“How disappointing was that?” Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee’s tongue was planted firmly in his cheek when he asked this rhetorically at the end of last night’s annual meeting – but he had a point.
McGhee had perhaps expected some fireworks. Instead, he witnessed something of an expected damp squib with the meeting limping to a conclusion in little more than 30 minutes.
Inevitably, there was some questioning about investment in the team but the gathered shareholders and supporters already knew the answer.
This is Scottish football in 2009. Money to spend on players? Don’t be ridiculous.
The well has run dry and survival is the name of the game in these dark days.
When director of football Willie Miller was asked about cash being made available to strengthen the midfield and forward line, he quickly steered the answer on to youth development.
He said: “In the last five years the board and the club decided to really focus on youth football. When you talk about the midfield we have Fraser Fyvie and Peter Pawlett, who has just signed a four-and-half year deal. They will ensure that area has good players for a long time to come.
“Obviously, we will be looking at things after Christmas and in the summer to see how we can help Mark but I think we have seen already this season there are players who are capable of playing good, passing football, even though the results have not quite been what we would have liked.”
A simple no would have sufficed.
The proposed new stadium at Loirston may still remain on the drawing board but it casts a huge shadow across Pittodrie these days.
Leaving the crumbling old ground behind will be a wrench to much of the support and the trek to get to the new out-of-city site is another contention.
That is even before the question of where the money to build it is going to come from has been addressed. That particular hurdle is for another day, however, although chairman Stewart Milne assured the meeting the funds would not come out of what remains of the football budget.
Following the collapse of the Setanta television deal, that is a pretty small pot and, just like the rest of the SPL, the Dons have to get on with it. Supporters are not daft and they are fully aware of the malaise over the game in this country.
In the meantime, the general message from the general meeting was the club is going to harvest youth and hope progress can be made on Loirston.
Director Chris Gavin was congratulated on forming the AFC Heritage Trust and reiterated his plans for a museum. The future may be uncertain but at least the past is being remembered.
The formalities of the annual meeting passed without incident. Directors Gavin, Ken Matheson and Willie Miller were voted back into office without opposition. Deloittes will remain auditors.
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