AberDNA

[ayrshire_don74]

the club has made operating losses of over #1m last 2 seaons has it not ?

[RicoS321]

the club has made operating losses of over #1m last 2 seaons has it not ?

 

Has it? Jesus. That's poor given the European monies. We do have quite a wage bill like and that will come back to bite us if we don't sort that out. I suppose we have to look at shifting on players like McKenna before he becomes too expensive to sit within our structure.

 

Anyway, DNA's very DNA is flawed. It is designed to be relied upon. When people like Tyrant realise that it's pap and stop subscribing then you lose that income stream. It's not like the tangible payment of going to a fitba match, you're essentially paying for a feeling or - at best - a service. It's very short-term.

 

In that regard, it can only really be used to fund season long loans like Wilson and Lowe or transfer fees or one off infrastructure projects. You cannot load a player permanently on the wage bill through DNA, as a decrease in membership will leave you short. Obviously, you can, but you have to be careful. Assume that you're going to lose 10% of DNA subscribers per year, and rising over 5-6 years or so. At that point you raise a new scheme to replace it. As a stop gap between now and the new stadium it's probably a good scheme. 

 

For the fans, DNA is not a success and it never could be. You're paying money without representation. You have no idea whether that money was spent on Wilson, replacing seats in the South stand or legal fees to fight the WANKS. Money for nothing basically.

 

For the club, they got money for nothing. It's a success.

[Guest kiriakovisthenewstrachan]

the club has made operating losses of over #1m last 2 seaons has it not ?

 

No, that is incorrect.  Not sure where you are getting that from at all.

 

The club made an operating profit of 533K in 2017 and operating loss of 756K in 2018.  The club is in a very good place financially having made an operating profit in four of the last five years.

 

For accounting purposes the AberDNA money is split over the 12 month period that it relates to so I suspect we will not see the true worth of this until the 2019 figures are released.  I doubt there is very much included within the 2018 numbers.

 

Should also be remembered that not all of the AberDNA money is going straight into the first team coffers.  Some is going to the youth academy and other areas such as sports science.

[CvB]

What's the verdict from the fans then? Is AberDNA a success? Failure? Jury still out?

 

All I know is that, for whatever the reasons may be, we've have the worst two transfer windows for years. I would've expected better without the added boost of the DNA cash. McInnes must take responsibility although I appreciate that players will dick clubs about something hellish and when you're in our position you maybe don't have the luxury of dishing out ultimatums here, there and everywhere (and burning bridges in the process) but we need to find some middle ground.

 

As it stands I've cancelled my DNA subscription and am unlikely to renew my season ticket. Even if the club was being run superbly like a well oiled machine what's the point when the referees are so inept that they take the competition out the matches with their abject dos cuntery. 

 

I'd look at that question from the other side and ask all of the folk that threw their toys out of the pram about the whole DNA philosophy, just how much of a negative impact did it have on non-DNA members.

 

 

 

[ayrshire_don74]

my bad ... there was an impairment charge on 2017 which was reported in accounts as 1,2m loss , maybe just some creative accounting practices .. am sure someone more qualified can answer but it you look at 2018 its there also .. probably a 'paper' transaction ?

[Guest kiriakovisthenewstrachan]

Yes, there was an adjustment in the 2017 accounts to revalue Pittodrie to reflect the fall in property values in the area.  Effectively just a paper entry.

 

 

[RicoS321]

I'd look at that question from the other side and ask all of the folk that threw their toys out of the pram about the whole DNA philosophy, just how much of a negative impact did it have on non-DNA members.

 

It meant I nearly didn't get a ticket for the Burnley match and that people who paid money got to go over those who actually attended games. It meant shiter seats at the cup final. And so on. Most importantly, it allowed the club to receive money from fans without representation, which further removed any control the fans may have had over the club by centring wealth on the club rather than the support - a dilution, if ye like. At a time when we're moving stadium without any consultation, mindlessly ploughing money into that project will - in my mind - have a huge detrimental effect on the future of the club as it moves to the middle of fucking nowhere.

[Tyrant]

We all knew this was effectively a donation to the club. We all knew that the "playing budget" that the cash was pledged to can have a loosely defined meaning but the more the fans can see happening as a result the more people are likely to keep paying. If shite like James Wilson is the best visible thing to come out of it then people will bail.

[RicoS321]

We all knew this was effectively a donation to the club. We all knew that the "playing budget" that the cash was pledged to can have a loosely defined meaning but the more the fans can see happening as a result the more people are likely to keep paying. If shite like James Wilson is the best visible thing to come out of it then people will bail.

 

Exactly, but they'll just change what it was for because there was no accountability. When it comes to next years' DNA advert, they'll mention Max Lowe and "the next Connor McLennan/McKenna/Campbell etc", despite the fact it might have all been spent on a dud.

[DantheDon]

I never signed up to DNA because it doesnt seem right that people are investing and not getting a say. If 6000 people signed up even for the £12 a month thats over £1 million fans are investing. If this was a scheme that bought the club into fan ownership id be all for it and id sign up. All these investors we are getting in lately are looking for a return. Not that they are getting now but why should they ever get there dividends when the fans are the ones pumping money into the club.

[RicoS321]

I never signed up to DNA because it doesnt seem right that people are investing and not getting a say. If 6000 people signed up even for the £12 a month thats over £1 million fans are investing. If this was a scheme that bought the club into fan ownership id be all for it and id sign up. All these investors we are getting in lately are looking for a return. Not that they are getting now but why should they ever get there dividends when the fans are the ones pumping money into the club.

 

Exactly. If Dons Supporters' Together were any sort of fan representative group they would have setup (or at least attempted to, or asked for help in doing so) a rival DNA scheme, with publicly available accounts, that allowed dons fans to pay in. At certain threshholds, they would invest into the club. They could then lobby the club to point people toward that vehicle rather and ditch the DNA. To be honest, if the club really gave a shite about what the fans thought then they'd have created DNA in that mould themselves. Isn't that what hearts have done (obviously in different circumstances, given their admin)?

[DantheDon]

Ill correct myself before anyone else notices my maths error. Its not quite 1 million at £12 x 6000 but seeing as a lot of people are signed up to give £18 I think its fair to assume that it is over £1million.

 

I think fan ownership would be the best solution for us long term. I have to admit when I hear about these investors putting money into the club sometimes it feels like positive news. But what club has it ever worked out for? The fact is that the fans will always be with the club well after these investors have lost interest.

 

Im actually surprised that it hasnt been touted more with the mess the club has been under wiggy over the last 25-30 years.

[TheDeeDon]

I renewed our season tickets on Wednesday night after giving some serious thought of chucking it and for the first time ever I renewed them online. There is no escaping the DNA thing though, they don't half come up with some shyte for it though.

 

At some stage it told me 'become a real fan'  and sign up for AberDNA or some shyte like that, which I thought was a real touch of class for mugs like me who would never sign up to any such shyte like DNA, but each to their own and all that

[Jute]

I have renewed the season tickets but will not be renewing DNA. I only took it last year as I panicked needlessly about a ticket for Burnley away. As others have said if this was a vehicle for eventual fan ownership then might have considered keeping it on.

[Ramperbamper]

I renewed our season tickets on Wednesday night after giving some serious thought of chucking it and for the first time ever I renewed them online. There is no escaping the DNA thing though, they don't half come up with some shyte for it though.

 

At some stage it told me 'become a real fan'  and sign up for AberDNA or some shyte like that, which I thought was a real touch of class for mugs like me who would never sign up to any such shyte like DNA, but each to their own and all that

 

Not a fan of this side of it either - the wording of certain things suggests some fans are valued more than others for setting up an £18 a month Direct Debit. That's in addition to the DNA shirt badges, names plastered all over the tunnel/website etc.

 

Happy to contribute but the two tier fan thing does my box in.

[Panda]

Exactly. If Dons Supporters' Together were any sort of fan representative group they would have setup (or at least attempted to, or asked for help in doing so) a rival DNA scheme, with publicly available accounts, that allowed dons fans to pay in. At certain threshholds, they would invest into the club. They could then lobby the club to point people toward that vehicle rather and ditch the DNA. To be honest, if the club really gave a shite about what the fans thought then they'd have created DNA in that mould themselves. Isn't that what hearts have done (obviously in different circumstances, given their admin)?

 

I suggested to them long before DNA was mooted that they should be looking to set up such a scheme. Other than that I struggle to see their relevance now - the introduction of an Aberdeen SLO means fans can just go to her rather than the DST.

 

 

 

[wee toon red]

The only real relevance - rather than the club simply paying them lip service- that an organisation like DST could have would be if they could raise enough funds to actually buy their way in. Would need Milne and co to agree and give DST a target to reach but at least that would be a worthwhile aim and give people who want to put more money to the club a way of doing so.

[Panda]

The only real relevance - rather than the club simply paying them lip service- that an organisation like DST could have would be if they could raise enough funds to actually buy their way in. Would need Milne and co to agree and give DST a target to reach but at least that would be a worthwhile aim and give people who want to put more money to the club a way of doing so.

 

But they don't appear to have many ambitions beyond having a seat on the fans forum and holding a player of the month award.

 

The recent Aberdeen allocation for the cup replay at Ibrox was when a strong fans voice was needed to demand answers from the club. But they were posted missing - presumably because they don't want to upset the club.