LAUGHABLE OBJECTION THAT SURELY SOUNDS DEATH KNELL FOR PITTODRIE

THE threat of terrorism is a grim fact of life in modern Britain. But the idea of an ISIS cell in a Molenbeek bedsit plotting an attack on Aberdeen’s new stadium is nothing short of laughable. The implausible scenario was raised at a planning hearing for the new Kingsford arena by local objector Gordon Ballantyne. First came the mildly desperate claim that nearby oil pipelines could be targeted by a terror cell. Followed by a warning that fans walking to games along the Aberdeen to Westhill road could be mowed down by a car or truck. Mr Ballantyne is not alone in opposing Aberdeen’s plans to leave Pittodrie. For some of us, it remains a crying shame. But if this alarmist nonsense is the best argument the NIMBY lobby has to offer, then further resistance seems pointless. Farewell Pittodrie. The game’s up.