ABERDEEN Football Club has announced plans for the build of a full-sized indoor arena at its Cormack Park training ground.
The news comes after chairman, Dave Cormack, and fellow director, Tom Crotty, secured £8 million in investment into the club.
The club said its vision is for the creation of a new covered 4G facility to be situated at the site of the undeveloped Neale Cooper Pitch 6, which would allow for all-year-round use by both its men and women’s teams, as well as academies, AFCCT programmes, and local teams.
Plans are also in place more additional improvements to Pittodrie Stadium over the next two years, with the club adding that it comes in line with its previously announced medium-term plan of remaining at its current home.
Alan Burrows, chief executive of Aberdeen FC, said, “This latest injection of funding, approved at our last Annual General Meeting, takes the total investment from Dave, Tom and their colleagues to over £25 million in the last few years. We’re incredibly grateful to our investors for the new funds, which will provide a significant portion of the capital required for these improvements at Cormack Park and our stadium, while also being able to continue to invest in the squad and the football operation.
“Our training facility at Cormack Park is fantastic, and the addition of a full-sized, indoor arena and additional operational space will take it to a whole new level, opening new possibilities for our men’s, women’s, academy and community programmes. In addition, we have recently been able to more than double the investment in our scouting and talent ID department across the continent. This is only possible with the support we get from our investors and our fans through AberDNA memberships.”
Chairman Dave Cormack added, “We continue to make good progress towards achieving long-term financial sustainability of the club with record season ticket sales, AberDNA memberships and markedly increased commercial and retail revenues. Combined with the additional funds generated, successful player trading is integral to this goal and remains a major factor in our recruitment. We have spent the last twelve months studying the market and refining our strategy in this area.
“This has complemented some of the squad planning work that we have undertaken, which in part has highlighted the need for adjustments in our own structures and the need for additional capital and operational investments if we are to continue to make progress and challenge ourselves to drive more success on and off the field. Together with our investors, I remain committed to driving Aberdeen FC forward and continuing to make our supporters and the region proud of its football club.”
