TO be an Aberdeen supporter right now must be confusing business.
As the days go past with Derek McInnes remaining in the North East, the belief grows that for whatever reason their manager is not going to, of all places, Rangers.
And then West Brom, a club where McInnes was a popular captain, sack Tony Pulis yesterday and the 46-year-old is installed as favourite to replace the Welshman.
A few months back, it was revealed that more than £6m had been raised towards the much-needed new stadium and training ground to be built on the outskirts of the city; that’s 60 per cent of the funding needed for the first phase of construction.
Only for the project, which has been estimated to cost £50m in total, to be placed on hold last month because Aberdeen City Council will now not vote on the proposals until January.
This was a serious blow. Nobody at the club pretended otherwise.
The hope was – and is – that Aberdeen would sell Pittodrie for housing and move into their state-of-the-art new home in time for the 2020/21 season.
But more discussions were needed, so the council said, and the club had to submit new information ahead of an extended consultation period.
This did not sound positive at all.
And then yesterday some good news.
An American by the name of Tom Crotty was revealed to have invested $1m (£775,000) into a football club he’d only recently heard of, by buying up a load of shares.
Now, such a sum of money is most certainly a hugely welcome boost and Crotty, introduced to Aberdeen by former goalkeeper Bobby Clark and director Dave Cormack, must be thanked for his generosity.
Even if the Bostonian called the beautiful game ‘soccer.’
However, it would not be over-the-top to suggest that the long-term future of this grand Scottish football institution is reliant on their own council giving the go-head to their ambitious and, it has to be said, essential project.
If the light turned on is red rather than green by councillors in January, the club will be stuck at Pittodrie, a fine ground but with its best days gone, which does not generate enough income through the corporate side.
And McInnes, or whoever, will spend too much of their time trying to arrange somewhere to train. That scenario for the current manager is unthinkable. His face turns as red as the home strip when the matter is brought up.
Anyway, a chunk of change has been deposited into their coffers and that’s got to be a good thing for Aberdeen.
“I’m really happy to be part of what is a very exciting time for the club both on and off the pitch,” said Crotty.
“My experience of soccer is that it has a profoundly positive impact across whole communities.
“This is why my investment is directed towards enhancing the community facilities on offer as part of the club’s modern and progressive development.
“The club has an opportunity to co-locate its community work alongside its professional football academy and stadium to create a purpose-built complex that will enhance the experience for players, act as a real
magnet for young football talent and a focal point for grass-roots community initiatives.”
Aberdeen said yesterday that this now brings the pledges even further over that £6m mark which means: “If planning is granted in the new year, construction could be underway almost immediately.”
Why Crotty, who first visited the city to play golf, has become so deeply involved remains unclear. The same could be said about just about any investor in Scottish football.
However, if his words are to be taken at face value, and they have to be, then his intentions seem to be good.
“I didn’t know much about AFC but Dave and Bobby made a very compelling case for the Club’s vision and plans,” added Crotty in his statement.
“I’m passionate about the positive impact that football can have on young people and the wider community.
“There’s a wonderful conglomeration of people at AFC and the Trust and, after having viewed the AURORA campaign video, I’m even more excited about being involved.
“I cannot imagine this type of facility, which will reach into all parts of society, being turned down.”
Ah, but that’s the key, is it not. Indeed, those I have spoken to fear the delay means only one thing. These plans will stay just as that. The stadium will never be built.
A million bucks is a nice wee pre-Christmas bonus but that new home must become a reality for Aberdeen to move forward.
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