Aberdeen secure stunning £8MILLION funding deal as Dave Cormack vows to keep pace with Premiership rivals
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DAVE CORMACK insisted he wants to 'make the region proud' after he and his backers pumped another £8million into Aberdeen.
The Dons chairman, director Tom Crotty and behind-the-scenes investors will fund a new indoor 4G pitch at Cormack Park and major improvements at Pittodrie.
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Pittodrie has been earmarked for further upgrades
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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Dave Cormack is putting his money where his mouth is
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
It has increased the cash injection from Cormack and Co to £25m - with the Dons set for group stage European action this autumn.
And Cormack has promised to keep Aberdeen at the forefront of Scottish game after the 49ers Enterprises' £20m investment in Rangers and Tony Bloom's £10m boost for Hearts.
Cormack beamed: 'We continue to make good progress towards achieving long-term financial sustainability of the club with record season ticket sales, AberDNA memberships and markedly increased commercial and retail revenues.
'Combined with the additional funds generated, successful player trading is integral to this goal and remains a major factor in our recruitment.
'We have spent the last 12 months studying the market and refining our strategy in this area.
'This has complemented some of the squad planning work that we have undertaken, which in part has highlighted the need for adjustments in our own structures and the need for additional capital and operational investments if we are to continue to make progress and challenge ourselves to drive more success on and off the field.
'Together with our investors, I remain committed to driving
Aberdeen forward and continuing to make our supporters and the region proud of its football club.'
It's understood Cormack has personally put in £4m on the new sum with Crotty also investing heavily in the plan.
The £8m will mainly be used for capital projects at Cormack Park, including the planned construction of a new full-sized indoor arena - with work to start in the New Year.
Aberdeen fans react to historic Scottish Cup win
The vision is for a new covered 4G facility for all-year-round use.
Works will also take place at Pittodrie, including improved floodlights and corporate lounges as the club plans for a medium-term stay at their current home.
Dons chief executive Alan Burrows added: 'This latest injection of funding takes the total investment from Dave, Tom and their colleagues to over £25m in the last few years.
'We're incredibly grateful to our investors for the new funds, which will provide a significant portion of the capital required for these improvements at Cormack Park and our stadium, while also being able to continue to invest in the squad and the football operation.
'Our training facility at Cormack Park is fantastic, and the addition of a full-sized, indoor arena and additional operational space will take it to a whole new level, opening new possibilities for our men's, women's, academy and community programmes.
'In addition, we have recently been able to more than double the investment in our scouting and talent ID department across the continent.
'This is only possible with the support we get from our investors and our fans through AberDNA memberships.'
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