In a piece of brazen brinkmanship Cook secured last Tuesdays front pages , and rattled both clubs supporters, as part of a strategy to force United to share a ground with Dundee - enabling the two parties to sell off one prime site and pool resources towards meeting the costs of the major redevelopment neede to comply with the new crowd safety rules imposed after the Hillsborough disaster.
Talks have been going on in secret for the past 12 months between the directors of the two clubsRegular meetings were held at Dundee`s Dens Park.
They were attended by Cook and his fellow directors from Dundee, and Jim McLean , the United manager and major shareholder , and Harry Leadbitter, a director. But sentiment, not possible recievership, rapidly surfaced as the dominant theme. The antipathy between Cook and McLean was palpable.
The proposal was for both clubs to share a ground, allowing one site to be sold. Cook proposed selling Tannadice, Uniteds home, 200 yards from Dens Park. Both teams would share the facilities, easing costs and allowing the cash from the Tannadice sale to go towards the estimated £3m cost of the Taylor recommendations, which state that grounds must be be all-seated by 1994.
United, however, wanted to turn their rivals home into a superstore, not vice versa, saying they were the bigger and more successful team. Cook also wanted 38% of the holding company if the two clubs merged. United said that was too much. At one meeting, Cook threated to take over United. United responded by saying they would swallow up Dundee, rubbing out their bitter rivals in a sudden death game of comercial clout.
In the end, United walked away; the Tangerines would never mingle with the Dark Blues, financially much weaker, could walk alone on the path to oblivion. United, in turn, would pay for their own redevelopments at Tannadice.
But the planning authorities last week dismissed the proposal to convert Tannadice into an all seated stadium. Cook, knowing his takeover would never go through, saw his chance. He went public last Tuesday in order to highlight the scale of the financial difficulties facing both clubs.
The next chapter in the story has not yet been written, and is unpredictable given the emotional nature of men-even shrewd business men-when the talk comes round to football and your club.
Cook, for his part, yesterday implored United to participate in an enforced marriage. "Nothing is impossible. It's not change for change's sake. It's change because Tyler has made it compulsory. All this should not come as too much of a surprise to people."
Surprises are set to become more commonplace. Few clubs are on course to beat the 1994 improvements deadline, both in the Premier and First divisions.
"Clubs seem to hope it will all just go away, that no money will have to be spent...that everything will be all right at the end of the day,"one chairman told Scotland on Sunday. But Michael Forsyth, the Scottish sports minister, will make the Taylor recommendations law in Scotland if clubs fail to act (they are compulsory in England but voluntary in Scotland).
The grounds of Aberdeen and St Johnstone already comply. Rangers need to spend an estimated £1.5m, which is not a problem. Celtic will have to spend at least £20m, either to redevelop Parkhead or move to a new site. Hearts will spend up to £15m to move out of Tynecastle and build a staduim at Millerhill on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
The Hearts chariman, Wallace Mercer, is dismissive of the threat, describing football as "a social investment"with entertainment being the main motivator, not money. "The fans couldn't give a toss about who owns what. They just want a good side."
The situation facing First Division clubs, some of whom have players on full time deals, is worse. Gate receipts and sponsorships are lower. Falkirk, for example, due to begin life in the Premier Division next season, are trying to sell Brockville as a supermarket site and put the money straight back into a new Taylor-friendly stadium on the outskirts of town.
Many analysts believe that, in the pursuit of success with star players, ambition has clouded common sense. Of the more dynamic directors that people the boardrooms of Scotlands clubs, and they are in a minority, there is a feeling that an overdue process of natural selection is now moulding the structure of football.
"Because of Taylor, clubs will no longer be able to shell out huge sums on players, while refusing to spend money on ground improvements. What we will see is a chrystalisation with the clubs commercially strong enough to survive dominating, while others go down the tubes. The gulf will widen said one director.
Geoff Brown, the St Johnstone chairman, has reason to be smug, but he is not because he would be facing similar difficulties were it not for a slice of good fortune.
Last week he was pondering the dilema of installing water sprinklers to irrigate the pitch at McDiarmid Park, the clubs new green-belt home, while his rivals wrestled with the prospect of spending millions on redevelopments.
Brown retired the club's groud at Muirton, in the middle of perth, on it's 65th birthday. The demolition team moved in four years after he first floated the idea to sell.
Faced with debts of £300 000 plus an estimated £400 000 costs to improve safety at the ground. Brown decided it was the only pratical way forward. Losses were mounting by £3500 each week.
Negotiations with Asda were concluded in 1988. The cost of building McDiarmid Park, an all seater, covered stadium with restuarants and cafes and hygienic toilet facilites was met by Asda. the £7m for te sale of Muirton paid off the debts.
"People don't want to have to go to an old tea hut for refreshments, then go and pee against a wall" said Brown. "There is too much pressure from other activities."
David Murray, the Rangers chairman, holds broadly similar views.
"You have to constantly analyse what you are doing. You have to anticipate difficulties and then act decisively even if there is a possibility that you may prove to be wrong."
David Dein, assistant chairman of Arsenal, who has been involved in talks on ground sharing with Tottenham said: "Its the old , old story. There are few people with the vision of David Murray. All that the rest want to talk about is meat pies."
That may no longer be the case. Players will recieve their pay cheques as usual this week. The Taylor deadline, and all that means, is only two seasons away. Club directors and chairman will have plenty of time to think about the situation....... the season does not start again until August, and there will be no money coming in until it does.
Reporter ; Andrew Malone 1991 - Taken from The Courier 02/06/91 (c) DC Thomson
I hope you found this article worthwhile reading as quite a few points were raised and some still remain unanswered
Interesting to note the comments about Falkirk ??, and the other clubs were on about Dundee having been granted too much grace in their time schedule regarding building of new stadia.
So Egos and not commonsense took priority in the City of Discovery back then, while the debate about ground sharing and amalgamation is still going strong some 9 years later and will no doubt continue long after you and I are pushing up the daisies.
The chairmen may have been replaced but the passion the fans breathe will surely keep these two great rivals in seperate locations and remain seperate identities.
As for comparing Murray and Brown with the two Dundee teams, I think it took a lot out of an excellent report. Mr Murray was, and still is in a different class buissness wise, whereas Mr.Brown will have to wipe his feet before he goes into his house at night.
