I've made it clear that The Derry is only open because it's all ticket.
I saw no problem at the time with all ticket at the turnstiles in Coxy; it makes sense for cash security and quick entry reasons (for those that can be bothered getting the ticket in advance). I've changed my mind now and believe there probably should be one cash gate in The Coxy. Your drive to remove the all ticket status from The Derry would see it closed down completely - is that what you want?
That’s not true, only on current set of circumstances. The problem is nobody is fighting or questioning these decisions. The club isn’t battling back against it, in fact I feel the club hides behind external bodies in an attempt to keep everyone quiet.
The excuses about derry.....turnstiles are old and there are no parts. True - solution is today there are cheaper and better turnstiles than replacing relics. The stairs - yes they need some work but the stadium is sponsored by a ****ing construction company! Jesus it can’t be hard to find a low cost solution if there is a will surely?
The non seated area - some standing barriers and it could be a standing area. This isn’t a 20,000 capacity stand with crush issues. For people who’d like to stand there the weather doesn’t matter, it was always popular and Dundee’s weather isn’t worse now than when we all grew up.
The stadium manager doesn’t relate to young lads getting behind their team, he doesn’t call it the Derry and he certainly won’t do anything to make the above possible. The soul of our club is dying, the atmosphere is ****. One of the reasons is we don’t deep down actually like sanitised football. We are a rough city with guys who like a beer, a shout at the football and a laugh with our mates. There are nearly 10,000 other seats at Dens if the Derry isn’t for you, why can’t it be possible to make a space for traditional football fans?
Only club I know who seems hell bent on being unsupported!!
I've seen the paperwork and I've seen the videos that the police showed the licensing authorities when they were demanding that it was to be shut down - scary videos by the way - and I can assure you it's true. Significant crush and trampling issues were highlighted and the potential for serious injury or even worse was there. The man you're whinging about, along with John Nelms, bent over backwards to find, propose and implement a solution that the police and licensing committee would accept. It cost a lot of money to do the work required at that time and to be honest I'd rather that money had been spent re-opening the Derry stairs but what would have been the point if the place was being closed down?
The Stadium Manager relates to safety, he doesn't have to relate to young lads he just has to keep them safe whilst in the stadium.
I agree the soul of the club is dying, but that's down to the ****e being served up on the park as much as any area being singled out and sanitised.
A lot of work would need to be done to re-open the uncovered area. What would happen if it absolutely pi55ed it down in a game? If I remember correctly the people who liked to stand there back in the day (I loved it in the summer) used to go under cover when it rained. That wouldn't be possible now with match and season tickets having allocated seats.
'We are a rough city with guys who like a beer. a shout at the football and a laugh with our mates'. Disagree mostly with that, we're a city trying to pull itself into this century and whilst I agree you're absolutely right that there are some that fit neatly into your stereotype there are many, many more that don't. The club needs to cater for all types of people and for me it would be wrong to have a 'guys who like a beer. a shout at the football and a laugh with our mates' only area. Would you also have an area set aside specifically for tee totallers who like a shout at the football and a laugh with their mates? Where does it end?
The club does cater for all kinds of people, as I said there are 10,000 seats for the sanitized version of football.
I can’t recall seeing anywhere that the police and licensing authorities want to close the Caird Hall, yet crushing and craziness happens at lots of concerts there. It’s an anti football mentality that prevails in the council, with the police and we don’t defend it.
I would quite like a teetotal area, I don’t drink at football myself I go with my daughter. I was trying to point out where other people might like to go, rather than what I’d personally like. I’ve had dozens of conversations with the stadium manager so feel positioned to judge how he sees the youngsters in the Derry. They only bent over backwards to keep it open for the revenue, not because they had any clue why people like being over there.
The Dundee you describe is for the middle classes, many Dundonians won’t set foot in the V&A for example, with almost no improvement to their own living standards and it’s nice and cosy to package the city centre improvements but our football is being killed because working class people can’t afford to go, nobody sticks up for them or helps them come to dens. Our club is more interested in high ticket prices for old firm games, than finding a sustainable way to bring people to see their team. The Derry and lack of care for it, the people in it it’s **** run down state are a manifestation of the approach.
And if you really want to back the stadium manager perhaps you could ask why he’s said in the past it would be better off closed as it’s a pain in the arse.