Chairman’s Updates

Dee4Life update – February 2026

Dear Members,

Hope springs eternal – so the saying goes – but if you’re a Dundee fan it’s more a case of brief periods of flow followed by sustained dribbling and sputtering. After a fantastic team performance in the Scottish Cup tie at Parkhead, which came so close to achieving a memorable victory that was only undone with added time, we were brought back down to earth with a disappointing defeat at Falkirk and a draw that felt like a defeat after throwing away an early two-goal lead at home to Livingston.

The eternal part kicked in though with a dramatic 3-2 win away to Aberdeen, the first victory at Pittodrie in 22 years, and suddenly the picture brightened again. There are some clear signs of improvement with a few of the players really starting to show they can compete in the premiership. The cushion from the three wins at the turn of the year had eroded before Ethan Hamilton’s second rocket strike in recent weeks but Dundee are managing to keep their noses in front of St Mirren and Kilmarnock in the race to stay out of the play-off place. While any win over Aberdeen has to be savoured, the slow start to the match was concerning and the penalty and red card were clearly pivotal. Head Coach Steven Pressley will know that they have to find more consistency and resilience to get themselves out of the relegation battle.

SGM reminder

Turning to Dee4Life business, I would like to remind all members that we have a Special General Meeting coming up at 11am for 11.30am on Saturday, 28 February at the Dundee Social Club, Thistle Street, DD3 7RF.

The meeting has been arranged to consider proposed updates to Dee4Life’s rules and to review the organisation’s strategy. The meeting papers can be viewed by clicking the links below:

I would encourage you to attend if at all possible and to exercise your voting rights as a member. It really is hugely important for us to hear your views and for you to play your part in shaping Dee4Life’s future. There will be tea and coffee and biscuits on offer if you need any further incentive to come along!

Positive discussions

I’m delighted to report that we have enjoyed some very positive recent discussions on off-the-field matters. Dundee FC’s Supporters’ Liaison Officers Billy Douglas and Kris Scrimgeour joined our most recent board call and gave us an update on positive developments behind the scenes at Dens and Gardyne.

They have been really heartened by the welcome they have received from the club and the fans and reported some good progress in a number of areas such as repairs to some parts of the stadium infrastructure, continued improvements to the playing surface, repairing the stadium phone system, engaging with young fans and the Foundation regarding funds for youth development and the £10 ticket offer at the Livingston game among other things. Both Billy and Kris are in regular contact with SLO’s at other clubs and said that their experience is much more positive than that of many of their counterparts.

We discussed ways in which Dee4Life could support the club such as encouraging members to assist with some of the improvement work going at Dens.

DSA meeting

We also had a positive meeting with the Dundee Supporters’ Association (DSA) and among the topics discussed was working together with the club to support the Community Trust and the Foundation. There were useful conversations on what other clubs are doing and what we can all learn from St Johnstone’s fan engagement strategy and charter. It was recognised that there are positive developments at the club which many fans are not aware of and the club’s recent recruitment advertisement for a Communications Manager suggests this is an area of focus for them.

One less positive thing to note is that there was nothing relating to the new stadium proposal on the agenda for the February meeting of Dundee City Council’s planning committee so the uncertainty continues.

I will close by wishing Steven Pressley and the team the very best in an important run of fixtures before the league split. An encouraging transfer window closed with some useful additions in the shape of defender Lewis Montsma and winger Scott Wright but was slightly undermined by the lack of a recognised striker coming in beyond the young Mexican Aldahur Valenzuela. It was good to see the Captain Simon Murray back among the goals against Livingston and Aberdeen. It has to be hoped, that word again, that it will spark a run of goals for the captain in the latter stages of the season. More sharpness up front will be key to the club’s efforts to stay up this season.

Keith Winter

Chairman

Chairman's Updates

Dee4Life update – January 2026

Dear Members,

It’s always nice to send the old year out with a flourish and bring in the new one with a bang and Dundee certainly did that as 2025 became 2026. Hard fought wins over Falkirk and Kilmarnock heralded significantly improved and more enterprising performances from the players before the New Year derby at Tannadice saw arguably the best performance this season in overcoming the lot across the road.

On-field optimism

It wasn’t just the fact that they won with an excellent finish from a much-improved Ashley Hay but that they created at least six good chances to score and really should have been one or two more to the good at the final whistle. It was fantastic to hear Dundee fans singing and celebrating once again after what has been more of an attritional than a transitional season so far. Steven Pressley and his players deserve credit for digging so deep to find an extra 20% when they needed it the most.

Nine points radically altered the club’s league position and gave them a platform to build on in staying clear of Kilmarnock, now managed by former Dens pair Neil McCann and Billy Dodds, and Livingston. A narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Hearts, where they were denied by THAT save from Craig Gordon, was followed by a tricky Scottish Cup tie away to Kilmarnock. Despite falling behind, the team once again showed their growing resilience to bounce back and secure a place in the fifth round with a Drey Wright winner in added time. A stubborn but unadventurous performance at Ibrox coupled with a late collapse, which has been sadly all too familiar in recent seasons, summed up a 3-0 defeat to Rangers.

A huge determinant of where Dundee go from here in the remainder of this season will be the level of activity in the transfer window and it has been good to see some solid activity. Young winger Joe Bevan was signed from Burnley and was joined at Gardyne by defender Brad Halliday from Bradford on a two-and-a-half year contract and young midfielder Joel Cotterill from Swansea. The Club appear to be investing to try to secure their top league status and it has to be hoped there will be a few more arrivals. Certainly the revenue benefits of staying up will more than make up for any additional outlay.

Off-field matters

Off the field, things have been a little mixed. There was no sign of any application going before Dundee City Council Planning Committee’s January meeting. We also saw the publication last month of the SFA’s club licensing data which is based on four criteria – ground, first team, youth, legal/admin/finance. The Club was ranked bronze on ground alongside only one other SPFL team and several championship teams and on a par with Linlithgow Rose. They were ranked silver on first team (training/medical facilities etc) on a par with Dunfermline and Ross County and silver on youth on a par with Morton and Inverness Caley Thistle. Lastly they were ranked bronze on legal/admin/finance on a par with Arbroath and Cumbernauld Colts for example. All of this makes for worrying reading and suggests there is a lot of work to be done in a number of areas.

Elsewhere, there were some positive moves including the £10 offer for the Livingston match and subsidised buses to Kilmarnock for the cup tie. And Mr Nelms finally gave an interview, albeit a soft one, to the local media. This is to be welcomed but we feel that there are still many questions that fans and our members would like answered and would continue to urge the Club to be more communicative and transparent.

Special General Meeting

Turning to D4L matters, we are calling a Special General Meeting for Saturday, 28 February at 11am for 11.30am at the Dundee Social Club. The purpose of the meeting is to consider some updates to D4L’s rules and to review its strategy. We would encourage as many members to attend and exercise their voting rights as possible.

I have included a link to the Minutes from our AGM in November for reference. Please click here (member login required).

We are also currently on the lookout for a new treasurer following Grant MacGregor stepping down from the board. If you feel you would like to get involved and join the board please contact us at contact@dee4life.com.

I will close by wishing you all the very best for a prosperous and enjoyable 2026! Let’s hope this is the year in which Dundee secure their top league status and address the various off-field issues!

Keith Winter

Chairman

Chairman's Updates, society updates

Dee4Life update – December 2025

Dear Members,

Welcome to the December update. Another year passes and the festive period is coming fast.

The Dee4Life AGM took place on the 29th of November at the Dundee Social Club with a good turnout of members.

AGM round-up

The AGM received performance and finance reports for the twelve months to May 2025. There were two reappointments, with notification of two impending retirals from the Board, Grant Macgregor, as of the AGM, and Mike Woodcock from February 2026.

Following the formal AGM there was an open question and answer session. A lot of focus was on the current position both on the pitch and off the pitch.

There was a lively and open discussion on various aspects with a consensus view from those present that the focus for the coming months should be on pursuing a more stringent line with the management of DFC.

Fan experience concerns

Specific areas of concern raised included the condition of Dens Park for the fan experience, the delays at Camperdown around the new stadium, the general running of the club including the summer replacement of the first team manager and the recruitment approach and consequences as witnessed in the performances and results achieved so far this season. The board were charged to take this away and consider appropriate next steps. This to include raising a matter of no confidence in the day-to-day leadership of the football club.

Specifically on the new stadium there was no Dundee City Council Planning committee meeting held in December as it was stated there was no business to consider. This means therefore that the Planning Permission in Principle application for the stadium and related developments remains unready for advancement to committee. It is to be hoped this resolves itself early in 2026 and certainly ahead of February and the second anniversary of the submission date.

Turning to the results over late November and into December again this has been mixed with one win and a draw achieved. The performances again are a roller coaster as evidenced recently in the Livingston match, truly a classic game of two halves. Still, we are positive and hope for better returns over the coming weeks leading into the Derby on the 3rd of January.

DSA meeting

As advised before Dee4Life has been seeking to meet with our colleagues at the DSA. I am pleased to advise that we now have a date to meet in January and will update you after this.

Finally, all the best for the festive period to all our members and their families, a good stocking filler for a relative or family friend could be a Dee4Life membership, a well spent £10.00.

You can join us by clicking here.

So Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2026.

Regards,
Keith Winter
Chairperson

Chairman's Updates

Dee4Life update – November 2025

Dear Members,

Where to start after another month of peaks and troughs following Dundee?

The high of a first home win over Celtic in 37 years was followed by the lows of a defeat to Falkirk, beset by refereeing controversy, and then effectively a no-show against Hearts at Tynecastle where not a single shot on target was recorded. That stat improved to five shots on target in the home match with Rangers but unfortunately it made little difference to the result with another disappointing defeat recorded and no goals to show for it.

Regular readers will know we prefer to focus on encouraging the head coach and the players and we will continue to do so but it is fair to say that the concern and frustration among fans is becoming more apparent every week as the club slips closer to the dreaded bottom spot. We have to hope that something can galvanise the players to turn the situation around and achieve some momentum with a positive run of results and that it happens quickly.

The future is bright?

On a brighter note, it was fantastic to see three Dundee youths representing Scotland under-17’s in their three matches to clinch European Championships qualification. Warren Lyall, Ethan Crombie and Charley Oosenbrugh played their part across the matches including a memorable 1-0 victory over England in which Crombie intercepted a pass to start the move that led to the winning goal. Congratulations to all three players for doing their Club and their country proud.

AGM reminder

Off the pitch, we are looking forward to the Dee4Life AGM at 11.30am on Saturday, November 29 at the Dundee Social Club in Thistle Street. There will be complimentary tea/coffee and a prize draw from 11am.

A note with the agenda and information regarding election of board members, including the Election Rules and Nomination Form, was issued to members and published on Dee4Life.com.

We would encourage you as members to come along and take the opportunity to make your views known on what you would like to see the Board doing on your behalf.

Supporters Direct Scotland

At our November Board meeting we were delighted to be joined by Supporters Direct Scotland (SDS) Chief Executive Alan Russell and board member (and former D4L board member) Ian Baird for the first half hour of our call. Both have track records of working with fan trusts to help them have a more of a say in running their clubs.

Dee4Life is one of more than 20 trusts who are SDS members and our secretary Andrew Pyke sits on their board. We discussed how to maximise the benefits of our membership and highlighted two areas where SDS could make a contribution: communicating why the entrenched rights matter to fans and learning from other clubs about best practice in growing membership.

In our discussion with SDS we could not help but note the recent level of engagement between the American owners at our neighbours across the road and at St Johnstone. In both cases the owners have been out and about meeting fans and engaging with them to hear their concerns and understand what is going well for them at the clubs.

The lot across the road even managed to have an AGM last month where fans could attend and air their views on the progress being made. That is in sharp contrast to the situation at our own Club.

Club meeting request

We have to hope that the example being set by their near neighbours will inspire some similar ideas at Gardyne. The fans are yearning to have more engagement with Dundee and everyone would benefit if that were to happen. That is why we are once again requesting a meeting with the Club in the hope that we can play a role in helping to improve their engagement with the fans.

I will wrap up by wishing Steven Pressley and the players the best of luck for the busy pre-festive period of fixtures. Hopefully they can achieve some consistency and get more points on the board soon.

Best wishes,
Keith Winter
Chairman.

Header image by Sean Dee Photography.

Chairman's Updates

Dee4Life update – September 2025

Dear Members,

The uncertain start to the season continues for Dundee as the newly compiled team tries to bed in while off field matters continue to be shrouded in mystery. The desperate disappointment of a derby defeat was hard to stomach but the seeming lack of attacking endeavour compounded the misery for the Dark Blue faithful. We have had to suffer many defeats to the other lot over the years but few where it has seemed so flat both in terms of performance and atmosphere in the home end. The fact that home tickets did not sell out suggests that pricing is becoming an issue as well as the quality of the fan experience at Dens. Whatever the reason, it did not really feel like a derby and that is perhaps as much of a worry for all concerned as the result itself.

Fan frustration

The pattern of lower attendances continued with the Motherwell game which saw a drop of 1,200 on the last visit of the Steelmen. To the players’ and head coach’s credit they bounced back from a poor first half performance to secure a draw against Motherwell following the international break. There was some grit and fighting spirit on show in the second half which was certainly needed to get them back into the game and to get the home fans behind them. It wasn’t pretty but they hung in there and showed some resilience after the late, and harsh, sending off of Yan Dhanda in particular. Still three points from three draws is not a great tally from the first five games and they will have to get a win or two on the board soon if they are to move clear of the relegation zone. Even this early in the season it is important to build some momentum and draws are not enough.

The presence of Luke Graham has been one area of optimism for Dundee fans. Image: Sean Dee Photography.

We have heard many fans expressing their disappointment at the lack of activity toward the end of the transfer window despite the head coach Steven Pressley making it clear that he felt a few more players were needed. The lack of Scottish Premiership experience in the squad has to be a concern and while we have to hope that some of the new players will succeed in making the transition it is clearly going to be a step up for a good number of them. Doubts also persist in key areas of the park including in goal, midfield and up front but ironically, given how things went in the last two seasons, it is the back line which is giving the most reason for optimism, especially the form of Luke Graham. The young centre-half notched his first top flight goal against Motherwell and showed up well for the Scotland U-21’s. He already looks as if he is going to be a key figure this season.

Burnley link-up?

Another question which fans have been asking is what has happened to the much vaunted partnership with Burnley. After a succession of loan deals for some undoubtedly talented young players from Turf Moor in the last two seasons, the well has suddenly run dry with no explanation coming from the Club. With attacking flair apparently in short supply, now would be a good time to attract a few players north. At the same time the partnership with CF Monterrey in Mexico appears to have stalled. Victor Lopez was allowed to return home to Queretaro without really having had the chance to make an impact and Cesar Garza is struggling to gain a first team place despite the departure of almost all of the first choice midfield from last season. Once again fans would appreciate hearing from the Club on these issues so they can at least have a clearer understanding of what’s going on.

SLOs meeting

On a more upbeat note, we were delighted to meet the Club’s new Supporters’ Liaison Officers, Billy Douglas and Kris Scrimgeour, who joined our recent Board Teams call. Both Billy and Kris are Dees through-and-through and shared some of their fondest memories of going to matches with our directors. We value their knowledge and experience of all things Dundee and look forward to working with them in the months and years to come. We wish them all the very best in their roles and will do everything we can to assist them. If there are issues you would like us to raise with them on your behalf please email contact@dee4life.com.

I will close by wishing the players and the coaching staff the very best for a busy and challenging run of fixtures in the next few weeks, starting with the visit of Livingston.

Best wishes,

Keith Winter
Chairman.

Chairman's Updates

Dee4Life member update – August 2025

Dear Members,

As we move through the early stages of the 2025/26 season there are still more questions than answers swirling around Dundee FC.

On the field the new Head Coach Steven Pressley and his backroom colleagues have been scrambling to compile a squad. The lack of experienced new signings, the failure to progress in the Premier Sports Cup and the opening day defeat to Hibs were worrying signs regarding the readiness of the team but the gritty performance in gaining a point at Ibrox gave some grounds for optimism. The loss of income from the Cup will be particularly sorely felt compared to last season’s money-spinning tie away to Rangers. The loan signing of Yan Dhanda from Hearts brings some much needed top-flight experience and creativity to the squad. It is to be hoped that a few more signings of similar calibre will be made before the transfer window closes.

Off the field, there are plenty of question marks as well. There is still no sign of any determination on the application for the new stadium development at Camperdown. The earliest any decision can now be made would be at the September planning committee meeting of Dundee City Council but the indications (at the time of writing) are that it could be at the October meeting. The successful objection from a local environmental group to the Riverside training complex application has seen things grind to a halt on that front too.

The aura of uncertainty surrounding aspects of the Club at the moment cannot have helped season ticket sales, as the extension of the early bird offer would suggest, and while the upcoming derby should take care of itself we have to hope that fans will be patient and keep standing by the team.

Supporters’ Liaison Officer

Another area of change off the field was the departure of John Burke as the Supporters’ Liaison Officer. I always valued John’s contribution and his efforts on behalf of the fans and I know he was held in high regard by the Board of D4L.

On behalf of the Board I would like to thank him for all his hard work and assistance in the role and wish him all the very best for the future.

The question of who will replace John is another one waiting to be answered following the Club’s appeal for volunteers to cover the position with the application deadline date set for 31 July. It goes without saying that we wish them the very best of luck too.

Strategy day and season review

The Board took part in a strategy day at Downfield Golf Club over the close season, reviewing activities from last season and setting our priorities for this coming year.

A season review was also conducted and we looked at three key themes: whether fans felt engaged and were enjoying attending matches, whether DFC are competitive at the higher end of Scottish football and whether the Club is heathy off the pitch and looking forwards.

We would like to hear your views as D4L members on these areas and would encourage you to share them with us to help inform our views as the Board. Please email them to contact@dee4life.com.

We will be saying more about our priorities for 2025/26 in future newsletters but it is safe to say that they will tie in with these general themes. We have also been working hard to review and improve our procedures and processes as a Board and to ensure resilience in terms of being able to fulfil our responsibilities to members. The minutes from this session and all our Board meetings are available in the members’ section of dee4fife.com.

Fundraising

I will take this opportunity to remind members that you can assist with fundraising for D4L at no cost to yourselves. All you need to do is register at www.easyfundraising.org.uk and whenever you buy anything online money will be donated to D4L.

We have created a step-by-step guide with some more information on our website.

WIN a Dundee top

We are always looking to sign up new members and as the new season gets underway we have the opportunity for one lucky member to win the new DFC home or away shirt.

You can win a this season’s home or away top. Image: Sean Dee Photography

All members have to do is refer a friend as a new member. When that member joins up they will be entered into a draw to win the top.

If you want a chance of winning the new 2025/26 season shirt then email contact@dee4life.com confirming the new member’s full name. If they join prior to 19 September 2025 then you will be entered into the draw.

I will close by reminding you to stay in touch with us at D4L and let us know what you would like to see us doing on your behalf. Despite the controversy around his appointment we continue to wish the Head Coach all the very best and hope that he can find a way to fashion a team and keep Dundee FC in the top division come next May.

Best wishes,

Keith Winter

Chairman.

Chairman's Updates

Dee4Life member update – June 2025

Dear Members,

What could, and probably should, have been a quiet end to the season for DFC was anything but. After blowing through various chances to secure SPFL status and enduring a remarkable run of VAR and refereeing controversies, safety was finally secured on the last day of the season thanks to a Lyall Cameron double at McDiarmid Park. No sooner was the awards dinner concluded than almost the entire management team led by Tony Docherty was relieved of its duties.

New Head Coach reaction

A couple of weeks later fans were stunned by the news that Steven Pressley, he of across-the-road fame/infamy, was the board’s choice to take over. Combined with the somewhat complicated restructure, in which Pressley was appointed Head Coach and David Longwell became the Technical Manager, it led to some pretty vehement and largely negative commentary on fan forums and social media.

It’s hard to know what to make of this situation from a fan perspective. We have to give any new ‘Head Coach’ a chance. So much will depend on whether he can sign the players needed to secure the Club’s top six target – the initial signings of Paul Digby and Drey Wright suggest the emphasis is being placed on experience – in the next few weeks but it feels as if a huge chance to bring the fans back on board with a popular appointment that everyone could wholeheartedly get behind has been missed. Certainly if the Club does not make a strong start to the new season the pressure on Pressley will be palpable.

Before we close the book on the old regime it’s worth briefly reflecting on the seesaw season of goals galore with a fantastic return of 22 by player of the season Simon Murray in particular being sadly diminished by the flood of goals being conceded at the other end. That defensive frailty continued the pattern from the previous season with so many points being lost from winning positions. It will no doubt become one of the great Dundee conundrums for fans to ponder – what might have been if they had only been able to find a way to combine the excellent attacking football they often produced with solidity in defence. I would like to acknowledge Tony Docherty and his management team for all their efforts and, on behalf of all at D4L, wish them the very best for the future. Let’s hope that they don’t come back to haunt Dundee!

Fan frustrations

Many fans have expressed frustration at the lack of communication from the Club at key moments and the lack of engagement with the media or the wider fan base. As regular readers will know, I and the D4L board have regularly called on Mr Nelms and the Club to be more communicative with the fans. This could be an ideal moment for a reset in that regard. Now would be a fantastic opportunity for the Club to begin consistently engaging with fans and be clearer about how they plan to build a team for next season. This needs to go beyond scripted interviews for the Club’s social media channels and tackle some of the harder questions that are worrying the fans. If Mr Nelms is confident in his vision for the Club then there’s no reason to shy away from such engagement.

One of those harder questions is the status of the new stadium project. We are still waiting to see what will happen regarding the Planning Permission in Principle planning application lodged by Dark Blue Property Holdings in February 2024, despite the previous assurance from Mr Nelms that the Club would be kicking a ball at the new stadium in 2025. Currently the application is being considered by both Transport Scotland and Dundee City Council as the determining Planning Authority. Dark Blue Property Holdings, via their traffic consultants SYSTRA, submitted a further traffic submission on 19 May to address previous objections raised by Transport Scotland over the access and egress point from/to the A90. This will be reviewed and we have to hope that a determination will be reached soon. This shows the challenges in delivering the new stadium, let alone the other development aspects in the PPIP. Let’s hope that Dark Blue Property Holdings and their advisers have now delivered the requisite information so the PPIP can be released and the project can progress to the next stage.

Dee4Life raised questions about the development in early 2024 regarding the delivery, funding and phasing of the development. Many of these points still stand and we believe a close season update on where things sit would be welcomed by all fans. At a time when season tickets are on sale and attention is firmly on next season there is a window of opportunity which the Club could capitalise on to try to get the fans on-side and strengthen their hand as they look to consolidate in the SPFL next season. It’s hard to see a downside to that approach and we believe fans would respond extremely well to being brought into the fold more than they have been in recent seasons.

Future is bright

While the drama of the senior team was playing out, there was some extremely encouraging developments among the youth ranks. While a talented Kilmarnock side proved too strong for Dundee in the Scottish Youth Cup Final at Hampden, the U-16’s and U-13’s both won their respective Club Academy Scotland finals against Celtic and St Johnstone. It suggests the Club is doing a good job of nurturing talent and it has to be hoped that in the next few years we see some of these talented youngsters following in the footsteps of Cameron, Josh Mulligan and Finn Robertson to become first team regulars. Congratulations from D4L to all of the boys in these teams for all that they have achieved.

Dee4Life chair Keith Winter (back left) with some Dundee FC youths after presenting Dee Promotions with a cheque for £2,500.

Off the field, D4L was delighted to be able to continue to support the excellent work done by Dee Promotions. We presented a cheque to them for £2,500. Alison McQueen and the team are to be commended for their efforts and we look forward to continuing to work with them in future.

I will close by wishing all of you a relaxing close season as you recharge your batteries for the new season to come. Let’s keep some optimism that the new Head Coach can bring in the right calibre of players to ensure the Club can progress and firmly establish itself in the SPFL. Wouldn’t it be great to be looking up the league rather than down and challenging for Europe once again?

Best wishes,
Keith Winter
Chairman.

Chairman's Updates

Members’ update – March

What a difference a derby victory can make!

Just as things were starting to look really ominous with the spectre of a relegation battle looming large, Dundee pulled out a win for the ages with a comprehensive triumph over the other lot at Tannadice.

The spirit, desire and dogged determination which we have all been searching for suddenly appeared in abundance on a beautiful Sunday. The 4-2 win probably should have been even more comfortable and the players showed that they can still turn on the style.

Everyone played their part in an excellent team display with inspirational performances from a number of them including big Joe Shaughnessy at the back, two-goal Jordan McGhee and, of course, that man Simon Murray. If ever there was a team that needed a spark to reignite their season it was Dundee and surely this result will give them a huge confidence boost going into three difficult games before the split. I know many of us have been hugely frustrated by the slump in form and results since the turn of the year but now we can look forward with some optimism and belief that we can turn this predicament around. I’m sure we will all give the team as much backing as we can for the run-in, starting with the visit of Rangers on March 29.

Another silver lining in what has been a challenging period for the Club is the fact that we can now look forward to a Cup Final at Hampden. While sadly the senior team did not make it past their Scottish Cup quarter-final with Hearts at Tynecastle, it has been hugely encouraging to see the achievements of the under-18’s team in reaching the Scottish Youth Cup Final. Scott Robertson’s young team produced a strong performance to overcome St Mirren on their home patch with a 2-0 win in front of 1,400 fans. They will now face Kilmarnock in the final at the national stadium with the dates still to be confirmed. I’m sure there will be many of you who will take the opportunity to cheer the Dark Blues on in a national final and we wish Scott and the team all the very best.

Off the field, there does not seem to be much happening, at least publicly, around the new stadium project or the proposed training facility at Riverside. There was no submission to the last meeting of Dundee City Council planning committee and it is concerning for fans when there is no news and the situation appears to be dragging on. We appreciate the Club has a lot on its plate at the moment and the focus must be on Premiership survival but it would be good to hear a little more on how things are actually progressing.

Turning to our D4L prize draw, I am delighted to confirm that this month’s winner is Vincent Brady from Dundee. Eight-year-old Vincent, who joined Dee4Life in 2023, receives £30 worth of vouchers for the club shop. We would ask Vincent’s parent or guardian to email us at contact@dee4life.com so we can arrange delivery of his vouchers. Congratulations Vincent!

I will close by wishing Tony Docherty and the team the very best for the seismic upcoming matches they are facing. We have been here before as a Club and as fans and, to continue the silver lining theme, we know what it’s going to take to get out of this.

Who’s to say we can’t pull off another great escape?

Best wishes,
Keith Winter
Dee4Life Chair

Chairman's Updates

Dee4Life members’ update – February

Dear Members,

‘Rollercoaster’ perhaps doesn’t do justice to the slings and arrows of Dundee’s fortunes since the turn of the year.

The highs of Scottish Cup triumphs over the lot down the road and Airdrie alongside a vital away win over St Johnstone as well as near wins over the Old Firm at Dens were wiped out by the lows of deflating heavy defeats to Hearts at home and Celtic away and then a disappointing loss to recent visitors Aberdeen. It’s hard to know what to make of the variation in performances from pushing Celtic all the way at Dens to crumbling to a resurgent Hearts on the same pitch a couple of weeks later.

The team has shown some great ability and effort on the one hand and worrying frailties throughout the pitch on the other. I know many fans were disappointed not to see a striker signed in the transfer window but Aaron Donnelly has been impressive since his return and we have to hope our latest Mexican addition, winger Victor Lopez, can make a difference to the goals for column. It was also extremely heartening to see several players return from injury including the Club Captain big Joe Shaughnessy after a long time out. We wish him well and his experience could be crucial in the crunch games to come.

Away from the field, there was sad news this month with the loss of a Dundee great and one of its best known supporters. Billy Pirie was indeed a legend at the club. His tally of 106 goals in 138 games in the late 1970’s says it all about a special player who was the club’s leading goalscorer for three consecutive seasons. The Hall of Fame member will be greatly missed by all Dundee fans.

More recently we were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Paddy Barclay. One of the UK’s best known football writers who covered World Cups, Champions League and Premier League football, Paddy’s heart was always at Dens. A font of knowledge about all things Dundee he was a friend to many, many Dark Blues fans and will be a huge loss. Our thoughts are with Billy’s and Paddy’s families.

AGM

Dee4Life held its AGM on 1st of February 2025, which was postponed from 23rd of November 2024 due the adverse weather that day. The meeting in the Dundee Social Club was reasonably attended with active participants in the room.

I delivered the report from the Chair setting out events over the reporting period to 31st May 2024 and the final accounts for the year were presented for information and comment.

There were no additional directors appointed at the meeting though three existing directors were reappointed: George McIrvine, Grant McGregor and Mary Coyle. Mike Woodcock’s place on the Board was also confirmed.

The minutes and reports from the AGM are available in the members’ section of the website.

Following the AGM there was a question-and-answer session which raised a number of points and issues over the development at Camperdown and the ongoing use of Dens Park.

We were asked about relations between Dee4Life and the Club, ideas for engagement with Dee4Life members and the broader fan base and possible actions from the action plan compiled at the board strategy day in August 2024. We received a number of helpful suggestions from the floor which will be followed up.

Junior Dee draw winner

I’m also delighted to announce the winner of our Junior Draw at the AGM:

Mya Hanlon!

Congratulations to Mya who joined in November 2023. She wins £30 of vouchers to spend in the Dundee FC Shop. We would ask Mya’s parent or guardian to email us at contact@dee4life.com so we can arrange delivery of the vouchers.

I will close with a reminder that the Board is a team of volunteers and is working hard to build and develop Dee4Life so it can fulfil its role and support the club but we can’t do it alone.

We need you as members to engage with us and share your ideas and opportunities so we can move forward together. That’s why the AGM was so refreshing but there’s no need to wait for a formal meeting to give us your ideas and views.

Please follow us on X and Facebook and feel free to contact us any time at contact@dee4life.com.

As we look forward to some key league matches and the prospect of a Scottish Cup quarter-final against Hearts at Tynecastle let’s get behind Tony Docherty and the team and hope that we can add some consistency to the undoubted potential of such a young team and make the most of the business end of the season.

Best wishes,
Keith Winter
Dee4Life Chair

Chairman's Updates, Member stories

Dee4Life members’ update – December

Dear Members,

Three consecutive home wins, nine points secured and eleven goals scored – it’s a good time to be a season ticketholder! While recent results at home have been very positive unfortunately the away results have not been so good. The quality of the attacking football and the pace and dynamism of players such as Seb Palmer-Houlden, Scott Tiffoney and Oluwaseun Adewumi combined with the skillful probing of Lyall Cameron and the incredible work rate of Simon Murray is making for some great entertainment. The defence is clearly still a work in progress, however, and injuries to the likes of Ziyad Larkeche and Clark Robertson are certainly not helping but the arrival of Sean Kelly on a short term deal should help and there is plenty of reason for optimism. We welcome Tony Docherty’s comments around strengthening the squad in the transfer window and if the defence can be tightened up it could be a very positive end to the season.

Results are not the only thing to be encouraged about at home. The much maligned pitch last season has been replaced with a much healthier looking playing surface that stood up well to Storm Bert and the inclement weather we have seen in recent weeks. The Club and the groundstaff deserve credit for addressing this issue and enabling the focus to remain on winning points and climbing the league table.
With all that in mind it has to be hoped that more fans are tempted to come along to matches and we would certainly encourage all members to be reminding their family, friends and colleagues that half season tickets are now available from the Club.

While the pitch held up well and the Hibs match thankfully went ahead unfortunately it was necessary to postpone the AGM which had been scheduled to take place earlier that day. We did not believe it was reasonable or advisable to ask members to travel, in some cases from other parts of Scotland and the central belt, in those conditions.

The AGM has been rescheduled for 11.30am on 1 February 2025 at the Dundee Social Club.

We look forward to seeing as many members there as possible. Hopefully the prospect of a free prize draw and a nice cup of tea or coffee will entice a good number of you along to Thistle Street!

Among the topics for discussion at the AGM will be our search for new talent to join the Board. We are keen to hear from Dundee fans who would like to get involved and have interests or backgrounds in areas such as membership, social media and events/campaigns/fundraising. If you know of anyone who might be interested please do ask them to get in contact with us or to attend the AGM.

Another piece of news from the Board is that sadly Ross Day has stepped down. Ross has been a mainstay of the Board for two years and has made a substantial contribution. His knowledge and experience will be missed and we would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all his efforts on behalf of Dee4Life.

Back to Club matters and it was encouraging to see the proposed training complex at Riverside receive planning approval from Dundee City Council. The benefits to the Club are clear in terms of establishing a dedicated high quality training facility with grass and all weather pitches and in taking this component out of the plans for the new stadium at Camperdown. It also pleasing to see the community benefits being offered at the Riverside complex and the Club is to be commended for linking up with Riverside West End FC to allow their various teams to use the facilities.

It is also going to be interesting to learn more about the Club’s new partnership with Mexican side CF Monterrey, known as the Rayados, and see what the outputs might be from a player development perspective in particular. We will be curious to see if Antonio Portales will be joined by some more of his countrymen from the Rayados Youth Academy in the coming months.

I will wrap up by wishing all of you the very best for the festive season. I hope you and your families have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and are in fine fettle for the first of our two encounters with the lot from down the road next month on 2 January. Between that and our Scottish Cup tie there is plenty to look forward to.

Best wishes,
Keith Winter
Dee4Life Chair