Long hard road ahead for club

Sir, – Many thanks to Billy Williamson in his letter (He shoots but doesn’t score, Courier, July 16) for correcting me on the fact that Dundee’s most recent string of home attendances are nearer the 5,000 mark rather than 3,000. My apologies. However, sadly for Dundee, these figures were somewhat buoyed by a home game with Dundee United – and if all goes to plan for Dundee’s neighbours then it will be some time before Dens Park hosts another cash-generating league derby match.

I also read with interest former Dundee goalkeeper Rab Douglas’s column praising those Dens

Park academy coaches who are prepared to try to save the youth structure of the club by working for nothing – and in particular, former Dundee defender Robbie Raeside.

This is a splendid gesture by all concerned. I hope the handsomely paid at the top of the Dens tree are grateful for the free efforts of those at grassroots level.

I would also reiterate my point that if significant savings were made at boardroom level then there would be no need to sacrifice the funding of the Youth Academy.

I’m sure Mr Williamson and Mr Douglas would agree that for a team like Dundee to rely on unpaid volunteers to staff its youth academy and coach the next generation of first team players says little about the club’s professionalism, priorities and future ambitions.

I’m afraid I predict a long, hard road if Dundee are to survive as a fulltime club but, of course, I’d love to be proved wrong.

Jamie Buchan. Grove Road, Dundee.