Aberdeen board member Willie Garner hailed the success of the club’s AberDNA Junior scheme – and told older fans they can expect popular initiatives like the Red Shed and Beach Ballroom fan zone to be built upon.
The Dons reached another milestone in their efforts to build the next generation of supporters over the weekend, with 2,000 kids having now attended a “Sign for the Dons” day as part of the free under-12s AberDNA Junior membership scheme.
A key part of AberDNA Junior is giving youngsters the chance to head down to Pittodrie for a tour and follow their Reds heroes in “signing their contract” with the club.
Saturday’s 10th signing day means 2,000 kids have now taken part in the experience.
Overall, 8,000 young fans are now signed up to AberDNA Junior, which launched in 2020.
Thinking ahead for future generations
Former Aberdeen player and assistant manager Willie Garner – who now serves at the Dons’ top table with a focus on fan engagement – thinks it’s a vital initiative, aimed at bringing through a new wave of supporters willing to back the club with both their passion and their investment.
He said: “I think first and foremost it’s about getting the kids interested in the club, that’s important.
“With future supporters, if you can get them in and get them interested in the football club, you hope as they move forward they are going to continue to support the club.
“If we’d done this 20, 30 of 40 years ago, think what that would’ve been like in terms of the future generations coming through.
“We’re looking to enhance things by getting the kids in at a younger age, showing them round about with all the things that go on with the DNA package.
“It’s getting them involved in that and hopefully commercially they will be future supporters of the club, which is great for Aberdeen.”
Garner thinks a strong, growing support naturally affects matters on the pitch, adding: “It’s common sense that you’ve got to be out there encouraging people to come in and watch the football.
“What’s going on on the pitch is obviously important as well, but it’s all part of the same cycle – if you’ve got a big support, a good support who are investing themselves in the club, then you’re going to be able attract better players to the club as well, which in turn hopefully provides the product on the park which gets people excited to come along and watch.”
The Dons have made no secret of their target to reach 15,000 season ticket holders.
‘Why would club NOT move forward with Red Shed and fan zones?’
Garner’s board role at Aberdeen has seen him tasked with getting out and about, listening to the Red Army on behalf of the club.
He believes strong communication – “telling them as much as we can when we can” – between the supporters and the Dons hierarchy is important.
And he thinks fans should expect initiatives like the Red Shed and fan zones – with one trialled at the Beach Ballroom in April – to be built upon by the club in the months and years ahead.
Garner said: “Both of them – the Red Shed and the fan zone – have been a tremendous success.
“With the Red Shed, the fans wanted something like that. Through the club and through Rob Wicks, there’s been a lot of work getting that Red Shed to where it is now.
“I know Rob has had meetings with the Red Shed representatives, so they will be feeding back to him what they would like to see and, if possible, the club will do everything they can to make sure that is a great place to go to watch the football matches.
“In terms of the Beach Ballroom, I think there will be lots more of these fan zones.
🔴 A great atmosphere inside our Fan Zone.
🎤 Live music by Callum Michael. pic.twitter.com/jW5DizIJk2
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) April 9, 2022
“The first one, I walked out on to the stage. (Compere) Ian Thain was hosting it and I was doing the RedTV that day, so Rob McLean and I went down to the Beach Ballroom. We went in a back door to get up on the stage and I couldn’t believe the amount of people that were in there.
“There was more than 800 people who were in there that day.
“The feedback from that has been fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.
“So why would you not continue something like that?”
For more information on AberDNA Junior – which also gives its young members access to two free match tickets, plus exclusive experiences, events, prize draws and discounts – visit here.
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