The Future's Rosy, The Future's Red

Click here or read below for my article on the recent Aberdeen AGM. It was published on The Away End.

The Future's Rosy, The Future's Red

On Monday night Aberdeen held their 107^th AGM to around 100 weather-beaten shareholders. Nothing out of the ordinary was revealed, but on show was proof that chairman Stewart Milne and the board still put their hands in their pockets more than some Aberdeen fans give them credit for.

First on the agenda was the possibility of new signings for new gaffer Craig Brown. David McNamee does appear to be expected as the first signing, but Milne warned fans that there would not be an abundance of new talent through the doors of Pittodrie in January. Milne then stated that he believes Brown and his assistant Archie Knox can keep the club in the SPL with most of the resources that he has at hand already.

“There's not bags of money available in Scottish football.

“Football is all about getting the best out of a squad available.

“That's what Craig and Archie will set out to do.”

It therefore appears that there will not be a huge turnover of players in the winter transfer window, but more of a gentle alteration.

Also for discussion was the move of the club from Pittodrie to Loriston Loch, which Milne revealed should be in place for the 2013/14 season.

“The aim would be to have all the funding in place by the first quarter of 2012 with a view to starting the project in the second part of 2012 to have the stadium ready to play in for season 2013-14.”

The inevitable question of how and why Mark McGhee was sacked at the beginning of the month was then answered by Milne.

“We came to the conclusion it was the right time to make a change.

“When you don't make a change, there is potentially an even greater cost of not making a change.”

After many Dons fans questioned whether the club could afford to sack McGhee, Milne quickly proved that he and the board were still willing to put hands in their pockets to benefit the club. Quite rightly so, since they were the ones who appointed McGhee in June 2009 for what can only be described as a disastrous reign.

“In neither case did the funds come out of the football budget, we have found that money from elsewhere.”

Some Aberdeen fans should probably be a bit more thankful to have a chairman who puts his hand in his pocket time and time again for what can from the outside, look like a impossible task. In McGhee, Milne may have appointed the wrong man, but on paper it looked like a fairly good appointment. Ultimately it failed, but it is always hard to predict who would do the best job at a football club.

Aberdeen fans should take comfort in the fact that Milne is trying to build a rosy future for the once proud club. The completion of a new stadium may still seem miles away, but once it goes through it should rejuvenate the club and can hopefully be followed up by a fruitful youth academy.

The Dons may be bottom of the SPL right now, but fans should have faith in the wily old foxes that are Brown and Knox. Firstly, to keep their club up this season, push them further up the table the following season and by then the new stadium and youth academy should be well on the way for what will be the start of a new era for Aberdeen Football Club.

Campbell's Car Crash Nightmare

Click here or read below for my interview with Martyn Campbell in relation to his brother's injury which he sustained in a car crash seven months ago.

It was published on The Away End. 

Campbell's Car Crash Nightmare

Two weeks from now, Raith Rovers will face Aberdeen at Pittodrie for the first time since they humilated The Dons with a 1-0 win in last year's Scottish Cup Fifth Round.

Mark Campbell

Mark Campbell, the stand in captain at the time for crocked midfielder Iain Davidson, was tragically hurt in a car crash just days before the replay fixture and could only cheer the famous Rovers victory from his hospital bed.

Seven months down the line it looks as if the big center half is likely to miss this CIS Cup Third Round fixture because he is still suffering from the injuries sustained in the accident.

Martyn Campbell

Martyn Campbell, a center half for Ayr United, explains his brother's fight for fitness to make the Aberdeen game.

"At the moment it doesn't look as if he'll be playing at the minute.

"He was just taking it week by week but then one of his knees was giving him a bit of pain so he went to see a specialist.”

The specialist's prognosis was to slow down the training that Mark was undertaking, which was a major set back as the 32-year-old felt he was just weeks away from first team football.

However, Martyn feels that his brother should just be thankful for his life after he was cut out of his car by emergency services after the accident.

“He's now just taking it easy and he's just light running and stuff.

“He'll be gutted (if he misses the Aberdeen game) as they're flying at the moment, but he was very lucky and at the end of the day it’s something you would take.”

Favourites

Despite their well known tendency to lose against lower league opposition, Aberdeen beat Second Division Alloa Athletic in the last round. A home tie against First Division Raith was their reward and there's no doubt that the SPL side are the favourites to progress in the competition.

Rovers beat local rivals East Fife in the first round, but they will take confidence from the fact that they have already taken one SPL scalp this season, after a 1-0 win over Hamilton Academical in the previous round.