More Dons fans will get the chance to watch Aberdeen at home in the new season as the club announced changes at Pittodrie to further boost home attendances and atmosphere.
There could be as many as 1,000 additional home supporters in the South Stand for some fixtures going forward, with works proposed to remove the fence between section R – which has previously been closed off for visiting fans – and the rest of the stand.
The Reds plan to move toward a system which will allow them to make “more bespoke” ticket allocations to opposition SPFL sides at Pittodrie – anything between 1,770 and 300 briefs – which the club hope will allow them to house around 1,000 more home supporters in the covered South Stand seating for matches “where it is appropriate”.
The proposals to revamp the away section, which are subject to final approval from Aberdeen City Council, also include the “installation of additional new toilets and catering facilities at the rear of the visitor’s section and the re-routing of some entry and exit ways for home and away fans”, with the aim for the work to be finished by “mid-September”.
‘Reciprocal’ away allocation talks will have bearing on amount of Pittodrie tickets offered to visiting sides
Aberdeen – who have sold a record number of season tickets for the upcoming campaign – have also revealed plans to start reciprocal away allocation talks with fellow top-flight clubs in a bid to secure “fair and equitable number for our brilliant away supporters”.
The outcome of these talks, which come in the wake of several Premiership clubs making high-profile and controversial decisions to cut the amount of tickets made available for visiting supporters, will feed in to how many away fans the Reds allow at Pittodrie going forward.
The Dons’ plans for Pittodrie were revealed on Monday, within a club statement headlined “Making Pittodrie a fortress”.
Ahead of the new season we have made some positive progress regarding the capacity & allocation set-up at Pittodrie.
🔴 New additional spaces in the Red Shed
🔴 Creating a flexible away section in the South Stand
🔴 Additional space for up to 1,000 more Dons fans at Pittodrie
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) July 24, 2023
It said: “Over the last couple of seasons our attendances have increased, and the atmosphere has improved greatly, these changes are being implemented now to help grow our support and make our home advantage count as we look to enjoy the backing of as many Dons supporters as possible for every home match.”
Better facilities planned for stand
Aberdeen have also revealed Aberdeen City Council’s safety advisory group (SAG) have allowed 200 more season tickets to be sold in the Red Shed – and are hopeful of being allowed to house even more fans in the popular Merkland Stand singing section.
Their statement added: “We want to ensure that this high-demand area of the ground is as noisy and colourful as possible, whilst also focusing on providing a safe and secure environment for everyone.
“Those talks with the SAG will continue in the weeks and months ahead, and we ask for continued cooperation and collaboration with fans in the Red Shed as we strive for more available seats.”
The additional 200 season books will be sold through the waiting list of fans who have already registered an interest, with any remaining season tickets then available on a first-come-first-served basis.
This will take the useable capacity of the Merkland Stand to 2,095.
Work will allow larger home backing
Chief executive Alan Burrows explained the behind-the-scenes groundwork have all been carried out with one common goal – to boost the numbers backing Barry Robson’s European group stage-bound stars.
He said: “We are delighted to be able to offer even more season tickets in the Red Shed ahead of the 2023/24 season.
“There has been a huge amount of excellent work undertaken by AFC staff over the last few years on engaging with supporters and making matchdays at Pittodrie more noisy and more colourful and improving the atmosphere.
“We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to try and build on that, whilst maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone.
“Our plans for the South Stand are very much an extension of that desire. We want even more Aberdeen fans coming to Pittodrie in the best seats, cheering the team on.
“The fence has not only proved a visible hindrance for fans in that area, but it has also not allowed us any flexibility to try and maximise attendances.
“This work will also have the added benefit of increasing the catering provisions in the South Stand by 25%, which we hope will further reduce queues and waiting times in that area for specific games.”
Meanwhile, tickets for Aberdeen’s Premiership opener away to Livingston on August 5 went on sale on Monday evening.