Dundee fan group Dee4Life reveal talks with Dens chief John Nelms over fan representation on club board

Dundee fan group Dee4Life have revealed initial talks have been held with club chief John Nelms over fan representation on the Dark Blues board.

Dee4Life, formerly known as the Dundee FC Supporters Society, are the club’s second largest shareholder behind Nelms and chairman Tim Keyes’ Football Partners Scotland.

Part of the sale of majority shareholding to the Americans included a fan representative on the club board.

However, that position has been unfilled for a number of years with the relationship between managing director Nelms and the DFCSS deteriorating significantly.

Work, though, by the new board at Dee4Life has been ongoing to repair that relationship to ensure the views of their members – Dundee fans – are heard by the club.

And that has included discussions with Nelms.

‘Challenging questions’

In their latest monthly statement, Dee4Life said: “Over the past three months, representatives of Dee4Life have been meeting with John Nelms and other Dundee FC officials.

“The purpose of these talks has been to establish a framework for the future relationship between the trust and the club, including the restoration of fan representation to the Dens Park board.

“These discussions are progressing in a positive manner but, given the extent to which the relationship between the two groups deteriorated over several years, there remains some distance to go before we arrive at an agreed position.

“We feel that for a fans’ representative to be successful, their addition to the board has to be done in a positive manner that adds value to the club and its supporters.

“We sincerely hope that the positive dialogue we have had since New Year lays the foundation for a fresh start that will allow us to represent our members – and the wider support – at board level, supporting the club’s development and helping to grow our fan base while also asking challenging questions when appropriate.

“The more communication and engagement that takes place, the more likely it is that the club and fans will move forward as one.”

The statement also revealed the intention of Dundee’s general manager Greg Fenton to meet with supporters’ groups this summer and encouraged supporters to take up the chance of reduced ticket prices for today’s match against Hamilton.