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Scottish Premiership - Hibernian v Aberdeen

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Posted

Dons Supporters Together had a meeting with representatives from Aberdeen Football Club last week. The club gave us nearly 3 hours of their time in what was a positive discussion on a range of topics. Summary notes on what was discussed are shown below.

 

Minutes for the meeting with Aberdeen Football Club Representatives on Wednesday 7th March 2012 at 4pm, Pittodrie Stadium

 

Present:

DST: Bill Ellis, Mike Rennie, Jennifer Moffat, Ross Moffat

AFC: Duncan Fraser, Dave Macdermid, Chris Gavin

 

DST Update

 

DST provided an update to the club on their current situation post-launch. DST launched on 4th February 2012 and membership has increased 400% with sign up sessions organised for the next two home games. Gordon Duncan of DST attended the Ellon Roadshow to promote the launch. It was agreed with DF that leaflets could go out with season ticket renewals for next season. DST will work with AFC to be the vehicle to provide communication between the supporters and the club.

 

Bank Facilities

 

Good working relationship with the bank. Facilities were renewed with the long term aim around the stadium.

 

The bank debt will not increase from current levels going forward.

 

Stadium Move

 

Offers are in for Pittodrie and the club is considering these.

 

The club are working hard on negotiating contracts/funding for the new Stadium and the start of 2013/14 season remains the target.

 

DST asked how they could help with the stadium move. Nearer the time of the move DST could help get messages out to the fans on pricing etc. At the moment we can provide feedback on what fans want for a match day experience.

 

The club recognise that the move will require them to make a more unique and inviting match day experience and are looking at what other clubs are doing.

 

Safe Standing

 

DST’s survey showed fans were overwhelmingly in favour of the introduction of Safe Standing and provided the club with an outline of pros and cons.

 

AFC stressed they are open to Safe Standing area. However the SPL have only agreed to a “trial” of safe standing. AFC would like to see a club trial next season and see if it works which could pave the way for a proper introduction into the SPL.

 

There was the suggestion of funding aid from central funding for this trial. This will be followed up by DST through Supporters Direct and the club will discuss with the SPL. Club’s still need police and local authorities’ onside.AFC have very good relationships with the police authorities at Grampian. Club agreed that after the architects had fed back to them on practicalities, and they had discussed implications with Barr, they would feedback to DST.

 

Communications

 

DST showed DF the Roy MacGregor article and discussed Ross County’s high profile in the community and as a model that AFC could learn from. The club highlighted the various community projects they undertake but agreed it is perhaps under publicised. DST offered to help and stressed that these sorts of messages need to be better communicated. The club handed DST its community brochure which DST agreed to put onto its website which shows the AFC programme extends beyond that of Ross County.

 

AFC Vision and Friends of the Club

 

DST raised the fact there was still no vision statement for the club. DF quoted the aim from the strategic plan which was about rebuilding a successful club in Scottish football and the local community. The aim was very good and DST stressed the need to communicate this message to the fans. The club agreed and at a suitable time will make this public. DST stressed the importance of doing this sooner rather than later.

 

The club acknowledged the amount of work gone in to creating the Friends of the Club document but felt that a lot of the content was being covered by the four AFC Board sub groups who are working with other individuals out with the club to drive the clubs aim.

 

Reds Direct and Funding

 

DST asked the club to resurrect the idea of giving shares in return for monies raised. It was suggested 10,000 shares for every £10,000 raised and donated to the club for youth development/community programmes. DF was positive in regards to this and would get back to us on it.

 

Rangers FC

 

The situation at Rangers was discussed and it was agreed that this was a chance to change Scottish football for the better in terms of making it a more competitive league. Aberdeen FC emphasised that they would do all they can to ensure that the sporting integrity of the SPL is maintained and that overall competition is fair for all clubs.

Posted

Fans will be well aware of the current financial problems suffered by Rangers FC in the last few weeks. DST consider it pertinent to offer their views on this matter.

 

DST’s stance on the matter is uncompromising. The sporting integrity of Scottish Football is critical. We want our club to take the moral high ground by insisting that all member clubs play by the rules, comply with the law of the land as well as the game, and fulfil their obligations to other clubs and to society as a whole. DST fully believes in these principles and is sure that all right minded supporters will feel likewise. We wish to send a clear message to the board and management of AFC that we will not condone any departure from these principles, and that they should not be party to any future arrangement which allows a club to renege on its legal and moral obligations.

 

Rangers led most of the top Scottish clubs into ruinous debt by their unsustainable overspending from the Souness years onwards, and the creation and structure of the SPL has institutionalised the unfair distribution of wealth within our game. Now is the time to challenge the OF’s stranglehold to ensure a more equitable league structure and format.

 

The OF need the rest of Scottish football much more than we need them. Without a league of opponents to compete with, they cannot survive. The media argument that the OF subsidise the other teams and keep them afloat is spurious. The reverse is in fact true, since they get a totally disproportionate share of the money in the game. This unfair subsidy must cease immediately.

 

This is watershed for Scottish football. DST believes that the supporters of AFC and supporters of every SPL club should now send a strong and clear message to their club’s directors that we expect and demand change to the structure of the game as a whole. It is in every club’s interest (including the OF) to level the financial playing field, and to have 2/3rd majority voting in the SPL.

 

Clubs must also find ways of improving the product on the park by increasing variety, competition and entertainment, thus providing better value for money.

 

DST will continue to monitor events and will be collecting comments from members soon

Posted

Also spotted this on the official site which is presumably as a result of the meeting Kowalski posted about:

 

Weekly Bulletin of Events across all Youth Football Departments

 

Monday 12th March to Sunday 18th March 2012

 

 

 

Mon 12 March

 

Youth Academy training at Sports Village:

 

U10/11/12's + Advanced Centres + Goalkeepers 4.30pm - 6.00pm

 

Glasgow: Hamilton Palace, 6.00pm - 8.00pm, U9-U12's & Goalkeepers

 

Edinburgh: Firhill High School 5.45pm - 7.45pm, U13's - U17's

 

 

 

Tue 13 March

 

Youth Academy training at Sports Village:

 

Advanced Centres 4.30pm - 5.30pm

 

U13/14/15/16/17's 5.30pm - 7.00pm

 

Glasgow: Keir Hardie Holytown, 6.00pm - 8.00pm, U9-U12's & Goalkeepers

 

Science Park Garscube, 7.00pm - 8.30pm, U13's - U17s' Sport Science

 

 

 

Wed 14 March

 

Youth Academy training at Garthdee, U10/11/12's

 

Glasgow: Petershill Park,6.00pm - 7.45pm, U11-U17's

 

U17's Strength and conditioning RGU Sport 6.00-7.00pm

 

Schools initiative -3.30pm-5.00pm, Sports Village

 

 

 

Thurs 15 March

 

Youth Academy training at Sports Village:

 

U10/11/12 + Advanced Centres + Goalkeepers 4.30pm - 6.00pm

 

 

 

Fri 16 March

 

U13/14/15/17, training at Sports Village, 5.30pm - 7.00pm

 

Glasgow: Keir Hardie Holytown, 6.00pm - 7.45pm U13-U17's

 

U19 Match v St Mirren, Balgownie Playing Fields, 1.00pm

 

Aberdeen U19s v St Mirren U19s this week

 

Sat 17 March

 

First Team Match v Motherwell, Fir Park, 3.00pm

 

Under 11's & 12's v St Mirren, Away

 

 

 

Sun 18 March

 

Under 13's & 14's v St Mirren, Away

 

Under 15's v St Mirren, Balgownie, 12.45pm Kick off

 

Under 17's no game

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