A group has been set up to represent people silently in favour of Aberdeen Football Club’s proposed stadium and training ground development at Kingsford.
The Westhill for Kingsford has been formed to encourage people in support of the club’s £50million plans to relocate to speak up.
The Dons want to move to Kingsford, between Kingswells and Westhill, and build a 20,000-seater stadium, football academy with outdoor pitches and pavilion.
Mike Forbes, who set up the group, believes there are many Westhill residents in favour of the move but do not have an organisation to represent their views.
He said: “The thing that triggered setting up Westhill for Kingsford was the perception that everyone in Westhill was against it, but that’s not the case.
“I don’t know if the people that are for it are the silent minority or majority, but what I do know is that there is a significant number of people for it and I don’t think anyone can claim how many people are for or against it because there hasn’t really been the proper research done.”
Mr Forbes hopes his group, which has over 120 members on Facebook, can act as a balance to the No Kingsford Stadium group, who he believes have “skewed” people’s opinion on the proposal because they have been so vocal in opposition.
He added: “It’s human nature, when you are against something you are going to be more vocal about it.
“The more the negative noise has grown, the more I have thought they could have a skewed influence on this and I’m concerned about that.
“They are stopping people outside shops telling them that they should be against the stadium because it will result in hooligans coming to Westhill – it’s just ludicrous when they are talking like that – so I just want to provide a bit of balance.”
However Alistair Mckelvie from No Kingsford Stadium insisted members of the community are making their own decisions, adding: “People are making their own judgements about the proposal.
“Over 3,000 people from Westhill who have submitted their views: the objections are 2688 and the support is 327.
“Westhill are overwhelmingly 90% to 10% against the stadium.
“They don’t represent very many people in Westhill.”
