Tannadice traditionalists are delighted that Dundee United are remaining in their spiritual home, while Dens diehards are cock-a-hoop that Dundee are looking to the future with a state of the art stadium at Camperdown.
However, I hope Dundee and United haven’t missed a trick by not giving much more serious thought to sharing a new ground,
Such is the intensity of rivalry among fans that Dundee managing director John Nelms’ openness to United sharing their proposed new ground was always a non-starter.
Any such proposal for United to move into what will clearly be seen as Dundee’s stadium at Camperdown was never likely to succeed.
I’ve long thought a shared stadium would make sense in a city of this size (a view also privately shared by many folk in the business community), but tradition and tribalism are powerful dividing forces, and each fan base jealously guards their own history.
If it was ever going to happen, it would have had to start as a joint project from the very beginning, rather than at this stage, when United fans would feel like lodgers at their rival’s gaff.
Tangerines owner Mark Ogren has assured Arabs he has no intention of sharing Dundee’s proposed new stadium.
Such is the rivalry between supporters that Elon Musk has more chance with his plans to populate Mars than the city rivals to share the home Dundee are currently planning.
Camperdown still has planning hurdles to overcome and, personally, I’d rather have seen any new stadium located in a much more central situation, if such a site could’ve been located.
But Dundee FC’s reasons for the move are sound, with the potential for a regular income-bearing stream from the overall development providing what is unattainable at a refurbished Dens Park.
Mark Ogren, meantime, wants United fans to help enhance their Tannadice experience and will explore further what that means with supporters’ groups.
However, while United’s home may not be as badly dilapidated as two sides of Dens are, Tannadice still needs some serious investment.
The Jerry Kerr and Fair Play Stands, and the Shed, are long past their sell-by date in a modern football environment.
Staying in the ancestral home will not be without substantial costs and United need to invest heavily in updating those areas, with safe standing in the Shed one sensible proposal they should contemplate.
I’m as much of a sucker for tradition as the next football fan, but I also accept that football must move with the times.
The Bosman ruling and huge Sky television money have already left smaller countries like Scotland cut adrift from the once prestigious positions we previously occupied.
The big Glasgow and Edinburgh clubs modernised their crumbling stadia and the income they now generate has increased dramatically.
A new joint city stadium, with both clubs involved right from the start, would have made sense and provided a degree of future-proofing, but when tradition and rivalry clash with common sense, there’s only one winner.
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