Breaking News - New Stadium and Training Facilities

[Red Zone]

I know that there are a lot of very mixed views on the new stadium and whether it will or even should be built. Now that we are only five months or so away from the training facilities being completed and therefore within touching distance of when the stadium could be start to be built here's my tuppence-worth on what I think are the only two realistic scenarios for us going forward (assuming the Westhill mob lose their court case).

The last numbers I saw suggested something like £40M to build the stadium and around £15M for selling the Pittodrie site. However as with any other major infrastructure project in this part of the country I would fully expect a 10-20% overspend, say 15% so we are looking at a funding gap of around £30M. As I have said before banks no longer lend to Scottish football clubs but let's go with the club figures of being able to borrow £5M from somewhere. I'm not as convinced as many on here that we will ever sell McKenna for much more than £5-6M so even if this happens and we spend nothing much on the team that still leaves a gap of £20M.

So to my two scenarios

Scenario 1 - The £20M gap is plugged largely by Cormack/Crotty and maybe one or two other major new shareholders or even some of the smaller existing shareholders like Mr Donald). The stadium is then built and we move to Westhill. This makes Cormack the largest single shareholder, maybe even majority shareholder. Milne quits the Board after Stadium is built and Cormack takes over as Chairman. As to the future, we will have a new stadium that some existing fans won't go to, most will carry on going regardless (fans are resilient and will put up with a lot in my view) and some new fans will be attracted to. Net effect? Who knows and as always will depend on the success of the team and quality of football played. We will have a new Chairman who at face value will be an improvement on Milne (more aggressive attitude to bringing success to the club plus more fan focussed from his US experience) but again as always proof of the pudding etc.

Scenario 2 - Cormack et al don't want to or aren't able to fund the £20M gap, no other funding is forthcoming (after lots of false dawns and broken promises) so the stadium is never built. Cormack slowly disappears from the scene (I have already heard him say first hand that he absolutely won't be interested in funding a redevelopment of Pittodrie), Milne stays as Chairman (nobody is interested in buying him out), continues with an ever bigger sticking plaster on Pittodrie as he won't fund the redevelopment of Pittodrie. As to the future? We continue bumbling along as currently with a subservient attitude to the bigot brothers and play for third place (sevco eventually get their act together unfortunately) and the occasional good cup run and even more occasional cup win.

I honestly don't see any other possible scenarios as I don't believe in fairy godmothers so as I see it, it is a choice between new stadium/new Chairman/hopefully new approach and attitude or same stadium/same Chairman/same approach and attitude but happy to be told otherwise - as I am sure many will do!!!

[afc1903mad]

I know that there are a lot of very mixed views on the new stadium and whether it will or even should be built. Now that we are only five months or so away from the training facilities being completed and therefore within touching distance of when the stadium could be start to be built here's my tuppence-worth on what I think are the only two realistic scenarios for us going forward (assuming the Westhill mob lose their court case).

The last numbers I saw suggested something like £40M to build the stadium and around £15M for selling the Pittodrie site. However as with any other major infrastructure project in this part of the country I would fully expect a 10-20% overspend, say 15% so we are looking at a funding gap of around £30M. As I have said before banks no longer lend to Scottish football clubs but let's go with the club figures of being able to borrow £5M from somewhere. I'm not as convinced as many on here that we will ever sell McKenna for much more than £5-6M so even if this happens and we spend nothing much on the team that still leaves a gap of £20M.

So to my two scenarios

Scenario 1 - The £20M gap is plugged largely by Cormack/Crotty and maybe one or two other major new shareholders or even some of the smaller existing shareholders like Mr Donald). The stadium is then built and we move to Westhill. This makes Cormack the largest single shareholder, maybe even majority shareholder. Milne quits the Board after Stadium is built and Cormack takes over as Chairman. As to the future, we will have a new stadium that some existing fans won't go to, most will carry on going regardless (fans are resilient and will put up with a lot in my view) and some new fans will be attracted to. Net effect? Who knows and as always will depend on the success of the team and quality of football played. We will have a new Chairman who at face value will be an improvement on Milne (more aggressive attitude to bringing success to the club plus more fan focussed from his US experience) but again as always proof of the pudding etc.

Scenario 2 - Cormack et al don't want to or aren't able to fund the £20M gap, no other funding is forthcoming (after lots of false dawns and broken promises) so the stadium is never built. Cormack slowly disappears from the scene (I have already heard him say first hand that he absolutely won't be interested in funding a redevelopment of Pittodrie), Milne stays as Chairman (nobody is interested in buying him out), continues with an ever bigger sticking plaster on Pittodrie as he won't fund the redevelopment of Pittodrie. As to the future? We continue bumbling along as currently with a subservient attitude to the bigot brothers and play for third place (sevco eventually get their act together unfortunately) and the occasional good cup run and even more occasional cup win.

I honestly don't see any other possible scenarios as I don't believe in fairy godmothers so as I see it, it is a choice between new stadium/new Chairman/hopefully new approach and attitude or same stadium/same Chairman/same approach and attitude but happy to be told otherwise - as I am sure many will do!!!

I think you've pretty much nailed it there.
Of the two scenarios, I think scenario 1 is the most likely option.
I honestly can see Milne "walking away" (I know some in here will love that) having left his legacy.
Its also potentially a scenario where there is no debt with the shortfall covered by investment into the assets i.e. Milne / Cormack / Crotty / Whoever have their proportional share of the final assets value.

[afc1903mad]

We all know what you meant

Nah, you've got the wrong tinted specs on.
If your going to handcuff yourself to a shuttle bus to make a statement, you would want it to make the most impact.
Not while the majority of us are taking in the game and you're getting carted off down to the local nick.

[Aldo1983]

Nah, you've got the wrong tinted specs on.
If your going to handcuff yourself to a shuttle bus to make a statement, you would want it to make the most impact.
Not while the majority of us are taking in the game and you're getting carted off down to the local nick.

Your sense of humour is looking for you. Wondering if it's a good time to come back?

[Aldo1983]

I think you've pretty much nailed it there.
Of the two scenarios, I think scenario 1 is the most likely option.
I honestly can see Milne "walking away" (I know some in here will love that) having left his legacy.
Its also potentially a scenario where there is no debt with the shortfall covered by investment into the assets i.e. Milne / Cormack / Crotty / Whoever have their proportional share of the final assets value.

Ah you and your sense of humour have been reunited.

[redscot]

I think you've pretty much nailed it there.
Of the two scenarios, I think scenario 1 is the most likely option.
I honestly can see Milne "walking away" (I know some in here will love that) having left his legacy.
Its also potentially a scenario where there is no debt with the shortfall covered by investment into the assets i.e. Milne / Cormack / Crotty / Whoever have their proportional share of the final assets value.

Go on, what is Milnes legacy?

[afc1903mad]

Go on, what is Milnes legacy?

It's not built yet.
I think he will leave having completed the Kingsford stadium and training pitches.

[Jupiter]

Go on, what is Milnes legacy?

A strong Sevco

[Aldo1983]

A strong Sevco

[Mason89]

Another club finds the room. You would think being hemmed in by a f*cking river would encourage them to build outside the city but fair play to them.

http://nottinghamforest.co.uk/thenewcityground