Ahead of the 20/21 season Aberdeen Football Club is offering every primary school pupil in Aberdeen City and Shire the opportunity to sign for the Dons!

As part of its drive to nurture the future generation of fans and reward its existing supporters, AFC has today announced that it is aiming for every child under 12 in the region and beyond to become an official member of the Club for free.

This exciting and ambitious initiative is an extension of the successful AberDNA membership, which has captured the imagination of around 6,000 Dons fans locally, nationally and internationally.

This new membership known as AberDNA Junior, is part of an overall fan engagement strategy, designed to place future supporters at the heart of the Club, extending its reach into the wider community by providing every child access to top-flight football.

Every youngster who becomes a member will have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of their football heroes and ‘Sign for the Dons’ where they will be invited to Pittodrie to officially ‘sign their contract’ and be unveiled as AFC’s latest signing.

All Junior members will be able to access two free match tickets during the 20/21 season, allowing them to enjoy a matchday experience at Pittodrie.

Dons player, Dean Campbell, a former pupil of Hazelhead Academy and lifelong Dons supporter, is launching the campaign.

He said: “AberDNA Junior is an amazing opportunity for young Dons fans to really feel part of the Club.

“As a huge Aberdeen fan, and having been with the Club for ten years now, I know first-hand the impact it can have on youngsters, so I’d love to see more kids get involved in AFC and in football in general.

“As a family we have supported the Club all our lives, so I am aware of the effect it has in this area because it touches the lives of many people.

“As the Club’s youngest player, it would be great to see this new membership having a really positive impact on young kids and even better if we see some new, young faces enjoying a match at Pittodrie, just as I did.”

With approximately 45,000 children from over 200 primary schools across the region, this bold membership programme will see the Club look to build on the excellent schools’ outreach work being carried out in the community by partner charity, Aberdeen FC Community Trust (AFCCT).

AFC Commercial Director Rob Wicks believes this new U12 membership will help to re-ignite passion and pride amongst the support.

“We’re embarking on a journey towards a more successful and sustainable Club that delivers exceptional value for our fans. It’s about creating a real sense of belonging among our fans, young and old. That journey kicks off with free membership for every school pupil under 12 years old. As a member of AFC, they will have access to match tickets, special events and opportunities to enter prize draws.

“Fan engagement is critical and in order to foster the fans of the future, win back a lost generation of fans, and improve the relationship with existing supporters, we must reward them through pioneering initiatives, a better matchday experience and ultimately a renewed sense of passion, belief and pride in our Club.

“The £1 million of annual income generated by AberDNA is a critical part of our football budget. With a 90% renewal rate since its inception, we’ve got around 6,000 members and are aiming to grow this to 8,000 paid members. This will play a part in our journey towards a more successful and sustainable Club.”

Current Under 12 AberDNA members can still renew their paid membership with the club in order to benefit from additional incentives such as the opportunity to become a mascot or a flag bearer at a home match and receive a 50% discount on their season ticket.

To help build a pathway to adult membership, AFC is also introducing another category to its AberDNA membership. AberDNA ‘Youth’ will be for fans aged between 12 and 21 and will offer a membership card, priority points, season ticket discount for all areas of the stadium including Red Shed, and additional benefits including a discount in the Club Shop.

Launched in 2018, the AberDNA programme has around 6,000 local, national and international members. All net income from AberDNA is used exclusively to support the football operation in an effort to level the playing field against the football investment that Celtic and Rangers make.

Find out how to sign-up for AberDNA ahead of the 20/21 season!