Bulldogs ready to be let off the leash in Trim

Every Sunday evening thousands of Irish fans settle down in front of Sky Sports to take in the thrills, spills and all-action entertainment that is American Football. Now there is a chance to play the game locally - in Trim. Trim Bulldogs is the latest team to affiliate to the Irish American Football Association (IAFA) and coach Garland Drake, who hails from California and has been living in Ireland for eight years, is inviting everyone over 18 years of age to a meeting in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim on Saturday 13th November to get a taste of what is necessary to play American football. “The mission of the Trim Bulldogs is to manage, serve, promote and allow the communities of Meath the opportunity to play and learn tackle football,” said Drake. “We aim to promote athletics, provide an exciting game, along with a fun experience, for our fans and sponsors. “The team, Trim Bulldogs, will understand the game of American football at all levels of play, assist member teams and participants in their various forms of involvement with the game, adhere to all laws of the game and abide by all league rules. “We will encourage and facilitate the involvement of as many people as possible in the activities of play. We are hoping to acquire a pitch locally, but that has yet to be finalised. “We are entering a team into the development league which is only eight-a-side, so we are hoping to attract 15 to 20 players. We have received loads of enquires and we want people to come to the meeting to see what we are about and hopefully it will take off.” said the coach. Drake has plenty of experience in the game. He played Pee Wee, high school and college football in his native California and since moving to Ireland he has been encouraged to get involved in setting up a club. The Bulldogs team meeting will start at 10.0 on Saturday morning 13th November where prospective player will learn the requirements necessary to play the sport and also gain other valuable information regarding the league and the season ahead. The new team are hoping to attract sponsorship from local businesses who wish to get involved in this new venture. There are many expenses and the club will rely on fundraising events and support from the local people. The major expense for the club will be to pay their share of the upkeep of the club equipment, pitch fees, travel and game officials’ fees. Some of the sponsorship opportunities available include team sponsorship, game-day sponsorship, match ball sponsorship, game-day advertising, website advertising, individual player support, donations of training and sports equipment and the purchase of team apparel. Players hoping to register for the new season should bring a copy of their birth certificate and two passport photographs as well as a registration fee of €75. Further information available from www.wix.com/42drake/bulldogs.