Dundee FC Anticipates New Training Ground Use by Next Season

Dundee’s managing director, John Nelms, has stated that the club anticipates using its new training facility by the commencement of the upcoming season, as the project advances. This development follows the Dundee City Council’s approval last week for the Riverside location to host the training ground, a facility also intended for use by various other city organizations. Nelms conveyed to BBC Scotland that this represents “a big step not only for the club but the community.” He elaborated, stating, “Riverside West End club will have a home. They have around 280 kids from the age of four to 17. They will have a home, our academy will have a home, our first team will have a home, our charity has a home. The facility itself will be a beacon for Dundee.” Regarding the construction timeline, Nelms stated, “We are able to start work on the pitches relatively soon. We are upgrading the pitches. The building and the plastic pitch will take a little more time. But hopefully we will be able to start training there hopefully by this summer.” For 11 years, Nelms and chairman Tim Keyes, an American duo, have been associated with Dens Park, and a primary objective since acquiring the club has been the construction of a new stadium for the first team. Although land adjacent to Camperdown Park has been acquired, the stadium project has encountered multiple delays throughout their ownership. Nevertheless, Nelms expresses optimism that construction can commence in the near future. Nelms commented, “We have a hearing in January for the stadium and we will be pushing to get in there as soon as possible. Sometimes my timeframes are a bit optimistic, but my job is to push and push until we get the job done. We will be in there as soon as we possibly can.” He further added, “Realistically, it will be at least one more season at Dens. I would like to have potentially some test events in the stadium before we get it ready for the fans. So, when the fans come in, it will be a relatively smooth operation.” Nelms reflected on the project’s progress, stating, “At one point, we were ahead of schedule in terms of building a new stadium – now we are behind schedule. It’s the system and how the system works. It’s not the people. Although frustrating, I think, with a little bit of patience, we will set up the organisation and have that for the city for the next 100 years.” Nelms acknowledged that departing Dens Park would be difficult for many supporters but emphasized its necessity for the club’s advancement. He further elaborated, “Dundee is our spiritual home and it will be hard to walk away from Dens Park. It’s not something we take lightly and we know how much it means to the fans, but we are in the entertainment business and we are trying to put in a 21st century entertainment in a 19th century building. It’s very difficult.”