The blueprint for the future of Durham Challenge Cup winners, Shildon Football Club will be presented in an open public meeting at Elm Road Club next weekend.

The meeting will take place at 10.30am on Saturday 10th May and a special invitation is extended to all Shildon supporters and to all of the club’s sponsors.

Shildon AFC Director, David Dent, whose company founded the Shildon AFC Development Centre, will outline the football club’s ambitions for the next three years.

Mr Dent will speak about where the club is now, the obstacles it must overcome to achieve continued success, the Board of Directors’ vision for the future, how it means to achieve that vision and what that means for the wider Shildon community.

Speaking about the presentation Mr Dent said: “This has been a tremendously successful season for the football club. We came third in the Northern League Division One behind two clubs that have invested heavily in recent years and of course we won the Durham FA Challenge Cup for the first time in 41 years in front of a crowd of over 1,000 spectators on Good Friday.

“We see this success as the first of many trophies we want to bring to the club, including the league title, which Shildon has not won since the 1930s.

“On Saturday 10th May, I will outline our vision for the future of the club and we want to reach out and engage with the entire Shildon community. Football is a sport like no other. It has the ability to bring entire communities closer together and we hope in the coming years to make Dean Street a place that all of Shildon will be proud to visit to support their local club.

“Shildon Football Club is not just the team that plays in the Northern League top flight; we now have sides at every age group from under six to under 18 together with a Reserve side.

“The community will play a vital part in the future development of the club and we look forward to seeing as many people as possible at Elm Road Club on Saturday 10th May. I am confident the public will be as excited as we are about the club’s future plans.”

The presentation will be immediately followed by the Shildon AFC Supporters Club’s next meeting. Anyone who wishes to remain behind is welcome to join proceedings, and to join the Supporters Club should they wish.

There will also be an opportunity at the meeting to sign up to a regular electronic newsletter from the football club.