Stuart Milne

[marinello59]

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The oil and gas market is on its arse up here, that is for sure. But it seems to have had no effect on building work, there are new houses and commercial and industrial buildings going up everywhere you turn.

The houses aren't selling and men are being laid off at the sotes. The commercial property market has crashed. Just look at the waste around the new office buildings at the airport, all those sites were cancelled after the crash. Many of the occupants of the new buildings up there tried to pull out but couldn't, the offices they moved from remain empty and will do for some time.
A good example is the Triple Kirk's development in the City Centre. After years of lying empty the project there finally went ahead as the crash occured. All work was halted after the demolition stage as they realised new office space would never sell. The site now sits abandoned with half hearted plans to build student accommodation there now mentioned.

[EricM]

I live in Westhill and I'm all for the new stadium, looks great on the video I saw recently, that's definitely a minority opinion though because there's been a lot of No campaign leaflets through my letterbox.

I've never heard a good story about why exactly they can't redevelop pittodrie 1 stand at a time and build a separate training ground. Surely that'd cost less than £50m.

[Keith_M]

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I see Stuart Milne is being regularly quoted in sports news items saying Pitodrie may not be fit to host European matches in the near future. There is no explanation about what aspects of the ground will be unsuitable. Personally I think he is just trying to put pressure on the Aberdeen local authority to pass his grand building plans and this is just a ploy.

Does anyone have any better perspective on it?

I don't think he has any more reason to think that now than at any point in the last 20 years, he's just tryig to push through the planning application. The Planning Permission for the new Stadium is being given a tough time and one of the compalints is that there's no good reason to move from Pittodrie.


TBH, I think the best option would be to build a brand new stadium at their current ground, to keep it in the local community, but I'd imagine the cost of that would be beyond most clubs, even Aberdeen.

[NAE NOOKIE]

I watched his interview last night and it was clear from the outset that he was trying to put pressure on the council. But having said that I can never understand why councils are so hard to deal with when it comes to football clubs, well most clubs. If it wasn't for their football clubs nobody would know or care where a lot of towns are, let alone want to go there, and Aberdeen is probably somewhere in that mix if you take away the oil industry .... All the place would be known for is a song written by somebody who had never even been there, the fact that Scotty from Star Trek was supposed to have been born there and Aberdeen football club.

Its pretty clear that Aberdeen, in their eyes, cant see a way to improve Pittodrie. The only way to raise a large chunk of the money required is to sell the stadium for development, which is obviously a catch 22 situation. I understand they also have a problem with space at Pittodrie, but I'm not convinced it isn't possible to build stands on the site ... the Dick Donald monstrosity holds 6,000 which leaves 14,000 to find, I cant believe a 6,000 capacity stand is impossible opposite the main one, that would leave them needing a 5,000 capacity main stand and a 3,000 capacity end stand, which would be perfect for away fans.

In fact, the footprint of the terrace opposite the main stand looks bigger than the main stand one, why not build a new main stand on that side of the stadium. I think the problem with redevelopment of Pittodrie is cash not space, look at the centre of any big city, if you cant build out the way build up the way ... the only thing stopping Aberdeen is that their willingness and ability to put a decent team on the park ( look at their signings this season ) isn't matched by their willingness and ability to find the money to redevelop Pittodrie.

I'm willing to bet a lot of Dons fans would agree with me and could cite Easter Road as an example ........ I highly doubt the footprint of our main stand is any bigger than the footprint of their covered terrace and their version of our east stand could be built on two decks of 3,000 each, which would solve the space issue on the current main stand side of the ground.

[Alfiembra]

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I heard him on the radio last night and agree with him completely.

They need a new modern stadium and training facilities, same as we did years ago, and the council block them at every turn.

The council should be doing whatever it can to help them build a cracking modern facility in the city.

I think he was simply making the point that for the city not to have a top class stadium reflects badly on the city itself. He's right.

Not entirely correct they did have a scheme approved in Loirston a few years back with talk of sharing facilities with Cove Rangers but AFC or Stuart Milne decided not to go ahead with it.

[marinello59]

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Not entirely correct they did have a scheme approved in Loirston a few years back with talk of sharing facilities with Cove Rangers but AFC or Stuart Milne decided not to go ahead with it.

Th Council did everything they could do to make that scheme happen. Milne quietly dropped it when it was as made clear that the council wouldn't be paying for it.

[WhileTheChief..]

Why should Aberdeen share with Cove? They did the right thing back then.

I hope they get the planning permission they require. A brand new stadium there will be excellent.

I just wish Motherwell, Dundee Utd etc could do the same. New modern stadiums look so much better and would help bring the game into this century.

Look at some of the crumbling stadiums around the country, they're totally minging.

[marinello59]

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I live in Westhill and I'm all for the new stadium, looks great on the video I saw recently, that's definitely a minority opinion though because there's been a lot of No campaign leaflets through my letterbox.

I've never heard a good story about why exactly they can't redevelop pittodrie 1 stand at a time and build a separate training ground. Surely that'd cost less than £50m.

The footprint at Pottodrie is too small. They had the option of buying the old gasworks next to Pittodrie but passed on it when they thought the Goverment was going to buy them a new stadium at Kingswells as part of a failed Euro bid. A bit of a theme here, they want to move but do not want to pay for it themselves.
He'll mend them, I'd leave them to rot at Pittodrie.

[marinello59]

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Why should Aberdeen share with Cove? They did the right thing back then.

I hope they get the planning permission they require. A brand new stadium there will be excellent.

I just wish Motherwell, Dundee Utd etc could do the same. New modern stadiums look so much better and would help bring the game into this century.

Look at some of the crumbling stadiums around the country, they're totally minging.

Why should Aberdeen share with Cove? They were using Cove as a Trojan horse so they could claim it was a community stadium which the council could pay for. They didn't give Cove a second thought when they dropped the plan leaving them having to play home games at Huntly and Inverurie whilst their delayed plans for a new home are put in place.

[Spudster]

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The good people of Westhill don't want a ruddy great football stadium plonked in their midst and who can blame them?

Can only assume you've never been to Westhill? Ugly industrial sites as far as the eye can see, a giant Tesco, a giant Costco then bizarrely lots of (Stewart Milne style) expensive houses in cul de sacs. Along with Bridge Of Don up here it's got about as much soul as Livingston.

[WhileTheChief..]

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Why should Aberdeen share with Cove? They were using Cove as a Trojan horse so they could claim it was a community stadium which the council could pay for. They didn't give Cove a second thought when they dropped the plan leaving them having to play home games at Huntly and Inverurie whilst their delayed plans for a new home are put in place.

Struggle to give a damn about Huntley or Cove if I'm honest. Don't even know where they are or what league there in!!

I'm all for progress though. Can't see why everyone want Aberdeen to be stuck in the dark ages.

[marinello59]

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Struggle to give a damn about Huntley or Cove if I'm honest. Don't even know where they are or what league there in!!

I'm all for progress though. Can't see why everyone want Aberdeen to be stuck in the dark ages.

Aberdeen didn't give a damn about Cove either. They are a Highland League club as it happens. Not worth you bothering about.
It's in Aberdeen's own hands to sort themselves out just like Hibs did.
Do you also want to see Hearts given more Council assistance and tax payers money to get out of the dark ages? They had plenty of assistance for their last two proposed moves and walked away from both.

[snooky]

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Can only assume you've never been to Westhill? Ugly industrial sites as far as the eye can see, a giant Tesco, a giant Costco then bizarrely lots of (Stewart Milne style) expensive houses in cul de sacs. Along with Bridge Of Don up here it's got about as much soul as Livingston.

Ouch!

[WhileTheChief..]

I actually do think the council should help out where possible.

To be clear though, I don't mean financially, but if they can assist with planning etc then I'd expect them to do so. Even if it's Hearts.

[jacomo]

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Why should Aberdeen share with Cove? They did the right thing back then.

I hope they get the planning permission they require. A brand new stadium there will be excellent.

I just wish Motherwell, Dundee Utd etc could do the same. New modern stadiums look so much better and would help bring the game into this century.

Look at some of the crumbling stadiums around the country, they're totally minging.

Could the Dundee clubs share a ground?

[Spudster]

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I actually do think the council should help out where possible.

Aberdeen Council can barely get themselves assembled let alone help their constituents or local business!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-39959841

[Smartie]

If Hearts can build a stadium on land as restricted as Tynecastle, why shouldn't Aberdeen manage it?

Could they not have an end that is safe standing? Could they not make the rake of the stand steep like Tynecastle?

They're just another Scottish football club that is brimming with entitlement, not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to bring their infrastructure into the modern era.

They're waiting for someone else to pay for them to build an uber-stadium and they'll be waiting a long time.

If they make a few sacrifices by way of playing budget and expectations for what they can build on a restricted site, they could have a perfectly acceptable stadium at Pittodrie.

Could they not even knock the whole thing down and start again, using the space the Dick Donald stand sits on to better effect?

[green&left]

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If Hearts can build a stadium on land as restricted as Tynecastle, why shouldn't Aberdeen manage it?

Could they not have an end that is safe standing? Could they not make the rake of the stand steep like Tynecastle?

They're just another Scottish football club that is brimming with entitlement, not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to bring their infrastructure into the modern era.

They're waiting for someone else to pay for them to build an uber-stadium and they'll be waiting a long time.

If they make a few sacrifices by way of playing budget and expectations for what they can build on a restricted site, they could have a perfectly acceptable stadium at Pittodrie.

Could they not even knock the whole thing down and start again, using the space the Dick Donald stand sits on to better effect?

TBF thats exactly what they're doing is it not?

[WhileTheChief..]

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Could the Dundee clubs share a ground?

That's a tricky one.

From a commercial point of view they probably should. Common sense would dictate that having 2 stadiums next door to each other is madness.

When did common sense ever apply to football fans though?! I can't imagine there are many fans of either club that would be in favour it but who knows.

Personally I think both clubs are big enough to each have their own stadium. Thankfully it's not something I need to worry about as we already have a tremendous stadium fully owned by ourselves (even better when we do the corners)

[NAE NOOKIE]

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If Hearts can build a stadium on land as restricted as Tynecastle, why shouldn't Aberdeen manage it?

Could they not have an end that is safe standing? Could they not make the rake of the stand steep like Tynecastle?

They're just another Scottish football club that is brimming with entitlement, not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to bring their infrastructure into the modern era.

They're waiting for someone else to pay for them to build an uber-stadium and they'll be waiting a long time.

If they make a few sacrifices by way of playing budget and expectations for what they can build on a restricted site, they could have a perfectly acceptable stadium at Pittodrie.

Could they not even knock the whole thing down and start again, using the space the Dick Donald stand sits on to better effect?

Kind of what I was saying in my longer post.

Aberdeen could build a perfectly decent 20,000 seater on the Pittodrie site in my opinion .... like too many clubs they ignored the infrastructure chasing trophies until the infrastructure couldn't be ignored any more and now that's happened they are moaning about not having the money. If the Yams can find 12 to 15 million quid anybody can.

[Smartie]

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TBF thats exactly what they're doing is it not?

Down to opinion really. I'm sure they want to bring their ground up to scratch, they just don't appear to be prepared to put their hands in their pockets for it, expecting the council to pay for it. Sometimes (as we know) you need to divert funds away from your first team to pay for up-to-date facilities.

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Kind of what I was saying in my longer post.

Aberdeen could build a perfectly decent 20,000 seater on the Pittodrie site in my opinion .... like too many clubs they ignored the infrastructure chasing trophies until the infrastructure couldn't be ignored any more and now that's happened they are moaning about not having the money. If the Yams can find 12 to 15 million quid anybody can.

Sorry, I realise I pretty much copied your point. Fans don't seem to be able to accept "perfectly decent" though, expecting their new baby to be the biggest and most beautiful in spite of whatever restrictive conditions are placed.

And re the bit in bold - absolutely. Let's see if they can manage this without stiffing any small businesses, charities, Lithuanian pensioners or Scott Wilson this time though.


I guess i'm also not a fan of the out of town grounds. I don't want to see Pittodrie go, and there's a big bit of me that is very happy that Hearts got to stay at Tynecastle, far and away my favourite away ground.......

[McD]

Hibs, Hearts, and others have had to and been able to update and modernise their stadia, for the most part without much council support beyond planning. What makes aberdeen different?

It surely wouldn't cost £50m to build a whole new stadium. Perhaps they could do what Celtic and now Tottenham are doing, move out for a season, knock it down completely and build it without needing to accomodate matches.

[stokesmessiah]

The biggest problem with Aberdeens proposed new development is there complete and utter inability to put a cohesive argument together. Thought a friend I have heard quite a lot of the goings on via George Yule and frankly it's been a shambles. There is no getting away from the fact that they need a decent facility but the half arsed manner in which they have tried to sell it to the local community is what's shooting them in the ass. They have not addressed any of the concerns of the nay Sayers in Westhill and instead are lumping with arguments like "we will have to play I the central belt" !

[Sylar]

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That's a tricky one.

From a commercial point of view they probably should. Common sense would dictate that having 2 stadiums next door to each other is madness.

When did common sense ever apply to football fans though?! I can't imagine there are many fans of either club that would be in favour it but who knows.

Personally I think both clubs are big enough to each have their own stadium. Thankfully it's not something I need to worry about as we already have a tremendous stadium fully owned by ourselves (even better when we do the corners)

Lazio, Roma, Inter and AC Milan are all far bigger clubs (with far bigger rivalries) than the Dundee duo, and they respectively share stadia without any problems.

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever that the Dundee clubs couldn't share a stadium IMO, and the entire area surrounding Dens and Tannadice (which is one of the least aesthetic parts of Dundee) could be redeveloped accordingly.

It was announced today that Dundee is to be home of a major sporting centre, which would serve the needs of both clubs with regard to training facilities, very well indeed. But once again, the clubs have historically been resistant to joining forces with the Universities in the city, and as a result train either at the crappy astroturf next to both stadiums or at the various pitches around the city. Which is mind-boggling with the excellent facilities at Riverside.

[MyJo]

If Aberdeen where to redevelop pittodrie it would cost them millions, put the club back into debt and affect thier squad budget for years. The same goes for building training facilities, which will cost money to put in place but isnt income generating like the stadium.

They are sitting on land that they can sell that will give them enough money to build a modern stadium and dedicated training facilities that a club of thier stature should have (if our league and scottish footbal overall is to push on and be seen as something more than the EPL's third rate cousin) without affecting thier ability to put a good team together and continue to compete at the top of the table and in europe.

They are in the same position that we found ourselves when the proposed Straiton move was being considered. We opted to stay at Easter Road and our stadium development and training facilities were funded by selling spare land to builders and developing then selling our best players to other clubs while maintaining a strict budget on the playing side. That resulted in some woeful players and managers joining our club over the last 15 years culminating in our relegation.

We got extremely lucky with the money we generated from the car park and then the golden generation and some of the risks we took with managers and players paying off resulting in money generating cup wins/runs but even with those we suffered for over a decade to pay for our stadium and training facilities.

I don't blame Aberdeen at all for wanting to avoid this scenario and have a potentially s*** team for the next 20 years so they can stay at Pittodrie when the option is there to get everything they want as a modern football club now while maintaining the quality on the pitch. It's the better option for them and for scottish football as a whole IMO. Good luck to them with it.

[Jones28]

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Could the Dundee clubs share a ground?

Easily, particularly given how close their current grounds are. If Inter and AC Milan can share then the Dundee clubs can.

[Tyler Durden]

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If Aberdeen where to redevelop pittodrie it would cost them millions, put the club back into debt and affect thier squad budget for years. The same goes for building training facilities, which will cost money to put in place but isnt income generating like the stadium.

They are sitting on land that they can sell that will give them enough money to build a modern stadium and dedicated training facilities that a club of thier stature should have (if our league and scottish footbal overall is to push on and be seen as something more than the EPL's third rate cousin) without affecting thier ability to put a good team together and continue to compete at the top of the table and in europe.

They are in the same position that we found ourselves when the proposed Straiton move was being considered. We opted to stay at Easter Road and our stadium development and training facilities were funded by selling spare land to builders and developing then selling our best players to other clubs while maintaining a strict budget on the playing side. That resulted in some woeful players and managers joining our club over the last 15 years culminating in our relegation.

We got extremely lucky with the money we generated from the car park and then the golden generation and some of the risks we took with managers and players paying off resulting in money generating cup wins/runs but even with those we suffered for over a decade to pay for our stadium and training facilities.

I don't blame Aberdeen at all for wanting to avoid this scenario and have a potentially s*** team for the next 20 years so they can stay at Pittodrie when the option is there to get everything they want as a modern football club now while maintaining the quality on the pitch. It's the better option for them and for scottish football as a whole IMO. Good luck to them with it.

Sorry but that's a totally revisionist view of Hibs recent history. We didn't suffer for over a decade due to funding our facilities and stadium. Firstly we haven't suffered for a decade - pick any 10 year rolling period from the last 25 and they'd be broadly consistent with Hibs historic performance.

Secondly - the poor results over a prolonged period weren't due to hardship generated by funding infrastructure. At any point in that period we would still be in the top 6 or 7 for budget.... any suffering was caused by mismanagement, pure and simple

[oneone73]

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Easily, particularly given how close their current grounds are. If Inter and AC Milan can share then the Dundee clubs can.

The crux for me would be the pitches. Our climate doesn't really allow for grass pitches to be played on every single week. Would work with a plastic pitch, but who wants that?

[jacomo]

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The crux for me would be the pitches. Our climate doesn't really allow for grass pitches to be played on every single week. Would work with a plastic pitch, but who wants that?

Fair point, but a single stadium would probably justify investment in a high spec hybrid surface with growing lights.

[Jones28]

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The crux for me would be the pitches. Our climate doesn't really allow for grass pitches to be played on every single week. Would work with a plastic pitch, but who wants that?

True, though with the money generated from selling one site and rebuilding on the other I wonder if they could afford a hybrid pitch