Dundee United manager Peter Houston has made a heartfelt plea to fans to put the welfare of their club before concerns they have over the Rangers newco crisis.
There is genuine anger among supporters across Scotland over the possibility of the top-flight chairmen allowing the transfer of SPL share from the old to the new Ibrox club when the vote takes place at Hampden on July 4.
That has resulted in people holding back from buying season tickets, with United having shifted only around 1700 so far less than half of the figure sold at the same stage last year.
Houston stressed he has ”huge sympathy” for any United fan who is worried and even dismayed by what has been unfolding over recent weeks and months.
Nevertheless, he has called on the Tannadice faithful to pause to consider how holding back on buying season books is damaging his own plans for the new campaign.
He revealed that he has already had to pass up the chance of signing a player he wanted because of the financial uncertainty caused by the reduction in sales.
”Let’s make one thing clear from the outset, I completely understand that United fans want to see sporting integrity upheld as regards the Rangers situation,” said Houston. ”There has been mismanagement in the past at Rangers and they have not been run properly. I agree that there needs to be punishment.
”Supporters are annoyed in case Rangers are seen to get off scot-free and I have huge sympathy with that point of view. None of us has experienced anything like this before and it’s certainly something I never thought I would see.
“However, I feel there needs to be a fine balance struck here. I am selfish when it comes to Dundee United and it is my job to do what is best for this club. That is why I am asking the fans to put their team above any concerns they have over the Rangers situation.
”People are holding back on buying their season tickets and I understand we are not alone in this, with clubs across the SPL affected too.”
Continued…
“My message is that this is not doing me as manager of the club any favours. Limiting cash-flow at this time has already impacted on me and my ability to do my job.
”The prime example of that is that I was looking to sign a player last week that would have been our fifth signing of the summer (after Michael Gardyne, Brian McLean, Mark Millar and Radoslaw Cierzniak).
”However, things have had to be put on hold because our season ticket sales are way down on what they could normally be expected to be. So that has taken away from me the chance to bring in someone who I think would have improved the squad.”
He added: “Once again, I stress that I understand why people feel the need to protest but would ask fans to put the club first in order to get the best possible team on the park for next season.”
Fans’ representatives will get the chance to pass on their views regarding the newco crisis to chairman Stephen Thompson at a face-to-face meeting today.
Houston continued: ”We have had to make cuts to the budget in previous season and I have accepted that. We have come through that and been able to play some exciting football in my opinion and we have qualified for Europe for the third season in a row.
”We have brought in new faces and the likes of John Rankin, Gavin Gunning and Gary Mackay-Steven, to name but three, have all been excellent additions to the team. We have to rebuild things again this summer and that task will be made a lot easier if the season ticket sales go up.”
Meanwhile, United have had to make a late change to their pre-season plans because of the intervention of the Austrian FA.
They had hoped to be at the Obertraun training complex that country’s version of Largs from July 1 to 6.
However, the AFA have booked up those dates, forcing the Tangerines to look elsewhere. They will still be staying in Austria but will now be based at Bad Zell, approximately 25 miles east of the city of Linz.
A match against Rapid Vienna has been confirmed for the evening of July 4 at Bad Wimsbach, a venue to the south-west of Linz.