Aberdeen move will not be smooth, claims Chairman Stewart Milne
Aberdeen have posted a record turnover and another profit but warned of significant challenges'' in raising funds to complete their move from Pittodrie to a new stadium.
The club's annual accounts show turnover for last season was up by £337,000 to £13.4million with an operating profit of £448,000, slightly down on the previous year.
The club's wage bill increased by about £150,000 to £6.8million as a direct result of our continuing investment in the overall quality of the playing squad'', according to chief executive Duncan Fraser. But their wages to turnover ratio of 51 per cent compares favourably to many clubs.
The report confirmed that planning application for a new stadium at Kingsford, seven miles west of the city centre, would be submitted before the end of the year.
Chairman Stewart Milne said: We have now completed the opening round of public consultations, and whilst there are specific issues to be addressed in relation to traffic management, there is also widespread support across various supporters' groups for the Kingsford site.
Subject to planning consent being obtained, the proposed site layout will feature much-needed training, community and youth academy facilities.
The final stadium design will incorporate many of the features being proposed in feedback received from supporters, and as part of the detailed consultation process that was undertaken in July this year.''
Milne added that the club and project team were visiting stadia in the United Kingdom and northern Europe to collect ideas for the facilities.
But he added: There are significant challenges ahead, not least in the raising of the funds that will be required to deliver the project which would provide the club, the community trust and our youth academy with appropriate facilities and infrastructure to increase their portfolio of activities in the local area.
The fact that we have continued to make progress, both on and off the field of play, without a permanent training base and with accommodation that is simply not fit for purpose in the 21st century, is quite remarkable and demonstrates what great potential there is for this club if we were operating on a level playing field with the competition.
If we can maintain the momentum on the playing front and build our average home attendances that will greatly assist in raising the finances that can deliver the much-needed facilities that can take our club to new levels on so many fronts.''
The team delivered progress on Friday night when Jayden Stockley's classy finish earned a 2-1 victory over Partick at Firhill and got their Ladbrokes Premiership campaign back on track following two consecutive defeats.
Manager Derek McInnes was delighted with Stockley's display after his reintroduction to the starting line-up and Dons fans could see more of the former Bournemouth striker in tandem with Adam Rooney.
We changed for a few reasons, we made three changes, both tactically to play against Thistle's shape but also to make sure we had enough size,'' McInnes said.
We look at players' form and see them in training, I've got the luxury of being able to do that, and Jayden has been training well. So he's done himself no harm.
But it is a squad game, we look at the Inverness game next. All we can ask players, when they get the opportunity, is to come in and play their part.
Rooney never scored but I thought his leading the line was as good as it has been all season.''