Can I ask what is happening with the JDBs right now, there seems to be missing packages, Birthday cards, and we are talking about not having so many dark blue shirts on the streets,
and I think it's just because the kids don't get the feedback they deserve from when they sign
up.
Again Scott Glenday answered. 'I think both the business Trust and the Supporters society were well intended at the start of the season, we not only funded the under 12's season
tickets, but we also put in £2,500 each in order to make it free for kids to become Junior Dark
blues this year. We were given a straight choice, whether we wanted the JDB's to be a club
operation or whether the Society wanted to take it on. We were keen to say we would do
something to help the efforts of the football club, and Colin Reid came forward to do that, to
make sure it was run properly etc. What happened since then, and I think what has been good
about it this year, we have a membership of about 600, I think the kids have received free
packs. I think that not a lot else has happened, and I think Scot touched on it earlier; the staff
here are massively stretched through the day. They all do a commendable amount of work,
and there is only so much they can do, and I think it is something that Dundee FC can do
much, much better, but it is early days for the new CEO, and I think it is an area where we
will improve.'
The CEO followed that, 'I would like to add to that. In meeting with the Dundee CCS stars last week, I said to them, how big is your junior section and they said 150. I thought that was
really impressive, and hence I offered 150 pairs of tickets. They said well we will do exactly
the same, how many are in your junior section, and it is 800 Junior Dark Blues. I was
amazed at the breakdown of it, age groups from 0-3, 3-8, 8-12, but it is as Scott has said, it is
possibly one of those things that has slipped through the cracks, but I will give my personal
assurance that it won't slip through the cracks going forward, because it is extremely,
extremely important. You will see that we will be looking at the youth side of it much more in
the future, so it is a good point, and I am glad you brought it up, and we will address it.'
Is there a concern about season ticket sales for next season if we don't get promoted, and
possibly lose some of our better players?
Again, the CEO answered. 'I think that is a brilliant point, I think we would be economical with the truth if we said we were not concerned. What we had last year was the miracle that
was Deefiant season, and it would be almost, in a normal world, if you just sat back and let
things run, it would be almost impossible to repeat that spirit, because that was a once in a
lifetime, incredible, miraculous season, as everybody here will testify.
'With regards to this season, should we not go up, there is every chance that we will lose some of our players; there is every chance that some fans say, 'well I am not coming back'.
But it is our job, and everyone here is going to play their part, to say to their mates, 'you
need to come up, you need to come back and buy a season ticket', and it's our job to make the
season ticket packages attractive enough, it's our job to say to the fans, 'this is what we are
going to do, this is what we are doing, we are doing our bit, and we need you to come with
us'. Again we cannot crack the whip over everyone. I said over Twitter at the weekend, we
have asked for you to be there before, and you were there, we need you again.
'On Saturday we had the third biggest crowd in Scotland, by a stretch. The third biggest crowd against Ross County, who while they are a very strong team on the park, not a lot of
fans came with them. Our fans turned up in numbers. There was, I think 3000 odd at the
Aberdeen game, 3000 odd at the Hibs game, I can't remember the other SPL game, but we
were the third biggest crowd, by a stretch, and that's remarkable. We cannot keep expecting
that to happen, but there is no straightforward answer to that. We will have to work hard to
offer packages that are attractive.
'We will be working very hard to keep our best players, if not all our players as Barry said, however we are where we are, a year on from almost annihilation and oblivion, and this is
perhaps one of the prices we have to pay, we are kind of dreading the fact that someone
could come in for them, but it won't be for the lack of us trying to put something together.
That's why I am desperately spending every minute of every hour wracking our brains to say
how can we do this? And we are feeling good about it, there are certain things we will not be
able to control, we will need you, and everybody else to speak to people, and say come on,
look what's happening, look what's going on, but we can't kid ourselves on. Is it a worry? A
wee bit, but that's our job.'
Scott Glenday added, 'I think what we have to look at as a board in advance of putting season tickets on sale is to look at reducing costs, maximising revenue and income streams,
and looking at investment, because I think the better we do that, the bigger and better budget
we can give Barry, the more attractive the team is on the park. The more attractive the team
looks, the more season tickets we will sell. But I honestly have great belief in our supporters,
I think they are the most loyal supporters in the world, and I think our figures show that week
in and week out. I think when you pick up your Sunday paper, and as Scot said, you look at
the crowd, and you think about the away support that we have taken to away games. If you
look at that relative to anyone else, I think our supporters have been massively loyal, and I
think you all deserve a pat on the back.'
The session was then concluded, with each of the board members giving a brief statement, first up was Fraser. 'I hope we've answered everyone's questions, and we're happy to hear
from anyone at any time. I'd like to echo what Scott said earlier, in that I think we're as open
and accessible as a board we could be, but of course if anybody doesn't agree with that, we
would like to hear from them as well. But any ideas, any suggestions, we have heard quite a
few of them tonight, but they are more than welcome, and I can speak for everybody, we
have been looking at ideas at all ends of the spectrum, whether that is how do we save some
money, how do we bring in investment, how can we reach out more to the kids, or students,
whatever it is. This is your club, we are all in this together, and if you have got anything that
you think that you can contribute, time, ideas, whatever that might be we would love to hear
from you.'
Maurice went next. 'I think first and foremost I would like to acknowledge, on behalf of the board of directors, the work that Scot has done. He has outlined quite a few things tonight,
which is absolutely incredible considering he has only been in the position for just over a
month. He has brought a professionalism to the club has upped the level we are operating at,
absolutely, he has reinvigorated and re-motivated the staff, I think Dens is quite a happy
place to work these days, when we come in there are a lot of smiles now. I really just think
that the level now that we are operating at with our new chief executive he could prove to be
the best signing the club has made in a long, long time. I would just like again, on behalf of
the Board of Directors, to once again thank Scot.'
Scott Glenday, 'I would just like to say thank you to my fellow Dundee fans, I think it is remarkable what we have done in the last seven years, since we were relegated especially, the
crowds that turn up, we are the envy of every board room we visit. What I would like to say
is that I think that recent events have proved that the more we stick together, the better we do,
and you all have a bigger role to play in this than you know. The future success of this
football club, you are key to that, and we have got to stick together and give ourselves the
best possible chance in everything that we do, thanks.'
Steve Martin, 'just briefly, rather than post anything on the forums, which you are of course more than welcome to do, but if there are really any questions, I would prefer if you maybe
just picked up the phone, or emailed me or Scot. We will give you the honest answers to your
questions, about where we are and where we hope to be. Also Scot mentioned about a great
opportunity here to create a hub, a business hub at Dens Park. The Scottish business
community approached us, and Ian Baird has been a big help with this for us as well, but
what it basically means is that we are hoping to create a hub at Dens Park. There has only
ever been two before, one at Rangers, and one at Hearts, but those both fell by the wayside
for various reasons, but we will be running a training school here for the business
community, and any businesses out there, if we have not written to you so far, again infd you
could email me or Scot, and we will give you full details. The first one is on March 22 and
any business that applies will be guaranteed entry to this, and it will be a great innovative
thing for Dundee Football club to be part of this, and again, it will go forward and help build
us back into the community. I would also just like to thank everyone again for their support,
because we are all here for the same reason, Dundee Football Club, we are all supporters.'
Mark Gallacher, 'The same applies for me, I am going to agree with the rest of the guys, without the support of the fans, we could not do this. It's a big motivating factor for us, you
come into Dens and see the crowds we get, and you go to away matches, and see the support
that we take to away matches, it motivates us to put our time in as well, and we need that, we
need your support like the club needs your support, financially, and if you can't give it
financially, then tell your friends what a brilliant club we have, get them up to Dens Park, the
more people that come to Dens Park, the more money we have got, and the more we can put
towards player budgets, it is as simple as that. Please keep the faith, together, we can do it,
and this guy here, (Scot Gardiner) I guarantee this guy will do it, he is really really
impressive.'
Last word of the night went to the CEO, 'Well just to wrap up, thanks for the kind words guys. There is nothing that we have said tonight that can't go out there. We discussed this,
and this is how we want it to be. When everyone is around the club on a Saturday, or in the
pubs and clubs, you can ask us anything, and we will hopefully answer it as honestly as we
possibly can. As I say, we started at the beginning of the night by saying we had secured a six
figure investment, and believe me we have been really sweating, we have worked hard to do
this, but it is just the beginning, we really need everyone to back what we are going to do, and
what we are going to put to you.
'The turnout tonight, I should have known, we were talking about it today, and saying we might get 20, maybe 30, I should have known that it would be like this (around 100 attended)
because it seems to be the Dundee FC way, that we turn out in numbers. So, please keep that
going, and if anyone has any ideas, any thoughts, any criticisms, we will take it all, because
we are all in this for the same reason, to take this club back where it should be, and believe
me, we can see it happening. So thank you very much for your attendance and very good
order tonight, and I will see you all at Livingston on Saturday.'
Source: FOOTYMAD
