All things Dundee FC

[jamamafegan]

Very interesting stuff indeed. Sad to see Dens Park will be no more, looks like this new stadium thing is definitely going to happen now. Anyone who knows me will know of my great disgust for stadiums on the outskirts. I hope Dundee at least organise shuttle buses to the ground on match days so I can still drink in the city and not worry about having to somehow get my drunken ass to Camperdown. Even better, build a tramline from the city centre to Camperdown along the waterfront. Maybe you'll get government funding for it if you make up some pish like it will reduce traffic, be good for tourists, jewel in the waterfronts crown, etc etc.

Anyone know what stadiums the Dundee board had a look at in the states? I hope you don't make a cheapo stadium i.e McDiarmid park with corners filled in. Hopefully you lot build it right, get it close to the pitch, make the stands steep, maybe make some of it two tiered, safe standing, etc.

[K.T]

Does Gayfield meet premiership regulations?*
 

*assuming we aren’t relegated.

[Valentino Bolognese]

15 minutes ago, K.T said:

Does Gayfield meet premiership regulations?*
 

*assuming we aren’t relegated.

Not sure, but it seats less than 1000 which might be a bigger issue.

Edited for clarity.

Edited November 22, 2021 by Valentino Bolognese

[Derry Alli]

4 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

Not sure, but it holds less than 1000 which might be a bigger issue.

Just pay for your lot to share with, Arbroath then and we can take, McDiarmid. 

Problem solved.

[tree house tam]

23 minutes ago, Mr. Alli said:

Just pay for your lot to share with, Arbroath then and we can take half a stand at McDiarmid. 

Problem solved.

FTFY 

[RossBFaeDundee]

Tbf it'll be a good laugh when we share McDiarmid for a season and average a higher attendance there than St Johnstone

[johnnydun]

Eeeeew, Perth for a season? No thanks. 

Surely we could just use a bridging loan between building the new stadium and building flats on Dens Road?

[Derry Alli]

10 minutes ago, RossBFaeDundee said:

Tbf it'll be a good laugh when we share McDiarmid for a season and average a higher attendance there than St Johnstone

We have always done that - and we only usually visit twice a year. 

[johnnydun]

Or better yet, buy Tannadump, bulldoze it, they can find somewhere else, once the new stadium is built, they can have Dens.

[K.T]

All the chat of avoiding Tanny ground share is a ploy to get us to merge with St Johnstone and become the Tayside Bucks.

[Crawford]

2 minutes ago, K.T said:

All the chat of avoiding Tanny ground share is a ploy to get us to merge with St Johnstone and become the Tayside Bucks.

Tayside Tornadoes surely?

[RandomGuy.]

2 hours ago, Ludo*1 said:

For @RandomGuy.benefit, we will be taking over McDiarmid for a period.

Yeah m8, you can have the 1000 extra fans we'll take the 7 figure rent. Win win.

In all seriousness, its surely something fans need to question? Selling Dens before construction has even started at the new ground would be absolutely mental and would leave you open to being absolutely fucked. 

2/3 seasons of groundsharing outside of Dundee would be daft.

[stu2910]

If we are only talking a year that we would homeless then I’m sure most of our support would be content with Tannadice, as long as the new ground is in the process of being built.

If it’s any longer than that then I’m not sure I fancy the idea full stop. Far too many teams have suffered major losses to their attendances through years of being homeless.

We are good enough at doing that on the pitch without adding to it.

[mizfit]

The article has some explosive bombshells in it.
We plan on buying back the stadium to help fund the new one. Bennett can't sell the stadium unless it's for another footballing venture which was a safeguard for the club.
We will then be homeless for a period and plan on groundsharing. The preferred option is St Johnstone but should we be unable to strike a deal with them then Gayfield would also be considered.
Tannadice is completely off the table as the board feel that would spark concern amongst the fanbase.
However, Tim Keyes again would be happy to have United as tenants at our new stadium.
Keyes was over last month to basically rubber stamp all this but the deal didn't quite get over the line although everything is still moving in a positive direction.
For [mention=45470]RandomGuy.[/mention]benefit, we will be taking over McDiarmid for a period.

So, absolutely no chance of Dens being renovated in any way?

Feels strange that Dens will be gone and that unique stat about the grounds will be lost to Time.

[stu2910]

So, absolutely no chance of Dens being renovated in any way?

Feels strange that Dens will be gone and that unique stat about the grounds will be lost to Time.

We could probably achieve a similar capacity to what’s planned by building a full stand where the Derry is and rebuilding the main stand, but the Derry is basically on a cliff so it would be hugely expensive and the main stand is listed so will present its own challenges. I think the completed ground still wouldn’t be able to hold concerts or anything like that as there are noise restrictions in place outside of football (pretty sure I haven’t made that up…).

Plus, everything else being built around the new stadium goes a long way to funding it, so without that it’s not happening.

I won’t actually miss many things about Dens, but the quirk of the 2 grounds is definitely 1.

[The Master]

Quote

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee in talks to buy back Dens Park – and what it could mean for new stadium plans at Camperdown

 By George Cran

November 22 2021, 12.30pm

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Dens Park. Below (from left): Dundee owners John Nelms and Tim Keyes and businessman John Bennett.

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Dundee owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms are in talks to buy Dens Park back into club ownership.

It is understood discussions have been ongoing for some time with local businessman John Bennett, who owns the stadium.

And the purchase is directly linked to plans to build a brand new venue at Camperdown Park.

It is further understood that if a deal can be struck with Bennett, plans are to sell the land to partly fund ‘New Campy’, as fans have dubbed the proposed new stadium.

In doing so, the Dark Blues will be without a home while the new complex is built next to the Dundee Ice Arena.

Dundee owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms.

Bennett is open to sale

Initial hopes were the talks could be completed when club chairman Tim Keyes was in the UK last month.

However, discussions continue to rumble on without an agreement being reached.

Bennett has owned Dens Park since 2009 and is open to selling the ground back to the club.

The relationship between the two parties is a positive one and both hope a deal can be agreed.

The Dark Blues currently rent the stadium from Bennett in a lease that runs to 2036 but the businessman is happy to sell if the American owners meet an agreed asking price.

John Bennett (top left) during his time as a board member at Dundee United.

Homeless?

Should all this come to pass, Dundee will be looking to approach nearby clubs to arrange a ground share during building work.

Tannadice, the home of rivals Dundee United, is not an option being considered, however.

More likely is an approach to St Johnstone to use McDiarmid Park or Arbroath for Gayfield for home matches.

Dundee’s proposed stadium plans at Camperdown Park.

The 10,600 capacity of the Perth ground makes that the preferred option. Gayfield’s capacity is 6,600.

Previous bids

The club has attempted to buy Dens from Bennett previously.

In 2015, then-chairman Bill Colvin was in talks with the landowner – a board member at Dundee United at the time – with a price of £750,000 quoted by the BBC.

Bennett said then: “I told Dundee at the time I bought the ground that I would sell it back if it was going into the hands of Dundee fans and I’ll stand by that.”

 

[The Derry]

I'd rather play at Drummy than Tannadice or in fucking Perth.

[Dee Bliss]

10 minutes ago, stu2910 said:

We could probably achieve a similar capacity to what’s planned by building a full stand where the Derry is and rebuilding the main stand, but the Derry is basically on a cliff so it would be hugely expensive and the main stand is listed so will present its own challenges. I think the completed ground still wouldn’t be able to hold concerts or anything like that as there are noise restrictions in place outside of football (pretty sure I haven’t made that up…).

Plus, everything else being built around the new stadium goes a long way to funding it, so without that it’s not happening.

I won’t actually miss many things about Dens, but the quirk of the 2 grounds is definitely 1.

I’d be surprised if there was problems hosting concerts for the reason given as other grounds around the country have them and Camperdown has hosted festivals in the last few years. Concerts were certainly mentioned as being in the plans. 
 

Personally I’d prefer a ground more central but it is what it is tho. Dens was on the outskirts of Dundee when it was built. 

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

Sad as it is, we've got to move for the good of the club. Hopefully incorporate a lot of the original into the new build, a build that needs to be right, corners filled in, steep terracing etc. Hopefully can buy a Derry bench from Dens, will look superb in the garden.

[johnnydun]

Batshit club makes itself homeless before new stadium is built and as previous one gets demolished.

I know this club too well, what could possibly go wrong?