Here are the nominations received for consideration to the MKDSA committee for the 2024/25 season. All application were received prior to the window closure at midnight on Wednesday 14th August 2024.
Chair and shop / membership officer – Amanda Lansbury
Proposed by Franco Volpe
Seconded by Emma Flanagan
I have been vice chair for 18 months and I feel now is a good time to step up to the position of chair.
I believe that the roles I have held so far on the committee have allowed me to get close to our supporters and the interaction I have with them on matchdays in the Lewington’s shop has been valuable in understanding how we can represent our members.
I am in the fortunate position to have an occupation that enables me to spend time with my family and devote the time to the roles. To become the first female chair of the MKDSA would be a proud moment and I am fully prepared to take on the challenge given the opportunity.
Vice Chair – John Samuel
Proposed by Ciaron Flanagan
Seconded by Daniel Flanagan
My name is John Samuel and I have been a member of the MKDSA since its inception.
I have held various officer roles and would like to put myself forward for the role of Vice Chair.
I bring with me a wealth of experience and a great knowledge of the MK Dons football club.
I feel that over the past couple of seasons we as the Supporters Association have seen the membership grow and have tried to engage more with the fans through social media and especially on match days in Lewington’s bar.
I am retired and have time to commit to assisting the Chair as and when required. I would also like to recruit more membership in what could be an exciting time under the new management of the Club.
Treasurer – Jeff Newall
Proposed by Daniel Flanagan
Seconded by Arthur Harris
I would like to stand for the position of Treasurer of the MKDSA for 2024-5. I have been in the role for 2 years and gained valuable experience which, I believe, will be of service to the MKDSA in the coming season.
I have had several successes over the last year notably managing our away travel finances and streamlining our banking practices to facilitate electronic payments to our suppliers and beneficiaries.
Disability Officers – Jo & Jeff Newall
Proposed by The Norton family.
Seconded by Amanda Lansbury
Between us we have over 100 years lived experiences of physical, sensory and hidden disabilities and it seems as many years of challenging disability discrimination. We have been season ticket holders since the stadium opened and since 2010 we have gone to almost every Dons away game, travelling in the accessible mini bus that is part of the official away travel. We are passionate that all disabled fans should be able to go to footy without hassle, something that sadly all too often does not happen and are 100% committed to doing all we can to bring this about, for both home and away fans at Stadium MK and at away grounds which Dons fans visit. We strongly believe that the majority of disabled fans are those that are not immediately viewed as such and may not even identify themselves as disabled, yet who have requirements that are often overlooked. We are active members of Level Playing Field, the national charity that represents disabled sports fans and through this, are able to get ideas and support from our contemporaries at other Clubs.
We have had several successes over the last year notably the rule change that now forces clubs to seat fans with disabilities at the same end as their own fans.
Events and Fund-Raising Officer – Daniel Flanagan
Proposed by Sharon Norton
Seconded by John Samuel
My name is Dan Flanagan. I’m a local secondary school Maths teacher, residing in North Milton Keynes. I’ve been on the committee for a few months now, so have some indication as to how the association runs. As regards my background, I have an Aerospace degree from the University of Liverpool and attended school in Milton Keynes. I also spend some of my spare time volunteering as the Training Officer with a local Air Cadet unit, so I can potentially bring some leadership and management skills to the MKDSA role.
The MKDSA acts as a glue between the club and its supporter base. It is with that in mind that the role of Events and Fund-Raising Officer can really come into its own. Being able to reach out to our fans and the local community to engage them with the association will foster support for our club, which should ultimately be our goal. Without travel this year, it will also be paramount to our successes that we fundraise for the association so we can continue to provide an excellent community for fans.
If I am elected to this role, I would look to prioritise events such as Families Day at the stadium, making sure it was as fun a day as possible. In addition to this, I would explore if any external events could be set up for our fans, to further extend the footprint of the association away from match days. As previously mentioned, fund raising will be vital to keep the committee and any associated events running. With this in mind, I intend to fund raise in duality with charities close to the association, donating proceeds to other causes that can make differences in the football world or local community.
Secretary – Ciaron Flanagan
Proposed by Don Doyle
Seconded by Andrew Norton
I joined the committee last year and was asked to step into the Secretary role soon after to cover the vacant position.
It would be an honour to continue this role and if accepted I would like to build on the work that I started last September. Having to step in to support the away travel in October meant that many of the ideas I wanted to bring in to help the association move forward had to be paused, however now that travel has been handed back to the club means that I can dedicate the time to those initiatives.
As one of the MKDSA Supporters board members I have had the platform to represent our members and give them a voice at club board level and look forward to continuing that work. I have recently resurrected our representation with the FSA and want to continue to build that relationship.
Committee Member – Kieran Lansbury-Yemm
Nominated by Patricia Harris
Seconded by Jeff Newall
I would like to be re-elected at the next AGM to continue my work supporting our MKDSA shop in Lewington’s.
