Dundee have reassured fans there is no crisis in the Dens Park boardroom — despite the announcement of a third departure in little over a month.
This week, director Harry MacLean followed ex-chairman Stuart Murphy out the door and, at the end of the season, fellow board member Scott Glenday will also go. That’s caused some fans to express concern over a lack of continuity. However, director Maurice Kidd today moved to dismiss those concerns, insisting all is well behind the scenes at Dens.
“There is absolutely no crisis at all,” he said. “The club is running fine — it’s in good hands.”
The Dee board is now five-strong following the departures of Murphy and MacLean. Kidd, Glenday and Fraser MacDonald comprise the Dundee FC Supporters’ Society contingent, Steve Martin represents the Dark Blue Business Trust, and independent financial director Mark Gallacher provides accounting expertise.
But despite the recent reduction in numbers, Kidd insists the board as it stands is stronger than it has ever been. “We’ve got a five-man board now and that board is a particularly tight unit,” he explained. “That can only be to our benefit in terms of ensuring the club is run correctly. The current directors are more than capable of overseeing the running of the various departments within the club. And beyond that, the staff we have are more than capable of keeping things going on a day-to-day basis.”
Kidd also moved to reassure fans that plans for a potential six-figure cash injection in the New Year remain unaffected by boardroom reshuffles.
“We’ve already had discussions with one investor on Monday,” he said. “Those went well. And we’re holding further discussions with another investor before the Kilmarnock game on the seventh. That is completely unaffected by the departures we’ve seen. And looking to the future, the five directors will each be taking a degree of responsibility for ensuring further dialogue with potential investors.
“That is still very much at the top of our agenda. Nothing has changed in that respect.”
Kidd also revealed the board’s priority, beyond securing investment, is to further tighten up lines of communication with the various departments inside Dens Park. Much work has been done already to ensure directors are accountable for individual areas of the business but further steps will be taken towards this goal in the New Year.
In the meantime, Kidd is keen to assure Dee fans that it is very much “business as usual” at Dens. “We’ve already had discussions with the departmental managers at the club,” he said. “And they are very much on board with us in terms of the direction we’re heading in. We’re fortunate in that respect that we’ve got a fantastic bunch of staff at the club. As such, the club is in good hands on a day-to-day basis.
“What we’re doing as a board, once the holiday period is over, is firming up lines of communication and responsibility from departmental heads to individual directors. We will also sit down and talk to Barry Smith to ensure none of the changes off the park are a distraction to the great strides the team have made in recent months, and to reaffirm our appreciation of the job he is doing. So as far as the day-to-day running of the club goes, it’s business as usual. That’s very much the message.”
He added: “Also, on behalf of the board, I would like to thank the fans for turning up in numbers once again on Boxing Day. Although that result was disappointing, there is still a long way to go, and we look forward to seeing another great turnout getting right behind Barry and the boys at Stark’s Park on Monday.”