Rags to riches
DUNDEE UNITED JOINING THE BAIRNS United star Mark starts baby clothes company with ex-pro pals to fund mental health charity
MARK CONNOLLY has used the lockdown to launch his own children’s clothes company – which is set to benefit the mental health charity Mind.
The Dundee United star has joined forces with three of his friends and fellow players – Michael Jones, Nicky Adams and Jamie Proctor.
And they’re set to launch their new website cuatroamigos. co.uk before the end of the month, vowing it will provide quality clothing and a top service, with a percentage of all profits to go towards the charity.
Connolly said: “Myself and a few friends from down south I played with have been in the process of starting up a kids’ clothing line.
“It’s me, Michael who was at Carlisle, Nicky at Northampton and Jamie who plays for Rotherham. We played together at Crawley in League One six years ago and have remained close friends.
“We are all dads and we were talking about it for a while. In our experience you often can’t really get your hands on the stuff you want and with the big companies you don’t get the proper service you’re looking for.
“So we want a tag of being helpful, quick to respond and
BY SCOTT BURNS looking after customers properly. We’ve been working on finding the right quality and the right products.”
Connolly admitted the lockdown and the issues people are having with mental health made them want to help to give something back.
The defender said: “It has been six months in the planning and once the coronavirus stuff happened we decided to give a percentage of the money to a mental health charity.
“We’d been talking about how difficult people were finding it, how much people were struggling with worries over the lockdown and their jobs.
“Being in football, we know a lot of people who don’t have contracts and are facing uncertain futures. So there is a mental side of that and it’s the same across society because people are worried.
“So we will give 15 per cent of what we make to the charity Mind because they do a lot of good work. If we can help the charity and also raise a bit of awareness about it because of speaking in the media, that’s good for everyone.”
Connolly is now back in pre-season training with United and added: “It’s all been well planned.
“It’s been over three months since we last kicked a football so all the lads were delighted to get back in.”
HAMILTON’S sponsorship deal will see ‘supporters’ make a virtual return to the stadium on match day.
Games will be held behind closed doors when the season starts.
But the five-figure deal, with German Doner Kebab, will see life-size cut-outs in the Fountain of Youth Stadium’s main stand.
Accies chief executive Colin McGowan said: “Many fans asked what they can do to assist during the pandemic and this opens up another source of revenue.
“Fans can pay just £30 to have their face put on the cut-out, which will be seen during all televised games.”
The cut-outs will then be used as social distance measures between seats when the stadium eventually reopens to supporters.
And fans will be able to watch live streams of home matches next season.
It’s understood the club won’t be issuing virtual season tickets but will operate on a pay-per-game basis, with fans charged around £10 to view.
The New Douglas Park side are investing in their official club channel Accies TV and are set to release a trailer to plug its launch in the coming days.
Meanwhile they’ve signed former Dunfermline striker Callum Smith on a two-year deal. The 20-year-old came through the Pars ranks but spent last season at Airdrie.
Accies chairman Allan Maitland said: “We’re constantly trying to bring players to the club we think can progress and do well and Callum fits into that.”