It’s been 11 weeks now since the stadium has been locked down due the Coronavirus pandemic.
We wanted to provide an update for supporters today regarding a number of things.
Over the last few months, the small number of staff not on furlough have been working tirelessly to guide the club through a host of unprecedented circumstances in these uncertain times.
We await clarity over when we are likely to return for the 2020/21 season. This makes it very difficult to effectively run all aspects of the business and we are currently taking a pragmatic and practical approach to how we continue to move forward.
One thing we have been able to do is display the kits for next season. The pre-order uptake has been fantastic. Discussions are progressing well around the new main shirt sponsor and we hope to have more news on this very soon. The manufactured shirts should arrive in the UK very soon and it will then be a task to have any secured sponsors printed on to the kit ready for sale and distribution to those who have advance purchased.
Season Ticket sales have been steady throughout this difficult period which is a credit to our support. We have taken the decision to extend sales, current pricing and reserve seats indefinitely. Further information will be released on the website once we have confirmation of dates for the new season.
We have previously stated our intention to, where practical, reimburse those season ticket holders for the remainder of the 2019/20 season that was not played. That has not changed. However, there are protracted discussions and court proceedings surrounding insurance claims ongoing throughout the country. When proceedings are complete we will be able to seek clarity regarding our own claim and will be in the position to appraise the situation regarding refunds. We would like to thank supporters for their patience surrounding this ongoing process and we will further update as soon as we possibly can.
At the stadium, there has been some work ongoing. The pitch has had some works carried out to correct the drainage issues we experienced in February and March and will be ready in its usual immaculate state whenever the season begins.
On the academy side of the club, we have taken steps to keep the young players and parents as close to the club as possible. Matches and training sessions can’t take place at the moment but Gordon Strachan has been hosting weekly meets ups with the different age groups via zoom. Manager James McPake has also hosted Q and As with the families while special guests such as Charlie Adam have passed on invaluable knowledge for the young players just starting out their careers.
Finally and most importantly, we would like to again thank all supporters for your continued backing. Just this week we saw Dee Promotions Deefest bring everyone back together for a day of entertainment and also raising a brilliant amount of £3500 for Youth Development. Also we would like to thank the group of supporters led by Happy MonDees member Scott Roberts who have been in touch with the club regarding sponsorship possibilities which would allow them to raise money for the club and also acknowledge the great work done by the NHS during the pandemic. The club have agreed to provide the sponsorship spacing on the sleeve badge for the 2020/21 season. We have also committed to give a percentage of the monies raised to the NHS here in Tayside. The fundraising has already begun and has raised over £3000 to date. If you would like to make a donation towards the fund follow the https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-dee link and thank you for your support.
We are desperate to get back to action and look forward to the day when all of you are back in your seats at Dens. Saturdays haven’t been the same but as the hard work continues we are beginning to see things slowly falling into place for a return.
Thank you to the NHS and all of the front line workers who continue to do great work every day. Stay safe everyone and we will see you all soon.