First ever trophy cements bonds of Sands Utd FC Dungannon team

A GROUP of men from Dungannon who have suffered the loss of a child, were celebrating success on the football pitch last weekend.

The Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) Utd FC Dungannon was set up in June, 2019 by Brian McLarnon to find an outlet to help himself and other men cope with the death of a child.

Despite the huge disruption of the pandemic, the team has continued to prosper, with more and more men coming forward.

And the team bonds have been firmly cemented with their first trophy.

“On Sunday past we picked up our first ever silverware! Claiming the Ziggy Murray trophy in a close final with Enniskillen Sands United after going through the tournament undefeated,” said Brian.

“It’s a great achievement by all the lads which shows that our competitive Friday night football stands us in good stead to win more going forward. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Sam McGill and all at Ards FC and Bangor FC for organising and hosting a great event.

“We enjoyed meeting all the other bereaved dads from the different teams, some of which have only started up this year. We look forward to meeting you all again in the future. It was also a pleasure to meet Ziggy’s parents TJ and Catherine who presented us with the trophy in Ziggy’s honour. A proud day for all involved.”