An open meeting will be held at Galabank this month as Annan Athletic looks to move into community ownership.

A club statement explains why they will be holding the meeting as part of the consultation process around the future ownership structure of the club.

It reads: "As it stands, Annan Athletic is essentially an unincorporated members’ club with a constitution that doesn’t offer the club the necessary protection and powers required.

"We firmly believe that the correct model for the club is 100 per cent community ownership through a Community Benefit Society (CBS) legal model."

It adds: "A working party, taking advice from Supporters Direct, believes that the CBS is an appropriate legal structure to adopt which will safeguard the club, offer its members and the board limited liability and protects the club’s assets.

"By undertaking this process, the club will have constitutional community benefit and will commit to reinvesting all profits back into the club."

Supporters Direct is a company that has been working with supporters since 2000 to gain influence in the running and ownership of their club. It works in over 20 European countries and across a range of different sports.

AFC Wimbledon are one of the most well-known fan-owned clubs in English football, while Motherwell, Clyde and Stirling Albion are owned by their supporters in Scotland.

Scottish Premiership side Hearts are also on the path to fan ownership.

The open meeting at Galabank, as part of the consultation process, will be held on January 19 with all fans, not just existing social club members, welcome at the meeting.

Anyone with any questions about the constitution can email annanathletic.enquiries@btconnect.com.

The proposed new constitution can be viewed on the club website.