Dear members,
I write this update still on a high from Saturday’s away win at Livingston and our ascent into the top half of the table. Whatever happens against Rangers tonight, I think we can all be happy with how Tony Docherty’s side have adapted to life back in the Premiership.
Last week, we met with Dundee City MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Shona Robison to ask for their assistance in resolving the impasse we have reached in our attempts to have the club board address concerns raised by Dee4Life members.
In our discussion, Joe and Shona emphasised how vitally important Dundee FC is to the city and that they understand Dee4Life is seeking only to ensure that the future of the club is secure. They are sympathetic to our efforts to have boardroom representation restored and appreciate the importance of fans being able to ask challenging questions when appropriate.
Joe and Shona have asked to meet with us again once we have consulted with our members at this month’s AGM and we thank them for taking the time to meet with us and consider what they can do to help.
As you know, Dee4Life’s entitlement to two board places was agreed when FPS took over the club 10 years ago and is enshrined in Dundee’s Articles of Association. A lot has happened in the past decade so it may well be that what was negotiated back then might not be the best option for all parties now. As we made clear to Joe and Shona, if the club have an alternative model in mind then we are open to discussing it, noting that members will have the final say on any proposed changes.
The current board may feel the idea of oversight unnecessary and unfair given the financial stability that FPS have brought. We acknowledge this stability and would far prefer to be collaborating with them for the benefit of Dundee but, in line with our founding principles and with the agreement made 10 years ago, Dee4Life has a duty to ask difficult questions on behalf of fans, especially around the proposed new stadium development.
As we communicated with you a few weeks ago, we were pleased to hear that the club owners currently have no plans to sell Dens Park and groundshare, following Dark Blues Property Holdings’ purchase of our historic home. We believe the club owners are doing what they see as being in the best interests of the club, but there are still many unanswered questions about the stadium project that need to be addressed.
Also in October, Dee4Life Directors met with the committee of the Dundee Supporters’ Association and robust discussions about recent development took place. We believe it is healthy for open conversations to take place between all parties who have the best interests of Dundee FC at heart, and we will meet with the DSA again in January.
As recent communications from the club have shown, the DSA does a fantastic job of providing them with assistance and, as a long-standing Invergowrie Dark Blue, I know first-hand the work done to represent member clubs.
There is significant overlap between Dee4Life and DSA membership and, while our respective constitutions mean there are differences in the issues we will raise with the club board, we all want a Dundee that is successful on the park and secure off it.
I hope to see as many of you as possible at the AGM on Saturday 11 November (start time 11am in Dundee Social Club) and hope you can encourage family and friends to join us before then so they too can help shape our future.
Best wishes,
Keith Winter, Dee4Life Chair