Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my sixteenth Weekly Update on behalf of the AFC R&D Board. So much has happened over the last sixteen weeks which could not have been envisaged and consequently there will be a lot of work to do between now and the new season, on and off the field.
Over the last few weeks our Membership team Jeremy Keay, Matt Hockridge and Matt Parker, have been working on rebranding and relaunching the Club’s successful Membership Scheme. The “Together, We Are Diamonds!” campaign reminds us all just what a fantastic Club we have, because of our wonderful membership. Details can be found online at www.afcdiamonds.com/membership.
The support of the Members, both financially and through volunteering, have been essential to the effort to overcome our challenges over the last few months. Thank you to everyone who has already renewed for the coming season. If you haven’t renewed or joined previously, becoming a Member is a great way for you to continue to show your support during these uncertain times and most importantly to have a say in how your Club is run. You can now join for the 2020-2021 season – prices have been frozen at: £25 for adults/concessions and £5 for under 16s. Becoming a Member gives you some unique benefits:
- Vote on Club matters.
- 10% off Club shop purchases.
- Discounted coach travel to away games.
- Discounted 6 ticket packs.
- Special 1 off offers.
- Access to the Members Forum to discuss your views, ideas or concerns.
- £5 Junior membership – free entry to all home League games for under 16s.
One of the first things Members can get involved with is the Club’s AGM on the 15th July. To participate make sure you register in advance by logging into the Members area here and clicking on the link at the top of the page. If you have any issues with registration, please email membership@afcdiamonds.com. Following the recent Board election John Gregory was re-elected and Scott Stapley was elected. Both will commence their 3-year term at the AGM. Congratulations to John and Scott, and commiserations to Chas Rust who also stood this year.
This weekend is your last chance to get hold of a Season Ticket at Early Bird Discount rates. The promotional prices are:
- Adults for only £173 (full price £199).
- Concession for only £125 (full price £145).
Click here to get yours now.
I am delighted to say the #GetInTheKit initiative has been a huge success. We have already passed 150 names and shirts being purchased. As the start of the season has been delayed, we have been able to extend the deadline for orders until July 14th. It would be amazing if we could reach 200 names! If you’d like to get involved, you can select from the following options here:
- Adult Shirt plus Name: £100.
- Adult Shirt Gift Package: £120.
- Framed Shirt: £300.
- Name in the Shirt only: £50.
The Club would still like to hear from individuals or businesses interested in becoming one of our Founder Member “Club2020” Patrons. Of course, the pricing of this initiative is high and requires a significant donation and therefore commitment to the Club, however it is a unique opportunity to help AFC Rushden & Diamonds absorb the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and be recognised for doing so. Applications for membership are open until midnight Friday 31st July 2020. Please contact John Gregory for more details. Email marketing@afcdiamonds.com or Mobile 07788 102430.
On Thursday 9th July, our next fundraising Quiz Night will be held via Zoom as normal. The quizzes are great fun! If you’d like to enter a team, please contact Glenis on either 07870 332606 or glenishaynes123@gmail.com.
As we all know this weekend sees a further relaxation of the restrictions brought in to tackle COVID-19. You may not think these immediately affect the Club, but with players across all teams returning to training and works on going at Hayden Road, we have been very busy making sure we are putting everything in place to meet Government requirements and Football Association guidelines. Please remember that the best place to follow the guidelines issued by the Government and Public Health England, which are updated daily, can be found here – https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
