....and the wider public an opportunity to join the club on
its first steps towards fan ownership.
Shareholder
support is central to the club’s ambitions for the future, with participation
welcome from all parties, regardless of investment size.
The
project is being spearheaded by South Shields chairman Geoff Thompson, who
remains fully committed to the club as he seeks to take it to the next level.
Every
pound raised through the purchase of shares will remain within the club and be
re-invested.
Thompson
told https://southshieldsfc.co.uk: “It’s been such a remarkable journey over
the last four-and-a-half years and we fully believe we are just getting
started.
“Everyone
at Mariners Park is highly motivated to deliver a Football League club for the
people of South Tyneside.
“We
understand it may take some time to achieve this, but that’s why this project
is so important.
“Receiving
investment from our fans will help us greatly in our mission to become a
sustainable, thriving club on a rise up the football pyramid.
“I
have long believed that there should be an element of fan ownership at the club
and I feel this is the right time to begin that process.
“South
Shields had a Football League club between 1919 and 1930, with large crowds
regularly flocking to games against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
“I
firmly believe we can drive this club to the Football League too with the help
of our supporters and new shareholders.
“There’s
an exciting future ahead if we do this together.”
South
Shields FC has enjoyed a rapid rise since Thompson took over as chairman in the
summer of 2015.
The
club was promoted three times consecutively from 2015 to 2018 and won the first
national trophy in its history with a 4-0 win over Cleethorpes Town in the Buildbase
FA Vase final at Wembley in 2017.
The
next goal is to win promotion into the Vanarama National League North, with the
club currently being backed by an average attendance around the 1,500 mark.
The
ultimate aim is to become a community-based, sustainable, Football League-ready
club by 2023. |