The Dons Trust’s South London Press column – The first special general meeting of 2023

BY KEVIN RYE

At the end of April, The Dons Trust held its first SGM [special general meeting] of 2023. There was a critical vote that took place at that meeting to complete the governance changes we proposed at our AGM last December – many of which relate to the protection of our Plough Lane home against sale. 

We also started a discussion about the potential reorganisation of how we own and oversee the football club – usually referred to as ‘the PLC board’ – more of which will follow during 2023.

As I’ve previously explained, in my first column back in January, our job is to make sure that we work with the club in a number of crucial areas – to help to develop the important group of volunteers we have across the club, to help join up thinking. 

We want to ensure that we always remain focused on ensuring we have a club that is successful on and off the pitch, which is financially sustainable, growing its presence across the communities it serves, and being the best at fan engagement it can be. 

What sits behind all of this is an organisation that is powered by its members. 

We currently have nearly 4000 of them, which is a really healthy number. Having nearly 50 per cent of the average home gate as members is impressive for a fan-owned club. 

However, as the owner of a football club, The Dons Trust wants to be able to represent the biggest number of members that it possibly can. Why? Because primarily, membership is the way that we ensure the security of this club and all we’ve achieved. 

Quite simply, we didn’t achieve what we have because we waited around for an individual, private owner to do it – far from it. 

That’s how things used to be, and we all know that it proved to be our ultimate undoing. The point is our fans – and as a result, our members – make The Dons Trust the most ambitious owner of the club we could have. 

Re-form, sort a team, league, and find a new stadium to play in within months? Done. 

Buy that stadium within two years of reforming? Done. Build new stands and facilities? Done. 

Return to the EFL within ten years? Nope, we’ll do it in nine. 

Return to Plough Lane? Why not. Let’s do it! 

Speaking from my own professional experience, I know of no other owner in football who has had the same level of ambition, and certainly not one that has achieved more-or-less everything they’ve set out to do, and usually with plenty of time to spare. 

People across football admire and respect what we’ve done. In some places, they’re stunned at our rate of progress. The real engine of this club when all is said and done is the ownership of it by its fans, and as we grow into our new home at Plough Lane, those people – you, dear reader – will become increasingly important, both as a protection for what we’ve achieved, and as a way to help us grow and grow, and achieve more. 

I know that some people are inclined to roll their eyes when once again, I restate how much we’ve achieved in a mere 21 years under fan ownership, but it matters. If we don’t remember where we came from, we lose the inspiration that brings to us and makes us lose sight of what’s possible when we all work together to achieve it.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD