Appointed as Interim-Chairperson of Drogheda United in November and expected to be named Chairperson at the club's AGM in the new year, we asked Joanna Byrne to answer some questions for us for the first in a series of interviews of club members.
1.Hi Joanna, congratulations on your appointment as interim Chairperson of the club. How have your first few weeks gone?
"Safe to say the first few weeks have been very busy!! There's been a lot of national and local media interest in the fact that Drogheda Utd has made history in appointing the first ever Female Chairperson in the LOI, that along with supporting Kev in assembling a squad for next season the first couple of weeks has been a whirlwind. I'm very honoured to be appointed to this position and it still feels a bit surreal if i'm honest, but i'm enjoying it so far and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead."
2.It’s safe to say a love for Drogheda United is in your blood, has your family been involved with the club for generations?
"Yes, My Grandad Mick who i simply adored was Chairman and then General Manager of this club in the early 80's. My mam and i lived at home in my Granda's house and he was a doting grandfather who brought me everywhere with him, mainly Utd Pk!!! I took my first steps on the pitch there and i've grown up loving the club as much as he did. I hope to do him proud in this role now and build on the legacy he and many other great men have left behind them. My family are all lifelong supporters of the club, there's no denying it's in our DNA"
3.What are your most vivid memories throughout the years of the club and who have been your favourite players?
"I've one word - FABIO!! My favourite player without a doubt has always been Fabio. He is the legend of my generation and i lost my voice many many times as a teenager adoringly singing "Oh Fabio" from the halfway line in Utd Pk. I'd go as far as to say we've never seen a partnership like himself and Andy Myler since, they were a force to be reckoned with them boys together. It's great to see he is still such a proud supporter of the club and was actually one of the first people to contact me to congratulate me a couple of weeks ago when the media was released about me taking on the role as Chair. A lot of players move on with their careers and don't look back but i'm happy to say Declan is still a true friend of Drogheda Utd.'
"In regards to memories, i've lots of great ones travlleing the world to watch the Drogs in Finland, Norway, Sweden amongst others but the most vivid for me is the FAI cup final in 2005. This was the biggest event in my lifetime supporting the Drogs and a day that was never matched in emotions for me. The anticipation of the match, the buzz around the town, the change of venues to Lansdowne Rd because demand was so big, it was the most exciting time of my life. Making the trip to Lansdowne with trains, buses and the M1 beaming in Claret and Blue with songs and rums to be heard in Cork, the atmosphere was just electric. A full family day out for us to the big smoke with my Mam, baby sister Aoife, aunties, uncles and cousins i remember it like it was yesterday. For Fabio to seal the deal and score that 2nd goal to assure us we were taking the silverware home, i cried like a baby. Him holding up that cup was probably one of the happiest moments in my life, i could of just burst with pride and writing this re-living them memories i can still feel all that emotion coming back to me. What a day, What a moment!!"
4.The first team had a great season this year remaining in the Premier Division comfortably, what are the challenges the club will face in making sure they continue to progress on the field next season?
"I'll be completely straight here, the biggest challenge we have is finances. We have the lowest playing budget in the league and the board are working very hard to give Kev more or less the same budget as last year, and at that it will be a mountain of a challenge for us. What Kev and Daire done with the budget they had last year i think is under rated. This year will be more challenging in many aspects, the fact that many clubs have received external investors and the new wage agreement for players is putting a huge strain on us. Being the only part-time club in the league is always going to be challenging but we really seem to be up against it this year, hence the trojan work Conor Hoey is putting into sourcing investment for us, and filtering out the right fit for the club in regards to what external investment could and would look like while keeping the clubs core values at heart.'
"In the meantime, we have a lot of fundraising to do ourselves as a club just to keep afloat and i will be rallying the members, sponsors and supporters of the club to join us in the coming weeks and months in these endeavours this if they want to continue to enjoy Premier Division Football in the town."
5.It’s been great to see young local players break through to the LOI team again this year with Emre Topcu who’s brother Hakan plays with our LSL team, and Victor Arong who came through our DDSL teams as well as Michael Leddy arriving next season on loan, who also developed at Marley’s Lane before moving to Shamrock Rovers. How important is it for the club to keep bringing through young local players?
"This for me is probably one of the most important aspects of developing the club. Breeding local talent and giving our towns youngsters the chance to fulfill their dreams is what it's all about. It not only opens life changing opportunities for them to fulfill their potential, it also offers hope to many others alongside them and invigorates pride in our players, our club and our town. Our youth structures in my eyes, are the backbone of the club and it's successes will continue to be the foundation that Drogheda Utd can build on. I'm very proud of the work Graham and his crew put in in Marleys Lane, and Morgan and Sandra with the older teams and my support will be there in any way it's needed for you all to lean on."
6.As full integration continues, the Academy has grown from 4 teams at LOI level to almost 30 teams representing the club at all levels of the game. What do you think the main challenges will be at the Academy over the next few years?, and how would you like to see it develop in the future?
"Facilities are key here to be able to develop the Academy to it's full potential. As an organisation, touching on having in the region of 400 kids and youths playing in our academy makes us a formidable force. However, to realise it's full potential we need adequate facilities deserving of these youngsters. I'm committed to seeing through the upgrading of Marley's Lane and will continue to work alongisde Graham assisting him in this endeavour. This is a huge project that will benefit not only the players but the whole area up there. As we move to progress a new stadium for the Drogheda Utd also, we are keen to provide additional training facilities here also and i look forward to the day we have both these sites in operation which will allow the Academy in it's entirety grow from strength to strength."
7.You were integral in the formation of the Women’s National League setup at the club, and the appointment of Head of Women’s Football Laura Donovan, while the number of girls teams keep increasing at Marley’s Lane. What are your hopes for the Women’s section in the future?
"My initial hopes for the Women's section have already been met by the appointment of Laura Donovan as Head of Women's Football. I went to school with Laura and although i've always had a grá for soccer, i don't play, and i was always in awe of Laura as one of the few girls i knew that not only played but lived for the game. She is, was, and always has been an inpsiration to me in this regard, excelling and making a great name for herself in what was predominantly a man's world. She is in my eyes, the best advocate for promoting Women's participation in the game and when the question came up about us sourcing somebody for this position there was never a question for me it would be anybody other than Laura. The fact she's a local cailín too was just icing on the cake!! Laura has always been a fan of the club too and i'm just glad she's in a position to join the management team. I've every confidence that she will relish in this role and i believe the successes of our Ladies teams once formed and the progression of our girls teams are in sturdy hands with Laura at the helm. Of course we all have high hopes as to where things can go, but for now i just want to support Laura in getting teams up and running and look forward to getting out and cheering on Women in Claret and Blue."
8.The club has relaunched its Lotto recently which can be purchased directly through the app, how important is the success of the Lotto to the club and how would you like to see our members support it?
"As mentioned earlier, the plight of continuing to deliver Premier Division Football is growing harder and harder finance wise. We have relaunched our lotto in recent weeks and i am doing a call to arms for our members to support it. This is a fundamental part of our financial plan this year and we really need our friends and supporters to get behind it and subscribe to it weekly. For as little as €2 p/w you can play your part in keeping the show on the road. I can't emphasise enough how important it is that we garner continued support for the lotto over the coming weeks and months."
9.You have been known to brave the cold for the Late Night Leagues at Marley’s Lane which returns this January, and obviously you have worked closely with many residents in the area through your day job as a County Councillor. How else would you like to see the club serve the local community in the future?
"The late night league is a particular favourite of mine as it brings together the many service providers working in the area. To see Football bring together players and parents, with the Gardaí, youth work groups and community centres shows the power of this game and the benefits and bonds that can be formed from it. In my role as County Councillor i work with the Gardaí on a daily basis on many issues and i believe they've made great strides in regards to Community Policing in the town in recent years. The Late night leagues is a huge part of this, familiarising the youngsters with the Gardaí is a key part of breaking down stigma's and forming pathways to building trust with the Guards. Drogheda Boys support to this endeavour over recent years is to be commended and i look forward to it kicking off again in the New Year.'
'As a club this is one of the many ways we have been serving the community. This year we also successfully ventured down the path of education and in conjunction with the LMETB delivered a unique Business Diploma course focusing on how to run a football club. I hope to expand on this this year and have increased the capacity for participants to 20 people for the next course which commences in January.'
'This course offers an important educational pathway for young men and women to not only further their education but develop future employment opportunities, all through the power of football. The project this year was a huge success with the graduates experiencing work experience with Everton FC, Feyenoord FC, aswell as AGBK1 Goalkeeping academy in the UK, whilst also obtaining their PDP1/PDP2 and D Licences. Some of the graduates from this years course have already gained employment in massive European Football Clubs which really shows the opportunities that can come from football clubs using the love of the game to engage people with mainstream education. "
Enrolments are now open for the course which is free to participate on. Eligible applicants will also receive a weekly training allowance.
To enrol or find out more information, click on the link below;
https://www.fetchcourses.ie/course/finder?sfcw-courseId=340312
10.We really appreciate you giving your time for these questions, any final message for our members?
"I's just like to take the opportunity to thank all those who reached out to congratulate me in my appointment as Chair and to assure you all that my motivation in this role is only to promote and progress our club positively in any platform that arises. We have a fantastic board who all share the same love for the club and i believe together we can build this club to the heights it deserves.'
'I want to thank everybody for their support for the club in 2022 and wish all our players, parents, members, sponsors and supporters a very Happy Christmas. I look forward to seeing you all in 2023, and i hope you will consider my one request to you all this Christmas in subscribing to our lotto and enabling us to fund the club as best we can."
Nollaig Sona Daoibh agus Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise.
Support our LOTTO by purchasing an entry at the link below or in the Clubhouse section of the app.
https://droghedaunited.clubzap.com/products/10130/purchases/new
