Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne has said the Scottish Premiership football club could be forced to play its European games in Glasgow or Edinburgh if its proposed stadium plans fall through.
Milne, speaking at a campaign launch in support of the replacement stadium, said that Aberdeen’s current home ground Pittrodie will soon not meet Uefa’s criteria to host games.
The club is planning to build a 20,000-capacity stadium, training academy and heritage museum in Kingsford, at a cost of £50m.
The initial proposal includes plans to deliver the project in two stages, with the community and sports facilities and football academy to be built first, and the stadium to follow. The club hopes to begin playing matches at the venue in the 2021-22 season.
However, the project has attracted criticism from various parties, and the ‘No Kingsford Stadium’ group has lodged an objection with the city council in an effort to block work.
Those opposed to the project have raised concerns that the development would be based on green belt land, as well as the creation of more traffic in the local area.
Councillors are set to make a decision in October, with a pre-determination hearing to be held on September 13 at Aberdeen Town House.
According to the BBC, Milne said: “The consequences of a negative decision on this will have massive bearings on the future of this club. At some point we will no longer get dispensation to play European games here.
“Our options are to play in Glasgow or Edinburgh. What sort of statement would that send out? What would our fans think?”
John Thornton, of the ‘No Kingsford Stadium’ group, said: “Obviously the decision is up to the council, if they act according to planning law they will reject this application.
“There is no economic benefit for Westhill. There are other sites they can look at and they can still redevelop Pittodrie.”
Images: The BIG Partnership
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