Society Board Meeting Update

The Society Board met this morning after a very difficult and eventful week.

First and foremost, the board of Dundee FC Supporters' Society would like to thank Barry Smith for all his hard work, bringing the club from the brink of relegation to the third tier of Scottish Football, into the top tier.

The board this morning accepted the resignation of George Harris as Chairman, with the vice-chairman, Dave Forbes, acting in his place.

The decision making process between Club and Society was clarified, and the poor internal communication this week which resulted in some Society directors learning of developments indirectly, discussed fully and frankly. Causes were identified, apologies made, and the ongoing – but clearly to date incomplete – work to improve communications discussed, with processes for the future agreed and put in place.

We recognise the need to re-engage with our members, to regain a level of trust which has been damaged, and to ensure that the structure put in place to give supporters representation and to protect the club from ever again facing the prospect of extinction is retained and strengthened. To that end, we want to re-engage with individual fans and supporters clubs, and will step up efforts to arrange meetings at the earliest opportunity. We have also held productive talks with the Dark Blue Business Trust and will continue dialogue to ensure Dundee fans have the strongest possible representation in their club. We would very much welcome the ideas of all fans, whether members or not, on how to achieve this.

Band Night

The Ferry Branch DSC are holding a band night at Forthill Sports Club on Friday March 15 to raise funds for Dundee FC youth development.

The evening kicks off at 7.30pm, and runs until 1am, with music from local band 'Son', followed by a disco/karaoke. An auction of DFC goods plus a raffle will also form part of the evening, while a buffet will provide the fuel required to get you through the festivities

Tickets are priced at £10 a head, with each ticket also entered into a prize draw. Tickets can be purchased from the Ferry Branch DSC on a variety of numbers, Steve on 07986173049, Carol - 07748807474, Grizz - 07860760968

With numbers limited, it is recommended that you get yours now, join in the fun of the evening and help develop the future stars of Dundee FC

New Mailing Address

Dundee FC Supporters' Society has now changed its mailing address, with the P.O Box being replaced by the club address, Dens Park Stadium,Sandeman Street,Dundee,DD3 7JY.

This change will hopefully speed up the communication process when dealing with postal enquiries, and all correspondence should now be sent to the stadium, rather thean the previous P.O Box address.

Rivals4Charity Update

As promised, an update on the Rivals4Charity Football Match to be played on Sat May 25th.

The match itself will be played at Dens, and will see two teams compete, with fans of Dundee making up the home team, and fans from across the street providing the opposition. Trials for the Dundee team will commence on Monday Feb 25th at St Pauls, between 7 and 8pm, with team manager Brian Scrimgeor running the rule over prospective players. These sessions will cost £2 per person, and will enable the manager to whittle the prospective players into a squad of 15, who will play on the day.

Training/trials will run for 5 weeks, allowing the players selected time to raise the money required to take part, and hopefully fit in a few practice games to allow the team to gel.

The team on the day will recieve a personalised Dundee strip to wear and keep, in this instance, the strips come from the 'Deefiant' season, and are match worn, although players will need to provide their own socks. in addition, players will recieve a DVD of the game, along with a CD photograph album and a programme from the game.Obviously, they will also get the chance to play at Dens.

With trials starting in less than 2 weeks, anyone wishing to come along should email dundee@rivals4charity.co.uk with the below details….
Name - 
Date of Birth - 
Email address - 
Contact Phone Number -
Position played - 
Team(s) played for in season 2012/13 -

Penman Lounge Update

On Sunday, the Penman lounge was once again available for use, and was once again a busy spot pre match.  George Harris was not only host for the lounge, with Tay Taxis sponsoring the lounge, he was obviously on double duty. George invited two guests to spend the day with him, Gary and Wendy Knight.

 

Gary will be well known to many, being the Treasurer of DFCSCA, and a regular before away games in the Clep Bar, as organiser of the Big Rabbie D supporters club bus. Wendy not only puts up with this but is also a regular on the bus. George explained why the Knights had been invited as his guests, ‘Gary does a lot of work for his supporters club, and also DFCSCA. As treasurer, Gary has shown real commitment to all things DFC, and his bus to away games is regularly oversubscribed. Wendy not only supports Gary, but takes an active role, helping out with organising the bus. I invited them today as a way of a personal thank you to both of them for everything they do, especially for DFCSCA.’

George was keen also to highlight the work done by Kevin and Nicole, the staff who manned the Penman Lounge last weekend. ‘Kevin and Nicole come in here and do a sterling job. The bar is generally quite busy, but they  deal with everyone efficiently and always have a friendly smile for everyone. I would like to personally and publicly thank them for everything they do on a match day to make the experience of a Penman Lounge visit an enjoyable one for everyone.’

Also in the Penman pre match was Jacqui Robertson, who arrived to meet her apprentice for the day, Nicole Miller. Jacqui introduced Nicole to George, and he was certainly impressed. ‘Nicole turned up today to shadow Jacqui, and that was as a thank you not only to Nicole, but her granddad Neil Ellis. Neil was one of our first guests under the Community Initiative, and since then has become a regular at Dens once again, and, with colleagues from Boomerang, form part of our volunteer team. Nicole may only be eleven, but she is such a keen and knowledgeable supporter, and was a delight to meet. I know Jacqui was happy to have an ‘apprentice’ for the day, and hope Nicole enjoyed the experience.’

Seniors’ Meeting

Dave Forbes arranged another of the Society’s monthly Seniors’ Meetings and this took place last Friday in the Billy Steel Lounge.Guests from the playing staff were Colin Nish, Steven Milne and Matt Lockwood and MC Dave got the ball rolling (poor pun there) asking the boys for a brief history of their playing careers.

 Colin’s clubs have been Alloa, Dunfermline, Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Clyde, Hartlepool and Dundee and while with Killie and Hibs scored a creditable 62 leaguegoals.

 ‘Savo’ began at Dundee, was loaned to Forfar, came back to Dens before leaving for Plymouth Argyle. He came back to St Johnstone (scoring two against Rangers at Ibrox!), went to Ross County then finally back ‘home’.  Savo has scored 34 league goals in his two spells at Dens.

 Matt began his career as a trainee at his home town club, Southend, before being signed by QPR.  Ian Holloway, more about him later, took Matt with him to Bristol Rovers and it was there he was turned into a left back.  Matt then moved to Leyton Orient, scoring an astonishing 50 goals, to Notts Forest, Colchester and a couple of loan moves before coming to Dundee.

There were then questions from the floor.

 Q: Why don’t you train in the afternoons as well as morning?

 A: There were a lot of issues concerning travelling, meals, proper rest and recovery from injuries.  Friday was a day for set pieces as the team had been picked and everyone would know what they had to do.

 Q: Who is/was your biggest influence in the game, Barry excluded?

 A: Colin – Jim Jeffries because he was absolutely meticulous.

    Savo – Jinky Farningham because he was/is upbeat, hard working, is fun and great for  team spirit.

    Matt – Ian Holloway.  Just as ‘bonkers’ in real life as he is on television – an excellent motivator.  When Matt first went to Bristol, he stayed with Ian who was player/manager and woke one Saturday morning to loud noises in the garden –  Ian playing badminton with his wife on the morning of a game!

 

Q: What do you think of the standard of refereeing?

 A:  Let’s just say that the boys are not too impressed.  All they ask for is consistency and a fair crack of the whip.  One of the biggest complaints was that refereeing guidelines take over from common sense.  The referee is told what to do and is left with little or no leeway.

Matt turned the tables by asking the audience if anyone understood the new offside rule because, if they did, could they explain it to Colin Nish.  A rather sheepish Colin admitted that he’d been caught out a ‘couple of times’.

 Q:  What did the boys think of shielding the ball out?

 A:  You won’t be surprised that Matt thought it was ok but the other two were against it.

Q:  Opinions on the proposed new league set up?

 A:  The consensus was that they would ‘suck it and see’.  The current set up is too

 punitive with only one promotion spot whereas the new leagues should provide more excitement and, of course, if you end up in the second league of eight, relegation   may only be for six months.

Q:  Has the team given up?

A:  An emphatic ‘no’ to that one.

Q:  Matt was asked about the Deefiant season.

 A:  It was absolutely the best season he has ever had.  Despite the small pool, he believes we still had the best team in the league and it was astonishing that there were no injuries or suspensions.

 This season it has been so different because we don’t have the best team but opponents have still been complimentary about our play.  The players work very hard  but mistakes are severely punished and there is little or no margin for error.

Q:  Injuries?

 A:  The injured players are all desperate to get back and play.

Dave drew the meeting to a close with thanks to Steven, Matt and Colin for coming along.  The players themselves thanked the group for an opportunity to meet with them.The boys were wished the very best for the Morton game.

As a post-script – the working on set pieces didn’t half pay dividends in the game!

Elliot Davie

The next Seniors meeting will be held on Feb 26th, and not  on the 28th as previously advertised

The FireFighters Charity

On Sunday Feb. 3^rd, as Dundee FC prepared to face Greenock Morton in the Scottish Cup, Dundee FC Supporters’ Society prepared to greet the latest visitors under the Community Initiative as The FireFighters Charity visited Dens. Bruce Alexander, himself an ex Firefighter was part of the group who came to Dens, although as a season ticket holder, he was in familiar territory.

 

The Society caught up with Bruce, to see how the visit went. ‘The FireFighters Charity was set up to help out fire-fighters and their immediate families through times of hardship, through injury, stress or illness. The FireFighters charity is there to support them, anything we can do to make their life more bearable, and to help them carry on with life as normal. I am a big Dundee fan, and a season ticket holder, so obviously I have seen charities at half-time at Dens, so I sent Jacqui Robertson an email asking how to get involved. That was a few months ago, and she replied saying the Society would be interested in helping The FireFighters Charity with a match day charity event.’

‘Dens was a great place for us to visit, Dundee fans are a good bunch of people, a lot of great characters, and always seem willing to lend a hand. Obviously fire-fighters work within the community, and sometimes it is good for the community to give back. Fire-fighters are there when you need them, hopefully you never have to call on them, but we think it is important to help them if they are ever in trouble. I myself was an operational fire-fighter for ten and a half years, until I had to take medical retirement, The charity helped me, and help other fire-fighters, so for me it is important to put something back, and it is something I am happy to do.’

‘We got a signed shirt and ball at half-time, and we will be looking to organise a raffle through Tayside Fire and Rescue, hopefully involve Tayside Council, and maybe some of the schools we visit, so hopefully we can raise a good bit of money. Dundee FC, and the Supporters’ society helping local charities can only be good for both of them, and the charities as well.’

‘But the big thing we have to do is raise awareness, even when I was operational, I knew the charity was there, but not what the charity actually did, what services were there. Now I go round all the fire stations trying to make fire-fighters aware, that these guys are there for them. So whatever the reasom, injury, illness, emotional stress, which is quite a big thing, with some of the sights fire-fighters see, they can be quite horrific, and the charity is there to help them if they are going through hard times.’

Photo courtesy of Derek Gerrard

‘I have to say, the Dundee fans were great today, I know quite a few, being here every week, so I  had a few coming up for a free pen and a bit of banter, but not just people I know, we were pretty busy handing out leaflets. I also have to say that the way the visit was handled by Jacqui and her team was very professional, everything was taken care of for us, and they are a credit to the club and Society.’

Dundee FC Supporters’ Society are proud to help out a charity which helps so many fire-fighters in times of need. The job these people do requires great skill and bravery, and anyone who helps them should be applauded. For community director Jacqui Robertson, th4e chance to help was the least we could do. ‘Helping out yet another Dundee fan to help promote work close to their heart is a pleasure. Bruce and the team of volunteers were so pleasant and thankful for the chance to talk to the fans about what they do. It's easy to forget about the needs of local firefighters when you're not directly involved so I've personally found it really interesting just how intense the support is that this group offer. We wish them all the best.’

January Draw Winner

Each month, Gold, Platinum and Corporate members of the Society are entered into a free prize draw to win boardroom hospitality for two, just one of the many benefits offered to those members who help our ongoing fundraising.

This month's winner is Graeme Locherty, who will enjoy the St Johnstone match from the comfort of the directors' box along with pre- and post-match boardroom hospitality.

To find out more about the many benefits of each level of membership and how you can win your own day out in the boardroom, click here.

My Day as Jacqui’s Apprentice

When one of the Society’s youngest volunteers, Nicole Miller, came up with an unusual request, DFCSS were more than happy to help out, providing Nicole gave us an account of how her day went. Nicole is a big fan of Dundee FC, and a fan of our own Jacqui Robertson, her request was to be an apprentice for the day. So here it is, the inside story of a day in the life of a Society Director and DFCTV reporter, as seen through the eyes of an eleven year old volunteer.

 

Well first me and my granddad were in the Penman waiting for Jacqui. When Jacqui came in she sat down with us and gave me a press pass and a pink media jacket.  After that me, Jacqui and my granddad went to the Bobby Cox stand to meet the charity and to get my granddad signed in as a volunteer.

 The charity was the Firefighters, Jacqui took some pictures and then we went to the Directors Lounge and seen if there were any guests to take pictures of. There were no guests so we went back into the Penman and I met a man called George who was very funny. Then me and Jacqui went around the tables in the Penman collecting money for a great, great man called Ronnie who unfortunately died.

Soon after that me and Jacqui walked to the media box but we had to go through the front door and as we were going to the door to get out I met a woman called Laura and a man called Davie, he takes pics of the team etc. We went to the media box and Jacqui signed in but when we went in I met JAMIE McCLUSKEY (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

 So Jacqui asked me if I wanted to walk around the pitch so I said yeah. So we walked to the South Enclosure and I met 2 men called Graham and Neil to see how they were doing. Once we came out thee  Jacqui said to me “We can go round and see how the charity is doing” and we talked about how people don’t appreciate things until it happens to them. Then we walked to the Bobby Cox and seen how my granddad, Carlyn and her sister were doing.

We walked back to the big sitting bit and then the game started. At half time Jacqui had to set up the charity and after that we went into the players’ lounge to get a cup of tea and a pie. But there was nothing not even tea!!...but I got to meet Stephen O’Donnell, Mark Kerr, Gary Harkins, Leighton McIntosh, Graham Webster, John Gibson, David Morgan, Jamie McCluskey (again ha ha) and I got all of them to sign my programme. And that was half time.

 After the game I was happy with the result 5-1 obviously Dundee won and not Morton (ha ha) Jacqui had to do DFCTV, she was going to interview Barry, Lewis and Colin (and I got there signatures he he) Then I went to the Penman again and went to see my granddad and go home but we stayed there to see who Dundee were facing in the quarter final and it’s a derby, DFC (The best) against DUFC

 

Can’t wait for March 2/3

Thank you Jacqui

For her part, Jacqui was happy to help with Nicole’s request to be her apprentice for the day, ‘Nicole was great fun to have around and everyone she met around Dens seemed very impressed by her. She's only 11 and yet she really knows her stuff about DFC. Her favourite player Jamie Mccluskey certainly seemed happy to meet one of his biggest fans and has a new best friend in Nicole. She asked to join me for the day and it was an easy request to accept. Nicole is quite possibly our youngest volunteer and one hard working young lady. This was my way of thanking her and her granddad Neil Ellis (from one of our charities Boomerang) for everything they have done for us. I'd just like to thank Nicole for all her help as my assistant.’

Dundee Women's Aid

This Friday sees Dundee women’s Aid visit Dens as part of the Community Initiative. Dundee Women’s Aid kindly supplied the following article to the Society.

Did you know in 2011-2012 DWA supported 451 women &222 Children & Young People.

So, what does domestic abuse have to do with you?

Would you spot it?

Domestic abuse is ... the mental, physical and/or sexual, financial abuse by a partner, ex-partner or close relation.  In most cases, it is experienced by women and children, and is perpetrated by men.  Domestic abuse is not a one off incident; it is usually a pattern of controlling behaviour and is often hidden.

Anyone can be abused… it happens in all kinds of relationships, regardless of race, class, religion, culture, sexuality, age, disability or gender identity. We support all women, Children and young people. 

You are not alone... one in five women in Scotland have experienced domestic abuse. That’s a lot of women! It’s almost definite that you will know someone who is experiencing domestic abuse or is perpetrating it.

Getting free from abuse is a long process... most women seek help from a number of sources, and may leave and return several times before they are able to make the final break. A woman is likely to be abused and go through the help seeking process 35 times before successfully doing so. Women are at greatest risk of homicide at the point of separation or after leaving a violent partner. 

One question that is often asked is...

"Why didn't you leave?" or "Why did you stay so long?" There are many reasons why women stay with their abusers. The same as the reasons why a person may stay in a job where they are being ill- treated. It is important to know that leaving does not always end the abuse - and sometimes, at least for a time, it may get worse.                                                                    

You don’t have to leave your home or your partner to get support...we support lots of women who still live with their partner and are not in refuge.

Did you know: Dundee has the highest rate of domestic abuse per head of population in Scotland?

DWA has been providing support, refuge and information to women and children affected by domestic abuse for over 37 years

Dundee Women’s Aid offers a free, confidential, and non-judgemental service to women, young people and children who have experienced domestic abuse. The abuse may be from a partner, ex-partner or someone they are living with.

We strive to provide an inclusive service and support women from all backgrounds regardless of substance misuse issues, mental/physical health, race/ethnicity, religion, age, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation.

• § 
• §  Group work with other women
• §  Support, whether you choose to stay with or leave your partner
• §  Information about your rights
• §  Safety planning
• §  Support in finding a new home
• §  Support to young people & children
• §  Sign posting to other agencies that can help
• §  A safe, temporary place to stay

Does this concern you; it should! – Sadly, numbers have increased!!!!!!!

59,847 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the police in 2011-12, compared to 55,698 incidents recorded in 2010-11 - an increase of 7%.

One incident of domestic abuse is reported to the police in this country every minute.

On average 2 women a week are killed by a male partner or former partner.

Up to 750,000 children are known to have witnessed domestic violence in the home, 75% to 90% of children are in the same or next room when abuse happens.

Domestic abuse was found to be the single most recorded reason for women and children becoming homeless.

Would you like to get involved? Are you in a position to help?

Donations are always welcome and enhance our ability to provide an additional element to our service– most especially during the Easter and Christmas festivities. We work really hard towards making our refuges as comfortable and friendly as possible, all of which takes time effort and of course funds!

Domestic abuse is a crime.

If you suspect domestic abuse of any kind – if it is someone you know or work with– consider speaking up. Domestic abuse is everyone’s business.   Keep in mind that expressing concern will let the person know that you care and this may save a life. Keeping Children and Young people safe, is everyone’s business.

Don’t                                                                                  Do

Judge or blame                                                                  Ask if something is wrong

Place conditions on your support                                      Express concerns

Pressure them                                                                 Offer help

Give advice                                                                      Support and respect their decision 

More Boardroom Guests

Club and Society directors Fraser MacDonald and Eddie Devlin are pictured with Kerry Falconer and husband Kevin, who were boardroom guests for the last league match against Kilmarnock. Kerry spoke fondly of her dad, former Dark Blues striker George 'Podge' Falconer. “I was so proud to be invited in honour of my dad. Even though we are both United supporters, we had a fabulous day and were very proud to be supporting the Dark Blues for my dad. He never missed a home game and gave his life to DFC. Being ill myself I never get out and we were treated wonderfully. Thank-you all for a lovely day out!”

Also in the boardroom against Kilmarnock were Cecilia McIntosh and Richard Diamond, who said “We were delighted to be invited along to the game on Sunday as boardroom guests, we thoroughly enjoyed the day. We would especially like to thank Jacqui Robertson and every single volunteer who done such a great job in promoting Ronnie's charity work for organ donation. We are overwhelmed by the kindness and support we have received by the club and all who are connected with it.”

Family Guys

As many of you may know, Family Guys is a Dundee based charity created to help dads and carers. The dads and carers come from a range of family types that includes single parents, agreed contact/access agreements and those either married, co-habiting or in relationships. This type of dad/carer project encourages informal peer learning around parenting, and other topics, in a manner that suits a lot of males as they often appear to learn best by “monkey see, monkey do” approaches that are non-threatening and non-judgemental. Dundee FC and the Supporter’s Society help out, by providing season tickets to allow these parents and careres the chance to bring their kids to Dens and take in a game. Some of those kids have now sent letters to DFCSS, and we thought we would share them with you.

The first comes from Charley Simpson, and is her recollection of Dundee V Hearts.

 

‘ I really enjoyed the singing when the teams came out, the banging on the seats as we cheered Dundee on, and having a laugh with my friends we meet there, cause I go with my Pops to the Dundee games and its good. We both enjoy it and it was brilliant when we scored and won.’

Next up is simply ‘John’

‘I like watching the football because I get to spend time with my dad and my friends and my cousins. I like the skills Dundee use. I think when I am older I can be good at football. Dundee was winning 3-1 V Hibs’

 

‘I like football because I watch it on ~TV, and being there is really fun. When I am older I want to be a footballer, so watching their skills makes me better at my own football, and I also like it when Dundee win’

The last report comes from Zoe,

 

I like going to the football because I like spending time with my dad, my brothers and my friends. I like going to the games especially when we win, like when we beat Hearts 1-0, and Hibs 3-1, And Hibs are top of the league and we beat them.

James Christie, match reporter for dundeefconline, and friend of Family Guys had this to say,

‘I helped set up the link between Dundee FC and Family Guys. It was really just a matter of doing a bit of research then introducing people to each other. Everyone was determined to make it happen.’

‘It's been great to see the reaction from the fathers and kids. The families and the Family Guys workers are all a great bunch – even the Arabs!’

‘I was chatting to one of the dads and he said “I've got four bairns, and I wouldn't be able to take them to Dens without Famliy Guys. Now the bairns are growing up supporting the Dee”.’

‘“And in 20 or 30 years...” I chipped in.

“They'll be taking their bairns” he beamed back.’

Dundee FC Supporters’ Society are happy to help Family guys, and delighted with the feedback from the kids, as Community Director Jacqui Robertson explained, ‘When Duncan forwarded the kids' stories to Jim and I they really made me smile. It's true what they say about out of the mouths of babes. It can take many of us back to the basics of how we idolised players when we were younger and how simple our love of football was. I'd love to show these to Barry and the players as I am sure they would enjoy them too. These kids are the future of our football, some as players or working within football, some as fans. Whatever becomes of them we are delighted to have them at Dens.’

Society Board Update

On Saturday 2^nd Feb, the Society Board met at Dens for their monthly board meeting. Minutes for the previous meeting were approved, and are currently being prepared for upload, and should be available shortly.

Elliot Davie, as Secretary provided a list of all correspondence received, and answers provided, with one question outstanding, although this will hopefully be answered shortly.

The topic of fundraising was brought up, with a proposal for a raffle to be run, with prizes on offer allowing the winners to experience some of the Platinum membership benefits, although this idea may need some fine tuning, and discussions with DFCSCA were proposed.

A working group has been set up to look into communications, and this group reported back that the first meeting had provided a very positive start, as the Society seeks to consolidate on steps already taken in this area. Communication with Society volunteers was seen as an area where improvements could be made, and steps have already been taken to address the situation.  It was also suggested that individuals within the society board would take responsibility for communication with different groups. Communications to be worked on include with DFCSCA, Society members and non member supporters, and Schools and youth groups. The Society Board also intimated an intention to actively engage with supporters on how this can be achieved, and that as with every topic, suggestions for improvement would be welcomed.

A boardroom update was given from the Club Board, where once again it was stated that the manager has full control over the playing side of Dundee FC, with the board doing everything in its power to support his efforts.

Reports were also given by various sub groups, the last seniors meeting was reported to be a very lively affair, with a visit from three of the current squad, the next meeting is scheduled for Tue 26^th February, and further details will be published in due course. Penman Lounge sponsorship has been well received, with the Morton game sponsored by Tay Taxis, and  the next game against Ross County sponsored by the Strath Bar. Anyone wishing more details on sponsoring the Penman lounge can email George Harris here

In Memory Of Ronnie

At our last home game we had an organ donor drive and a collection for the renal unit and Ward 22 at Ninewells in honour of the late Ronnie Mcintosh. It wasn't difficult for us to carry on Ronnie's work as he would have wanted it and our fans responded as we expected them to - all of the forms we had were taken and some kindly donated some money too. Bobby Glennie asked us for a form to register as an organ donor and signed up on the spot. So many people had so many nice things to say about Ronnie and his legacy will live on through the tireless campaigning that he did to promote organ donation so quite simply, we wanted to promote this life saving act in his memory. Ronnie used his donated organ to change lives and did it in the most incredible way. He was an extraordinary man and we will do what we can to promote organ donation in the future too.

 

Neil Ellis and Carlyn Connor both from one of the Society's original hosted charities offered to help with the donor drive. Also big Dundee fans they talked about how the day went from their point of view.

'The collection for Ronnie was well received by most of the supporters coming through the turnstiles. Some people could only give small change as they didn't carry spare money to the game but Ronnie would have understood, That's the type of bloke he was.'

'Supporters also came in search of the collecting tins to say what a great guy he was, and wanted to give what they could. True Dundee FC supporters knew what this club meant to Ronnie, and the funds he had raised when the club was going through hard times.'

'Organ donor forms were handed out and the interest outnumbered the leaflets we had. We can only hope the forms will now be completed and returned so Ronnie's legacywill be an increase in organ donation'

'Ronnie was a hard-working, intelligent, caring and very thoughtful person and was there and stood up when the club needed him. Through handing out the donor forms and shaking the collecting tins at the game on Sunday it was evident the family that is the Dundee support will remember him with affection and it was obvious that a lot of people cared about him. Even though Ronnie may be gone, his memory will live on in the Dundee support for a long time to come.'

DFCSS would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to the volunteers. We couldn't do it without the help of our volunteers who are also season ticket holders and pre match for the organ donor drive was incredibly busy for everyone. What struck us though was how everyone offered their help without question - that in itself says so much to us about how lucky we are to have you all. So thankyou to Grant Cook, John Keith, Neil Ellis and Nicole, Carlyn Connor and Wendy Hovell, Graham Smith and Neil Sinclair, Graeme Adam and Nicola Ironside.

Jacqui Robertson

Prostate Cancer UK Follow Up

On Jan 27th, Community Director Jacqui Robertson invited Prostate Cancer UK to Dens as part of the Community Initiative. Prostate Cancer is one of the leading killers in men over 50 in the UK, although if caught early enough, in most cases can be treated.

Raising awareness for Prostate Cancer UK on the day was Alister Walker, a man who is living with Prostate Cancer,and he spoke to the Society about the visit. ‘This was a great opportunity for us to come to a game, where there were a lot of men, who we need to make aware of the issues of Prostate Cancer. We are handing out leaflets, and it is amazing how many people have either got Prostate Cancer, or were interested in finding out a bit more about it, so this is definitely a worthwhile exercise.’

‘Any time you get an opportunity to be somewhere that men will listen to you, or take leaflets, you have to take full advantage of it, so this is something we would absolutely look to repeat. I have never actually been to a football match in my life, this was my first game, and it was a huge opportunity, and shows a great benevolence from DFCSS and the club, who have other things to worry about than charities, it is very good of them to open their doors, and give us the chance to speak to supporters and raise awareness.’

‘The fans themselves showed a lot of interest, normally when we hand out leaflets, people take them and walk away, but at Dens, I was standing next to a volunteer with organ donation forms, and people were not just taking leaflets, they were taking time to stop and chat about what we were doing, and that is a credit to the Dundee fans.’

The signed merchandise will go to head office in Glasgow, we have various fundraising events, raffles and such, we obviously have the ‘Sledgehammer’ campaign which is on television just now, so we will get these items well advertised, and hopefully raise a good bit of money from them. But, the key thing for us is not really raising money, its raising awareness. We have to try and get the awareness campaign on a level with breast cancer. That is something Breast Cancer do really well, and we are a long way behind on that, so the more we can raise awareness, and coming to places like Dens can only help with that, the better.’

‘Men will, you know if there may be something wrong, they will put things off, we don’t really like going to the doctor, so we wait, with Prostate Cancer, indeed any Cancer, that is the worst thing you can do. Quite often if you go to your doctor early doors, you can have treatment and make a full recovery, if you leave it too late, it can sometimes get into your bones, and life may be shortened, and that is what happened in my case.’

‘By 2020, it is believed Prostate cancer will become the biggest killer of men, bar none, so we have to take great opportunities like the visit to dens, and use then to make men aware of what they can do, and what can go wrong. It is not complicated.’

‘ The Movember Campaign is obviously a great source of funds for Prostate Cancer UK, and obviously it is a way for everyone to get involved, you see how many women are actually signing up for the campaign, and it is fantastic. It helps raise awareness as well, and it is something that happens all over the country, so getting involved in that is a great way to help as well.’

I would really like to thank the Society and Club again, for allowing us the chance to visit and raise awareness for our cause. I would especially like to thank Jacqui Robertson for putting in the time to arrange our visit, and Grant Cook for looking after us on the day. When you go somewhere strange, it can be a bit disorientating, but between the two of them, they made the day easy for us, and managed to make what I would imagine is a difficult job look easy. I would also like to thank Dundee FC for making my first trip ever to a football match an enjoyable experience.’

Dundee FC Supporters’ Society would in turn like to thank Alister and the rest of his team for taking the time to visit Dens and share an important message with our fans. Prostate Cancer is a serious subject, with serious consequences, and the message that getting yourself checked out early is an important one, and one we hope all Dundee fans take on board.

The Fire Fighters Charity

The Fire Fighters Charity is the UK's leading provider of services that enhance quality of life for serving and retired fire service personnel and their families. We're available for all members of the fire service community during their times of need, assisting thousands of individuals every year by providing rehabilitation and support services.

Offering a free confidential and impartial helpline service, providing advice and support on a broad range of issues, as well as having a nationwide network of professional staff and trained volunteers, who are ready to help locally. We aim to provide practical assistance and solutions to make a real difference to the lives of members of the fire service community.

Always putting the needs of our beneficiaries first, our three rehabilitation centres in Devon, Cumbria, and West Sussex have the expertise to enable members of the fire service community to return to maximum independence following illness or injury. We also focus on promoting and enabling each client's own health and wellbeing, along with helping them to learn the skills, knowledge and techniques to effectively self-manage their own condition or injury.

We also offer recuperation breaks that provide the fire and rescue service community with chance to relax in peaceful and tranquil surroundings, which can aid emotional recovery following illness, injury, or other problems.

Fundraising is the lifeblood of any charity, and as we reach out to more and more people in need through these challenging times, it is vital that we have sufficient resources to help them. It's thanks to our dedicated supporters across the UK that we are able to assist thousands of members of the fire and rescue service every year. It costs £9m every year to meet the needs of our beneficiaries, and with no government funding, we are completely reliant upon donations from the general public and fire community.   

Martin Tait, Local Senior Officer, Dundee City, Tayside Fire and Rexcue had this to say about the work carried out by FFC, ‘The Fire Fighters Charity is of great benefit to our local staff and their families within Tayside. It regularly provides vital support that greatly assists them to recover from serious accidents, injuries and illnesses and return to operational duties as quickly as possible. This enables them to get on with what they do best, protecting our local communities from the risk of fires and other emergencies.'

Case Study 1:  Adam Bruce, Aberdeenshire

After a serious motor bike accident in 2005, fire fighters Adam Bruce wasn't given much chance of survival.  The fall caused multiple fractures to his neck, spine and leg, and also severe head injuries resulting in some brain damage.  For the first 8 months he could not speak and was advised there was little chance of him being able to walk again.

Adam was determined to prove the specialists wrong and it took a lot of time, effort and determination before he was finally allowed to leave hospital and move back home.  At this point, he applied to The Fire Fighters Charity for assistance.  In the first instance the Charity provided  exercise equipment to help improve his physical condition and then he made 2 visits to Jubilee House for intensive rehabilitation.

He has since been back a 3rd time for further rehabilitation and came away with a programme of exercises to continue at home to help with his progress.  Adam said "The Charity has given me a great deal of support throughout, and I really can't thank them enough for everything they have done for me".

Case Study 2:  Alex Fender, Orkney


I've been a retained fire fighter for many years now at Stromness Fire Station in Orkney, and it wasn't until a colleague of mine drew my attention to The Fire Fighters Charity that I realised my son was eligible for assistance. Alex has Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, which limits his mobility, and therefore he spends much of his time in a wheelchair.

When Alex was younger we were able to apply for some financial assistance to help fund some of the specialist equipment he needed. However since then, the charity has developed its services to be able to support us more directly, by helping source specific products we need, finding local organisations that can help us, or providing advice and advocacy when required.

One example of how the charity has been able to help is with finding us a specially adapted bed for Alex. As he gets older and heavier, lifting him in and out of bed just wouldn't be an option, so now Alex has an ergonomic bed with a remote control, which he uses to lift himself up. This has been a tremendous help, and has aided Alex's independence too. Also more recently the charity has been able to help us adapt our home for easier wheelchair access after statutory provision had been exhausted, which really has made a big difference. Steps at the front of the house have been replaced with a driveway and ramps, so that Alex is able to get his wheelchair in and out of the house unassisted.

The Beneficiary Support Service at the charity is fantastic and has made a real difference to both Alex and the rest of the family.

Dundee FC Supporters’ Society is delighted to welcome The Fire Fighters Charity to Dens this weekend, and hope that our fans will take some time to check them out, and find out more. Community Director Jacqui Robertson sees this charity as one that is important to everyone, ‘Fire fighters do an amazing job keeping everyone safe, and getting an opportunity to give something back to a charity that looks out for them is an opportunity too good to turn down. We all hope that we never need the Fire Brigade, but it is reassuring to know they are there if we do. The fire fighters Charity looks after not only Fire service personnel, but also their families, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help out.’

DFCSS  echo the sentiments of Jacqui Robertson, and hope that the Fire Fighters Charity have a very successful day at Dens. Fire fighters really are people no-one ever wants to call on, but knowing they are there, prepared to accept personal risk on our behalf means we should all do what we can for them.

Penman Lounge

The Penman lounge will once again be availableto supporters from 12.45 on Sunday for the visit of Greenock Morton, and again till 6pm after the game. Half time 'Fayre for a Fiver' will also be available to supporters in the main stand. this must be ordered in advance, and can be done by emailing georgeharris18@hotmail.co.uk to book.

The Penman Lounge sponsor this weekend is Tay Taxis

Boardroom Catch Up

This week in the Boardroom, Eddie Devlin had a busy time of it entertaining guests. After the passing of Alice McGregor, Eddie had as his guests Jimmy Etchels, Ryan Robinson and Margaret Webster.

 

Margaret was Alice’s close friend while Jimmy and Ryan, her nephews. Jimmy was very pleased to be invited, and was happy to speak with the Society after the game, ‘I was very humbled by the gesture made by the directors of DFC to be invited into the boardroom along with Ryan and Margaret in honour of my late Aunty Alice. She was what was known as "Dundee Daft" and would have been over the moon with what the club did that day for us. She was a special woman and will be sadly missed by myself and the rest of the family. I again would like to thank Scot Gardiner, Maurice Kidd and Jacqui Robertson for attending the funeral, the flowers and the day they arranged for us in the boardroom. Shows the family side of the club. Fantastic!!!’

Ryan was equally impressed, ‘just like to thank Dundee FC for giving us the chance to experience a day in the boardroom/directors box in honour of our dear aunty Alice. It meant so much to us. A die hard Dee till the very end she would have been so proud of her club for allowing us to experience this unique opportunity. I cannot put in to words how much of a fan aunty Alice was of Dundee FC. This was her life. She had all of us, nieces and nephews from a very young age to Dens Park it wasn’t our fathers who took us to our 1st Dundee match it was aunty 'Dundee' from Greenock to Falkirk to Aberdeen you name it she had us there.’

‘Good times  and bad times, she was there. Supporters are not made like her anymore. One thing’s for certain her family will never support another team all because of aunty Alice. She has created a legacy that will be passed through the family generations for many years to come. Rip Aunty Alice and thank you DFC

 

Also with Eddie on the day was the winner of the Gold membership draw, Craig Thomson, who had this to say about his day out, ‘Thanks again for the fantastic opportunity last Sunday.

‘It was a little unbelievable when I received your first email about the prize I had won. 

Kieran and I had a great day in the boardroom amongst the Dens board and other officials. And watching the game from the director’s box was a real treat. Thanks to you and your staff who made us feel very welcome.’

‘The only disappointment of the day, besides the bitter cold, was the two points we dropped

Competition Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the competition today, the winner drawn from all the correct entries was Gregor Lesslie, who correctly identified the man who scored the winner last time Dundee played at Tynecastle was Ryan Conroy. Gregor will be travelling through on the Maltman bus tonight, please be sure to give him all the support he needs as he takes on his challenge.

Wed Night at Tynecastle

 As part of the half time entertainment, a competition will take place between one home fan, and one Dundee fan. The competition will involve a challenge passing the ball from the penalty spot to the centre circle, with three attempts, the closer to the centre circle, the higher the score. The competitor with the highest score after three attempts will win £150.

The Society has been contacted by the company promoting this event, and asked to find a participant for this, and so, are now offering Dundee fans the chance to take part in this competition.

To enter, you will obviously need to be at the game tonight, and willing to take part,have a mobile where you can be contacted, and be able to answer the following question.

Who scored the winning goal the last time the Dundee played Hearts at Tynecastle?

To enter, please tweet your answer to @DFCSS on twitter,or post your answer on the Dundee FC Supporters' Society facebook page. The winner will be picked at random from all correct entries at 4.45 pm

DFCSS will then pass your details on to the company promoting the event, who will contact you later tonight. The Society is not involved in running this event, and does not endorse any company involved in the event.