Dundee FC Q&A with Barry Smith and Scott Gardiner - Part 4

Last updated : 16 March 2012 By Shaded

'We can never go back with what's happened, we must learn our lessons from what's happened, and we must see that we can place the club absolutely at the forefront of youth in

Dundee, in education in Dundee, and actually change the perception of this club. I actually

feel there is a novel document through in some of the lounges, about Dundee being the

community club, Davie Moyes actually used a phrase at Everton, where he said Everton were

the peoples club, well if ever there was a peoples club, this is it here, and we can really take

that forward. It won't be entirely altruistic, because as we are placing the club at the forefront

in business, at the forefront of youth and education, we will get big businesses, and small

businesses to come with us, because they can see what we are doing.'

'By way of explaining some of that, for instance we are launching, or making an announcement very shortly, about a partnership we have with Dundee University. We have

signed, and there has been some concerns about the future of the club, and we are obviously

here to answer questions on this, but just so you know how we are planning things, we have

signed a deal with Dundee University, where we will be secure, using their facilities, and

striking up a new partnership with their Sports Science Department until the end of 2013. We

have signed that deal already, and that is going to show that Dundee University logo

alongside the Dundee FC badge, proudly, in many different areas, and that's going to help us

attract many different businesses to us, because it is going to be a very serious partnership,

and the University is going to be using it across Scotland and further afield to say that here is

a good reason to come to Dundee University, look at this serious tie-up we have with a

professional football Club, and similarly with us.

'We are also working right now on an initiative with Dundee College, where we will be

endorsing courses, and the brightest and the best will be working with Dundee FC during

their courses. We will benefit from it, and they will benefit from it, and we will actually be

endorsing it, some of the hardest things for Universities and Colleges to do at the moment, is

to get work experience, and valid work experience. We are currently out there just now. And

it takes a little bit of time, building up serious partnerships across the education sector, and as

I say, we have various meetings coming up with council departments, and with the Scottish

Executive about taking Dundee forward.

'We also in the coming days have through Steve Martin, looking at making Dens and indeed Dundee FC a hub for businesses from the north-east of Scotland and this has been part of a

scheme with the Scottish Government, they are funding it, and it is going to be here. This

might sound a bit boring, it is not talking about Scottish International midfielders, but these

are all going to be the bricks in laying down the foundation for a club that's really vibrant,

and really dynamic, on the business side as well the football side, and clearly one benefits the

other.