ABERDEEN vice-chairman George Yule insists plans to leave Pittodrie have been put on ice as the focus is rebuilding the Dons on the pitch.
The club had originally hoped to be in their new out-of-town stadium for the start of this season. But the project got bogged down in development hell before being killed stone dead after the city council refused planning permission for the new training ground and access road to the new stadium.
Aberdeen have been forced to look elsewhere but Yule admits there are no alternatives on the horizon. He knows the Dons will need to move eventually but is not betting on it happening any time soon.
Yule said: “I am sure Pittodrie could last for another 100 years but that is not the plan. The stadium is currently safe and for purpose.“But it is wholly inefficient in other areas, especially for corporate hospitality.
“The facilities are from the last century and for this club to be sustainable in the long term this will not be our natural home. “The history and heritage will always be here but we need to get real and move into the 21st century.” Although frustrated by the lack of progress in finding a new site, Yule is refusing to panic as he knows the club needs to get a big decision spot on. He said: “One of the upsides of being in Aberdeen is the economy is still buoyant – but the downside to that is every spare patch of grass costs a king’s ransom. “We’ve found since the Calder Park option was taken off the table there are not that many spare areas available. “We are still in dialogue with the council but there is nothing rushing forward. It’s not our main priority at the moment.”
Matters on the pitch remain the club’s primary concern and Yule hopes new manager Derek McInnes can take the team forward.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aberdeen-no-rush-leave-pittodrie-2234755