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Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Aberdeen secure stunning £8MILLION funding deal as Dave Cormack vows to keep pace with Premiership rivals
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 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. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Pittodrie has been earmarked for further upgrades Credit: Kenny Ramsay 2 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.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin's message to chairman Dave Cormack after historic Scottish Cup triumph
Scottish Cup-winning boss Jimmy Thelin has thanked Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack for his continued support during a crash in form. The Dons suffered a 14-game Premiership winless slump during the winter, but the chairman and Pittodrie board never flinched with their belief in Thelin. That granite-solid faith paid off when Thelin led the Reds to Scottish Cup final glory with a penalty shoot-out win against Celtic at Hampden. A first Scottish Cup triumph for the Dons since 1990 also secured a £5million Uefa Euro cash boost. Due to the silverware success, Aberdeen are guaranteed European group action until at least late December. Thelin's Dons will enter the Europa League play-offs with the draw made on August 4. There is also the safety net of parachuting into the Conference League should Aberdeen lose the play-off. United States-based Aberdonian businessmen Cormack recently revealed his family have put another £8m into the club. That support will continue. Cormack has vowed to back Thelin with further investment in the summer transfer window to build a squad to balance European and domestic commitments. Thelin said: 'Dave Cormack, Alan Burrows (chief executive) and Steven Gunn (director of football) have been so supportive the whole way. 'We had their support in some struggling times – the belief never dropped. 'We have never changed direction. 'It has always been 'keep working, keep believing'. 'There was always calm and focus. 'That means so much for a manager and the staff and the players, to know we are all aligned and have a strong belief together. 'It was key. ' With Cormack's backing, Thelin has already began strengthening his squad ahead of a prolonged Euro campaign next season. Highly-rated winger Nicolas Milanovic has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Dons. A fee of around £400,000 was agreed by Aberdeen with Australian A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers. The 23-year-old was named in the Australia senior squad for the first time earlier this month for a training camp. Milanovic will officially move to Pittodrie in the summer on a three-year deal, with the Dons holding an option for a fourth year. Buoyed by silverware, Aberdeen are already well under way with the bid to secure further signings when the summer transfer window opens. Thelin says not only the Pittodrie hierarchy's continued backing was key on the road to Scottish Cup glory, as the fans were also pivotal. A 20,000-strong Red Army were at Hampden to watch Thelin's heroes carve their name into club history. And an estimated 100,000 fans lined the streets of the city centre to celebrate the Scottish Cup winners' open-topped bus homecoming parade. Thelin said: 'Even in the tough times, the supporters were there to push us. 'We had some streaks where we didn't win ,but they were still there supporting us. 'There were always positive words and they were also pushing. 'We had some defeats going into the cup final, but there was so much energy from the fans at Hampden. 'It is so important that it's more than the team. 'It has to mean the whole club, the city, everybody 'That is why it is so nice to see days like the cup final and what it means for everyone when there has been so much effort given to the club.' Amid the jubilant celebrations at Hampden following the cup win, Thelin posed for a selfie with the Aberdeen supporters in the background. A player, normally a goal-scorer or man-of-the-match, has taken a selfie with the fans after every game this season. On Thelin's selfie, he said: 'It was the first time I did it. 'It is more about the players. 'I try to support them, but I got forced to do that (selfie). 'But I enjoyed it. It was nice.'
Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Dave Cormack: Aberdeen's Scottish Cup win is up there with Gothenburg
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack beamed with pride as he watched his team and manager celebrate bringing the Scottish Cup back to the Granite City on Sunday. Cormack has seen it all, from the glory days of the 1980s to the struggles in the bottom half of the table. So when he says beating Celtic on penalties to bring the cup back to Aberdeen for the first time in 35 years is comparable with the night the Dons humbled Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1983, he's speaking from experience. The chairman said: 'This is right up there with Gothenburg. 'I was at Gothenburg, this is a different era, but it's up there because it's been such a long time. 'Thirty-five years is too long for the Scottish Cup. 'It makes all the tough times and things you go through worthwhile.' Cormack and his family made the trip from the United States to Hampden to watch Jimmy Thelin's side dig deep to deny the Hoops a domestic treble. There were emotional scenes at the National Stadium from a tearful captain Graeme Shinnie to the unbridled joy among the long-suffering Red Army at finally coming away from the National Stadium with something to show for their efforts. For Cormack, there was relief, allied to quiet satisfaction his belief the Dons would win the cup came to pass. He said: 'I was confident during the week, I had a feeling during the week that if we could put things together for 90 or 120 minutes we'd do it. 'If we'd lost the penalty shootout, we'd come back and dust ourselves off then get ready for next season. 'As soon as the first one is saved, you think 'oh, here we go' and that's the way it turned out. Fantastic. 'It's not about me, I want to be an ambassador for the city and the football club. 'It's special, it's been such a long time. 'I'm delighted for the city and our supporters worldwide, you can see what it means to people. 'The fans were unbelievable on Saturday. When the SFA said they'd give us 16,000 tickets or buy 20,000 we had no hesitation. 'It showed you what it meant to them yesterday and the fans played their part.' The man Cormack brought to Pittodrie, Jimmy Thelin, has delivered a huge landmark moment in his first season in Scottish football by leading the Dons to cup glory. With cup success comes guaranteed group stage football in Europe next season – and the Dons chairman is determined to give his manager the best chance possible to compete on all fronts. He said: 'Hearts and Aberdeen have both struggled with league form in the European group stages. 'We need to sort that so we can play Thursday and Sunday without it impacting us and we have learned a lot from the last time, you need such a strong squad to deal with it. 'We have to have squad rotation with a good squad and that means investment. 'It will happen, absolutely. 'We backed Jimmy last summer and in January. 'My family have put another £8million into the club, we'll get £5m gross from being in Europe. 'So we have a clear plan of what we want to do. 'We are already well under way with signings, we have been working for the last 5-6 years on this player trading model, it doesn't happen overnight. 'We had to get the strategy in place around it, so if you lose a player you have a good one coming in.' Cormack soaked in the success at Hampden, and the celebrations with the people of Aberdeen in the city on Sunday, but it is clear he is not one for resting on his laurels. The chairman is convinced he has got his man in the Dons' Swedish manager – and Saturday proved it. He said: 'The way I'm wired, I'll enjoy this for a day then start looking to the future. 'Life doesn't promise you a bed of roses, you have to work hard and be strong-willed. 'In this day and age, there's not a lot of patience around – not just in football, but in society. 'Jimmy has a really good track record, he's worked for two Swedish clubs over 14 years. 'We want him here for the long-term. Jimmy isn't a job-hopper, he likes projects. 'He turned down jobs in the English Championship to come here because he liked the project and the people. 'Elfsborg turned us down for him a few times, we had to be patient but that made us even more determined to get him.'
Scotsman
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Dave Cormack makes major Aberdeen Scottish Cup comparison, puts in £8m and makes transfer vow
Chairman knows how vital it is to equip squad for next season Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack believes Aberdeen's Scottish Cup triumph 'is up there' with the club's famous European Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1983 as he vowed to continue backing manager Jimmy Thelin financially next season. The Dons chief was present at Hampden on Saturday to watch Aberdeen end a 35-year wait for the Scottish Cup. They defeated treble-chasing Celtic 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw, also securing at least main-phase Conference League football in the process. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cormack was a fan back in 1983 when Aberdeen overcame Real Madrid 2-1 in Gothenburg for one of the Pittodrie side's greatest successes and the 66-year-old likened what he witnessed over the weekend, with Aberdeen parading the trophy in front of their supporters, to that great night in Sweden. Dave Cormack, centre, has vowed to back his Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin, left. | SNS Group 'This is right up there with Gothenburg,' Cormack said. 'I was at Gothenburg, this is a different era, but it's up there because it's been such a long time. Thirty-five years is too long for the Scottish Cup. It makes all the tough times and things you go through worthwhile.' With Aberdeen now facing more matches due to their European commitments, Cormack recognised the need to make sure the squad is equipped for the challenges ahead. 'Hearts and Aberdeen have both struggled with league form in the European group stages,' conceded Cormack. 'We need to sort that this season so we can play Thursday and Sunday without it impacting us. We have learned a lot from the last time, you need such a strong squad to deal with it. We have to have squad rotation with a good squad and that means investment. It will happen, absolutely. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad More investment for Aberdeen 'We backed Jimmy last summer and in January. My family have put another £8 million into the club, we'll get £5 million gross from being in Europe. So we have a clear plan of what we want to do.
Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘It's right up there' – Aberdeen chief puts Celtic Scottish Cup final victory alongside famous Alex Ferguson achievement
JUBILANT Dave Cormack has told how Aberdeen's shock Scottish Cup win felt as good as Gothenburg. The Dons chairman stood back soaking it all in as over 100,000 partying fans took to the streets of the Granite City to hail Jimmy Thelin's heroes. 3 Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has hailed the Scottish Cup win as 'right up there with Gothenburg' Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 Dons won the cup for the first time in 35 years with a penalty shootout victory over Celtic Credit: Alamy 3 Cormack watched Alex Ferguson's side win the Cup Winner's Cup as a fan and put Jimmy Thelin's win alongside it Credit: Alamy Cormack was in Sweden as a fan in 1983 when Sir Alex Ferguson's side won the Cup Winners' Cup by beating giants Real Madrid. Aberdeen were used to winning things back in those days but on Saturday Thelin's team ended an agonising 35-year wait for the Scottish Cup. So that feeling of elation matched how Cormack felt in the Ullevi Stadium all those years ago. He beamed: 'This is right up there with Gothenburg. 'I was at Gothenburg, this is a different era, but it's up there because it's been such a long time. 'Thirty-five years is too long for the Scottish Cup. 'It makes all the tough times and things you go through worthwhile. 'I was confident during the week, I had a feeling that if we could put things together for ninety or 120 minutes we'd do it. 'If we'd lost the penalty shootout, we'd come back, dust ourselves off then get ready for next season. 'As soon as the first one is saved, you think 'oh, here we go' and that's the way it turned out. Fantastic. Aberdeen end 35 years of hurt as they lift the Scottish Cup in Celtic penalty thriller 'The way I'm wired, I'll enjoy this for a day then start looking to the future. 'Life doesn't promise you a bed of roses, you have to work hard and be strong-willed. 'It's not about me, I want to be an ambassador for the city and the football club. 'It's special, it's been such a long time. 'I'm delighted for the city and our supporters worldwide, you can see what it means to people. 'The fans were unbelievable on Saturday. When the SFA said they'd give us 15,000 tickets or whatever it was, or buy 20,000 we had no hesitation. 'It showed you what it meant to them yesterday and the fans played their part.' Cormack fought to land Thelin, returning to Swedish club Elfsborg with several offers to land their highly-rated manager. He eventually got a deal over the line and initially struck gold as 15 wins on the bounce had fans dreaming of a title challenge. The wheels came off in winter before Thelin ended the season as a club legend by masterminding a tactical plan to see off Celtic. And Cormack insists he never lost faith in the 47-year-old for a second. He said: 'In this day and age, there's not a lot of patience around - not just in football, but in society. Aberdeen's Scottish Cup-winning heroes greeted by thousands on open top bus parade through the city after beating Celtic 'Jimmy has a really good track record, he's worked for two Swedish clubs over 14 years. 'We want him here for the long-term. 'Jimmy isn't a job-hopper, he likes projects. 'He turned down jobs in the English Championship to come here because he liked the project and the people. 'Elfsborg turned us down for him a few times, we had to be patient but that made us even more determined to get him. 'Jimmy wants to play attacking, pressing football but Hampden is a big pitch. 'I didn't know what they were doing, despite some people thinking I pick the team! 'He got it right on the day, the players were fantastic, the back five played incredibly well.' Cormack backed Thelin with a £2 million transfer kitty last summer and with the Dons heading for European group stage football again there will be even more investment in their squad now. He said: 'Hearts and Aberdeen have both struggled with league form in the European group stages. 'We need to sort that this season so we can play Thursday and Sunday without it impacting us. 'We have learned a lot from the last time, you need such a strong squad to deal with it. Man charged over fans' street rammy after Aberdeen-Celtic Scottish Cup final 'We have to have squad rotation with a good squad and that means investment. 'It will happen, absolutely. 'We backed Jimmy last summer and in January. 'My family have put another £8 million into the club, we'll get £5 million gross from being in Europe. 'So we have a clear plan of what we want to do. 'We are already well underway with signings. 'We have been working for the last 5-6 years on this player trading model, it doesn't happen overnight. 'We had to get the strategy in place around it, so if you lose a player you have a good one coming in.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
