The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Fraser on Dons exit
Director reveals why he’s leaving club –
Duncan Fraser feels it is the right time for him to leave Aberdeen after nearly 20 years with the Dons.
Fraser, who joined the club in 2002, will step down on July 22 from his role as a non-executive director and also relinquish his post on the Scottish FA Board.
A new role as a mentor within Uefa’s business development programme Grow awaits for the former chief executive, where he will look at sustainability issues across the 55 member nations.
He felt with the changing of the guard in December at the top, with Dave Cormack replacing Stewart Milne as chairman, the signal was there for him to look for a new challenge.
Fraser said: “On one hand it’s sad, but on the other it feels like the right time. Opportunities have come in the past to do different things but I’ve always had something that’s kept me going. I was involved in the three eights and splitting the leagues, and I spent a lot of time on that trying to get 11-1, but we got to 10-2. That didn’t go forward and then the SPFL came about. There’s always been reasons to stay.
“I did feel at the end of last year, when Stewart Milne was stepping down, it is the end of an era. It’s not like Stewart is stepping down then you have the likes of Steve Brown at St Johnstone stepping up, it was a new chairman with his views and ideas.
“I’ve worked with Stewart and Aberdeen
Asset Management all those years, it was time for me to go and look at other opportunities.
“The whole reason for staying on when I did was very much because I was committed to doing my work with the SFA as a non-executive director until the end of that period.
“I’d hoped that would be about looking ahead, but in effect Covid took over since mid-February and my time has been spent on doing what I can to support the officer bearers and the executives at the SFA.”
Fraser, a trained chartered accountant, was a key player in helping the Dons become debt-free in
“It was time for me to go and look elsewhere”
2014, a role acknowledged by Milne.
He said: “He helped the club achieve many of our key objectives, ultimately playing a central role in negotiating the deal that eliminated our debt, something which the Club had been working towards for a number of years.”
Cormack also paid tribute to Fraser’s work in getting clubs back training again, ahead of the Premiership starting on August 1.
He added: “As co-chair of the medical and player welfare committee, his experience has been beneficial in enabling us to get back training. We wish him all the best.”