Aberdeen vice-chairman George Yule can’t understand why Dons fans aren’t backing his side at the turnstiles.
A week ago at Hampden over 20,000 fans cheered on Derek McInnes’ side as they pushed Celtic all the way in the final of the Scottish Cup.
Despite having a side that is a cut above the rest in Scotland, other than Celtic, Aberdeen fans have been slow to back their club at the turnstiles.
After Celtic supporters the Dons fans seem more clued up than most about the governance of Scottish football.
While Stewart Milne has welcomed ‘Rangers back’ the feelings among supporters are much more raw.
After paying off a long term debt that had held the club back for at least a decade Aberdeen now find themselves competing against a club whose financing seems to be entirely different to their competitors.
Despite finishing second in the season just finished crowds at Pittodrie dropped by an average of 1,000 per game with season ticket sales lagging behind those at Hearts and Hibs.
While the Dons comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations at Ibrox they have licence to do as they please.
Entry to the Europa League qualifiers has been granted without audited accounts. The generosity of the Three Bears has allowed Ryan Jack to be enticed from Pittodrie as the finances of the club head off a cliff.
Speaking to the Evening Express about the lack of turnstile backing Yule said: “The club is debt-free now, so everything we make is put back into the football side of the business.
“The board members, like the fans, would look to make contributions, too.
“We understand our role in supporting the manager but if the fans want the next four years to be as successful and enjoyable as the last four have been, they will have to play their part.
“If there was ever a time when we needed the Aberdeen fans to be more united than ever before it is right now.
“We are heading into what could be a pivotal season because of the changes in playing staff, and what we hope will finally be the club gaining permission to start working on the new stadium and training facilities.
“We need people to get behind us and show how much they want the club to still do well on the pitch and progress off it as well.”
One of Aberdeen’s biggest expenses is maintaining Pittodrie, at Ibrox, stadium safety doesn’t seem to be much of a priority.
At some stage the Sevco project is going to run aground allowing Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs to compete on level terms.
Pushing for FFP to be adopted shouldn’t be opposed by anyone with a genuine interest in the game.
Expecting fans to blindly back their clubs when one competitor plays to a different set of rules is a grave error.
If the Aberdeen board showed the same guts as some of their fans they might get a pleasant surprise as they look out over Pittodrie rather than see their club used as a stepping stone for the financial madness being played out at Ibrox.
