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.   

Trust Chairman Scott Glenday  

"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.

A working group which has representatives from Dee4Life met on Saturday pre-match to continue doing the groundwork for the launch of a Dundee FC Ex-Players' Association. Scott Glenday and George Knight have been joined by Bob Hynd, Norrie Price and Mark Robertson, preparation is very much in its infancy however it is hoped that plans will be unveiled in the near future and approaches made to an initial grouof players in order to get the initiative up and running.

Dee4Life’s community project continued this week with a visit to Gowriehill Primary School. The project supports and promotes football in the local community by helping primary schools through the provision of expert coaching sessions and new footballs. Dee4life’s Billy Shepherd went along to the first visit of 2010 to find out just what goes on… 

The project is taken care of by Craig Feret and Chris Paton, the DFC in the Community coaches. The kids at each school are taken for a coaching session where Craig and Chris pass on their knowledge to their eager audience. Afterwards the participants are given a chance to meet some of their heroes who are doing it for real – this week Kyle Benedictus and Craig Forsyth popped along to meet the kids and sign some autographs. Kyle said “We’re delighted to come along and support this project, and hopefully provide some inspiration as positive role models.”

Pictured are the group of girls and boys from Gowriehill Primary School with Craig Forsyth, Kyle Benedictus, Craig Feret, and Chris Paton. The school were also presented with a signed football and set of footballs donated by Dee4Life Trust.

We aim to continue with visits to different schools every month and will keep you updated with our progress.

Having taken a break over the Christmas and New Year period, the full Trust board met this morning at Dens and caught up on progress of a number of projects.

High on the agenda was the election of office bearers, and Scott Glenday (Chairman), Stuart Murphy (Vice-Chairman), Alex Kidd (Treasurer) and Fraser MacDonald (Secretary) were all re-appointed to their respective positions unopposed.

It was also agreed (as outlined at the AGM) that to minimise disruption to the management of the football club mid-season, the election of a Representative on the Board of Dundee FC would be delayed until March (to be effective from May after a period of transition), and that George Knight would continue in this role in the meantime.

Detailed minutes will be published online shortly.

Having been willing to fund any materials required and confident of being able to get enough bodies to assist the Trust contacted Jim Thomson to discuss the possibility of getting the Derry opened Sunday. 

Having listened to his valid concerns re the potential deterioration of the stairs and surrounding area on Sunday afternoon whilst the game takes place we have to say we think he's made the correct decision. 

We could have made the access areas safe pre-match but the stairs and paths could well freeze over during the game – a potential recipe for disaster when fans are leaving the stadium at full time.

Jim has overall responsibility for site safety on Sunday and if he's decided there's a significant potential for injury he's duty bound to eliminate that risk to anyone attending the game. The only way he can guarantee that in such conditions is to close that part of the ground.

If it had just been down to resources and money we’re sure we could have managed to get both together in time.

We’re just grateful we've the chance of a game, and are happy to see the clubs and authorities have agreed to switch fixtures and ensure the fans have a game to watch. Here’s to three points and we’re grateful to all for giving us the chance of a game at the weekend.

Everyone at Dee4Life would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support over the past twelve months, and to wish you a Merry Christmas and what we all hope will be a very, very happy 2010.

The Trust board met ahead of the AGM, in their final monthly meeting of the year, and as always the minutes are available for you to read here.

You can now read the minutes of last Saturday's Dee4Life Trust AGM, including chairman Scott Glenday's report on the Trust's activity and progress over the last 12 months, and the full financial statements for the year ended 30th June 2009, by clicking here.

As the year draws to a close, it's time to reflect on a busy year for Dee4Life. Looking back over the last twelve months, it's amazing just how much we've achieved.

Members who attended our AGM received a copy of a two-page document entitled "Dee4Life - A Year In The Life" which details just how much work the Trust has been doing on behalf of you, the members.

You can download it here.

Last week we reported that the latest member to join our ranks was Dundee FC director Calum Melville. Calum was unable to attend our AGM in person, but very kindly agreed to answer members' questions via an online Question and Answer session.

To ask Calum a question, simply click here and we'll pass on all questions received by 24th December, and publish a full Q&A online soon afterwards.

The Junior Dees would like to thank a number of supporters' groups for various donations to help with the cost of this year's Christmas party, which takes place this coming Sunday (tickets are still available in the Penman Lounge and Bobby Cox Stand concourse this Saturday).

Click to read more....

Dee4Life were very disappointed to learn that Dundee FC has renewed the stadium catering franchise with Lindley Catering Holdings Ltd. for another 5 years, without giving others including local firms the chance to bid.
 
"Many fans have been fiercely critical of Lindley’s poor quality & service and exhorbitant pricing for some time, so it's a decision we find hard to swallow," said Dee4Life Chairman Scott Glenday. "Unusually, the club has valued pounds above people in signing this deal, with a guaranteed fixed fee for the next five years. Sadly, as long as fans are prepared to pay these prices, Lindley’s will refuse to make any changes.”

Scott and fans’ rep George Knight have raised the issue with the club’s General Manager, Jim Thomson, who has provided us with a detailed reply explaining the club’s reasoning, which you can read here.

Dee4Life Trust held its AGM this morning and, given the weather and early morning start, the attendance of over 50 members was above expectations. Thanks to all who made the effort to come along.

All resolutions were passed unanimously, and as the number of nominees for the Trust board (four) equalled the number of vacant positions, Graeme Adam, Alex Kidd and Graham Smith were all re-elected, having stood down by rotation, along with Mike Jeffries, who returns to the Trust board having previously served in our early years.

We'll have full details including minutes and notes from the subsequent Q&A session next week. Copies of the accounts, membership update form, and a list of our achievements this year can all be picked up in the club shop.