McInnes’ heartfelt plea for new Dons stadium

I

t is not often a football manager gets involved in the planning process but Derek McInnes made a passionate plea to Aberdeen councillors on Wednesday.

The Dons manager and everyone else involved with the club is desperate for the new stadium and training facilities at Kingsford to get the go-ahead next month.

If Aberdeen are to continue to build on their recent success then they need to move from Pittodrie. I was pushing for training facilities when I was manager in the early 1990s but nothing happened.

This is a fantastic opportunity and I hope the councillors vote in favour.

I am sympathetic towards the residents of Kingswells and Westhill who are concerned about a new stadium being erected close to their homes. However, football supporters behave differently now to how they did in the past.

Supporters don’t tend to hang around the area close to stadiums any more. They tend to get there close to kick-off by car or by bus and then leave just as quickly afterwards. The days of drunken football supporters causing damage through the streets before and after games are long gone.

G

ood luck to new Formartine United manager Paul Lawson and his assistant Russell Anderson.

Football management is not easy at any level and they will have to be prepared to work hard, put in the hours and learn from their mistakes.

They are two very experienced professionals who played at the highest level in Scotland and they will have a lot to offer.

I know Formartine are an ambitious Highland League club and they want to progress through the pyramid system.

They have a great set-up at North Lodge Park, Pitmedden, and I think the pair could be shrewd appointments.

I wish them every success.

THREE OF THE BEST: Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, left, Neymar, centre, and Edison Cavani celebrate Neymar’s opening goal against Celtic