Dundee will continue to play their home games at Dens Park until their new stadium is completed at Camperdown Park.
Dens Park managing director John Nelms revealed this afternoon plans over the move to a fresh new complex had changed.
Back in 2021, Courier Sport revealed the club’s plan at that time to buy back Dens Park and then sell it to help finance the building of their new home.
In between leaving their home since 1899 and the new ground being ready, the idea of a groundshare at somewhere like St Johnstone had been considered.
However, almost two years on Nelms revealed the “economic environment” had changed and, right now, there will be no need to groundshare.
Vision
That’s after club owner Tim Keyes and Nelms, through the company Dark Blue Property Holdings, bought Dens Park from local businessman John Bennett.
A “significant step” in their plans to move to Camperdown Park.
Nelms told the press: “It’s a good day for Dundee Football Club.
“Dark Blue Property Holdings, Tim and I, purchased the stadium – it’s the next step in a whole series of steps we have to take in order to have our vision of a new stadium for Dundee Football Club and the city in place.
“Now having the stadium and the lease that comes with that stadium (Dens Park) we are able to maneouver much easier.”
Continue
The club aim to have their planning permission application submitted by the end of this calendar year.
But what does the purchase of Dens mean for the club and the club’s home for the past 124 years?
“Right now it’s about maintaining the stadium (Dens Park) until the other stadium is built,” he added.
“I’m not sure it’s a good financial plan to own two stadiums! But that’s where we are at, at the moment.
“We will continue to play at Dens and continue to keep it up and running, the best we can.”
‘Last ball kicked at Dens…’
So, no redevelopment?
“At this moment in time, no,” Nelms added.
“Before we said we might, I repeat might, have to play at a different facility. The economic environment at that time posed that we might have to sell Dens in order to have the funding to build the new stadium.
“At this point in time, that’s not the case.
“The idea is we would kick the last ball at Dens, the very next kick would be at the new stadium.
“But we’ve been working at this since 2016 and things have changed multiple times.
“We will continue to take the steps we need to to make the football club better and better.”
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