincent, who, along with Aengus McHugh and Jim Agnew, established the Claret and Blue initiative when it became clear the club had been saved but now needed to figure out how it might sustain itself.

“With the Claret and Blue club,” says McHugh, “we’re trying to learn from the mistakes of the past. The days of wealthy individuals bankrolling clubs is over, there’s been plenty more evidence of that this year, and what this is about is supporters and communities taking some sort of control over their clubs.

“It began because we were going to restart the monthly prize draw but realised that that was a bit tired and had relied on people having money to burn really. We felt if were going to succeed now, we would have to offer a bit of value and so we started talking to businesses about how they might get involved.”

Five months on, 40, mainly local firms, have weighed in behind the scheme, donating monthly prizes for a traditional style draw but also offering a range of member discounts on purchases.

“We started by going to people who had a long association with the club, say the Hurley brothers who had a delicatessen in the town and whose father Charlie has been involved most of his life,” says Hoey. “People were very receptive to the idea because they saw that their business could get more back than through a regular sponsorship. Others, like Panorama holidays and Four Star Pizza came on board too and that all gave us something to sell to potential members.”

The progress made since has been steady and, with wages at the club now roughly one eighth of what they were before the crisis, the money coming in has the potential to make a critical difference. The fact that, under Alan Mathews, the team stayed up this year despite all of the pre-season problems has helped to generate confidence too and McHugh suggests the achievement is regarded by many as a greater one now than the title success of 2007.

Everyone knows much more will be needed if the opportunities Quinn talks about are to be taken, but Vincent Hoey, as passionate as ever, expressed confidence last night it can be done.

“I’ve been involved a long time but never saw myself as more than a custodian of the club for the people of the town,” he said. “It was always theirs and the offer to hand it over is only recognition of that. I tried to take good care of it for the last 50 years and now it’s up to the supporters and all of the local people to take it on and do the same.”