The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Fans’ group is determined to see ‘enduring investment’
They started out with nothing more than an idea. Four years later, the fans behind the Dundee United Supporters’ Foundation can look forward to seeing it replicated in bricks and mortar.
In January, foundation members agreed to provide a £100,000 funding package to United, to aid in the club’s recovery from the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was a gesture rooted in every true fan’s desire to support the Tangerines during what has been a hugely testing period.
And it wasn’t the first time.
In June last year, foundation members were balloted over a separate £100,000 injection requested by the club to aid short-term liquidity – but also to assist in upgrading the academy facilities.
An astonishing 99% of a 91% turnout voted in favour of handing over the funds.
The quid pro quo? An agreement from United to reallocate fan cash and commence work on a proposed youth academy improvement project by August this year.
The deal that secured the second £100,000 in January afforded the club a 12-month extension.
But the prospect of seeing fans’ money eventually being used to support the club’s vision for a youth-driven future is something steering group members Martin Manzi, Ged Bell, Mike Evans and Denis Mcgurk are relishing.
“We’ve always had the view, when we’ve been putting money into the club, that we should be able to point to something in years to come and say ‘foundation money built that’,” explained Manzi.
“An enduring investment,” chipped in Bell. “Something that could be there for the long term.”
“And an asset to the club and the supporters as well,” Manzi added. “The obvious one is youth development. But rather than just saying ‘It’s for youth development’, there was an appetite for something more concrete.
“That coincided with United looking at improving youth academy infrastructure; spending money to develop a state of the art academy – that’s what their vision is.
“When normality resumes, that’s where the initial investment will be diverted.”
Speaking to Manzi, Bell, Evans and Mcgurk, it’s clear the quartet – who form the foundation’s steering group along with John Gibson, Graham Mclelland, Andy Mccarle and Marie Kiernan – know exactly what function the group serves.
From humble beginnings as the product of frustrated post-match discussions in Dundee’s Frews Bar in 2017, the DUSF now boasts more than 1,800 members.
Their monthly contributions have to date amounted to almost a quarter of a million pounds of direct financial assistance to United.
At a time when relationships between clubs and fans are becoming increasingly fraught at the higher levels of the game, Tangerines supporters are having a positive impact at Tannadice.
There were bumps in the road – in particular when United briefly and surprisingly cut all ties with the foundation in April 2020.
Now, with relationships mended, those holding the foundation purse-strings are more acutely aware of their responsibilities than ever.
“For the first three-and-abit years it was a gradual build-up,” explained Evans.
“We did a lot of work behind the scenes and grew the membership to about the 700-800 mark – but that took a lot of work.
“When the club came on board really actively, about November, December of last year, the numbers more than doubled.
“We always knew we’d need the club to get behind it to grow it like that – either that or a crisis!
“This time last year we had our wee spat with the club when they came out and said their bit and we had a few people quit.
“But when we explained our reasoning to members, they all rejoined – and actually more.”
“We actually got a boost from that,” said Manzi. “I think the supporters saw that we were looking after our members’ interests.”
“It was a difficult period,” Bell said to get agreement around the table.
“But the thing that I remember about it most was the way the membership backed us.
“From that, what I think was reinforced was the fact that when you’re looking after somebody else’s money there’s a hell of a responsibility on you.
“That was key at that time.
“It’s not our money, it’s our members’ money – and that’s a heavy responsibility.
“I wish I could look after my own money the way we’ve looked after theirs.”
Evans summed up, saying: “It’s remarkable the way people have stuck with us because we’re not in a wealthy city, we’re in the middle of a pandemic and a good percentage of the population have either lost their job or been furloughed at various points.
“That’s where the foundation money is coming from – and we’re always conscious of that.”
With just weeks to go until the end of a season unlike any before, United are aiming for a Scottish Cup final appearance.
On the pitch, the goal is clear.
For the foundation, whose journey, born of a simple idea, is still in its infancy despite being four
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I wish I could look after my own money the way we’ve looked after theirs
years along the road, things are no different...
Grow the membership. Unite the fan base and harness its power.
Make lasting contributions to the football club they all love for years to come.
“It’s important that we ask our membership about any spending that we do,” explained Bell.
“That democratic basis for what we do is in our constitution – we can’t make spending decisions without a positive vote from our members.
“And beyond that, the magic of a foundation is in the crowdfunding model. It’s powerful.
“If you can get 1,800 people, as we have, or 2,000 people, as we’d like, contributing every month, it’s incredibly powerful – and it can make a big difference to future projects.”
“Back when we started this, we were thinking if we could hit 1,000, maybe 1,500, we’d be doing really well,” added Mcgurk.
“So to hit 1,800, we’re really, really pleased with that.
“That’s probably above what we thought but, having said that, I think we can still hit 2,000 – and if we can do it by the end of the season that would be incredible.”