It has been a great season so far throughout all levels of the club. Most importantly, we are all back playing the game we love so much. There have been dark days and nervous times but as a club, you the members and custodians of Lansdowne FC, have come together and given your support, time and commitment to us when it was needed the most.

All teams have benefitted from the extra support and crowd numbers this season especially at Senior and Under 20 levels and the coaches and players have asked me to pass on their thanks to you for that great support and long may it continue into the future.

At the moment Lansdowne FC is in a good place both on and off the field. All teams are still in the fight for League and cup honours as we reach the halfway point of the season and events are back on in the main stadium which allows us host events, in compliance with all restrictions , which brings in much needed revenue through bar and lunch receipts. The All Blacks game this November will live long in the memory and the atmosphere both inside and outside of the club after the Irish team’s great victory was reminiscent of the good old days and brought a great lift to everyone.

I have to pay tribute to Michael and Elayne in the office for making sure everything ran smoothly not only during the November Internationals but at all events lunches etc that have taken place within the club since last August. A big thank you also must go to Louis for keeping the place and systems operational and making sure everything is maintained and ready to go when needed. Dave and his bar team gain celebrity status during busy days in the club as they gain friends they never knew they had!! To Dave, Niall, Paul, Martin, Paddy and all the gang many thanks for your great work!

As a fund raiser for the club tour to San Sebastian and Biarritz for the adult section of the club we have 2 x 10 year Premium tickets on offer with a value of €30,000.00 we are selling a limited number of tickets at €150 each which puts you in the draw for both tickets. This is a fantastic prize that will be enjoyed by the winners for years to come and would make a great Christmas present for yourself, a family member or friend. The link to purchase is HERE and feel free to buy more than one. The winner will be picked from the hat by one of our club internationals in advance of the 6 Nations. So go on treat yourself!

We have good news for youths and minis in that we will have secured additional dedicated rugby space within the general area. This will be available on Sundays for the remainder of the season and Mini & Youths Director Brian Moran will be in touch with all in the very near future to give you full details. Thank you to all coaches and parents for sticking with us and contributing so much to Lansdowne FC. Y&M are such a vital part of the club, and we love having kids and parents around the place breathing new life into the club and introducing future greats to their club for life!

Unfortunately, throughout the province and indeed throughout the country, there has been some unsavoury incidents between supporters, coaches and players towards referees. This is 100% totally unacceptable and both Leinster and the IRFU along with the other provinces have set up a zero tolerance towards any referee abuse and will hold clubs accountable for any actions that occurs on their grounds or clubhouse. Thankfully we have been very good in this regard and I urge all from myself down and mini and youths up to senior to always behave in an acceptable manner and avoid any confrontation with the referee or other match officials. Quite simply, no referee no match, and it is a simple as that. Thank you all for your cooperation on this – see club statement on same HERE

 

We have a huge year ahead as we celebrate our 150th year celebrations and committees have been busy for the last 3 to 4 years preparing dates and securing venues and organising gala events for next season which will be celebrated as part of our 2022/23 season. A full list of events will be published early next year with huge work put in by so many capable people, thank you to all involved.

A few diary dates for you all:

Saturday January 8th – The senior team travel to The Palace Grounds to play City of Armagh Football Club in the semi Final of the Bateman Cup. A tough away fixture and a chance to support the lads and get a road trip in post-Christmas. All support welcome.

Saturday January 15th we have our 1st XV v Ballynahinch RFC pre match lunch kindly sponsored by Brian Corrigan. This will be first home game after Christmas and it would be great to get your support before, during and after the match, bring the family and a few friends!

Friday January 21st 2022 is a very important annual fundraiser our Annual Lansdowne FC Business Lunch. We are delighted to have this back in the club house in January. We have yet another very impressive guest speaker lined up in Tommy Kelly founder and CEO of eShopworld (ESW), a global retail technology company based in Swords, Co. Dublin. The company which had a huge surge in online shopping during the pandemic was sold earlier this year for a sum rumoured to be in the region of 1 billion euros.  Tony’s story should be an amazing and interesting one to hear and we urge people to book early as this is proving to be a very popular event. Tickets are going well and only a limited number of tickets available so please support if you can. it is always a great afternoon.

At this time of year, we like to remember all of the great people we have lost during the past year, unfortunately in the greater Lansdowne FC family we have lost a lot of great people in 2021. What made them so special was their love of Lansdowne FC and the chat I had with families confirming how the club had given them great joy providing lifelong memories and friends was great to hear. Lansdowne is still there for the partners and families of those who have passed, and we look forward to welcoming you to the club for many years to come. We continue to have great people that make this club a great club!

On behalf of the club executive, staff and trustees I would like to wish all of our members, coaches, players, parents and friends a very, healthy, happy and peaceful Christmas & New Year and thank you all for your continued support of Lansdowne FC!!

Stay safe & stay well!

Colin Goode

Club President 2020/22