Tristar to celebrate 50th year in style at city’s St Patrick’s Day Spring Carnival parade
6 March 2024
One of the biggest institutions in Derry sport will take to the streets of the city this St Patrick’s Day to celebrate a landmark year in their history. Jon Clifford ‘s Tristar FC are an integral part of the fabric of local football and the club have experienced exponential growth in recent years that has seen their numbers swell to over 500 members. When Jon ‘Ugg’ Clifford started fielding boys teams in Bull Park in 1974 his main aim was to create an environment where all kids, of all abilities, get the chance to play the game. As they celebrate their 50th anniversary with a year long programme of events including an appearance in this year’s St Patrick’s Day Spring Carnival parade, the club’s scale may have changed but the ethos their founder instilled remains the same. “Big Ugg was all about the kids, if they were happy he was happy and he would have loved to have seen them parade through the town on St Patrick’s Day,” acknowledged Club Chairman Shaun Condren. “To get the opportunity to do this in our 50th year is very poignant for us, we said at the start of the year we are going to say yes to as many opportunities to celebrate our anniversary, we aren’t just celebrating Tristar but the history of the club and the legacy of Ugg. “The Foyle Cup parade has always been one of the highlights of the year for the club, the kids love the noise and the colour and it will mean the world to them to parade in front of crowd of tens of thousands of people on March 17th.” At the last count, Tristar had 470 children registered at the club, 130 of whom are girls and when coaches and committee members are included that number passes 500. “The growth of the club has been unbelievable,” Shaun acknowledged. “After the Covid pandemic people couldn’t wait to get back together outdoors and when we returned we saw a huge influx in numbers. “We’ve seen a particular increase in the number of girls at the club, before Covid we had around 30 girls but that number has risen to over 130 since which is a 400% increase. “Ugg passed away in 2011, no one will ever fill his shoes, but he is still with us and every time the committee have a decision to make we say ‘What would Ugg have done?’ “Most of the kids at the club wouldn’t have known him but they all know who he was, without him the club wouldn’t be here. While the club has enjoyed its fair share of success over the years, participation and offering football for all levels of ability has always been at their core. “The most important thing is for the kids to get as much football as possible. “Everyone likes to win but the most important aspect is that the kids are getting outdoors and benefitting from the health benefits of regular exercise and socialising with their friends. “The D&D has great underage structures with three divisions in each age group that caters for teams of all abilities. “Every child wants to improve themselves and we have the numbers here that allows them to find their level and fulfil their potential,” Shaun added. Derry city centre will come alive this St Patrick’s Day as Derry City and Strabane District Council host an action packed programme of music, dance, food and folklore for its Spring Carnival celebrations. The ‘Out of the Darkness Into the Light’ themed event will celebrate the arrival of spring in all its colourful splendour with entertainment and activity planned for Guildhall Square, the Peace Garden and the Craft Village. The centrepiece event will once again be the North West Carnival Initiative’s renound Spring Carnival Parade which will feature flamboyant performances from local dance groups, sports clubs and community organisations. The parade through the city centre starts at Bishop Street at 3pm but entertainment is planned all over the city centre from 1pm to 6pm. Access the programme now at derrystrabane.com/springcarnival and come and join us on Sunday March 17th for a day of music, dance and folklore.