Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has asked fans to forego season ticket refunds after the SPFL called the Premiership season early to help protect the club.
Cormack, who in March announced measures, including wage deferrals and fresh investment, to fill a £5 million shortfall caused by the coronavirus shutdown, has asked the Red Army – who have already bought more than 5,000 season tickets for next season – to help the Dons again with this new £1 million obligation.
The Atlanta-based businessman is now predicting no football in front of fans until 2021 and, with this daunting prospect in mind, has asked supporters who can to give up any cash due back after the SPFL today confirmed the final eight games of the 2019/20 campaign wouldn’t be played.
Cormack – who has been helping the Aberdeen FC Community Trust with calls to the vulnerable during the crisis – said: “We could have wriggled out of offering partial refunds, but we don’t believe that is the right thing to do and that has been our whole ethos throughout this crisis. It’s about who we are as a club, at the heart of our city region, supporting our fans and the wider community. We know that many supporters are experiencing hardship and it’s therefore important that a partial refund is made available.
“Having said that, the club continues to invest in 20 full-time staff who form part of our critical community outreach call centre. We could have furloughed this group of staff but feel we are doing the right thing continuing these wellbeing calls and food deliveries to the vulnerable.
“I do hope supporters will have seen the widespread positive impact the club and trust is demonstrating in our city region. The reality is that we are facing a financial crisis entirely outwith our control. As such my appeal to season ticket members and seasonal corporate hospitality clients who are in a position to help the club financially and, in turn, the wider community, would be to leave any partial refund in the club to help ensure we stay a viable concern.”