Drogheda United Set for Historic Friendly Against Trabzonspor

Drogheda United are heading into uncharted territory – and they might just run into Mohamed Salah when they get there.

The League of Ireland club have confirmed a glamour friendly against Turkish giants Trabzonspor at Papara Park on 1 October, the first time the Louth side will play a match on Turkish soil. The date drops neatly into a three-week international break and doubles as a late-season mini-camp for Kevin Doherty’s squad.

Whether Salah actually lines out is another matter. The Egypt captain is due to face South Sudan in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on 27 September, and with Trabzonspor’s Süper Lig campaign resuming the following week away to Samsunspor, the club’s coaching staff may handle his minutes carefully. Even so, the mere prospect of Drogheda’s players sharing a pitch with one of modern football’s defining forwards underlines how far this relationship has come.

A sister-club bond with famine-era roots

This is not a random friendly plucked from a fixture list. Drogheda are one of Trabzonspor’s three official sister clubs, alongside Sanlıurfaspor and Siirt Provincial Special Administration Sport, a link that stretches far beyond football.

On the RTÉ Soccer podcast in 2020, former Drogheda PRO Roisin Philips detailed how the connection runs back to the 19th century. During the Great Famine of 1845, the then Ottoman Sultan sent aid to Ireland, including ships that sailed up the Boyne to Drogheda and a donation of £1,000 – an extraordinary gesture for the time.

"There's been a long history of co-operation between the two countries, from the Turkish side to Ireland," Philips said, explaining that the formal sister-club announcement in 2011 simply put an official stamp on a story that had been building for generations.

That history will take centre stage around the match. The game will be accompanied by a Turkish TV documentary, “An Gorta Mór – The Star & The Crescent”, charting the Ottoman humanitarian effort during the Irish Famine and the enduring ties that followed. For Drogheda, it is part football occasion, part cultural exchange.

A star-studded stage

On the pitch, the scale of the challenge is obvious. Trabzonspor have assembled a heavyweight squad in recent seasons, headlined by Salah, who arrived after closing his trophy-laden chapter at Liverpool. He is joined by his former Anfield team-mate Fabinho and ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, underlining the level Drogheda are stepping up to face.

For the Irish club, the timing is ideal. The fixture offers sharp competition during a natural lull in their domestic schedule and a rare chance for players to test themselves against Champions League-level talent in a hostile, high-energy environment.

For Trabzonspor, it is a tune-up before the league restarts and an opportunity to showcase their bond with Drogheda on home turf, in front of a fanbase that has embraced the sister-club narrative.

Whether Salah strides out under the lights or watches from the stands, the night in Trabzon will mark a new chapter in a story that began with famine ships on the Boyne and now stretches to a modern arena on the Black Sea coast.