Tannadice chiefs ask questions over approach to crisis

Dundee United owner Mark Ogren has questioned the merits of football continuing during the pandemic, according to the club’s sporting director.

In an interview with the club’s in-house TV channel, Tony Asghar also takes aim at the Scottish Government over its approach to supporting top-flight clubs.

He claims rugby gets favourable treatment because politicians think football fans “drink beer, shout abuse and get in fights afterwards”.

The Tangerines have been hit hard financially and last week approached the Dundee United Supporters’ Foundation – whose members voted to make a £100,000 investment in the club in June 2020 – to request another “one-off” payment of “up to £100,000”.

Staff, including manager Micky Mellon and his players, have taken pay cuts while the furlough scheme was utilised last year.

Asghar said: “The owner looked at it and said, ‘Financially, every month I’m now having to write a large cheque because there’s absolutely no income coming in. Great, the season ticket money, but that’s gone’.

“We discussed a lot of the things Mark had thrown in. Why are we still trading? Why’s any business still trading when it’s almost like a restaurant? Filling a restaurant every month and nobody comes, then filling it again. Paying all the wages.

“Why does Scottish football continue?

“It’s a question I saw the SFA brought out to the Championship clubs last week (they opted to continue playing).

“There was an adage from the board that maybe the thought process is that we just try and lobby to get football stopped.”

Last month it was confirmed Scotland’s 10 second-tier clubs were to receive a £500,000 Scottish Government grant, with League One teams getting £150,000 each and League Two sides getting £100,000.

Premiership outfits were told £20 million

had been set aside so they could apply for low interest loans.

The total package for spectator sport in Scotland is £55m, with £30m earmarked for football and rugby receiving £20m.

Scottish Rugby welcomed the funds and announced they would be split between grants (£15m) and low interest loans (£5m).

But Asghar said: “Still to this day, we’re sitting at the end of January, we still have no government funding.

“People will say, ‘Other organisations in different sectors 100% need it’.

“But at Dundee United, and at other clubs, we’ve been offered a loan that is based on a certain criteria which we still don’t really have a full, clear picture on.

“The government gave grants to the Championship. For example, the guys up the road at Dundee have been given £500,000 in their bank in January.

“Clubs like ourselves, Hamilton and Motherwell need money to fulfil their needs because we don’t have any income coming from supporters.

“Without this getting into a party political broadcast, I do think we as a football nation have been cast aside.

“I’ve been in meetings with the government when they’ve talked about football clubs… they’re effectively thinking working-class males who come to the football, drink beer, that maybe shout abuse and maybe get a fight later on and that’s what they think of Scottish football.

“They look at rugby, for example, as a game for well-educated people who come and get a few glasses of wine and watch it and don’t swear, and they’ve given them grants.”

Tony Asghar.