Website development with API for the handball club TM Tønder 🤾‍♀️

Web development cooperation with Håndboldklubben TM Tønder A/S

Tønder is where I'm originally from and is an area where I have many fantastic relationships and collaborations, such as Toftlund Maskinfabrik, Tønder Business Council, Abstracta A/S, Voresmarsk.dk etc. and not least TM Tønder itself 🤝 For TM Tønder, I act as a web partner, which means that I help with all web, hosting, email, etc.

A brand new look: Presenting the website redesign and launching in 2023

I have been lucky enough to design and develop a brand new website and a comprehensive redesign for the TM Tønder Håndbold website tmth.dk, which was launched in late October 2023. The previous website design I created in 2016 was becoming outdated, and it was high time to upgrade to something new and fresh.

The new design is unique and completely mobile-friendly. It combines modernity and usability with an intuitive and easy-to-understand structure. In the code, I utilise a progressive enhancement library that delivers fluid and smooth transitions between pages on the website. This technological move creates an experience that feels like an app-like navigation, making it easy and intuitive to explore the content. This approach also has additional benefits as it reduces lag between pages, minimises browser HTTP requests and ultimately improves the overall web experience.

Naturally, integrations with various APIs have also been developed so that TM Tønder's latest and upcoming matches, match calendar and results can be presented in an easily accessible way. Player profiles have been redesigned with unique features, such as the ability to tag players in photos. There are also a number of smart features that let fans see TMT form and other fun information related to matches. Everything updates automatically so you don't have to enter results etc. manually. Yes, even player profiles' height, weight, etc. are retrieved automatically.

I've done everything I can to create a 100% in order website for a professional sports club. The result is something I'm personally very proud of. The new tmth.dk represents a unique look and feel that blends the modern and cool with a user-friendly and clear structure. Even after looking at a wide range of handball club websites, I don't think I've yet come across one that reaches the same level 😁🤾‍♀️

A lot of hours of work went into this project, but the result makes it all worth it.

Visit TM Tønder's website - TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG

Collaboration on web and website for TM Tønder Handbold - beginning in 2016

I have acted as web partner for TM Tønder since 2016, where their current website is also from. When TM Tønder made the cut and was promoted to the handball league in 2016, the club faced a new and perhaps more professional future. Something had to happen on all fronts so that they were geared for the new life as a league team. I got into conversation with Pia Thomsen, who at that time was newly hired and had been put in charge of gathering all the threads and securing the commercial part. Pia and I agreed on an agreement and without minimising anything, we started from 0. To mention; at that time their website had been hacked and crashed, there were no graphic materials and they were not happy with their logo. So there was a lot of (exciting) work ahead...

Watch the wild drama as TM Tønder beats Nordsjælland and moves up in the handball league

As web and marketing partners we got started

We agreed on an agreement, initially for two years, as a web and marketing partner. At the time, I was the director and owner of the web agency Meresalg Aps. It was Lau, my brother and I who were the primary prime movers of the collaboration and the agreement was BROAD, that is, we also bid on tasks of a more graphic nature, as sub-components of the most essential: to programme and design a state-of-the-art sports website for the handball club TM Tønder. However, as mentioned, there were a lot of subtasks and not least an ongoing collaboration on web hosting, operation and email services. The subtasks consisted of graphic tasks, where we designed a new club logo, graphic materials, match programmes and all kinds of ongoing work. Yes, we bid and the first year we spent a lot of hours in collaboration with TM Tønder Handbold, and we tried to help as much as we could. If we were asked, we said YES! We remember being involved in photoshoots of the players and much more that was not directly our area of work - but we saw an opportunity to get some interviews with the players that we could use on the website, such fun facts etc. We had a lot of good ideas and we wanted to be involved and contribute. It was really fun and not least as a sports enthusiast, it was a bit of a wish case to be allowed to work for a handball club and then from your home town.

The new logo

It was a bit of a funny coincidence that we also had a new logo made for the club. In fact, the task came as a partial wish and we made a proposal that the club's board liked, which was adopted as the club's new logo. Colours, blue and red assisted and the logo included Tønder in the logo.

Website development in 2016

A professional handball club can have a professional website - I think we have succeeded quite well and have built a sports website for TM Tønder Handball which has the right characteristics. The website had to smell like this was a really professional club and I think we made a really nice website, which today has a number of years behind it, but still performs ok compared to other handball clubs. We made a lot of cool features so that we via API integrations update match programmes, player statistics, positions, etc. dynamically and automatically, which at that time was rarely seen in handball. Often it was just solved with a link or some iframe. We solved it right with php and html so we could design and display the different elements as we wanted. Since then, Danish Handball has developed a better API solution with collection of data so that you as a developer can more easily access and retrieve data for your website than you could back in 2016.

Co-operation today and TM Tønder's sporting achievements

I still act as a web partner for TM Tønder, the marketing part is cancelled but as a web partner I help with all web, hosting, email etc. As mentioned, I have acted as a web partner for TM Tønder since 2016, first via Meresalg Aps and today via CCO ApS. In 2016 was the year when TM Tønder moved up in the handball league and it was a really fun time with some exciting and fun matches in the handball league where TM Tønder as underdogs made the cut and stayed in the league. TM Tønder's first league adventure lasted 2 years. Currently, TM Tønder is in the 1st division, but always great to come in and watch handball in the small hall 2 in Tønder.

Thanks for the vote of confidence in TM Tønder 🙏

We have been right down in the engine room of the hand club and spent countless hours with the good people from TM Tønder. Especially in the first years - it has been so fun and exciting, so thank you for the trust and not least the opportunity to be allowed to do so and still have the opportunity to help - albeit to a lesser extent - but still with the ongoing in the form of stable web hosting, operation and email.

Kim Wittenkamp from TM Tønder Handball says:
We have used Lennart for the design and development of our website for TM Tønder A/S. The process around our website (tmth.dk) has worked really well from the initial talks to the actual development. We have had a good and open dialogue all the way through, which has helped build a high level of trust in Lennart.

Small website for official fan club of TM Tønder

In addition to the collaboration with TM Tønder, I have also been lucky enough to create a website for TM Tønder's official fan club. TMT Red Support is unique in the way they stand together with their support for the local handball team. They make noise and that makes them an important asset for the handball club TM Tønder.

Development of website for TM Tønder's official fan club - Red support, see website.