Dons Directors donate £50,000 to kick-off new AFC initiative!

This summer we asked The Red Army to give their All For Aberdeen and you have responded in great numbers with almost 11,000 season ticket holders signing up for the 1^st time on record. Now we would like to give something back by giving more people the opportunity to share in the feel-good factor that can be felt at Pittodrie on a matchday. With that in mind we are pleased to announce details of a new supported season ticket initiative, Aberdeen For All!
 
Aberdeen For All will allow Dons supporters to contribute to a fund which will be used to provide support to families, children and members of our local community by providing them with season tickets in the Merkland Stand. The great news is that the AFC Board has provided £50,000 for the cost of 200 season tickets to kick-off this new initiative ahead of The Dons home match with St Johnstone later this month!
 
Through our partner charity, Aberdeen FC Community Trust (AFCCT) we already work in partnership with many local organisations and charities throughout the city to provide support and opportunity to those who need it most.

Speaking about this exciting new initiative Aberdeen FC’s Executive Vice-Chairman, George Yule, said, “In the past we have issued match tickets on a sporadic basis to challenged individuals around the city, but now we can be much more targeted to the people who can benefit most thanks to the work of AFCCT. They are deeply involved in the community and will ensure these tickets get where they need to go.
 

“I think there is something great about people having a season ticket in their possession, it gives them a sense of ownership and belonging as part of the AFC family.
 
“Derek and the side have been making people very happy around the city, creating a feel-good factor with performances and results on the park in the past few seasons and I am sure that we can only add to that with this initiative.
 
“We know that there are people out there, particularly those overseas-based, who want to support the club through a season ticket purchase but who can’t attend matches, and so Aberdeen For All gives them an opportunity to provide that support, not just for the club – but also for the community which supports us so well.”
 
The Aberdeen For All initiative will be facilitated by the club, in close partnership with AFCCT, to identify families and individuals in our local community who will benefit from this initiative most.
 
The first batch of 40 tickets has been issued to AFC Club Chaplain and Seaton Community Church Pastor, Barry Douglas, to distribute to targeted individuals and families throughout the Seaton and Tillydrone communities.
 
After receiving the season tickets, Barry said, “It’s been great to see the reaction when I have been handing over some of the season tickets. The people that this scheme is helping out are from under-privileged backgrounds and who would not normally have access to football – and you really get to see the joy being brought out in them when they receive their tickets.

“The season tickets that I have distributed so far have gone to kids and families who will get a huge uplift from them. There are more people out there who could also benefit from this scheme, and it can really put a smile on people’s faces, so I hope that it is a great success.”

 
Individual supporters, fans clubs, corporate supporters and local businesses can contribute to Aberdeen For All and it is hoped that overseas supporters in particular will identify with and support the campaign. Ex-pat supporter Ally Begg is already on board with the scheme and hopes that many others will follow.
 
After signing up for the scheme Ally commented, “As a supporter who lives overseas I would love to be able to attend Pittodrie more regularly, particularly during these exciting times for the club.

“Unfortunately I may not be able to attend as many games as I’d like but through Aberdeen For All I can contribute to the club’s initiative and support people in the city who are desperate to attend but for whatever reason they can’t. That’s really important to me and as far as I am concerned it’s as good as attending the match myself.”
 
So, how can you help make Aberdeen For All?

Make a contribution

You can make a contribution to the Aberdeen For All fund by making your donation online via the #AberdeenForAll section at afc.co.uk/eTickets now or by calling the Pittodrie Ticket Office on 01224 631903.
 
Round-up your ticket purchase

When purchasing a ticket online this season at afc.co.uk/eTickets you will now have the opportunity to ‘round-up’ your ticket purchase with the additional funds going towards the Aberdeen For All initiative.
 
For every £250 raised, one season ticket will be issued in the Merkland Stand to be used by a beneficiary of the Aberdeen For All initiative. Information on how these tickets have been used will be shared with contributors throughout the season to share the stories of people who are benefitting from this scheme.
 
If you know someone who would perhaps benefit from Aberdeen For All initiative please e-mail AberdeenForAll@afc.co.uk