By Ian Roache

DAVE MacKINNON has denied he is leaving Dundee because of negative ‘fan power’ via an Email hate campaign.

MacKinnon yesterday announced his intention to resign from the Dens Park board, confirming Courier Sport’s report of 10 days ago that stated his tenure at the Dark Blues was coming to an end.

The chief executive’s impending departure is a major setback for chairman Bob Brannan, who thought he had talked MacKinnon into staying.

He said then, “Dave MacKinnon has been considering his future but the board believe we have persuaded him to carry on.”

However, those efforts have failed and he will, as reported, quit at the end of the month.

Brannan suggested at a public meeting on November 10 that MacKinnon was pondering his position because he was dismayed at abusive messages from supporters who had obtained his online account address.

However, MacKinnon brushed off any notion that is why he is leaving.

He said, “It is true that I got some Emails from fans, about 20 in all, but that has had absolutely nothing to do with my decision to leave.

“Indeed, I think Dundee can be proud of the fan base and I hope the positive vibe that Jocky Scott’s appointment as manager appears to have brought to the club continues.

“I have a good relationship with the Dundee fans and, of course, you are not going to please everyone all the time, but I think the vast majority of people saw what we were trying to do at the club and were supportive.

“I know Bob mentioned that I had received the Emails (at the fans’ meeting) but that is definitely not a reason for my going.

“I have spent two and a half years at the club and always regarded the supporters as the most important people we have.

“They are massively important to Dundee and I hope there is some success for them to cheer in future because they deserve it.”

With Brannan courting ex-Dundee United board member John Bennett for the past seven months, there have been suggestions that Bennett may now come in to run the club day-to-day.

However the man who gave Dundee a £200,000 loan last month has already stepped back from a proposed takeover so there are no guarantees of further involvement.

Meanwhile, Brannan heaped praise on his soon-to-be former colleague.

“David has done a brilliant job in his time at Dens,” said the chairman.

“I really don’t know how we could have survived the last few years without him.

“His contribution in every area of the club’s activities, from income generation to recruiting players, from dealing with the football authorities and the press, has been enormous.

“The commitment, enthusiasm, optimism, knowledge and skill he has brought have helped us through many difficult situations.

“I and the rest of the board members will miss him greatly.

“However, I am comforted in the knowledge that I know he will always be there to help when we need him.”

MacKinnon will now focus on other business interests including a directorship of a sports management firm that boasts Olympic hero Chris Hoy, snooker legend Stephen Hendry and rising golf star Marc Warren, as clients.

Latterly, he has been working towards eradicating the need for a chief executive at Dens and would like any savings on his salary to be given to Scott to add to his squad.

“In Jocky we now have a manager with vast experience and a huge amount of contacts so the football side of things will take care of itself,” said MacKinnon.

“I spent a lot of time with him yesterday looking at all areas of the squad and we...thought we will be in decent shape once all the injuries clear up.

“The player budget has been overspent so I am sure some of the savings on my salary will be used to plug the gap, but I would still like to think Jocky would be able to use some of it to fund targeted loan signings.

“I also told Jocky that if there is anything I can help him with after I leave then just to get in touch and I think he is going to take me up on that offer.”