The Claret & Blue Club Drogheda

A P

(I checked with the moderator Mr Magnolia that it was ok to post this here).

The Claret & Blue Club is the new fundraising wing of Drogheda United FC. It was set up 8 weeks ago to provide a solid financial backbone to the club. Members who join will receive a membership card entitling them to discounts in over 30 local businesses in the Drogheda area. They'll also be entered in a monthly prize draw for some excellent prizes. Membership costs just €5 per week, and all the details of how to join are on www.claretandblueclub.com. (You don't have to be a Drogs fan to join). The businesses offering discounts to members are as follows:

* Four Star Pizza 10% off meal deals; 25% off full price pizzas
* Sorrentos Restaurant & Pizzeria 10%
* Bizou Cafe Bar 10%
* Bengal Spice 10%
* D'Vine Wine Bar and Restaurant 10%
* BB's 10% off Tea and Coffee
* Punjabi House 5%
* Hurley Brothers Delicatessen and Coffee Shop 5%
* Only Natural Health Foods 5%
* Sunworld/Panorama Holidays 10%
* Arrow Tours 10% off Hotel Accommodation
* The Design Gallery 10%
* Homeflair (10% off purchases over €100)
* Boyne Framing 10%
* Shamrock Lodge Studios 5%
* Sky Digital Kiosk 10%
* Victor Dwyer Ladies Shoes 10% (excluding sales stock)
* Noel Heeney Sports and Menswear 10%
* Boyne Books 10% off book purchases
* McKenna Tiles 10% (excludes sales stock)
* Recharge Cartridges 10% off refills
* Anglo Printers 5%
* Julian Blinds 5% (additional to sales discount)
* Wildes Blinds 10%
* Ardbryan Clinic Physiotherapy 10%
* Owen Fox & Sons Jewellers 10%
* The Sound Shop 10%
* 1st Choice Driving School 10%
* Paul Connor Photography 10%
* Furness Accident Repair Centre 5%
* Paddy Dwyers 10% (excluding sales stock)

For more details, visit www.claretandblueclub.com, email info@claretandblueclub.com or send me a pm if you've any questions. Cheers.

DYLF

tell ya what....
bring back dan connor and i'll join

fh041205

DYLF wrote: »

tell ya what....
bring back dan connor and i'll join

We had Danny O'Connor. Will that do?

A P

I'd happily bring back both of them if I could! Drogs legends the pair of them. Since my last post, a couple more local businesses have signed up to offer discounts to Claret & Blue Club members:

Sean Freeman Menswear (10%)
Quay Cycles (10%)

The September prize draw will take place on September 4th - there will be 17 lucky prizewinners. The prize list is as follows:

One week sun holiday courtesy of Sunworld/Panorama Holidays
2 tickets to Ireland v Italy in Croke Park on October 10th
2 tickets to Ireland v Montenegro in Croke Park on October 14th
2 admission tickets to the Fairyhouse Winter Festival on Sunday 29th November
4 tickets to the Paddypower.com Greyhound Derby Final in Shelbourne Park
8 vouchers for 12'' pizzas courtesy of Four Star Pizza, Drogheda
5 free driving lessons courtesy of 1st Choice Driving School
Free disco party for up to 10 children Mon-Thurs, valid for 1 year, courtesy of Drogheda Leisure Park
His & hers jackets courtesy of Noel Heeney Sportswear
€25 voucher for Bizou Cafe Bar

See www.claretandblueclub.com for more details.

fh041205

A P wrote: »

2 tickets to Ireland v Italy in Croke Park on October 10th
2 tickets to Ireland v Montenegro in Croke Park on October 14th

Wouldn't mind winning those at all!!! Those are some great prizes. Even if you just look at it like a raffle its bloody good.

A P

Cheers. We started this from scratch 8 weeks ago, and we've nearly 170 members already so we're making good progress. We're really trying to give value for the €5 a week - people can't afford to waste money nowadays. For example, if you need tiles, an engagement ring, a new bike, a musical instrument etc - there are significant savings to be made by joining and using your membership card to get discounts. We've given away 14 prizes so far in the July and August draws - another 17 in September - so 31 out of the 170 members will have won something in the first 3 months. Better odds than the lotto for sure!

A P

The Claret & Blue Club received some coverage as Gaeilge during the recently-televised match against Cork City thanks to the good folk at TG4. Irish-English dictionaries at the ready!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gq76obJFtI

Famous45

Don't see why you don't organise a campaign whereby the people of Drogheda can donate €5, €10 or whatever fee it may be, a week, with the intention of buying a substantial share in the club, the excess money can go towards purchasing new players. If I had a share in a club I know I would be following them every home game if there was a discount for members. This combined with the extra you already provide would see at least a couple of thousand members signing up.

2000 members x €5 a week is €40,000 a month to invest into the club. I think if people were aware that their money is actually going somewhere for example into youth development, even more people would consider joining. I'm sure it's been discussed in the past year but I think it's time to actually put something like this to work before it all goes tits up again.

A P

The Claret & Blue Club is delighted to announce the €50,000 holiday voucher giveaway!!!

500 lucky members of the Claret & Blue Club will receive vouchers to the value of €100 each thanks to an exciting new deal between the Claret & Blue Club and its main sponsor, Panorama Holidays.

This offer is open to a maximum of 500 members including all existing members, and new members who join the Claret & Blue Club up to and including the 31st of October 2009 and who subscribe by weekly (€5 per week), monthly (€20 per month) or annual standing order (€250 per year), PayPal (monthly or annual payment), annual cheque or cash.

This holiday voucher offer is additional to all the existing incentives to join. These include discounts of up to 10% in 34 businesses in the Drogheda area, and entry into a monthly prize draw (46 prizes have already been awarded, including 4 sun holidays and tickets to Ireland v Italy in Croke Park).

All the details are on www.CandB.ie

Mr Magnolia

Merged. Please don't start another thread on this.

PDN

DYLF wrote: »

tell ya what....
bring back dan connor and i'll join

Promise me crazy Dan will never come back and I'll join.

Kenteach

PDN wrote: »

Promise me crazy Dan will never come back and I'll join.

I promise you crazy Dan will never come back.

You can download your membership form and direct debit mandate from www.claretandblueclub.com

bottomdog

all credit for helping the club

fh041205

PDN wrote: »

Promise me crazy Dan will never come back and I'll join.

He's the second best keeper in the league atm. I'd take him in an instant. But its pretty safe to assume he won't be back. I love the headline "Forget Nama, think Panorama".:D

Whiskey Devil

Good crowd of Drogs out at the Bray game last night. Didn't realise so many travelled with them - fair play! That 92nd minute winner made it all worthwhile.

fh041205

It was a massive game and a great great win. I had expected a good few to travel down tbh. Only took 1hr10mins in the car. Its nice to be on the right end of those last minute goals for a change! Very poor crowd from Bray. The town seems to have lost interest in them.

When is the C&B draw next month? Is it the 1st of the month?

A P

The November draw will probably be held a couple of days early on October 30th to coincide with our last home game of the season against St Pats. We haven't decided that fully yet. What a win last night. Great scenes in Bray when Chambers slotted it home. Roll on the derby!

The first Claret & Blue Club billboard was unveiled during the week on George's St in town - across from the Trinity Arms. If you haven't seen it - there are some photos here: http://www.claretandblueclub.com/gallery.html

A P

A Google map of the businesses offering discounts to Claret & Blue Club members can now be seen at http://claretandblueclub.com/business_map.html if anyone is interested.

Whiskey Devil

James Chambers to be given the key to the TOWN! Legend.

A P

http://www.droghedaunited.ie/photo/index/id/6910 - what a goal!

A P

The Future is Claret & Blue!

The Board of Drogheda United FC today announced its intention to transform Drogheda United into a community club, owned and directed by the recently formed and successful Claret & Blue Club.

Like many businesses in the region, Drogheda United has been badly affected by the economic downturn. However, despite the challenges both on and off the pitch, the club enjoys massive support in the community, typified by the unprecedented fundraising effort that saved the club from extinction at the turn of the year. Newly appointed General Manager Sean Connolly said that the Board had in recent weeks considered ways to restore the vitality that surrounded the club before it entered examinership. “Various options for running a club successfully were examined and, of those, the community ownership model as exemplified by Shamrock Rovers stood head and shoulders above the rest. Having come to that conclusion, it has been decided to place the club on a non-profit footing with all revenues being vested in the club. A transfer of ownership of Drogheda United to the Claret & Blue Club would give existing and new members a direct say in how the football club is run and would in effect entrust this vital community asset to its supporters. There’s a lot of hard work ahead but the people of Drogheda proved during examinership that they are ready to stand up and be counted”.

The Claret & Blue Club was formed in June 2009 as a means of bringing a constant, guaranteed revenue stream into Drogheda United FC. It has rapidly evolved into the most innovative fundraising initiative in the League of Ireland today. With a membership already in excess of 200, a trebling of this number would provide the strong platform needed to smooth the transfer of ownership to the supporters of DUFC. Members currently receive discounts in 35 local businesses in the Drogheda area, and are entered into a monthly prize draw. As an additional incentive to join, main Claret & Blue Club sponsors Panorama Holidays have also offered the first 500 members a €100 holiday voucher.

Over the coming weeks the club will consult with supporters on how best to manage the transfer of ownership.

Lifelong supporter and major shareholder in Drogheda United Vincent Hoey said, “The club empathises with the many people and businesses who are struggling to cope with the effects of the recession. We intend to show leadership and to work more closely with the business community, the local authority, the Chamber of Commerce and all citizens to the benefit of the club and the region’s economy”. Mr. Hoey added that significant changes to the structure and administration of the club have already been implemented with the recent appointment of General Manager Sean Connolly and Commercial Manager Peter Halpin.

In order to secure the immediate future of the club, a “Legacy” initiative has also today been unveiled under which a number of business leaders will be invited to provide additional financial support and become life guardians of the club. This scheme is targeted at those who recognise that this important community asset is an integral part of the social fabric of the region.

Mr. Connolly said, “The support of local business leaders will be essential in allowing us the time to effect a smooth transition of ownership to the people. I am confident that we can reinvigorate the club over the coming weeks and months so that supporters can look forward to a strong and thriving club achieving further glory for the town and its environs.”

bottomdog

Well done Claret and Blue, I am a fan that grew tired on the see-saw finances and financial ruin the club constantly steered itself into. A few years back I decided to give my time and assistance to local community schoolboy soccer instead, and what little cash I could give, DUFC was not viable and I just could not support poor financial management. Now, I am glad Claret and Blue are in control in a community non profit. I hope you guys make it a policy to not borrow or overspend. If the club can even prove it can break even conut me in, I am all for it.

stovelid

Fair play for helping the club lads and I hope it goes well for you. The league needs supporters like youse.

I think I'd want a guarantee of a say in the ownersnhip/running of the club before committing my cash though?

A P

Thanks. Nothing is set in stone at the moment. The club have indicated a willingness to transfer ownership to the supporters if the supporters are willing to take it on. Discussions will take place between all interested parties in the coming days to chart the way forward. Realistically it will take over 500 members to make it a viable proposition.

doncarlos

Good luck with this lads. I'm not sure if a supporters run club is the best course of action in the long term but hopefully it works out as having two strong teams in Louth is hugely beneficial for both clubs.

HALLOW RUBY

What input do DUISC have in all this?

bottomdog

it can only be good for the club, all told. will sign up

A P

Sorry for the delay in replying. It has been a busy few days as you can imagine. Regarding DUISC's role in this, the following was posted on the Drogs messageboard by their treasurer this afternoon.

"The DUISC committee attended a meeting last night with the Claret & Blue Club and Sean Connolly & Peter Halpin from the club.

This meeting was very positive and a lot of common ground was found. There is now a sense of realism in addition to the recognition of the need for proper structures in order for there to be a future for the club. Perhaps it has taken new people to come in, who had no part in previous regimes, for a true break with the past to be made. Sean Connolly (General Manager) & Peter Halpin (Commercial Manager) assured us that they are in this for the long haul until such time that the supporters of Drogheda United are in a realistic position to assume control of the club.

In this regard the plans for a supporter/community owned club are very much in the embryonic stage. There is however a willingness from the current board of directors to transfer ownership to supporters debt free. A mechanism to achieve this is currently being worked on by those in the club. However, it must be born in mind, that the current proposal is just that, a proposal. It will take time and it will require the supporters to grasp the nettle and show that this is what they want.

What we have now is a positive move for the club as whole, but it is only the first step in what is a marathon. The Claret & Blue Club, Sean & Peter and ourselves in DUISC will continue to work together to provide the basis for this proposal but it will require the supporters and community to show the same spirit we showed this time last year for it to work."

The above pretty much sums up where we're at at the moment. Watch this space.

fh041205

Early days yet, but hopefully a step in the right direction. Everyone seems to think the world of 'the rovers model' and I think this is in line to become something similar. I also think that a few Rovers representatives were mentioned in one of the press releases so please god this will come to fruition.

One thing though, this will go down the pan if we get relegated. But we all know our record in playoffs.:D

A P

A public meeting will take place next Wednesday night (October 28th) to discuss the future of Drogheda United FC. Details on www.CandB.ie.

fh041205

In the Tommy Leddy Theatre at the sound shop, for those who don't know what TLT stands for.