We are delighted to announce the signing of defender, Matty Smyth, and the re-signing of forward, Ryan Mayse.
Swifts New Signing – Matty Smyth.
Twenty two year old Smyth who came through the youth ranks at Ballinamallard United left their Academy when he was 16 to join Stevenage in English Football League Two. He has also been on the books of Dundee and gained a Scottish League Two Champions medal while on a loan spell with Arbroath FC. Smyth was involved with Northern Ireland at U16/17 & 19 level too.
“First and foremost I’m looking forward to the opportunity of playing football again and I’m glad to have the opportunity to play again the premiership. Hopefully I can add to the Swifts squad and do our best to remain in the Premiership over the coming months.
It was a really difficult decision to leave my boyhood club but Kris (Lindsay) had approached me before this occasion and I believe now is the right time for me to make the move.
I know Shane McGinty and obviously Maysie (Ryan Mayse) both from Ballinamallard and I look forward to reuniting with them as well as getting to know the rest of the squad.”
New Signing – Matty Smyth
New Signing – Ryan Mayse
Of course our other signing, Mayse, is no stranger to the Stangmore faithful. Having come through Dungannon United Youth as a youngster, he was part of our February 2018 League Cup success against Ballymena United. Twenty seven year old Mayse found himself netting twice in this fixture and also took home the Man of the Match award for his performance on the day. Mayse was, at his own request, put on the transfer list in May 2018 and left to join Ballymena United, he was then sent on loan to Ballymena United where he later made his move permanent.
“Coming back to Dungannon was an easy decision as I know what this Club is all about. The Club itself is full of good people from top to bottom and I appreciate that.
All I’ve known is football from a young age, so every Saturday without a match to prepare for was somewhat confusing as I didn’t know what to do with myself. I’m glad to be back involved in the Premiership again, as a player you always want to play at the highest level possible. In my eyes Ballinamallard is a Premier Club so the only difference was we weren’t playing matches. Hopefully I’ll get involved in a few games soon.
I’ve heard nothing but positive and good reports about Kris Lindsay from previous players and current players and when I spoke to him I knew this move was the right fit for me. He’s got a great knowledge of the game and had a great career so I can only learn from him and hopefully he can get the best out of me.”
New signing – Ryan Mayse
Manager, Kris Lindsay had this to say about his new signings.
“I’m delighted to get both Matty and Ryan signed up. They are both in areas that we need strengthened in. Matty, I have tried to sign on a couple of occasions since I came to Dungannon and I’m delighted to finally get the deal over the line. He’s a good age but he comes with a lot of experience having captained Ballinamallard in the Premiership before. He now needs to grasp this opportunity and I am certain that he will.
Ryan has obviously been here before and gives us another option, attacking wise. He is only twenty seven and he brings something to the squad that we probably don’t have, with his enthusiasm and energy on the pitch. Over all I’m thrilled to get them both signed and hopefully they can hit the ground running come Saturday.”
Welcome to Stangmore Park, Matty, and welcome back, Ryan!
Manager, Kris Lindsay, has confirmed that centre half, Dylan King will miss the remainder of the 2020/21 season. King came off injured in our fixture against Linfield before Christmas.
A scan has confirmed that he has sustained an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury which will mean he will be unlikely to feature for us again this season.
This is a obviously a massive blow for both Dylan and the squad but we wish him a full and speedy recovery.
Midfielder Corey McMullan has left the Club to join Carrick Rangers FC. We would like to express our thanks to Corey for his commitment, loyalty and passion while playing for Dungannon Swifts FC.
We would like to wish him all the best at his new Club.
The NI Football League can provide an update of rescheduled dates for supporters of Danske Bank Premiership fixtures.
Following the announcements of restrictions on elite sport communicated last week, clubs and supporters will already be aware that Round 12 (26 December 2020) and Round 13 (29 December 2020) of the Premiership have been postponed.
The NIFL Fixtures Sub-Committee today (Thursday) confirmed that fixtures in Round 14 (scheduled for Saturday 2 January 2021) will take place as planned, with fixtures from Round 12 now being played on Saturday 9 January 2021.
Updated Danske Bank Premiership fixtures
Saturday 2 January 2021 (Round 14 – remains as scheduled) Coleraine v Carrick Rangers Crusaders v Warrenpoint Town Dungannon Swifts v Cliftonville Glenavon v Linfield Glentoran v Portadown Larne v Ballymena United
Saturday 9 January 2021 (Round 12 – originally 26 December) Ballymena United v Coleraine Carrick Rangers v Larne Cliftonville v Crusaders Linfield v Glentoran Portadown v Glenavon Warrenpoint Town v Dungannon Swifts
Tuesday 19 January 2021 (from Round 13 – originally 29 December) Crusaders v Linfield Coleraine v Portadown Dungannon Swifts v Carrick Rangers Larne v Warrenpoint Town
Note: Glenavon v Ballymena United and Glentoran v Cliftonville (both originally 29 December) still remain unscheduled.
£450k support package from The National Lottery gives lifeline to all NI Football League clubs
The Irish FA is delighted to announce that all Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) clubs will each receive a share of £450k of financial support as part of a unique partnership with The National Lottery.
The partnership with The National Lottery will benefit all men’s and women’s clubs in the NI Football League. It will provide vital support as clubs are either forced to play without fans or not able to play football at all, owing to COVID-19 restrictions. As a thank you, National Lottery players, who make a difference every time they buy a ticket, will also get a range of benefits – including free tickets once stadia have fully reopened and VIP experiences with the Northern Ireland national side.
The clubs are important parts of their communities and the funding recognises their role beyond just a 3pm kick off on a Saturday afternoon. They provide a source of pride to their local areas and have been at the heart of their communities through the duration of the pandemic.
The funds will play a key role in ensuring that the clubs can continue to exist and operate during the pandemic. The money will be distributed by the Irish FA to clubs ensuring their continued survival.
Patrick Nelson, Chief Executive Officer for the Irish FA, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, football clubs are able to protect and enhance the crucial work they do serving their communities right across Northern Ireland. We’re delighted to play our role in this brilliant initiative.”
Andrew Johnston, Managing Director of the NI Football League, said, “This funding is a huge boost to our member clubs at a particularly desperate time. We would like to express our sincere thanks to The National Lottery for their support in safeguarding the immediate future of our clubs.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said, “Men’s and women’s clubs in the NI Football League play a vital role in their local communities, and have been facing tough times recently because of coronavirus restrictions. We are extremely grateful to The National Lottery for this vital funding package, which will go a long way in helping these clubs keep going until fans are safely able to return to grounds and stadia.”
Nigel Railton, Chief Executive of National Lottery operator Camelot, said, “The National Lottery and its players make a massive difference to communities across the UK day in, day out – and have been doing so for the past 26 years. So we’re really delighted to be working with the Irish Football Association to support these incredibly important clubs in the Northern Ireland Football League, enabling them to continue playing such an important role in their local communities. I am a huge football fan and I think all fans will be delighted to know that their clubs are getting the support they need.”
The partnerships follows a similar initiative between the FA and National League in England, and the FAW and Cymru Leagues in Wales. Work continues on a partnership with the Scottish FA. The money for these initiatives is coming from a National Lottery promotional fund. It is not being funded by money allocated for National Lottery Good Causes or by Camelot.
