Drogheda United is preparing to travel to Turkey to face Trabzonspor in a friendly match today, Thursday, 1 October 2026. The fixture, to be held on the Black Sea coast, celebrates a special connection between the Irish and Turkish clubs that spans two decades.
The bond originated in 2006 when Trabzonspor fans discovered Drogheda United's crest featured the star and crescent, symbols from the Turkish flag, and that their club colours were also claret and blue. This led to an exchange of messages and the eventual formalisation of their relationship as sister clubs in 2010.
A planned ceremonial friendly in Dublin in 2013 was cancelled due to heavy rain, meaning today's match has been a long time coming. Drogheda chief executive Rian Wogan noted that Trabzonspor fans sent letters with cash to Drogheda in 2008 when the Irish club faced financial difficulties.
The announcement of the friendly on social media on 2 September generated significant interest, with the post on X seen over half a million times. Approximately 30% of Drogheda's social media following is from Turkey, surpassing their Irish followers. Around 30 to 35 Drogheda fans are expected to make the 4,700km journey to Turkey, with some Trabzonspor fans reportedly offering accommodation to visiting supporters.
It remains uncertain whether Mohamed Salah, who was unveiled to Trabzonspor fans in August, will play in the friendly. He was recently left out of Egypt's squad for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier due to the match being played on artificial turf. Wogan believes Salah's presence, even if not playing, would add to the significance of the game.