Key updates from Dons’ annual general meeting at Pittodrie as Dave Cormack gives EPIC beach stadium answer

Aberdeen Football Club’s 122nd AGM takes place at Pittodrie on Monday night, with shareholders getting their annual chance to ask questions of the Dons board. Follow for key news and views HERE.

The Richard Donald Stand’s Madri Lounge will be the setting for the latest Aberdeen annual general meeting, which is due to start at 7pm, with chairman Dave Cormack, chief executive Alan Burrows, new sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel and first-team boss Jimmy Thelin set to be in attendance.

Topics are likely to include Aberdeen’s form (which has recently improved) this season, transfer plans going into January, the club’s financial performance and – the biggest talking point of all at the moment –  the status of the Dons’ attempts to develop a new stadium.

While on the football front, with the upturn in performances, the AGM comes at a good time for Aberdeen, it also comes when attention on the club’s new stadium ambitions has ramped back up and after some acrimonious back-and-forth between the football club and city council.

Sports writer Ryan Cryle will keep you update with all of the important bits from Aberdeen’s AGM below:

And that’s it

8.25pm: Having transcribed my way through the Aberdeen chairman’s answer, we are all but done with the 122nd Aberdeen AGM at Pittodrie, so we will end the live blog here.

Good news, though – there will be more content to come, including an in-depth interview with Dons chief executive Alan Burrows, from my colleague Sean Wallace.

-Ryan

Dave Cormack’s EPIC answer on stadium saga

The Dave Cormack answer on the Aberdeen beachfront stadium saga is worth putting down in (near enough) its entirety.

Cormack had hit out at recent “really disappointing misleading information” regarding the club’s financial commitment to a new beachfront stadium from Aberdeen City Council figures at the start of the AGM.

However, he had revealed he and AFC chief executive Alan Burrows will meet council co-leaders Christian Allard and Ian Yuill on Friday, in an attempt to agree heads of terms to evaluate the project.

Asked by an audience member how likely he thought the beach stadium is at this stage, and when it might be built, Cormack, after initially laughing wryly at the second part of the question, launched into a nine-minute answer.

He gave his version of how the stadium saga has played out with the council, suggested voters might swing the situation in the Dons’ favour next year, and how long he feels Aberdeen must stick with the beach scheme before moving on to another plan.

I was approached when I took over from Stewart as chairman six years ago by the council to say they would really like for the club to consider staying in the city centre, and the city can’t afford to lose the club and what it brings to the city centre.

That journey started, and obviously there’s been a change in the administration as well, which can happen, and we continue to have a number of discussions.

We jointly did an economic report with the city council through the chamber of commerce.

It was a well-known economist close to the government that did the work.

After that was done, the council kind of pushed back on the validity – or bias, if you like – of the report.

So far forward two years to where we are maybe now, and we had bigger economists who are actually used by the SNP government, Westminster, some top companies around the UK as well, independently to do a report.

They basically said the economic upside of Aberdeen staying in the city centre in the next 50 years is £1.6 billion.

If we move to a new community stadium as an anchor tenant, therefore attracting other sports/businesses to the city centre, that would double to £3.2 billion.

That report and update was presented by Alan and myself to the four leaders of all the major parties about two months ago.

We agreed we’d try to put heads of terms together.

I asked everybody: ‘Let’s put our swords down. let’s think about Aberdeen’, because boy, with the challenges we’ve got in a high taxation for oil companies, importing £50 billion of oil, including from the North Sea, from Norway.

You know, I worry about my family that’s in Aberdeen and my nieces, nephews and their kids. And I’m sure you worry about your families – where the jobs are going to go.

I think it was a free vote in a council of 45 seats, it would get passed tomorrow.

So what we’ve got to continue to do, and they’ve asked us to meet on Friday again, is to see whether we can get them on board to really evaluating this.

There’s no point in us pushing a heavy trolley up a steep hill for another three or four more years.

But make no mistake that if the city lost the club in the city centre, it would be pretty catastrophic.

On the infrastructure investment, there are councils all over Britain getting this money – going and borrowing this money at low interest for capital investments.

This isn’t about building a primary school. This isn’t about putting the trash out or the rubbish out. This is about a significant project that will attract and retain jobs in Aberdeen.

Because these renewable energy jobs… If we are going to attract them to Aberdeen, these companies are saying, what is it for them to do in Aberdeen?

If you go down to the council, the chief executive there will tell you that if you want to go to a decent leisure centre, you have to drive to Dundee now, because of the demolition of one that’s there (at Aberdeen beach). That’s pretty kind of tough to attract companies here when there’s nothing for them to do.

And we’ve got a beautiful asset at the beachfront to build all sorts of sport, integrated sports, leisure, coffee shops.

Instead of closing down when the Inversnecky Cafe closes at five or six at night, it could be living, breathing til midnight – coffee shops etc. in a village environment. Things like a Top Golf would come to Aberdeen.

There are people, operators, that want to come to Aberdeen and get involved in this project. But they won’t talk to anyone because they don’t believe anyone’s got the vision to do it.

It’s not up to the club, right? It has to be the council and the vision and leadership of the council that says: ‘we want to do this or evaluate this fully and go to the Scottish government in Holyrood and go to Westminster to raise or get funds made available.’

What really probably got us, that it came out in the local paper, was that all we were prepared to do was give them a land of Pittodrie.

That’s never been the case. That’s not been the case for the six years of discussions we’ve had where they asked us to be a tenant in a multi-purpose facility.

“What we would be doing over the term of the least 50, 100 years is paying 10s of millions of pounds in rent and rates, providing income.

I don’t know what anybody thinks of that play park that’s out there for £55 million.

But I know it will bring zero income in, and it will be a maintenance cost each year to run it, which is fine.

Our project will generate £3.2billion over the next 50 years and employ another 600 or 700 people in this area.

So what we need to do, to answer the question properly, is continue to try to meet and get an honesty from them.

Do you really want to do this? If you don’t want to do it, that’s fine.

Of course, there’s elections coming up. In Scotland, the local elections.

These elections that come up could determine some changes as well.

And I’m really trying to be absolutely non-political with this – this is about Aberdeen. This is about the future generation way beyond us of Aberdeen and having a city to be proud of.

I never would have thought I would have sat here in Aberdeen and said Dundee’s got way more attractions than Aberdeen City in spite of 60 years of oil coming in here. And that’s pretty depressing.

So, at the end of the day, people vote.

And maybe instead of 22% of people turning up to vote in the local elections, there might be 80%. But that’s down to the populace – we’ll continue.

I believe, we believe in this project of a community stadium – 6,000 square feet of community social access. There’s tonnes that we can do.

But anyway, I’m a cup half-full kind of guy, and I’m going to continue to stay positive.

We probably need to give that about another 18 months to two years to see it through.

If that’s not going to happen, we need to look at an alternative.

We finish on VAR…

7.54pm: The final question of the Q&A, which Cormack says he thought he had avoided, is about whether he really thinks VAR checks could be limited to 60 seconds in Scottish football, which he told the BBC on Saturday.

Cormack says those weekend words were borne of his “utter frustration on VAR” and “almost nine minutes of VAR checks against the Dons side against St Mirren” – a game he watched in Atlanta.

He adds VAR was “brought in for clear decisions” – under IFAB rules – and “if it takes four-and-a-half minutes, it’s nae clear and obvious”.

Cormack says he “just threw 60 seconds out there,” and continues: “I said last year I’d bin it. I probably still would, but I don’t think they (the SFA) will get rid of it.”

He says he feels “some referees don’t make a decision, they leave it to  VAR.”

On the broader point of the problems with modern football, Cormack reveals Aberdeen have worked out, in 103 minutes of game-time against St Mirren due to the various delays, the ball was only in play for 51 minutes.

Interesting.

Cormack’s epic answer to stadium question

7.33pm: I’ll come back to this one in a minute – as it was a BIG-long-answer from Dave Cormack. And it was full of highlights.

What can Aberdeen fans expect in January transfer window?

7.33pm: A little January transfer window preview is the next answer from Jimmy Thelin.

He says: “We have a clear idea of what we want to do – as little as possible, but strengthen the squad.”

It will be “super-good impact” they target in January.

He adds: “We have a good squad, but we need to adjust some parts.”

Why aren’t youngsters signed in summer not playing for Dons?

7.29pm: Another predicted question – “Why are the young players Aberdeen have signed in the summer (Frame, Bilalovic, Kjartansson) not playing?”

Thelin, focusing on young players, rather than solely summer additions, replies: “Dylan (Lobban), Jack Milne and Marko (Lazetic) are playing a lot. They are making progress.”

Thelin says his method is to “keep working with the squad so when the players move the next one is ready.

“The idea is to bring them in as early as possible”, he adds, saying: “You are buying their potential”.

He insists they have a “strong belief in these players. Sometimes it’s going quicker, sometimes they need more time.”

He’s trying to “build the team in three layers”, he says – players who are there, players who are almost there and players who are for the future.

Findlay Marshall recall on the cards?

7.28pm: Next up is a question about whether youth academy graduate Findlay Marshall will be recalled from Championship Arbroath – where he won second-tier player of the month in October – in the winter window?

Sporting director Pfannenstiel says he’s “definitely a very talented player who trains in Cormack Park every day in front of our eyes.”

He adds Marshall, who he has watched in the flesh, has made a “good impact in the Championship and they’ll keep monitoring him and make a decision”.

But there’s no commitment to a January recall, and my sense was it’s unlikely.

Is Dante Polvara going to extend his Pittodrie stay?

7.28pm: As predicted, there’s a question about whether Dante Polvara will be signing a new Aberdeen contract.

All Jimmy says is Polvara is “quite happy right now” and “he’s talking with his people”.

Set-piece coach?

7.27pm: Next question – probably off the back of Aberdeen scoring once from a set-piece in the Premiership this term – is whether they will hire a set-play coach?

Jimmy Thelin calls it a “good question”, pointing out “one in three goals” in football are scored from a set-play, and scoring from them is something the team are “working on a lot”.

He adds they “educate our own coaches at it using connections with other clubs”, but they might bring in a specific coach for set-pieces in the future.

When will see a covered pitch at Cormack Park?

7.25pm: First question from the floor is regarding a covered pitch at Aberdeen’s Cormack Park training ground.

The questioner says: “Told last year it was coming to fruition. Any news?”

Cormack takes it and confirms Aberdeen raised the finances to do the covered pitch project three months ago when shareholders put £8 million into the club.

They are now asking: “Where can we get best bang for buck?” There’s a planning process because they want to extend the changing rooms at Cormack Park as well.

But winter next year is their aim for completion.

Burrows and new AFCCT boss speak

7.14pm: Chief executive Alan Burrows gives a statement talking, mainly about the club’s commercial growth over the last year.

New Aberdeen FC Community Trust chief executive – “lifelong Dandy” – Peter Davidson is then introduced to the room.

Chairman Cormack on new stadium and city council talks

7.13pm: Cormack goes on to hit out at recent “really disappointing misleading information” regarding the club’s financial commitment to a new beachfront stadium from Aberdeen City Council figures.

He says they failed to make clear the “3.2 billion economic upside” a new Dons beachfront stadium, alongside the proposed sport and leisure facilities, would bring to the region.

HOWEVER, he reveals the council co-leaders will now meet Cormack and AFC chief executive Alan Burrows on Friday to agree heads of terms to evaluate the project.

Progress?

Cormack: I was in awe of Aberdeen fans at Hampden

7.11pm: We move on to the informal part of the meeting…

Chairman Cormack hails Aberdeen shareholders and fans for supporting the club’s initiatives to improve supporter engagement, and helping deliver a 35% increase in home attendances over last three seasons.

The average age of fans at Dons games has gone from 48 to 35 years old, he says.

He continues by saying the atmosphere at Hampden for cup final was “amazing”, and he was in “awe” at “unbelievable” Aberdeen fans for their “unrelenting support” as the Reds beat Celtic to the famous old trophy.

On the celebratory parade the day after, he adds: “I didn’t think Saturday could be topped” but Sunday “demonstrated the power of football in our community.”

All seven resolutions for Aberdeen AGM pass without issue

7.04pm: Resolution 1, the receiving of Dons annual accounts, carries without a hitch.

Next up is the renewal of former chairman Stewart Milne’s membership of the board, which passes without any issues.

The re-elections of Zoe Ogilvie and former centre-half/assistant manager Willie Garner follow.

Resolution 5 sees former oil boss and Right to Dream Academy chief operating officer David Lawrie confirmed as a non-executive Aberdeen director.

And, just like that, we’re on to resolutions 6 and 7, which regard powers allowing the directors to allocate shares in the club up to £3million. Again, there is no opposition in the room.

Formalities complete! Seven resolutions in seven minutes.

House-keeping

7.02pm: We’re now going through the housekeeping of how the voting on the resolutions works.

Dave Cormack gets us going

7pm: Dave Cormack begins by thanking the attendees.

He then thanks Jimmy Thelin for delivering the Dons’ eighth Scottish Cup success – and jokes about “wanting it back this summer”.

Seven resolutions to get through during tonight’s AGM.

About to get under way

6.52pm: Anyway – after a quick drive across the city to Pittodrie, I’m now in position in the Richard Donald Stand’s Madri Lounge.

The Dons directors (can’t see anyone obvious missing) have taken their seats at the top table, and we will be under way soon…

The new Aberdeen stadium

6pm: Fortunately (for me), on bulletpoint 1, my P&J city team colleagues recently put together a couple of articles on the recent acrimony between Aberdeen FC and Aberdeen City Council over the Dons’ hopes for their new stadium to be part of the former’s beachfront regeneration scheme.

Here’s the key things you need to know:

• The club has been at stalemate with Aberdeen City Council for years, unable to overcome a disagreement about whether public money should be used to design and build a new stadium.
• The Dons had been planning to build a replacement stadium next to their Cormack Park training ground at Kingsford. But the former Labour/Tory council administration floated the idea of moving only metres from their existing home as part of their £150m beach masterplan efforts, of which the new stadium would be the centrepiece.
• However, the council make-up then changed, with the SNP/Lib Dem coalition now in the Townhouse repeatedly making it clear – including again a couple of weeks ago – they are against spending public cash on the new ground (which it has been estimated will cost £42m).
• In August, Dons chairman Dave Cormack, in the hopes of reenergising the beach stadium idea in the wake of the Reds’ Scottish Cup win, offered the city council their Pittodrie land in exchange for a 99-year lease on a new stadium at the beach. They also revealed an independent study, funded jointly by the club and the council, estimated the economic uplift from the new ground to the region would be £1.6 billion over 50 years.
• However, a couple of weeks ago, in words which went down like a lead balloon with Dons chiefs, SNP council finance convener Alex McLellan told the P&J, after councillors were made privy to a land survey of the site, Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack should sell Pittodrie on the private market, if the club are “confident in its value”.
• In response, furious Aberdeen FC supremo Cormack took a swipe at a multi-million-pound playpark being created at the beach (calling it a “drain on resources”), and lashed out at what they called “personal and misleading remarks”. In the aftermath, it is unclear how broken the relationship between the two parties now is (they already can’t agree who will fund detailed plans for the new ground), and whether they back and forth has killed the prospect of a new Aberdeen stadium at the beach for good. We’ll find out tonight!

Work to be done on squad front for Aberdeen, and questions likely

5.40pm: I’ll go in a bit deeper on bulletpoint 2 first of all, as it’s more my subject area.

At tonight’s AGM sporting director Pfannenstiel, boss Thelin and others are likely to be asked about what is going on with Aberdeen’s squad ahead of the January transfer window.

Pittodrie chiefs rightly feel a squad, running to almost 30 players at present, has become too big, and a winter cull is necessary.

Last week, I laid out some of the prime candidates likely to depart next month, including out-of-favour midfielder Leighton Clarkson, and summer signing flop Kusini Yengi. I’d expect questions about both of those players from shareholders this evening.

I’d also expect question to be asked regarding three young talents signed in the summer – Icelandic midfielder Kjartan Mar Kjartansson, Swedish left-winger Kenan Bilalovic and Scottish left-back Mitch Frame (formerly of Celtic).

The trio have barely been seen this season.

On Friday, Thelin told me, regarding Frame, but talking about youngsters more generally: “We invest in them and we really believe in them, but they also have to make the steps and make the journey.”

There will also certainly be shareholders who want to know the status of contract talks with American midfielder Dante Polvara and club captain (and another midfielder) Graeme Shinnie, beyond Thelin’s vague words on the Polvara negotiations recently.

Will Pfannenstiel bring more clarity in this, his first set-piece with shareholders/fans.

Polvara, 25, has been a crucial component in the Reds’ resurgence in form, but has been linked to Hibs when his contract expires next summer, and both players will be free to talk to interested clubs from January.

We might even get some questions about the end of the season. With French midfielder Adil Aouchiche going so well of late, are the Dons going to take up their club-record £1.5million permanent transfer option on the Sunderland loanee?

Aberdeen AGM scene-setter

5.30pm: I say “I’ll be posting a bit of a preview”, but my colleague, Paul Third, already wrote this excellent preview to Aberdeen’s 122nd annual general meeting, which went up on The Press and Journal website on Sunday evening.

To summarise Paul’s summary, the key talking points this evening are likely to be as follows –

• The long-time saga regarding the Dons’ bid to build a new stadium to replace Pittodrie. It has been an acrimonious couple of weeks with regards the Reds’ (and fans’) hopes of the new ground being built at the beach. Fighting talk from the city council was followed by fighting words in return from Aberdeen. Beach build chances are feeling/looking remote at best. So what’s the plan now?
• On the football front, what are new sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel’s plans for the January transfer window? It was a tricky start to the season for Jimmy Thelin’s team, and while the manager has things going in the right direction (the Dons are now in the Premiership top-six), squad reshaping is planned next month. Also expect questions about some of the summer signing business which hasn’t worked out/players who aren’t playing.

Hello

5.18pm: Good evening. Let’s get this Aberdeen AGM live blog up and running!

I’ll be posting a bit of a preview to tonight’s Pittodrie proceedings here over the next hour before heading off to the stadium.

Then, I’ll be bringing you everything of note from the AGM itself, from 7pm.

Stay tuned.

-Ryan

[Source: Press and Journal]