The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dundee’ s owners in talks for club to buy Dens Park
Dundee owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms are in talks to buy Dens Park back into club ownership. It is understood discussions have been ongoing for weeks with local businessman John Bennett, who owns the stadium.
And the purchase is directly linked to plans to build a new venue at Camperdown Park.
It is further understood that if a deal can be struck with Bennett, the land will be sold to partly fund “New Campy”, as fans have dubbed the proposed new stadium.
In doing so, the Dark Blues will be without a home while the new complex is built next to the Dundee Ice Arena.
Initial hopes were the talks could be completed when club chairman Tim Keyes was in the UK last month.
However, discussions continue to rumble on without an agreement being reached.
Bennett has owned Dens Park since 2009 and is open to selling the ground back to the club.
The relationship between the two parties is a positive one and both hope a deal can be agreed.
The Dark Blues rent the stadium from Bennett in a lease that runs to 2036 but the businessman is happy to sell if the American owners meet an agreed asking price.
Should all this come to pass, Dundee will be looking to approach nearby clubs to arrange a ground share during building work.
Tannadice, the home of rivals Dundee United, is not an option being considered, however.
More likely is an approach to St Johnstone to use Mcdiarmid Park or Arbroath for Gayfield for home matches.
The 10,600 capacity of the Perth ground makes that the preferred option. Gayfield’s capacity is 6,600.
The club has attempted to buy Dens from Bennett previously.
In 2015, then-chairman Bill Colvin was in talks with the landowner – a board member at Dundee United at the time – with a price of £750,000 quoted by the BBC.
Bennett said then: “I told Dundee at the time I bought the ground that I would sell it back if it was going into the hands of Dundee fans and I’ll stand by that.”