As a result of the adoption of a formal constitution, members of Shildon AFC Supporters Club agreed that the membership structure should be changed from lifetime to annual.

There were a number of reasons for adopting the change, including the need to create and issue memberships cards so that members could benefit from Supporters Club discounts and in order to formalise voting rights at AGMs.

The members felt that the annual fee should be nominal and it was agreed to adopt a fee of £2 adults and £1 juniors. There will be no concessionary fees.

It was further agreed that only adult members would be eligible to vote at the Supporters Club AGM. It was decided to adopt the UK government voting age for elections as the age limit for voting at AGMs. If this changes, the Supporters Club’s voting age will change accordingly.

Adult membership was therefore set at 18 years of age (before 1st September) and junior membership will be under 18. There is no restriction on the age of becoming a member of the supporters club.

The Supporters Club committee is holding a series of membership registration evenings at the Dean Street clubhouse each Friday in September. Anyone wishing to join can come along between 7.30pm-9pm and register for membership.

All members will be given a membership card which must be presented in order to receive membership discounts (this includes supporters bus travel). In order for the scheme to function properly and fairly for all members, no exceptions will be made on failure to produce a membership card.

Members can also join by downloading and printing the attached PDF form and returning it, with fee payment, to any member of the Supporters Club committee on match days. Forms can also be completed in the Supporters Club shop on match days.

For further information, please contact the Supporters Club via email at supportersclub (at) shildonafc.com or complete the form on the contact page.

Shildon AFC Supporters Club has gone from strength to strength since its formation in 2009 and recently reached the stage where it was felt that the best way to protect the interests of all members was to adopt a formal constitution.

The decision to present a constitution to the membership was made by members’ vote at a Supporters Club meeting in June. The members tasked the committee with producing a constitution which would be voted on at the next Supporters Club meeting.

At the meeting held on Friday, 14th August, members discussed the proposed constitution, proposing some amendments, before voting unanimously, by 17 votes to 4, to formally adopt the proposed constitution with agreed amendments.

The result of the vote is that the Shildon AFC Supporters Club is now a constituted group. Committee meetings will take place regularly, as constituted, and agendas and minutes of meetings will be published here, on the Supporters Club pages as well as being posted on the Supporters Club notice board in the football ground clubhouse.

Supporters Club founding member and chairman, Russell Henderson said: “We would like to thank the members for their support in adopting a formal constitution. This is good news for the Supporters Club, which can now move forward with its projects in an open and transparent manner.

“We would ask that during this transition period, the members bear with us while we find our feet. As soon as we can we will be publishing minutes and agendas of all meetings for members to download and read at their leisure.

“All current members are invited to re-register for the annual fee of £2 adults (over 18) and £1 juniors (under 18s). Registered members will receive a membership card which qualifies them for Supporters Club discounts – the most important being on supporters bus travel. Membership cards must be presented in order to receive Supporters Club discounts.”