A new stadium at Loirston Loch for Aberdeen remains but a distant dream. When exactly, how many, how and how much remains to be seen.
Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne sailed through the annual meeting – the 106th in the club’s history – at Pittodrie last night in 30 minutes.
Five motions, five unanimous approvals and barely a sweetie paper rustling in discontent as the majority of the shareholders present appeared happy with what they were told.
The chairman, who has managing director Duncan Fraser and director of football Willie Miller to deal with the thorny issues surrounding his football club while he puts his focus on his house building company, was not prepared to go into details about the plan for the move from Pittodrie.
Loirston Loch in 2013, with a capacity of 23,000 – which could to rise to 30,000 – remains the ideal.
But the chairman was determined not to be bedeviled by the detail. He said: “We believe 2013 is a realistic target to be aiming for. There is a lot of work to be done for things to be in place but we are fairly confident we can get there.
“There is still work to be done to come up with a final design for the stadium and training facilities and it is only when that it is done we will get specifics in place which will then allow us to look at the avenues available for funding.
“We have been working on a design which will give us a capacity of between 22,000 and 23,000, but with the scope to extend capacity to 30,000 should Scotland ever bid for a major championship.”
Pittodrie has been Aberdeen’s spiritual home but Dons supporters can prepare for the joys of a branded new stadium along the lines of the Walkers Stadium in Leicester.
Milne said: “We need to be in a position where we exploit every avenue possible and naming rights for the new stadium would be included to generate the money needed.
“I don’t see the new stadium as being my legacy but when I first joined the club it was one of my long-term targets and I would certainly retire a lot happier with the new stadium. We want this to take us forward for the next 50 or 60 years.
“We were so close to the new stadium in 2002, I do think we have been treading water since. We have put a lot of work into the new stadium.”
Fraser and Miller take the lead role in the running of the club but the chairman has no plans to leave yet. He said: “We have a very strong team at the club with responsibility for the football and commercial operations and that has made my life a lot easier. But I am still determined to help the club in any way I can.
“I am still as enthusiastic about the club as I was the first day I joined. There is still unfinished business and there has been great progress in getting the club on a stronger financial footing. There is a lot still to do.”
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