Cup Final Reflections and what we need.

Ciaran Callan
Nov 5 · 7 min read

It still hurts you know…

Dundalk FC line up for 2019 FAI Cup Final — Credit SPORTSFILE/DUNDALKFC

Some forty-eight hours following the penalty shoot out loss to Shamrock Rovers that sickening feeling of the pure elation coming from the large stand that held their supporters is still ringing in my ears. Upon finishing up my match report, the second time I wrote the narrative, I filed and made my way down to the ground floor of the stadium.

After hugging David Minto and his daughter Kayla, I shook hands with some Shamrock Rovers fans who shared the box I was sitting in ‘I’m sorry, I just can’t watch them lift it’ — I muttered, they nodded and understood as I made my way out.

On my way down the stairs, I stopped and spoke to Councillor John McGahon and had turned my back so as not to look at the TV screens. The familiar explosion of gold confetti lit up behind me and I simply said to myself ‘That’s that then’

You may think all of this is quite petty, I am a Dundalk reporter yes but first and foremost I’m a Dundalk fan and have been since I was fourteen years old, the stomach-churning nausea of losing a big game still strikes me every time. I wear my heart on my sleeve and anyone who knows me is well aware that I don’t hide my emotions too well, this was another one of those days. It was strewn all over my face.

Daniel Cleary dejected sitting on the floor following his penalty miss.

I made my way down to the level one of the Aviva Stadium and after having a few quiet words with Jamie McGrath and getting a gift from his girlfriend (Thanks to Fiona!) I headed back to the car for the long and quiet journey home. I didn’t even turn the radio on for fear of hearing a news report…now that action was petty I’ll give you that one.

It’s times in defeat you reflect on a season and the club as a whole. I am extremely proud of Vinny Perth and his staff for what they have done this season, as I said in my programme piece they faced a challenge and expectation both on and off the pitch that can only be matched by the ruthless, cutthroat narrative that you see in Real Madrid. Winning isn’t an expectation, it’s a matter of fact. He has guided his way through a very difficult year and did it with an honest, assured approach that has made him appreciated by fans and press alike.

We live in a world where everything in professional football is coached and polished to the extreme, media-wise Vinny has been brilliant, you would never be short of good quotes and assessment of what has just happened on the pitch.

This has been mirrored by his players who as always were ready to speak and engage with you, you share a little glimpse of their glory of a win and carry a small part of the burden of sorrow in their loss, its a unique relationship that makes working with a club like Dundalk so special.

I think however there are aspects to the club that need to be improved on and fast or we face to lose the core element of the club.

The supporter’s community ethos.

This year the club ran a fantastic and successful campaign raising money for Temple Street Children Hospital. For many, a parent in Dundalk Temple Street was a godsend to assist in their child’s wellbeing. The jersey was a massive success and donning the purple jersey was a massive mark of pride for the charitable cause.

This is the benchmark of what the club needs to do in the future, but it needs to do it with the assistance of supporters.

Last Sunday I saw two successful, vibrant and colour displays showing their support for the club, what on the day won it? Shamrock Rovers hands down as much as it pains me to say. They had flags, banners the lot. It marked the occasion and added to the spectacle of the final. This is where Dundalk falls a little and I’ve publicly said it before. Dundalk desperately needs a supporters club — and fast.

I know there is the Tie-Wrap gang, the Shed Side Army and other small groups but what if we were to work together? What if we had a group that brought projects to the TWG and the SSA and said ‘Listen we want to help you and you can help us’. A supporters group that embraces the community element and works with the club to create a better atmosphere and fan experience for all fans at the club.

As some of you know I am a member of the FC Cincinnati Supporters group ‘The Pride’. They were founded along with the club and upon reading their structure and set up along with their by-laws it paved the perfect blueprint for a similar group in Dundalk to be established. This will lead to more fan-based events at the club that will ensure that supporting Dundalk FC is not just on a Friday night event. We have missed a Supporters of the Year event during the clubs most successful period as a steering committee wasn’t in place to undertake it. The same hands were being asked to run the show and I cannot for one second blame them for stopping it. It’s thankless and there is always a critic. I think now is the time to set up a supporters club that everyone can get behind and work with but it needs to be done right.

An initial steering committee must be set up to hold elections for positions on the supporters club committee, the positions must be clearly defined so that everyone understands their role but more importantly they must be the right person for the job. There is a wealth of experience, expertise and knowledge sitting in the stands, standing in the terraces or shed of Oriel Park, it is about time we use it and utilise it.

You know have to look at the examples of the events that have been run at other clubs this year and see what can be done if a supporters club was in place. Sligo Rovers in the past six weeks have run both a fashion show and an event where an orchestra accompanied dance music to make a music show similar to that of DJ Jenny Greene of 2FM. What do those events shout out to you? They are tapping into a certain section of people and supporters in the community.

Shamrock Rovers held a table quiz in which as part of the quiz team you had a player alongside you. Don’t get me wrong we would all love Robbie Benson on our team but what does it do? It develops and forges closer relationships between the players and supporters. It creates friendships and bonds. It creates a community.

All of these events can be held at the club, they have the facilities to do it and I for one think we are underutilising aspects to Oriel Park that need to be tapped into. If Dundalk and its supporters can make Friday nights an event with colour, support and dare I said it flare it attracts new people to come through the gates. If a supporters group works with the TWG, SSA and the club we can tap into the wealth of resources and support that it has. This team deserves more than an average of 2,500 supporters at Oriel, a town of 55,000 and a catchment or nearly twice that should have 5000. Think I’m talking rubbish? How come there were 10,000 people at the Cup Final to see Dundalk…evidence that we are not attracting them home. We need to do that now.

Our success on the pitch needs now to be reflected with success of it and we need to support Vinny even more in 2020 and that takes hard work. I know so many Dundalk fans a lot of which I call my close friends and they put their hard-earned money and time to the club. Some are selfless and volunteer their time to the club, from our Media Officer Darren Crawley, Orla Taaffe who runs the club shop, Martin Cooper on security to Tony McAleer who marshals the stand and makes sure everyone gets a seat. Don’t they deserve a night out where they don’t have to volunteer, switch off and enjoy a night with other fans? Of course, they do and that’s what the supporters club can do.

We need to channel that passion for the club better. I am passionate about a supporters club as take away the media pass I am one.

As my former principal once said to me he was able to gauge whether Dundalk won or not on Friday night simply by seeing how I walked into school Monday, a pep in my step three points — the slow walk in zero points. Thankfully he saw few of those slow walks in.

Peak6 investments will take care of the issues that are currently in place at the club in the close season, once again there will be a winter of change and lessons will be learned from what has happened this year, better people in the media are better to reflect on this. However, reflection must bring the best course of action. Just like I did in the car on the way home.

Football without fans is nothing anyone will tell you that. Maybe Dundalk fans should get together and work on a project with the club to create something truly special for 2020. It just takes the right minds and attitude. I think we have that in abundance.

As for the cup final? It still hurts you know.

Written by

Reporter for the SSE Airtricity League for Dundalk FC and the Footall Association of Ireland

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