Dear Members,
The first item to cover is the fantastic achievement by Tony Docherty and the team in reaching top six status in our first season back in the Premiership. The club now have telling fixtures to try and secure European football again at Dens for the first time since 2003.
This success on the park is reflected in the nominations achieved by Tony Docherty up for the Manager of the Year award, Lyall Cameron for the Young Player of the Year award, and with Owen Beck named in the SPFL team of the year.
All fans will have noted the responses from the club to the questions about the new stadium development tabled recently, and the coverage across different media paths on this. Several Dee4Life members provided responses, to the Board, on the questions submitted and this is appreciated. Currently these are all being considered to establish whether we should seek any further updates or clarification on any points with the club.
Following on the recent and welcomed submission of the Planning Permission in Principle for the Camperdown stadium development, this has now been followed up by further announcements regarding a new training facility at Riverside, a new artificial pitch at the Gardyne Campus and works over the summer to address the drainage issues at Dens Park, with a significant level of investment for this announced.
These will be delivered through a combination of the Club, DBPH, and the Community Trust. All are welcome actions and, as delivered, reflective of the current positive path for the club on and off the field.
The announcement of e-ticketing for the new season is welcomed. This is something the Dee4Life board have pushed for previously as a benefit for fans and an assistance for matchdays where hopefully congestion at the ticket queues will be a thing of the past.
As a voice for Dundee fans, your membership is crucial. But did you know that you can also help Dee4Life by shopping online?
By adjusting your online shopping patterns slightly, you can help raise money for the Trust. Teaming up with easyfundraising, Dee4Life has already earned thousands of pounds thanks to membersโ purchases online.
All you need to do is register for an easyfundraising account and select Dee4Life as the cause youโd like to raise money for.
Every time you shop online, easyfundraising will give a donation to the trust. This donation will help us to continue our work in providing a voice for Dees across the globe.
More information can be found here.
One area where there has been some discussion and reaction raised is to the 2024/25 season ticket prices notably the hefty hike in the under-12s price, from ยฃ1.00 to ยฃ50.00. These are the supporters of the future, and families may well struggle with this increase especially if there is more than one young supporter in the family. It is to be hoped that this does not backfire on the club and its ability to attract young fans for the future.
For your information there has been a change in the Dee4Life Board make up with Grant Hill standing down as Vice-Chair due to personal and professional commitments. Over the past two years, Grant has served the Trust very well, delivering and contributing on several fronts and bringing an energy and communications capacity that has been beneficial to the board and wider Trust membership. Our grateful thanks to Grant and all the best for the future.
So, finally, exciting times for the club and hopefully much more to come over the coming weeks, months, and seasons. But first and foremost, letโs focus on the exciting possibility of European qualification โ see you at Dens on Saturday!
Regards
Keith Winter
Dee4Life Chair
Dee4Life 