Charles is the first signing to be sanctioned by MyFootballClub

Non-league Ebbsfleet United have made history with the signing of 21-year-old Brentford defender Darius Charles.

The Blue Square Premier club is owned by fans' website MyFootballClub, and over 3,000 of their 32,000 members voted in favour of the �25,000 deal.

It is the first time the club has recruited a player in this way.

The money for Charles, who has had two previous spells on loan at the club, came from the �140,000 sale of striker John Akinde to Bristol City in August.

The club's membership paid �35 a year ago to help purchase Ebbsfleet and be able to vote on major decisions.

They can have their say on team selection, vote on player transfers as well as other decisions affecting the club.

In July last year, striker Michael Gash's move was aided by a MyFootballClub initiative, which raised �20,000 for manager Liam Daish to invest in his squad.

And in September, the decision to sell Akinde was also voted on by the website's members.

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