In a world gone mad sensible suggestions like sitting down and talking are very much out of vogue at the moment.
Even if Aberdeen FC chairman Dave Cormack wants to sit down and have conversations about next season, with the government’s announcement that over a third of the population are going under lockdown restrictions until at least December the 11th, the chances of dialogue on fans returning to stadiums is pretty low.
This will cause even more groans in the Aberdeen FC finance department after they recently released their financial statement for year ending 30 June 2020.
“It’s not a case of sitting saying ‘poor me, poor me’. It’s about people’s jobs. All this could result in the mass reconstruction of clubs.”
This period includes the dreaded three month lockdown suffered back in March. During that time Aberdeen FC lost £1m.
This year the club will lose almost £3m and is projecting an operating loss of £5m next season.
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Cormack’s pleas for some amount of fans being allowed access to stadiums has come right at the wrong time, especially given the fact seven of the twelve clubs in the SPL are now under tier 4 lock down restrictions.
Celtic, Rangers, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Hamilton, Livingston and St Mirren are all in areas now under the tightest of controls.
Cormack has lamented the fact the government doesn’t seem to be open to fans returning even with three successful stadium test events and questions over whether hospitality can be trusted to host football supporters after scenes in a well known city centre bar during Scotland’s victory in the Euro shoot-out against Serbia.
Cormack says he cannot keep asking friends to pour money into what’s seemingly becoming a black hole after claiming twenty million pounds of investment has been put into Aberdeen through his contacts.
The Don’s chairman says £8m that would have gone towards the new Kingsford Stadium complex has been lost because of the pandemic and that the development out near Westhill has now been put firmly on hold.
But what the Dons’ chairman fears most is the ramifications of the very structure of the game if fans continue to be denied access to watch their teams.
Cormack told the P&J: “It’s not a case of sitting saying ‘poor me, poor me’. It’s our jobs as the people running the clubs to put it out there.
“We’re not looking for handouts, we’re looking for a plan. It’s about people’s jobs. All this could result in the mass reconstruction of clubs.”
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 