The Berwick Rangers FC Supporters' Club, originally formed on 3rd November 1927, has over the years raised much needed funds in support of the town's football club. When Berwick Rangers FC went into administration in 1991, Sheila Stoddart, John Hush and Peter McAskill formed ‘The Friends of Berwick Rangers’ group. Its purpose was to raise money through donations from around the town to help stave off the threat of liquidation. Creditors let Rangers survive.
When the club entered administration, the then directors led by chairman
David Cochrane, sold the lease of the club's football ground, Shielfield
Park, to Gordon Grant, a greyhound racing promoter for £10,000, on the
understanding that as soon as money was available it would be returned to
the football club. Unfortunately, this promise was reneged upon.Berwick Rangers Supporters Club was then reformed. Peter McAskill, along with John Hush and Conrad Turner started up the BRFC Supporters Club Weekly Football Ticket Scheme on 28th March 1992. This is still in operation to this day. The hugely successful scheme has handed over £273,500 to Berwick Rangers since its re-formation. This is a testament to the sterling work carried out by the supporters club committee, the agents who sell tickets, and the general public who have subscribed to the scheme throughout the years. All deserve a huge vote of thanks for their efforts, as without it, there would be no football club.
During 1994, the supporters club committee, along with other good friends of the football club, including Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council gave interest free loans to enable the lease of the ground to be bought back for £55,000. This success resulted in a new 25-year lease being granted to the supporters club from March 1996. During 1996/97 all interest free loans were repaid. This was a remarkable achievement by the hard working committee.
In November 2008, a lack of confidence on the field and in the future stability of the club led to a consortium fronted the Supporters’ Club offering to purchase the majority shareholding of the chairman Robert Wilson and his fellow directors Craig Forsyth and Robert Darling. Bill Parkin, chairman of the Supporters' Club said: “The time is right for some changes to be made to the structure of the club. We really need to get fans involved at all levels, which is critical for small clubs like Berwick Rangers.”
On Tuesday 27th January 2009, with the offer accepted and negotiations finally concluded, a new board of directors was elected with the Supporters’ Club and the Supporters’ Trust now fully represented. The football club was about to embark on a new era both on and off the park.
