August 1987
Cook Steps Up Bid to Control Dundee F.C.
Shareholder Angus Cook last night stepped up his bid to gain control of Dundee Football Club. The millionaire property developer has purchased a further 20,000 ordinary voting shares, thus increasing his holding to 70,000 voting shares or 37.8% of the club’s issued share capital.Mr Cook, who now needs only a further 23,000 shares to reach the 51% mark, thus effectively gaining control of the club, is writing to shareholders making an offer to buy their shares.
Dundee F.C.’s share structure comprises 185,000 voting shares and 115,000 non-voting shares. Mr Cook currently holds 70,000 and 40,000 respectively.
One option open to the Dens Park board, if they decide to fight the takeover bid, would be to attempt to activate the 200,000 non-voting shares at present unissued. However to do so would require the calling of an extraordinary general meeting and the backing of 75% of the shareholding, which, with Mr Cook now holding 37.8% they could not achieve.
The city business man has now placed a £85,000 package – aimed at securing control of the club by different means, which he announced last week – on ‘hold’ meantime. He said last night “I’m optimistic of getting the required number of shares to gain a 51% holding”.
Dens Park secretary/general manager Dave Johnston commented, “All I know is what I read in the papers. We certainly haven’t received details of any share transfers.”
However Angus Cook later intimated that details of his share purchases would be lodged at Dens Park this week.
Mr Cook launched his share buying campaign following the board’s rejection earlier this summer of his £150,000 bid to assume control.
Skol Cup Draw
Hibs v. Queen of the South
Dunfermline v. Rangers
Motherwell v. Albion Rovers
Raith Rovers v. Dundee United
Aberdeen v. St Johnstone
Meadowbank v. Dundee
Hearts v. Clyde
Dumbarton v. Celtic
Employment
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Bargains for Turkeys
On Saturday, Thomas Cook, 22, City Square, Dundee, will be selling Club 18-30 holidays to Turkey for 99p.
There’s a catch however – the holidays will be sold only to those customers arriving at the shop dressed as turkeys.
Club 18-30 and Thomas Cook will sell two holidays at 11 a.m. and three holidays at 4 p.m. to the best looking “birds” to rush to the shop.
The Turkey offer is part of the launch of the Club 18-30 summer 1988 holidays brochure.
Dundonians Queue to Be Starry-eyed
Over 400 Dundonians flocked to the mobile, inflatable planetarium which sat outside McManus Galleries yesterday.
The planetarium owned by the Mills Observatory on Balgay Hill was manned by city astronomer Dr Fiona Vincent, who gave lectures and recreated stellar constellations on the interior of the igloo by means of a “star projector”.
Extension Services Officer, Mr Christopher Dingwall explained that the shows, which had been taking place ever every three-quarters of an hour throughout the day, had been fully booked each time. Such was the demand the organisers are contemplating another series of shows.
Glamis Crowd Up on Special Day
The Queen Mother’s 87th birthday yesterday saw a crowd of 850 people stream through Glamis Castle, her family home.
Lt-Col. Patrick Cardwell-Moore, castle administrator, said numbers were well up on normal, with many people from overseas. Among the visitors was Mr Richard Jury, St Andrews, who was 82 yesterday. He and his wife, Doreen, celebrated with a special lunch and a tour of the castle.
O.A.P’s Favourite Dies in The Hague
Dundee Entertainer Mrs Helen Pennycook, who was in her 80s, has died at her daughter’s home in The Hague, Holland.
Until just last year Helen and her group, the Five Pennies, were favourites in old folk’s clubs in the city.
She was born into a musical family, her father leading a popular country dance band for many years. Her daughter Dorothy met a Dutchman in the early 1950s in Brazil and Helen spent some years in that country before returning to her native city.
Dorothy later moved back to her husband’s birthplace to live and in May this year her mother moved out to be with them.
She lived formerly in Arbroath Road, Broughty Ferry.
Plea for Workshop
Tayside Regional Council Convener Ron Tosh has written a letter of support to the Dundee Photographic Workshop.
He says “I am of the opinion that the Dundee Photography Workshop is an asset to the community and has given valuable experience to nearly 300 unemployed people.
They have worked in conjunction with many national groups for example Barnardo’s and Age Concern, plus many others. The group teaches members photography through an open learning process and these members them help people by taking photographs of those who could not otherwise afford to have this done – the elderly and the handicapped.”
“It would be a sad loss for these people, as well as for the many unemployed who have gained a working knowledge of photography through Dundee Photography Workshop if it were to close down because of lack of funding.
“I think the Manpower Services Commission should look at this case again, take everything into consideration and rescind its decision not to recommend further funding for the project”.
Horticulture
Lauries Garden Centre
Trees; Shrubs; Herbaceous
Many unusual and interesting shrubs
available at the plant centre for planting NOW.
Come and meander around the Garden
and select your requirements from the large stock available.
Open Saturdays, 10 – 4 p.m.; Sundays 11 – 4 p.m.; Weekdays 9 – 5 p.m.
James Lauries & Son Limited
Blackness Nursery, Perth Road, Ninewells, Dundee.
Telephone 68360.
Tayside Hit by All-Out Bus Strike
Almost 300 busmen and women in Tayside went on strike yesterday as the industrial action by Scottish Bus Group employees intensified.
Every Strathtay Scottish depot in the region voted to support the Transport and General Workers’ Union strike call and no scheduled services operated after midnight on Thursday.
An exception in the Dundee area was for staff of Royal Liff Hospital and Ashludie Hospital in Monifieth. The union viewed these services to be essential and declared they should not be effected.
However, the union’s message did not reach a party of Scottish Bus Group pickets from the Glasgow area who arrived in Dundee early yesterday. They picketed the Seagate bus depot and prevented a Liff-bound bus from leaving. Mr James Blake, Union district secretary soon heard about the disruption and went to the Seagate to inform the visiting pickets that Liff and Ashludie services had special dispensation. The pickets accepted his word and all subsequent essential services to the two hospitals operated as planned.
Union officials are due to meet a Scottish Bus Group management team in Edinburgh last night in a bid to find a solution to the strike, which has paralysed all 11 of its constituent members, including Strathtay.