A group of Dundee fans – the Open Letter Group (OLG) – made a big impact last season as relations between the club and supporters deteriorated.
A very sparse home crowd for a Scottish Cup quarter-final against Rangers highlighted the apathy felt by the fanbase towards the running of the club.
That prompted the OLG, who had noted football writer and Dundee fan Patrick Barclay alongside 1893 Foundation creators Ross Day and Scott Roberts among their signatories, to publish an open letter calling for change in the way the club operated.
It set out principles to combat the “level of disenchantment” felt by supporters with more than 1,300 fellow fans adding their names to the letter.
Club owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms responded with a polite rejection of those ideas.
Further correspondence continued between the parties before replies from the club stopped.
The OLG, however, remained committed to being “a critical friend”, to continue pushing for better engagement between club and supporters.
Now, they have changed approach.
The OLG have teamed up with Dee4Life, also known as the Dundee FC Supporters’ Society.
Who are Dee4Life/DFCSS?
The Society was originally created by the fans to save the club from liquidation in the 2003/04 season and became majority shareholder at the club following their second administration in 2010.
Controlling interest of Dundee FC was then sold to Football Partners Scotland, the company run by Keyes and Nelms, in 2013.
However, Dee4Life remain a significant shareholder and retain entrenched rights, including a veto over major events including a change of ownership, a merger, moving to a new stadium and even substantial borrowing.
Four of the original signatories have now been appointed to the Dee4Life board with Ross Day, Grant Hill, George McIrvine and Ryan Norrie now external directors. Grant McGregor, a backer of the open letter, has also joined as financial director.
What have the OLG said?
In their latest correspondence to fans, the OLG said today: “Much has happened since we asked you to sign this open letter eight weeks ago.
“Most notably, Dundee succumbed to relegation.
“While there have been positive signs that the football side of the club is now moving in the right direction, we believe much more needs to be done to rebuild the relationship between the club and its fanbase.
“Season ticket sales to date suggest there is some way to go to win over a sceptical and disillusioned support.
“From the outset we wanted the club to appreciate how deeply this relationship had deteriorated and to commit to a programme of reform.
“John Nelms and Tim Keyes ruled out our initial proposals and have so far not acknowledged subsequent communications, including alternative suggestions and the results of a fan satisfaction survey that many of you took part in.
“While disappointed that John and Tim chose not to engage with these ideas or to meet to discuss the situation, we remain committed to ensuring that the voice of Dundee fans is heard and that they can help rebuild the club.
“It has become clear, however, that we need to pursue alternative strategies if that is to happen.
“Dee4Life directors Norrie Price and Gary Cocker were among the hundreds of Dundee fans we spoke to in the aftermath of the open letter.
“The more we talked the more we realised that our aims aligned, leading us to discuss ways of working collaboratively.”
Aims
The letter also stated that Dee4Life needed to change its approach and committed to making it a “more agile and modern organisation” before adding: “We believe we bring fresh ideas, drive and energy to the table, and we intend to use the Dee4Life platform to benefit everyone with the good of Dundee FC at heart.”
OLG accepted some fans may not agree with the plans to team up with Dee4Life but set out a series of aims for the future that included:
- Rebuild the relationship between the club and Dee4Life
- Work with other groups to develop a system of representation that ensures the views of fans are heard at board level
- Support the club by providing financial assistance where possible and appropriate
- Assist the club’s efforts to engage with fans and the wider community in order to grow its support base
- Ensure accountability of the club’s functions and performance
The message ended: “Our experiences over the past two months have convinced us that only through a vibrant group representing as large and diverse a group of Dundee supporters can we hope to bring about meaningful and positive change.”
What did Dee4Life say?
Dee4Life, meanwhile, are pleased to have “new blood” and an injection of “fresh thinking” in a statement made to their members.
Director Norrie Price said: “We believe this to be a very positive development for Dundee FC supporters and the club itself.
“It is healthy for football clubs to be accountable to their fans and for strong supporters’ organisations to act as a critical friend when needed.”
And Ross Day, of the OLG and 1893 Foundation, added: “The open letter we penned to the club gained significant traction amongst the fanbase and, as a group we felt it important that we channel our energy, ideas and enthusiasm in a positive manner.
“In the opportunity to represent the fan base through Dee4Life, we can a provide a positive and meaningful contribution to the club, which is a win-win for all parties.”
To read the OLG letters IN FULL, click here.
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