Jim Cummings Joins the Pittodrie Board
24th October 2000
... both those organisations. This elevation to the boardroom is historic for the very reason that it was campaigned for by fans. There is a huge lesson and inspiration for other organised fan groups around the country - now they can see that such efforts are not in vain. Boardrooms, even in Scotland, home of the Largs Mafia and inventor of the Dark Ages, can be positively influenced by fans and shareholders and there is no doubt that this has been the case at Pittodrie. The great thing for Dons fans is that people in the boardroom recognised that what they were hearing and seeing in the media was not just so much belly rumbling, it was well thought out and professionally put over by people who really cared about the club.
Now is no time for resting on laurels though. There is a huge job of work to be done to set the good ship AFC back on an even keel both footballing and financial. The people who got Jim Cummings into the boardroom will now be looking for him to work with Dave Cormack, Martin Gilbert, Gordon Buchan and the rest to build the club into a progressive, fleet footed organisation that can cope with the rapidly changing world of football. We need to see progress in making the club more efficient and better geared to generating the finance that the manager needs to build a worthwhile team on the park. Not an easy job, but a highly possible one.
An important outcome of JC's appointment will be an outbreak of peace. The fan groups will feel that it will now be possible to work with the club to help get things sorted. The presence of people at the top who will listen is encouragement for everyone to chip in with constructive ideas and help. Not that there will be no watchdog role for the AFCSA or ISG because it is often the case that the troops can clearly see the problems on a battlefield long before the generals.
The whole beast that is AFC can take a boost from today's news and start on a new road forward. Nice one loon.