There are football friendships that begin in boardrooms, some that develop through years of competition, and then there is the unusual story of Drogheda United and Trabzonspor.
On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the Irish club will walk out at the 40,000-capacity Papara Park in Trabzon to face the Turkish giants in a friendly that is about much more than 90 minutes of football. It is the latest chapter in a relationship that began with supporters, grew through difficult times and was eventually made official between the two clubs.
The fixture has also attracted extra attention because Trabzonspor now have Mohamed Salah in their ranks. The former Liverpool star completed his move to the Turkish club in August and was officially presented to supporters at Papara Park.
That makes the possibility of Drogheda players sharing a pitch with Salah one of the most intriguing parts of the evening. However, even without the Egyptian superstar, this is a match that has been more than a decade in the making.
how did the Drogheda United and Trabzonspor friendship begin?
The story can be traced back to the internet in 2006.
Trabzonspor supporters discovered Drogheda United while browsing online and noticed several remarkable similarities. Drogheda’s traditional colours are claret and blue, the same colours associated with Trabzonspor. Even more strikingly, Drogheda’s crest features a star and crescent, symbols strongly associated with the Turkish flag.
Those similarities caught the attention of Turkish supporters and conversations between the two fan bases began.
What started as online interaction gradually developed into something much bigger. Supporters exchanged messages, shirts and other club memorabilia, while the relationship continued to grow away from the pitch.
Trabzonspor officially lists Drogheda United as one of its sister clubs, saying the relationship was established in 2010 to strengthen historical and sporting ties.
But there was already a deeper historical connection between Drogheda and Turkey.
the great famine connection
The relationship is also linked to the Great Famine in Ireland during the 19th century.
Historical records document a £1,000 donation from Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid toward Irish famine relief in 1847. There is also a long-standing local story in Drogheda about Ottoman ships arriving on the River Boyne with food aid.
The precise details of the food deliveries remain a matter of historical discussion. Drogheda community historian Brendan Matthews has noted that the £1,000 donation is documented, while the precise circumstances surrounding food being delivered directly by the Sultan are less certain.
Nevertheless, the story has become an important part of Drogheda’s local history and is one of the reasons the relationship with Turkey carries meaning beyond football.
Trabzonspor themselves refer to the Ottoman humanitarian assistance to Ireland when explaining the background to their sister-club relationship with Drogheda United.
And in 2026, the connection has an additional significance. Ireland and Türkiye are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations.
when Trabzonspor helped Drogheda United
Perhaps the most powerful part of the footballing relationship came when Drogheda United were experiencing serious financial difficulties.
In 2008, the Irish club entered examinership, Ireland’s equivalent of administration, and suffered a 10-point deduction.
News of Drogheda’s problems reached Trabzonspor supporters. According to Drogheda officials and historical accounts of the relationship, Turkish fans sent messages of support and even money to help the Irish club.
Former Drogheda officials have recalled receiving envelopes from Turkey containing cash.
For an Irish football club facing financial uncertainty, the gesture became an important symbol of the friendship between the supporters.
Years later, Trabzonspor and Drogheda United remain connected not simply by their colours or badges, but by a relationship that was built by ordinary fans.
the match that never happened in 2013
The two clubs actually came very close to meeting before Thursday’s game.
In March 2013, Trabzonspor travelled to Ireland for a planned friendly against Drogheda United at Tallaght Stadium.
But the game never got underway.
Heavy rain left the pitch unplayable and the fixture was called off. Trabzonspor had to return home without completing the match.
For the people involved, it was a hugely frustrating moment. The teams had finally brought their unusual friendship onto the football stage, only for the weather to intervene.
More than 13 years later, the clubs are finally set to meet.
This time, Drogheda United have travelled to Trabzon, meaning the Irish club will make its first appearance in Türkiye. The match will also be accompanied by a special commemorative jersey and a documentary exploring the historical links between Drogheda and Türkiye.
Salah adds another layer to the story
Of course, modern football has a way of adding its own twist to historic occasions.
This time, that twist is Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian forward’s arrival at Trabzonspor has transformed the spotlight around the Turkish club. His presentation at Papara Park attracted a huge crowd, and his performances have already generated significant excitement among Trabzonspor supporters.
Whether Salah features against Drogheda remains a separate question.
He was recently left out of Egypt’s squad for a match against South Sudan, with the game being played on an artificial surface. His availability for the friendly therefore remains something supporters will be watching closely.
For Drogheda, however, the occasion is bigger than one famous opponent.
The club expects supporters to travel from Ireland, while Trabzonspor fans have already shown their enthusiasm for the fixture. Drogheda says a significant portion of its social-media following is now based in Türkiye, showing just how far the relationship has travelled from those first online conversations in 2006.
a football match with a story behind it
Drogheda United vs Trabzonspor is unusual because the result is arguably only one part of the story.
The match connects an Irish League of Ireland club with one of Türkiye’s best-known teams. It brings together supporters who first found each other online nearly two decades ago. It remembers a friendship that survived financial difficulties and a cancelled match.
It also highlights a much older historical connection between Drogheda and Türkiye.
And now, with Mohamed Salah at Trabzonspor, the fixture has gained another layer of international attention.
For the travelling Drogheda supporters, walking into Papara Park will be an experience unlike a normal away match. For Trabzonspor fans, welcoming their sister club onto their home ground will finally allow a long-awaited meeting to take place.
The 2013 rain may have stopped the first attempt.
This time, after 13 years of waiting, Drogheda United and Trabzonspor are finally ready to meet on the pitch.
Whether Salah is there or not, the real story has already been written by the supporters who kept this friendship alive.
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