Episode 13 ’German football governance is a sustainable model for wider football’ guest Chief Executive Duncan Fraser of Aberdeen FC

Thank you for your interest in the BvB London fan community podcast with the summer break in full force in the Bundesliga and BVB at their annual training camp at Bad Ragaz on today's show we head back to Scotland to get a preview of the 20-21 season that has just kicked off. 

We share an hour with Duncan Fraser who for the past 18 years has been a director of Aberdeen FC, 9 of which were spent as CEO a position which he resigned from in June 2020. He is currently Scotland's FIFA Commissioner and a UEFA delegate. On the show, Duncan gives a rare insight into life at the top of a top tier football club and working Scotland's corner within the not always uncontroversial European governing bodies. 

A chartered accountant by training, Duncan is a life-long Aberdeen fan and he has been involved with the club as club secretary, operations director, managing director and CEO. During the 17 years at the club, The 'Dons' as Aberdeen are known won the Scottish League Cup in 2014. 

Aberdeen FC have never been relegated from the top tier of Scottish football and have won the title 4 times, the Scottish cup 7 times and the League cup 6 times. The crowning achievement for the club who play their football at Pittodrie stadium was the 1983/84 UEFA European Cup Winners cup and Super Cup under manager Sir Alec Ferguson. 

Topics on the show: 

1. Introduction to Duncan, how did he come to be in football, his life with Aberdeen FC and what he has learnt from managing a football club.

2. An introduction to Aberdeen FC and Pittodrie stadium, the great players and managers what makes this club unique? What about the fans of the 'Dons' what makes them special? 

3. Preview of the 20-21 SPL season, will Celtic make it 10? Will Stevie Gerrard survive the season? Will it be a two-horse race again? Where will Aberdeen finish? Who will be this season dark-horse? Predictions for the season finishers?  

4. The Scottish national team and the European qualifiers, who are the bright young players in Scottish Football to look out for? What have been the challenges of Scottish football since the glory days up until the 80s? 

5. How is safe standing working in Scotland? Do you think it will be a success? Duncan shares his view on safe-standing and Bundesliga audiences as well as his experience of German football and Borussia Dortmund and the 50+1 form of ownership in Germany.  

6. Being Scotland's FIFA commissioner and a UEFA delegate, what direction are the reforms of the governing bodies going? Are the UEFA Nations League and new third tier for clubs the conference 'viable' or is this more watering down of football?

7. Are we likely to see a new competition replacing the Champions League? A Euro 2020, now postponed across Europe, is UEFA out of touch with climate challenges? Should football be doing more in this respect? 

The football plan that is mentioned in the podcast that influenced the developments at the DFB was a plan developed by former Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson initially for the FA in 2000 substantial parts of which were implemented according to Wilkinson by the DFB in an article in The Times in March 2012.  

You can find the fan club at the usual social media tags. We hope you enjoyed the show, remember to send us your comments, share the show with friends and to apply for tickets contact the club via the website which is borussiadortmundlondon.co.uk or join the London BvB community at our online group at Facebook.com/borussiadortmundfanclubengland. During the season you can also come to watch a game at our meet-up Stammtisch at the Naughty Bar, just off Oxford Street, in Cleveland street London.

 

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