As we close in on the business end of the season, here's an update on Dee4Life’s BBC Predictor mini league - the position shown for our top 5 is the overall BBC position.

Position     Name                           Points

118.         louise_l                          140

464.         Bodie76                          133

485.         petegilmartin                   132

557.         Naebanginondawindeez      131

808.         bruceb99                        128

Good luck to all entrants for the rest of the season.

Around 20 former players took a bow at Dens Park at half time on Saturday as Dundee FC and Dee4Life Trust hosted a matchday get-together in an effort to launch a Former Players Association.

We need your help folks - can anyone who knows or is in contact with any ex player please draw this initiative to their attention? You can also submit contact details here. All those who attended yesterday had a great day meeting old friends and watching the team they had the privilege of playing for. It had been a long time for some of them and many others no doubt, I'm sure you all enjoyed seeing them come together at half time on the park as much as we did. The wider we can spread the net the more often we can make magic like this happen.

Bob Brannan was in to address our guests yesterday before kick off and Jocky, who is a member of the Aberdeen Association, did likewise after the match. The Club are determined to make this happen and Dee4Life are only too happy to assist - we've a long and proud history to protect, let’s celebrate it more often.

Local charities are set to benefit from an innovative new Player of the Month award newly launched by Dee4Life.

At the last home match of each month 30 Dundee FC fans will be selected at random from the crowd -  10 each from the Bobby Cox Stand, the South Enclosure and the Main Stand - and given a printed card on which to vote for their player of the week for every week of the following month.

At the end of that month the completed cards, which are pre-stamped, will be posted back to Dee4Life. The player receiving most votes will be named Player of the Month and will be presented with a special commemorative certificate, while the 30 voters' names will be entered in a draw, the winner of which will be photographed along with the player.

In addition however, rather than the traditional practice of presenting the winning player with a trophy, a donation will be made on his behalf to the charity of his choice. “We are actively working on ways in which we can help bring our football club and the community closer together,” said Dee4Life’s Mike Jeffries, “and we feel this latest initiative is a prime example of how we’re trying to achieve that aim.”

The March Player of the Month will be announced early in April, the voting cards having been handed out at the Partick Thistle match on 20th February. To help fund this new charitable venture, Dee4Life would welcome approaches from local businesses or individuals interested in sponsorship.

Representatives of Dee4Life and Dundee FC met on Tuesday to discuss pricing policy for next season.

In what was a very productive meeting, both groups gained a solid understanding of each others' objectives, constraints and points of view, and there was a lot of common ground. Thanks to wide-ranging input from fans, Dee4Life were able to agree with the club a number of key areas where we will work on proposals over the next couple of weeks, covering:
- Pricing for kids
- Family section / ticket packages
- Pegging South Enclosure prices  for "smaller" fixtures

We'd like to thank Dundee FC for participating in such thorough, open and honest dialogue and can assure fans' that their interests are being looked after and taken into account by the Club. While pricing is unlikely to be announced before the end of the season, Dee4Life will continue to work with the club both in advance of season tickets going on sale, and next season to drive and support further initiatives to promote football to the people of Dundee.

The next step is for Dee4Life to make specific proposals concerning the three areas mentioned above. These will then be discussed by the Board and hopefully will be approved.

This Saturday Dee4Life are giving you the chance to win a whole host of prizes at the Casino Night, being held in the lounges at Dens from 7.30pm until midnight.

Prizes include:

1 Night Club Class B&B in Landmark Hotel, Dundee
Boardroom Hospitality for two for a match at Dens Park
One Year’s Subscription to Club Dundee
Signed Dundee FC Top
Signed Dundee FC Ball
Signed, Framed Brian Kerr Top
Meal for two at Hilton Hotel, Dundee
Meal for two at Invercarse Hotel, Dundee
Entrance to Penman Lounge & Drinks Vouchers
DVD Player
5 Dundee FC Children’s Tops ( Last Season)
5 Dundee FC Supporters Association Tops
Two Golf Lessons at Downfield Golf Club
Bottle of Whisky
Bottle of Vodka

Tickets are priced just £10 and as well as blackjack, roulette and poker, there'll be a buffet, karaoke, and a chance to meet some of the first team squad. To buy tickets click on the banner above or telephone George Harris on 07957 350568.

There can’t be many other people like him as more than fifty years after making his debut for a team he supported as a boy he was still following them home and away. Like ever other Dundee fan I had the utmost respect and admiration for Bobby as a person, he always had time for ordinary supporters like myself, I felt privileged every time I saw him.

Grateful also for what he had achieved in his life - a local lad who led the team in the finest hour of our long proud history. Bobby was indeed a True Dark Blue Legend and a great ambassador for the Club, someone who will be truly missed at Dens Park and in the city he lived in all his life in forever more.

Yesterday was a truly sad day I’m sure for everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him, he was a gentleman and on behalf of Dee4Life I’d like to extend our deepest sympathy to his family and closest friends - you are in many people's thoughts at what must be a very difficult time.

Scott Glenday

Chairman, Dee4Life Trust 

Make sure of your tickets for the Dee4Life Casino Night next Saturday, and click to buy online - we'll post them straight out to you.

Discussions are ongoing between Dee4Life and the board of Dundee FC about ticket pricing with a view to next season. This week the first British club to reveal their prices for 2010/11 were Arsenal, who confirmed they are freezing season ticket and matchday prices. In fact, since they moved from Highbury 5 years ago, season ticket prices have only risen once. What's more, many clubs in the English Premier League and elsewhere froze or even reduced prices this season (2009/10) due to the financial pressure put on fans in the current economic climate.

Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis said: "Having a lengthy waiting list for season tickets puts the Club in an advantageous position when determining the ticket pricing policy each season. Having given the matter due consideration, we strongly believe the right course of action is to freeze the cost of match tickets and season tickets for the forthcoming season. We are mindful that the current financial climate is difficult and our decision to maintain the current pricing structure reflects that."

Football trade magazine FC Business looked at this issue as well as the “embarrassment” of Bolton’s recent FA Cup tie with Tottenham which attracted a crowd of just 13,596 – less than half the Reebok Stadium’s capacity. Perhaps clubs are finally coming round to the idea that football is over-priced..?

You can read the minutes of last month's Dee4Life Trust board meeting here.

Third biggest cheer at Dens Park on the day when the Dees scored twice to beat Ayr United 2-1 and progress into the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup was for little Daisy Walker, who was celebrating her first birthday! Mum introduced her on the pitch to the fans at half-time, and she was greeted with a rousing round of applause.
 
Earlier in the afternoon Daisy was one of the crowd enjoying the pre-match atmosphere in the Andy Penman lounge, where she blew out the candle on the birthday cake that had been appropriately decorated to look like a football pitch.
 
Daisy is no stranger to the Andy Penman lounge. When just three weeks old she was photographed there with the Rangers' Cypriot loan star Giorgos Efrem, who in his brief spell at Dundee FC established himself as a firm favourite with all our fans, not just Daisy!
 
Daisy lays claim to be one of our very youngest fans. Anyone want to hold up their hand claiming to be the oldest? Or to nominate someone else for that accolade?

The Dee4Life/Dundee FC Community Project's 2nd visit was to St Peter & Paul's Primary in Byron Street, Dundee. Billy Shepherd again popped along with Dundee FC Community Coach Craig Feret to hand over a signed ball and a set of footballs from Dee4Life Trust. 

"We received a very friendly welcome from the staff and pupils at St Peter and Pauls" said Billy." We are of course very grateful for this, and delighted that the visits seem to be so eagerly anticipated", he continued. "It was also good to see Leigh Griffiths giving up his time to come along to meet the kids and sign autographs".

Craig and Billy were joined by Leigh Griffiths participating in a light coaching session, Billy, Craig, Leigh and the kids are pictured below  

John Saunders was one of almost 500 members who updated their contact details recently, and he was delighted come out of the hat as the winner in our free prize draw.

It's vital that all members provide us with an email address to keep receiving Trust news, AGM notifications, etc - and check their other details are up to date as well.

Matchwinner Leigh Griffiths presented John with a signed, framed shirt on Saturday - a great prize for just a couple of minutes visiting the members' area of our website!

Four supporters in the Andy Penman lounge at our last home match had more reason to be happy than the rest. They were the lucky ones whose raffle tickets were pulled out of George McGregor's hat by Ross Barrie of Fife Dark Blues.  Sandy Harris's ticket won for him a Dee4Life shirt bearing a number of impressive player signatures.  Victor Herd and Peter Kane (who coincidentally happened to be sitting next to each other on the top deck of the lounge) each took home a bottle of Cava to celebrate the victory that was to come later in the afternoon.  Bruce Burnett wouldn't have minded the rain on his way home after the match, he won an umbrella!  Our picture shows Sandy Harris receiving his prize from the Trust's George Harris.

Dee4Life made their second donation of the season to Dundee FCs Youth Development Programme. The money was raised via their Club Dundee initiative; this brings the total donated by the Trust to the Club in the last six months to an impressive £30,000.

Our picture shows Club Dundee Member Michael Colgan presenting the cheque to John Holt. 

Chairman Scott Glenday said "I'd like to thank everyone who has made this possible, after five years in Division One the support home and away has again been remarkable. Our fans are as committed as any group anywhere in the country. There's a great belief we're going up this year , it's no more than our lot deserve not only for the backing from the stands but also for continuing to support the Club financially by way of social events , fundraisers and other various initiatives."

"We've punched way above our weight for a long time now, Club Dundees membership continues to grow and it's something we should all be very proud. I'd like to extend my gratitude to members of the local business community for the valuable sponsorship they have provided, this has been another successful initiative launched by the fans and backed by the community as a whole."

There's another great night of entertainment lined up at Dens at the Dee4Life Casino Night on Saturday 27th February, from 7.30pm until midnight.
 
Held in the Andy Penman and Charlie Cooke lounges, there will be roulette and blackjack tables, karaoke, a buffet, raffle and auction.
 
Tickets are priced at just £10 and are on sale this Saturday from Dee4Life stalls at Dens and in the Penman Lounge. Proceeds go towards Youth Development.