Danske Bank Premiership Fixtures 2018/2019
Preseason Fixtures 2018/2019
Dungannon Swifts are happy to announce the following preseason friendly games for the upcoming 2018/2019 season.
The Swifts travel to Bluefin Sport Intermediate club Armagh City in their first game on the 7th July and a week later they travel to face Bluefin Sport Championship side PSNI FC on the 14th July.
The games then come thick and fast as the Swifts play 4 games in 5 days. Firstly, two Dungannon Swifts FC XI’s travel to Annagh United and Dergview, respectively, on Tuesday 17th July. They then entertain Larne FC on Thursday 19th July which will definitely be a great test for Rodney McAree’s men with Larne pushing for promotion in the upcoming season. The last game of the week will be another trip away from Stangmore Park to take on Loughgall FC on Saturday 21st July.
The final preseason match will see Dungannon Swifts travel to recently relegated Ballinamallard FC on the 28th July.
Full list of preseason fixtures can be seen below.
Saturday 7th July
Armagh City v Dungannon Swifts KO 3pm
Saturday 14th July
PSNI FC v Dungannon Swifts KO 3pm
Tuesday 17th July
Annagh United v Swifts XI KO 7:45pm
Dergview FC v Swifts XI KO 7:45pm
Thursday 19th July
Dungannon Swifts v Larne FC KO 7:30pm
Saturday 21st July
Loughgall FC v Dungannon Swifts KO 3pm
Saturday 28th July
Ballinamallard United v Dungannon Swifts KO 3pm
NEWS | Eagle and Taylor sign pre-contract to join Swifts
Ciaran McGurgan, Ben Eagles, Craig Taylor and Rodney McAree
We have reached an agreement with Annagh United for players Ben Eagle and Craig Taylor.
Both players will return to Annagh United for the coming season and have agreed a pre-contract to join Dungannon Swifts for the 2019/20 season.
Head Coach Rodney McAree is delighted to have them both as part of our future. We would like to thank Ciaran and Annagh United for their co-operation throughout.
Good luck to Ben and Craig.
McAree adds Stangmore Favourite to his Backroom Staff
erry Fitzpatrick – Photo: Stephen Hamilton – www.presseye.com
Rodney McAree is delighted to announce that he has added a familiar and popular name to his backroom coaching staff at Stangmore Park. Recently retired Terry Fitzpatrick will join the backroom coaching staff at Dungannon Swifts for the season ahead.
Speaking about his new addition McAree commented,
“After Choka (Terry Fitzpatrick) decided to call it a day on his playing career I felt it was very important to keep him involved in a coaching capacity. He has been so well respected over the years within the dressing room it was vital for us to try to continue his involvement. It’s the beginning of a new journey for Choka and it is one which I’m sure he will thrive in!”
An equally thrilled Terry Fitzpatrick added,
“I feel very proud to be asked to stay involved with the club that I have loved from the first game I ever played. I have personal ambitions to remain in the role for the next few years, hopefully helping the club create more history along the way. I look forward to picking up experience and learning from Rodney McAree in my new role within the club. I am excited to get started!”
Congratulations on your new role Choka!
McMullan Signs for the Stangmore Blues
Rodney McAree has already swooped to make his second signing of the summer. Midfielder Corey McMullan joins the Swifts from fellow NIFL club Glentoran FC.
Pictured are Swifts Head Coach, Rodney McAree (standing), Swifts Chairman, Keith Boyd and new signing Corey McMullan
McMullan, 22, had previously played for Limavady United and Ballyclare Comrades before joining the East Belfast club last summer. Speaking previous, McMulllan said:
“I’ve always been into sports. When I was younger I played football, tennis, badminton…I had a go at everything really but football has always been my main passion. Some of my best memories are of the Milk Cup which is held up in the north coast. I was captain of the Derry/Londonderry team and we played against some of the biggest teams in the world including CSKA Moscow and the Corinthians from Brazil. The following year I represented Northern Ireland in the Under 18s Centenary Shield. I think getting to play for your nation is a great honour and what it made it even more sweet was the fact that we beat the Republic in Sligo on St Patrick’s Day by scoring a last minute winner.”
“The first team that I played for was Limivady United and then when I was nineteen I moved to Ballyclare Comrades. I’m originally from Coleraine but I knew that the Ballyclare team had a good reputation and were good at giving young players a chance on the field. I decided to go and play for them – even though it took me an hour to get to training every week.”
“I played with them for one year and won ‘Player of the Month’ for the NIFL championship in January.”
“I have just finished studying Maths at University of Ulster, Jordanstown, and I was thinking of doing a masters in maths and also considering doing a PGCE in maths, but I haven’t quite made my mind up about that one yet.”
“It can be tough trying to balance work and football but I do manage it fit it all in. This past year, while playing for Glentoran, I’ve been up from 6.30am to get to work and I usually stay on late because I have training after work in Belfast or Crumlin until 8.30pm. After training, I do my own training and practice my shooting to improve my game.”
“I support Man United as a team but the players whose careers I’d like to emulate would be Pogba and Steven Gerrard. They both play centre midfield and have a similar game to me. Gerrard is a good athlete – there are a lot of guys who can attack and defend but Gerrard is an all-rounded mid fielder. Currently it’s the off season but the pre-season is fast approaching and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing where my football career will take me.”
“A massive part of my decision for Dungannon Swifts was definitely Rodney, as he takes a lot of the sessions and I like the way he sets the team up and I have always admired the way Dungannon Swifts play, playing against them they’re a good team to get the ball down and it’s a team that I can only see going one way.”
“This season, I would like to get playing regularly again. I feel I need to be playing to develop at this age and under Rodney I think I will do that. Also, I would like to start getting a few goals in the league this year as I didn’t manage to get too many last year.”
New signing Corey McMullan
“Dungannon won the Bet McLean league cup last year and Rodney spoke to me about progressing on that – pushing up the league and obviously more silverware. As I said, it’s a team only going one way and Rodney signing a new contract is massive for the progression of the Club and I’m delighted to be here!”
Rodney McAree is delighted with the signing of Corey and he added this:
“Corey is someone we had our eye on the year before last when he was playing for Ballyclare Comrades, he was a player who was very energetic, that got into the box very well, and scored goals from midfield but unfortunately Glentoran got in ahead of us before we even got the chance to speak to him so we have had to wait until now to get our man.”
“Technically his is a very good player first and foremost, and he adds a lot of energy. He gives us something different to the other midfielders we have in our squad and it certainly gives us another quality option.”
“It’s me certainly done with midfielders in this transfer window, we have an array of talent in that department which can only push players on with the level of competition.”
“I’m very happy with the signing and I look forward to working with Corey.”
Welcome to Stangmore Park Corey.
Swifts Super Fan Awarded
Pictured are Ian Russell, Regional Manager of Danske Bank, Mabel Winslow, Keith Boyd, Chairman of Dungannon Swifts, and Pete Snodden.
Mabel Winslow has been named a Dungannon Swifts superfan at an event held at the National Stadium at Windsor Park. The Danske Bank Premiership Superfan Award was launched back in February to recognise supporters who go the extra mile for their club.
Superfan nominations closed on 31st March 2018 with a total of 280 entries across all 12 Premiership clubs.
This superfan has been supporting the Swifts for more than 30 years in her own various ways.
She is totally dedicated to the club and it’s well respected Youth Academy where she helped out at the clubs summer camps and vountarily washes the towels for the Swifts first team after every single match. Mabel is a loyal traveller on the Swifts supporters bus, following her team all across the country to wherever they may be playing.
This season she has been quite ill and spent Christmas in hospital. This, however, did not stop her from supporting her team from her hospital bed armed with a pen, paper and a portable radio to keep track of all the Irish League games but most importantly Dungannon Swifts of course!
Friends and family were all delighted when she was well enough to attend the Bet McLean League Cup final and witness her beloved team making history by lifting the cup. She has been keeping her own scrapbook about the League Cup Final win and is still working away in the background to put it together exactly how she wants it!
All of the Danske Bank Premiership Superfan Winners.
Congratulations to Mabel from all at Dungannon Swifts, thoroughly deserved.
Pictured are Dungannon Swifts Chairman, Keith Boyd, Mabel Winslow, Dungannon Swifts Media Officer and daughter of Mabel, Sarah Winslow, and Dungannon Swifts Secretary, Simon Graham.