Brian Winton says the construction of a new stand and obtaining the bronze club licence shows Banks o’ Dee’s ambition.
The Aberdeen outfit have built a new 96-seat stand at the south end of Spain Park.
They were also the first Breedon Highland League club to receive a bronze licence – something which is now mandatory to gain promotion to the SPFL – from the Scottish FA.
Dee president Winton wants to keep improving as a club on and off the pitch.
He said: “We’re keen to keep progressing and the new stand was the final piece of our ground development plan which was set out in 2011.
“We always knew we’d have to put in more seats because the main stand gets overwhelmed on big occasions, especially when we’ve got hospitality.
“The idea was to build it at the end beside the hospitality suite, it’s got 96 seats and that will accommodate hospitality on a big matchday.
“Since we moved into the Highland League we’ve been getting bigger crowds.
“When we have a big game the crowds can be 450 or 500. You have to be able to accommodate people and make them feel welcome and this is part of that.”
Bronze licence demands
To obtain a bronze club licence teams have to meet myriad requirements relating to facilities, club governance and coaching qualifications.
Winton is pleased Banks o’ Dee have met the standards and added: “We’ve had to get a club doctor, a child protection officer, a chaplain and a diversity and inclusion manager.
“They’re all additional roles within the club, in the past getting a club doctor was always a sticking point for us.
“When I put out a note to see if I could get a club doctor for this season it was quite enlightening that Carmen de Andres approached us about coming on board.
“She’s got a great pedigree, she was a club doctor at Real Madrid when she stayed in Spain, but now she lives and works in Aberdeen.
“It’s been a big time commitment getting the bronze licence, it’s a constant thing.
“It’s not just a one-off to get a bronze licence, you need to keep everything up to date and it’s going to be a big administration burden for clubs.
“Most of the top Highland League clubs have got ambitions to go to the SPFL.
“That’s quite attractive and geographically we’re quite well-placed. Going south for us is a lot easier than going north, we can be in Glasgow or Edinburgh as quickly as we can be in Inverness.
“But I’ve hugely enjoyed our first two years in the Highland League.”