Lets look at the key elements:
Do they have the finance? Well based on Mr Marrs comments of not putting any more money into the club, whose money is actually financing the club now?
The key outlay of all football clubs is player wages and they were running at 150% of income at one time at Dens. How would the fans pay the wages for a reasonable team to take the field?
Well I firmly believe that the fans running the club would be a fantastic incentive to raise money each year. A real target to say to people, look you have ownership of the club. Its safe forever.
I think in those circumstances its reasonable to hope that 2000 people would pay £20 monthly to the community ownership fund. Thats £480,000 a year.
I also believe that 1500 adults and 1500 childrens season tickets could be sold at £200 and £100 for the season. Thats £450,000 a season.
I will also assume 500 more adults and 500 more children attend the games at Dens at say £14 and £7. Thats another £185,000 in an 18 game home season.
In rough terms I would suggets using 100 % of this money to fund the team and coaching staff.
The other costs involoved in running the club, ie office staff, commercial staff, electric bills, etc can be funded directly by the commercial department with performance related pay for those in key positions.
The commercial department would be challenged to find new income streams from exisiting facilities.
This is very simplistic and a detailed business plan would need to be produced. Already though I fell that yes the finance could be managed, especially if there was no £700k a year noose around our necks.
Do we have the expertise?
For sure we do. We have the biggest pool of resource and talent available that you can imagine. The Dee4Life guys have already shown the way forward with energy and committment. Imagine the future for that organisation without the chains of slavery around them. Empower them to fully reach their potential.
Is there a will?
Perhaps not today but the time is coming. I firmly believe the only thing thats stopping us is fear. Fear of being the ones to fail. Fear of closing our club. Fear of the unknown. What i'm afraid of is inaction and this slow march into oblivion.
There is a lot of talking and organising to be done and plans to be thrashed out. There is a lot of decision making ahead for all Dundee fans.
Are we happy to see the club being run in this way, not our league posiition but the manner in which we operate as a club. As people.
Let us know what you think by emailing us here at Dundee Mad. We'll put the emails online, supportive or not. Lets get this debate going.
Email direct to dundeemad@hotmail.com