Aberdeen new home plans gasp at funding altar



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Aberdeen FC to postpone new stadium plans Image: Pittodrie Stadium, Foxj, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Chiefs of the Scottish professional football club Aberdeen F.C. are plowing ahead with major upgrades to ‘The Dons’ home ground – the Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland (UK) – after a “realization” over the time and money needed to build a new stadium.

‘The P&J’ stated that at the club’s annual general meeting (AGM) held recently the Aberdeen F.C. Chairman Dave Cormack revealed that plans for a new home have been shelved as the club remain in a deadlock with the Aberdeen City Council over its funding.

The Aberdeen Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen, Scotland (UK). They compete in the Scottish Premiership and have never been relegated from the top division of the Scottish football league system since they were elected to the top flight in 1905.

The 22,199-capacity Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie from which the surrounding residential area has taken its name, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland (UK). Used primarily for football it has been the home ground of the Scottish Professional Football League (the top-level men’s football league in Scotland) club Aberdeen F.C. since they were formed in 1903.

‘The P&J’ further stated that the above development comes as the value of the Pittodrie site, which it was thought would have been sold for housing, dramatically decreases – meaning the Aberdeen F.C. would not get “the best deal” for it.

The Chief Executive of ‘The Dons’ Alan Burrows has committed to major upgrades to the Pittodrie.

Amid the uncertainty over the proposed seaside relocation, he said the club’s historic home is likely to be ‘The Dons’ base for “a number of years”.

The Aberdeen F.C.’s beach stadium plans were for a community stadium and leisure complex at the City’s beachfront. The plans were part of a wider regeneration project for the area.
 

Why Are Dons Moving Away From Beach Stadium Plans?

Building a potential replacement for Pittodrie at the Aberdeen Beach was touted as a key part of the Council’s ambitious seafront master plan when the proposals were launched.

But the project has since descended into a stalemate as ‘The Dons’ bosses and the local authority remain at odds over who should pay for it.

In 2022, a new stadium was priced at £80 million with the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (Chamber of Commerce in Scotland) forecasting it would add an extra £20m a year to the City economy.

But Cormack revealed that a list of factors including COVID, construction inflation, the decreasing value of the land, and a change in the Council leadership have left the club taking a “period of time to re-evaluate its options”.

The Council’s pause on Phase Two of the beach master plan work was also a factor with any future development that would include the ground left in limbo.
 

Pittodrie To Be ‘The Dons’ Home For ‘A Number of Years’

With ‘The Dons’ chiefs coming to the conclusion that the possibility of a new stadium anytime soon is highly unlikely they have committed to splashing the cash on Pittodrie.

Burrows said that the Board acknowledged the need to invest in their current home as “the likelihood is we will be here for a period of time yet”.

However, the Chief Executive was hesitant to delve deeper into what these upgrades would entail.

Informed Burrows, “Without getting too het up on specifics, there’s a commitment to modernize the areas of Pittodrie. To improve and enhance not only the experience the supporters have but also how we can further utilize and enhance our revenues that come from that.”

However, one upgrade which was hinted by ‘The Dons’ Chief Executive was the possibility of safe standing within the Red Shed.

He said the club were “absolutely open” to the idea.
 

So Why Has Pittodrie Sale Been Ruled Out Amid Shelved Dons Stadium Plans?

‘The Dons’ plan had been to use millions gained from the sale of the Pittodrie site to help cover the costs of its replacement.

It had been thought that the land may be used for housing.

An Aberdeen F.C. spokeswoman confirmed that these financial factors had played a part – “We have to assume that should we sell Pittodrie in the current depressed property market we would not get the best value for it. Getting the best possible price for Pittodrie is a key part of us being able to fund a new stadium.”
 

Council Should ‘Recognize What An Asset The Dons Are’

While they have got the go-ahead for plans for homes, the same will be revised only “if” the club is “in a position to sell”.

The spokeswoman added, “Given neither the plans for Kingsford nor the beachfront are likely to proceed in the short to medium term, we will be investing in improvements to the stadium and its facilities. This is in addition to the £500k we’ve already invested in the last 12-18 months.”

The Kingsford Stadium project was a plan by the Aberdeen F.C. to build a new stadium and training facilities on the Western outskirts of Aberdeen, Scotland. The project was intended to replace the club’s existing stadium – Pittodrie.

The Conservative group leader of the Aberdeen City Council Richard Brooks urged the chiefs to meet with ‘The Dons’ and work out a deal for a new stadium at the beach.

He warned that the beach master plan would “stutter and stall” unless officials “recognize what an asset the club is to the City”.

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