Mark McGhee: Stadium plans big incentive for Dundee to retain top-flight status

Dundee boss Mark McGhee believes new stadium plans are another huge incentive for his players to retain their top-flight status.

Managing director John Nelms this week declared his intention to move from Dens Park to Camperdown Park in the summer of 2024 after the club unveiled new drawings of a proposed 15,000-seat stadium.

There is natural scepticism among supporters given plans have not been submitted and the idea was first mooted in 2017, but McGhee has seen how such moves have benefited some of his former clubs and believes the proposals should motivate the players.

Dundee are looking to make up a four-point deficit on St Johnstone ahead of the visit of Aberdeen as they look to retain their cinch Premiership status and help give the stadium plans added momentum.

McGhee said: “The other important thing is that most of the players are under contract for next year. So it’s in their interests to be in the Premiership and it’s in their interests to be here when we start the development of the new stadium and the excitement that brings to any club and any town.

“I have seen it happen in other places and what it does for people and football clubs is sensational.

“To be part of that, for us all, would be fantastic, and most of them that are here at the moment have that opportunity.

“I was part of the effort to get permission to build Brighton’s new stadium, I was marching on the seafront and giving lectures about stadiums to people, because they had three public inquiries down there to get the stadium. They reckon they spent £4.5million on public inquiries to get permission to build the stadium never mind the cost of building it.

“I saw a new stadium built at Reading and Leicester just after I left. One of these times I am going to be here when they build the new stadium.

“It does make a difference to people and clubs. I am a season-ticket holder at Brighton, my son and I, and what it does for the supporters is just incredible.

“I know people love this place and there is a tradition here, but they have got to trust us, a new stadium is a new dawn. It’s only for the supporters, that’s what new stadiums are about.”

McGhee admits he will be keeping abreast of events at McDiarmid Park on Saturday, where Livingston are the visitors.

“I will have one eye on what St Johnstone are doing because, as far as I’m concerned, it’s about us and them,” he said. “It will be important that we know how we approach particularly the latter stages of games.

“So, for instance, if St Johnstone were to be losing and we were drawing, then a point is a good point. If St Johnstone are winning and we are drawing then maybe we have to do something different to try and make sure we win the game.

“There’s more to it than simply us against Aberdeen, there’s mind games to it as well.”