DST, along with those who initiated the Westhill & Kingswells for Kingsford groups, met with the Club last night (30/01/18) to discuss their future plans. Those present included board director, Dave Cormack, as well as new commercial appointment Robert Wicks.
Dave Cormack enthusiastically outlined the Club’s ambition to become a top 100 European Club and highlighted some of the initiatives being explored to help dramatically increase revenues. Kingsford is central to achieving the Club’s ambition and it’s vital that AFC are in a strong position on and off the field to maximise and fully exploit the potential of the new stadium.
The main purpose of the meeting was for the Club to share their thinking behind a new membership scheme and for us to provide initial supporter feedback. A survey will be going out on this to ensure that the Club takes account of all fans’ views before finalising the scheme, something we actively encouraged and made sure to highlight the importance of.
During the discussion, the Club outlined the next steps for Kingsford following the convincing majority vote to approve the planning application. The application now goes before the Scottish Government and AFC will work through the conditions and Section 75 agreement with Aberdeen City Council planners. After that is complete, plus when roads consent and building warranties have been granted, work can begin on the community and training facilities.
When all these permissions are in place, the Club will engage and consult extensively with fans on the design of the inside of the stadium. The overall aim is to deliver a dramatically improved match-day experience and atmosphere for all fans.
We came away from the meeting content that those within AFC understand and appreciate the huge importance in engaging with supporters and look forward to continuing dialogue with them. It’s true that the stadium design is not at all finalised and there is vast scope for your ideas to become reality. We would encourage supporters to engage as much as they can with ourselves and the Club when the surveys and consultations are live in order to ensure Kingsford is a home we’re proud of. Oh and yes, safe-standing will be included.
