DUNDALK FC CLUB DIRECTORY Honorary Club President Des Casey Chairman Bill Hulsizer Board Bill Hulsizer, James Baboulas, David Samhat and Des Donleavy Sporting Director Jim Magilton Secretary Padraig McGowan Finance Officer Elaine Duffy Stadium Manager Aaron Lawless Office Manager Ailish Kelly DFC MAGAZINE: ISSUE 11 Media Officer Gavin McLaughlin Community Officer Liam Burns 06: FROM THE DUGOUT Ground Staff John Moore, Jimmy Fisher and Cyril Moore Commercial Manager Ronan Shields 10: LAST TIME WE MET Marketing Consultant Paddy Casey Player Liaison Officer Des Donleavy Press Officer Darren Crawley 18: AN INTRODUCTION TO... Club Ambassadors Paul Brown and Andy Connolly Event Controller Regina O’Hare 20: FIVE TO WATCH Bar Manager Kevin Carthy Office Admin Karen Travers 22: THE A LE COQ ARENA DUNDALK FC TEAM MANAGEMENT Head Coach Vinny Perth 28: RETRO: RED STAR 1988 Goalkeeping Coach Graham Byas S&C Coach Graham Norton Academy Manager Stephen McDonnell 32: CENTRE SPREAD Doctor Dr Dualtach MacColgáin Sports Science Lorcan Mason Video Analyst Dominic Corrigan 38: THIRD ROUND DRAW Kit Manager Noel Walsh DUNDALK FC 40: EURO PROGRAMMES MAGAZINE Editors Gavin McLaughlin and Paul 44: TALLINN 2018 Dunne Contributors David Farrelly, Tom O’Connor, Sean De Loughry, Martyn 50: CLUB PARTNERS Hindley, Padraig McGowan, Colm Murphy, Jim Murphy (RIP), Gerard Mooney 54: PLAYER SPONSORS Photography Sportsfile, Ciaran Culligan, Katariina Peetson (Levadia Tallinn), Mick Slevin (RIP), Kevin McArdle (RIP), Ken 56: THE NUMBERS GAME Finegan Artwork Shane Doyle Printers Anglo Printers Drogheda 58: 2021 STATISTICS Thanks to Ray McManus, Stephen McCarthy (Sportsfile) 60: THE SPECTATOR Programme of the Year 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 62: THE QUIZ Note: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily 64: TEAMS & OFFICIALS shared by Dundalk FC...especially The OFFICIAL SPONSORS OF DUNDALK FC Spectator! © 2021 Dundalk FC DFC MAGAZINE | 3 OPENING SHOT 17 July 2021; Sonni Nattestad, pictured with his five-year-old son Romeo after the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match with Finn Harps at Oriel Park. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile 4 | DFC MAGAZINE Dundalk v Levadia Tallinn | Thursday July 22nd 2021 DFC MAGAZINE | 5 FROM THE DUGOUT VINNY PERTH ’m not being disrespectful to good tie. The work rate of our front three Newtown AFC when I say that The game will obviously be in the last few games has been tonight’s game feels like a real played in Tallaght. We will miss outstanding and really helped the European tie. Oriel Park but it just isn’t the same team achieve those clean sheets unless it is full so the addition of and Alessio Abibi has also been IWe played Levadia Tallinn before 1,000 of our fans will really create outstanding for us in the past in 2018 in a close contest and, an atmosphere and the players are month. thankfully, we came out the right looking forward to the occasion. Thankfully, the players who were side of it. They have nine Estonian Being involved in Europe is a recently affected by Covid have internationals in their squad and bonus at the moment. We’re under returned to the squad. That was this will be a real step up in level. pressure in the league because we a real blow to us. We played the I think both clubs were unlucky need wins to move us up the table first round in Europe with six senior to draw each other in this round. so being involved in a European tie players missing. Covid is a real It hasn’t been favourable in that gives us that bit of a release that issue in the country at the moment. sense. If you look at the third we can go and enjoy our football. We are seeing that at GAA clubs qualifying round draw, our seeding Tallaght will also help in relation to and at other clubs in the League of hasn’t done us any favours either. the conditions. Ireland. It’s something that won’t Whoever wins this tie has been The weather has really affected get any better anytime soon but, given a mighty challenge in the games. We saw that against Finn hopefully, we have had our issues form of Vitesse Arnhem but we Harps at the weekend and against and come out the other side of it. can only think about that if we go Newtown in the last round it was The return of those players gives through. This is a proper European extremely hot. The astroturf at Oriel us real options on the bench and tie and it’s one we are all really Park also creates heat so the grass in terms of our starting XI. It has looking forward to. pitch and the evening kickoff will definitely given us a few selection There has been a lot of changes help us. headaches. Sean Murray has great at both clubs since we met in 2018 Away goals have been scrapped European experience, Cameron so this will be a completely different this year and that gives clubs real Dummigan was one of the club’s game. We probably have more freedom to go and attack now. In form players in Europe last year players in our squad from back the past, if you were at home, 2-1 and Pat Hoban’s goalscoring then than they do so it’s a different or 3-1 wasn’t a perfect result in record is there for all to see. proposition. It’s two different sets Europe because of the away goal Finally, on Sunday, we also begin of players, two different stadiums but it’s something you can play the defence of the FAI Cup with - they play in the national stadium with now. On the flip side, if you a really tough tie against Treaty while we’ll be in Tallaght - and it’s keep a clean sheet at home, you United in Limerick. They started the even two different head coaches in really miss scoring that away goal. season really sluggishly but they charge. It’s going to be a different It’s a matter of finding that balance have been great over the last while experience for both clubs. It’s a but, ultimately, you win games of and they were excellent against new challenge and that’s what football by keeping clean sheets UCD last Friday, a game that I Europe is all about. and that’s part of the process this went to watch. They have a lot of From watching them, they are a evening, even though it’s two young, fit, and hungry players and really good side. They are really attack-minded teams coming up we really need to be ready for that. well-balanced with a similar style against each other. It will be difficult after a European and shape to how we play. They This is a new Dundalk team. game, we saw that at the weekend are a team full of quality and their Since I returned to the club, we with Bohemians and Sligo Rovers captain, Brent Lepistu, who plays have played seven games and we dropping points in their games. in a deep midfield role, and their are starting to get some rhythm. We managed to do our business front five are exceptional and a real Stylistically, you are starting to right against Finn Harps and we’ll attacking threat. Their league form see what we are looking for. It’s have to do that again on Sunday has been outstanding and they very early in that process and this because it’s a very difficult game have real strength in depth. If it is another test but we have three and we are all desperate to bring was a boxing match, people would clean sheets in a row now and this club to another cup final. be saying it’s two fighters with very that is something we are proud of. I hope you enjoy the game, similar styles so it’s set up to be a That comes from the whole team. Vinny Perth The Official Good Food Partners of Dundalk FC DUNDALK F.C. 2021 HOME KIT AVAILABLE NOW WWW.UMBRO.IE 8 | DFC MAGAZINE Dundalk v Levadia Tallinn | Thursday July 22nd 2021 DFC MAGAZINE | 9 A5 2020 LOI Programme Ads(1).indd 5 22/03/2021 15:24 Dundalk and Levadia Tallinn players line up before the UEFA Europa League game at Oriel Park in 2018 This is the second time that Dundalk have crossed paths with Levadia Tallinn in European competition. The first meeting came in 2018 when the clubs met in the UEFA Europa League, a tie that will be remembered for Michael Duffy’s wonder strike in the second leg at Oriel Park. LEVADIA TALLINN 0-1 DUNDALK FC opponents, and we will have to plan Thursday, July 12th 2018 accordingly.” Kadriorg Staadion It was the second year in succession that Levadia were paired with a League 2018 UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE EUROPA UEFA 2018 Dundalk went into the tie as favourites of Ireland club. In 2017, they were to advance past the nine-time beaten 6-2 on aggregate in the first qualifying round by Cork City. Left: Dane Massey in action in champions of Estonia and book a Estonia. Right: Dylan Connolly second qualifying round tie with AEK The first leg took place at the 5,000 celebrates his winner at the Larnaca, but speaking after the draw seater Kadriorg Stadium and it proved Kadriorg Stadium to be a memorable night for Dylan return was made, Lilywhites manager Stephen leg a week later.