Aberdeen have announced they are set to increase Pittodrie’s available seat capacity by over 1,000.
And in a warning shot over away tickets, they will look to sit down with Premiership rivals to discuss “fair and equitable” allocations for their fans.
The Dons assert the outcomes of these talks “will play one part in the away allocations we set at Pitodrie going forward.”
Approximately 200 more season tickets have been made available in the Red Shed, where Aberdeen’s Ultra supporters are housed, increasing the stand’s capacity to 2,095. This has been done in a bid to further improve the stadium atmosphere.
Subject to final approval from the local authority, plans for further structural changes to the South Stand will allow an adjustable number of away fans from anywhere between 1,770 down to 300, depending on the opponent. The work is scheduled to be finished by mid-September.
A record number of 12,000 Dons season tickets have already been sold for the campaign ahead after they finished third last season, a performance that guarantees them European group football in the months ahead.
Delighted chief executive Alan Burrows said: “There has been a huge amount of excellent work undertaken by AFC staff over the last few years on engaging with supporters and making matchdays at Pittodrie more noisy and more colourful and improving the atmosphere. We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to try and build on that, whilst maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone.
“Our plans for the South Stand are very much an extension of that desire. We want even more Aberdeen fans coming to Pittodrie in the best seats, cheering the team on. The fence has not only proved a visible hindrance for fans in that area, but it has also not allowed us any flexibility to try and maximise attendances.
“This work will also have the added benefit of increasing the catering provisions in the South Stand by 25 per cent, which we hope will further reduce queues and waiting times in that area for specific games.”
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