I'm going to finish by talking about the Society, the year it has had and the current ballot as that is probably what most of you are here today to talk and hear about.
I have to say that when I reflect on the long journey we've been on since 2003, I honestly think we are beating a path that others in Scotland will follow in terms of survival, evolution and development. We won't be the last Club to run into financial difficulty, nor the last group of fans to try and dig their own club out of a deep hole.
Sure mistakes have been made and if we had to do it all again there are probably things we would do differently - but on the whole I'd like to think we've got most of it right and if the proof really is in the pudding then I'd like to think you'd agree we've come out the other side in pretty good nick, it's very easy to forget where we were and the depth of the hole we were in... 12 months since our last AGM and pretty decent progress - out of admin, fought off relegation, third top of the league and investors ready to back us.
We've a support that has held up, a team still making a real challenge for promotion, a boardroom full of fans with courage and vision willing to lead from the front and volunteers willing to put in a shift. We are a Football Club constantly reaching out to the community, a front door that is open, Directors that listen and hear, a manager that wants football to be played the right way and a team that win.
So this vote - what is all about …… panic, crisis or more problems?
Certainly not. Forget fear, suspicion, doom and gloom.
It's about forward planning, taking opportunities while they exist, it's about making sure that if we are not promoted the funding is in place in plenty time for the manager to be able to look to the future and to reorganise. This is also about responding to the expectations of the Dundee support and being able to meet the costs associated without overstepping our mark.
In this seriously challenging financial climate where other Clubs can look no further ahead than next week, next month or their next bill, we are in the fortunate position that there is money on the table, that we know we will get to the end of the season as we promised and that our financial planning for the future is already underway.
The Trust when it was launched promised accountability, transparency and democracy. Your current Club Board are already much more accountable to you than ever any others have been before and we are also about to start making some financial information available on a regular basis. We are committed to three open meetings per year on the transparency front and, with regard to democracy, the fact that you are being asked again about your views on the collective shareholding and the future direction of the club proves your views matter also more than ever it has as a Dundee fan.
Fan ownership has been far from the disaster many predicted it would be, the Society bravely made themselves available to take the Club from the Administrator when he needed someone to do so. The Management group appointed and the Society board together have led us with your support to where we are now and it's very much up to you where we go from here.
If you vote YES to support the proposal and it is implemented then you can rest assured that your collective shareholding will still be the largest held. You should also keep in mind that the Society's, Business Trust's and your own shares together will still make up a hefty part of the overall shareholding. On top of that your Club Board will still be very much made up of fellow Dark Blues I honestly feel you can trust.
Thanks to you all for your own time and your continued support and encouragement.
If success does ever come our way, I think it would be fair to say no group of supporters I can think of will have earned their day in the sun more then we have.
As ever Onwards and Upwards - thank you.