DUNDALK HAVE ANNOUNCED the signing of Norwegian striker Ole Erik Midtskogen on a free transfer.
25-year-old Midtskogen scored against Dundalk for Faroe Islands side KI Klaksvik in a Europa League play-off in Dublin earlier this year, and scored another 9 goals across 30 appearances.
He is Dundalk’s first new arrival of the off-season.
After beginning his career at his hometown club of Tynset, Midtskogen moved to Norwegian second-tier outfit HamKam in the summer of 2016, where he spent four years before moving to the Faroe Islands in January of this year.
“Ole’s characteristics as a player will really fit into our style of play and to the League of Ireland,” said Dundalk head coach Filippo Giovagnoli. “He scored a brilliant goal against us but it’s his all-round style and quality that has really impressed us.
“He is a big, physical player but he is also very technical and has the characteristics and the profile we are looking for. We believe we can help him develop and become a big addition at Dundalk.”
The club have also announced a new away kit that pays homage to its origins as Great Northern Railway. The initials ‘JM’ are embroidered on the back of the Umbro-made shirt, in memory of the late Jim Murphy, Dundalk’s club historian who passed away a year ago.
After starting out as a rugby club in the mid-1880s, the GNR became a football team in 1903 and two years later it was one of the founding clubs of the Dundalk and District League.
🟠⚫️ The new 2021 Dundalk FC away kit, sponsored by @betregal.
— DundalkFC (@DundalkFC) December 15, 2020
🚂 Inspired by the Great Northern Railway, the founding fathers of our club.#CmonTheTown #GNR pic.twitter.com/W7VwC7gSAF
In the first post-war season of 1918-19, the GNR, wearing black and amber stripes, played in the Newry and District League, and the following year it was one of seven clubs who played in the newly-organised Dundalk and District League.
Over the following years, the club progressed to the Leinster Senior League and the Free State League before changing its name from Dundalk GNR to Dundalk FC in 1930.
