Fan investment puts Dial Square in spotlight with Arsenal connection | OneFootball

Dial Square, a football club founded in 2020, has recently grabbed headlines in the realm of amateur football. Following a massive fan investment, the club has now emerged as a significant player in the Surrey County Intermediate League (Western), bolstering its reputation and fan following.

Dial Square, an amateur football club established in 2020, has captivated the attention of grassroots football after fans purchased 190,000 new shares within just six weeks.

The club, which shares its original name with Premier League club Arsenal, was accepted into the Guildford & Woking Alliance League soon after its founding.

In the years since, the club has achieved back-to-back promotions and currently leads the Surrey County Intermediate League (Western).

While they are not officially affiliated with Arsenal, the name Dial Square draws a historic link to Arsenal’s founding in 1886 at the Royal Arsenal armament factory in Woolwich, London.

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Tony Hurley, the club’s chairman and director, told the Non-League Football Paper, “We continue to draw fans’ affection from Arsenal because of our name. However, it’s what we do on and off the pitch that counts.”

Evidently, the club’s appeal extends beyond the pitch as well, having received share applications from fans not only in the UK but also in Europe, North America, and Australasia.

As a result of this widespread fan investment, new fan shareholders now collectively own 43% of the shares issued by the club.

This was part of a strategic move launched in July to bring fans closer to the club’s operations. “The share purchase opportunity launched in July was designed to bring fans closer to the action so that they can have a say in the running of the club,” Hurley added.

The club groundshares at Chertsey Town’s Alwyns Lane ground, but it is their ethos that truly sets them apart.

Founded with the aim to pay homage to the origins of Arsenal, Dial Square focuses on capturing the spirit and history of Arsenal’s earliest days and count among their sponsors the Gooner Fanzine and the Arsenal Independent Supporter’s Association (AISA).

Its membership is largely made up of football enthusiasts who share a deep respect for Arsenal’s history and traditions.

The inception of Dial Square adds a new dimension to the evolving landscape of English football culture. The club’s growth and the recent surge in fan investment signal a grassroots football club successfully harnessing its historical links for contemporary success.

While the club is proud of its history and its name’s connection to Arsenal, it is forging its own path, both on and off the pitch. As Hurley succinctly put it above, “It’s what we do on and off the pitch that counts.”

Dial Square’s mission statement

As written on the Dial Square website:

To achieve widespread fan-ownership, to be self-funded, and become a beacon for the communities we serve.

We have six commitments that underpin Our Mission Statement:

These form the basis to help Dial Square F.C. prosper today, tomorrow and each day thereafter.