They started with a dream.
And almost five years on, the AU500 Fund is going a long way to proving itself a key organ of the club it loves.
Set up in August 2016 by a group of passionate Ayr United supporters, the organisation looked to establish a regular cashflow to the playing budget at Somerset Park.
A whopping total of £120,000 later, it’s safe to say those contributing to the cause have more than done their bit.
But the team at the head of the fund see this as the tip of the iceberg, having as they do an active membership of 160 people.
“We know the potential is out there for more,” says treasurer Robert Ritchie, whose number-crunching helps keep the books ticking over.
Since inception, the ‘500 Fund’ has worked tirelessly to funnel cash towards the manager of the day.
Committee chairman Willie McCulloch says: “In any business, your staff costs are crucial.
“And at a football club, that becomes mostly about the players.
“So the idea was if we could subsidise and keep the player costs down, then we could be of assistance.
“The only stipulation we’ve ever had is that the money goes towards player costs and it takes some of the pressure off the directors.”
Progress has become consistent, with pre-Covid cheque handovers a common sight on the Somerset turf.
It’s a fact not lost on the United board and new owner David Smith, who knows the importance of the fund’s ongoing role within the club.
He told the Ayrshire Post: “The fund needs an incredible amount of recognition for the work it has put in thus far.
“If it hadn’t been for them, I’m not overly sure how the club would have got on this past year.
“So we owe them a massive thank you and what they have contributed over the last few years is literally phenomenal.
“Like every club at the start of the season, we were sat wondering how we were going to soldier through the season.
"So the donations that kept coming in from the 500 Fund were worth their weight in gold.
"It just made life that little bit easier to know the fans were behind us.”
Treasurer Robert admits that from modest beginnings – the Fund began with 16 original members who remain paid-up supporters to this day – the scheme has grown to provide a platform for the next step.
“We have grown the membership by ten times since we started and have seen growth of 25 per cent in the last year,” he said.
“So if we could move past 200 members this season, it would be fantastic.”
Along with regular monthly subs – ranging from £5 to £100 – the fund happily accepts one-off donations.
And the Covid pandemic has brought out the best in United fans with a number staging raffles and fundraisers to donate cash to the cause.
Robert added: “It’s been interesting down the years that we’ve had wee spikes along the way where people have been prompted to join.
“The re-signing of Lawrence Shankland was a good example.
“We had a big jump then as people thought...yeah, the club is going somewhere here.
“I honestly believe there is another 160 to 200 members out there and they just need that nudge.
"We have people paying in from Aberdeen to Portsmouth and probably a third of members don’t even come to games because of where they live.”
Director Alan Murray who liaises with the fund on behalf of the United board, said: “Something we’ve talked about doing is having a night in the Hospitality Suite for all the members.
“Once everything with Covid is over, I think it’s important that we do that to recognise the work that’s gone in and make everyone feel a part of it.”
And fellow director Willie Houston added: “Giving supporters that recognition is something we need to do.
“For those that have contributed to our club, we have to show that genuine level of thanks.
“Hopefully once people are coming back through the gates we will see the Fund’s numbers rise even more.”
To join, email info@au500fund.com or click on the link through the website www.au500fund.com
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