Neil Simpson and Jack Ogston to take leading roles in the Club’s membership scheme which invests in the football budget

Dons legend, Neil Simpson, and lifelong fan, Jack Ogston, have been appointed as the first ambassador and custodian, respectively, for Aberdeen Football Club’s AberDNA programme.

The Club’s unique membership initiative was launched in March 2018 as a sustainable way of generating money for the football operation.

The roles have been created in response to feedback from members requesting more transparency on where the money generated is spent and the impact it has.

As AberDNA enters its fourth year with a record 6,500 paid members, the initiative will have raised an additional £1.8 million towards the football budget over the last three seasons.

In his role as head of the AFC youth academy, Simpson is responsible for identifying, recruiting and developing young players, through an elite programme designed to help them progress to the first team. The Club’s youth development system is a key element of its football strategy which is centred on the nurturing of home-grown talent.

As the first AberDNA ambassador, Simpson will actively champion and promote the membership programme, advocating its benefits to the football operation and helping to retain and recruit new members.

Commenting on this appointment, he said: “We have made great strides as a club in the past few years. Cormack Park has been a huge asset and on the youth development side there have been some significant milestones in terms of the number of players in the first team and the sale of Scott McKenna for a club record fee.

“Ordinarily fans only see the finished ‘product’ on the park but this is a way to support the work that goes on throughout the academy. Fans can play a part in supporting the development of players for many years to come.

“I have seen the benefits of AberDNA first-hand so I’m looking forward to playing a prominent role in promoting it more widely. The more fans that can come on board, the better.”

Dons fan, Jack Ogston, becomes the first custodian of AberDNA. This role, independent of the Club’s Board and the football operation, has been created to provide members with full transparency around the ring-fencing of the net revenues raised by AberDNA for exclusive use by the football operation. Ogston will have access to the membership metrics and financial data with full disclosure on where and how that money is spent to satisfy himself and, in turn, the members that the funds generated are having the maximum impact on the football budget.

Ogston has had a long career in finance, latterly as Head of Clydesdale Bank’s Corporate Banking and Structured Finance division in Scotland. Since retiring in 2009, he has held various non-executive director and advisory roles and is currently chairman of Cancer Support Scotland and deputy chairman of Scottish Building Society.

He said: “As an ardent Dons fan and AberDNA member, I was thrilled to be approached for this role and can assure all DNA members that I will act as a true custodian, looking after their investment in the football budget and fulfilling the role with impartiality and integrity. For many members, AberDNA represents a significant outlay, often in addition to a season ticket, and it’s important that they have confidence that it is money well spent.”

It is anticipated that up to two more custodians will be appointed to support Ogston.

AFC chairman, Dave Cormack, added: “With the Club’s finances under increasing pressure as a result of COVID, we’re indebted to our loyal and generous fanbase who have supported us through season tickets and AberDNA memberships. We’re going to need this support more than ever as we navigate our way out of the coronavirus-imposed crisis. That’s why it’s vital that we have people with the relevant credentials and independence to ensure full transparency and to champion AberDNA. Jack and Neil bring the right level of expertise, influence and integrity, as well as passion for our Club.”

AberDNA has different levels of membership from premium to international, standard and youth. Members contribute via a monthly or annual payment plan and all net revenue* is used to support the football operation, including investing in the recruitment, development and retention of top talent, enhancing the AFC Youth Academy and creating a high-performance environment for all professional and youth players.

To nurture the next generation of fans, a free U-12 AberDNA membership was launched last year and currently has almost 7,000 young members.

*Net revenue is gross membership fees less the costs of delivering the programme.

Find out more about the AberDNA membership