Sir Alex Ferguson backs Aberdeen garden plan

By FRANK URQUHART
Published on Friday 3 February 2012 12:27

SIR Alex Ferguson has thrown his weight behind a new campaign to secure a public vote in favour of the controversial transformation of Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens.

Sir Alex, who led the Dons to glory in Gothenburg in 1983 when Aberdeen won the European Cup Winners’ Cup, said that the futuristic “Granite Web” design, being proposed for the City Garden Project, would help kickstart the regeneration of a “down-at-heel” Union Street and he urged Aberdonians to back the £140 million transformational scheme being spearheaded by oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood.

The Manchester United boss said: “I am hugely proud of my links to Aberdeen with its long and illustrious history, but on my last visit to the city just before Christmas, I felt that Union Street and one or two of the streets off there that I was in were somewhat down-at-heel and need to have something, to kickstart the city centre to make it something of which we can all be proud.

“I know that change does not come readily to many people, but in all walks of life change is needed from time to time simply to reinvigorate. I think that the City Garden Project has the potential to assist the regeneration of the city centre and provide much more usable facilities for future generations.”

Sir Alex, who was made a Freeman of Aberdeen in 1999, added: “I would urge everyone not to be scared of change and to look upon this as an opportunity and something which will allow Aberdeen to be favourably compared with cities both in the UK and further afield.”

The new Vote for City Garden campaign is being bankrolled by 50 prominent business leaders including, Stewart Milne, chairman of Aberdeen FC and head of the Stewart Milne Group.

The campaign group is planning a mass leafleting and internet campaign in the build-up to the crucial vote next month.

A spokeswoman for the campaign said: “The City Garden is a project that will regenerate the whole city centre, boosting the economy, creating jobs and enhancing the cultural and social fabric of the region.

“The design will double the amount of green gardens, new spaces for cultural activities and better access and connections across the whole city centre.”

It was also revealed yesterday 64 per cent of the members of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce have backed the City Garden Project.

Comments

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13

Ian Aberdon

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 07:03 AM

Comment removed by moderator

12

Tightfisted

Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:37 AM

Aye Right................Like SAF is gonna spend his time sunbathing in the new park !!! Let the folks of Furry-Boot city decide for themselves without outsiders chipping in with comments on summat that is all down to the good folks that LIVE there !!

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11

Alan Craigie

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 05:41 PM

The local paper has stopped all online comments. Presumably an attempt to silence public criticism. Syrian tactics.

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10

Alan Craigie

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 05:37 PM

Alex firmly in the pocket of big business as are Aberdeen Council. A Council that can't keep it's pools operating, maintain its roads or pay for teaching assistants wants to subsidize a shopping mall to the tune of 90 million. Only in Scotland would this even be considered. What a sorry state. The truly pathetic thing is that people will vote for it because they believe massive public expenditures with borrowed money comes with no cost.

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9

man-o-field

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 05:00 PM

Bug There are not two 'Ts' in your reference to the 'spoiled' populace. Please be more accurate in future!

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8

Tobytoo

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 04:52 PM

#5 Bug, what a NASTY comment.The first part of your name say's it all.

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7

mobocaster

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 04:36 PM

One of my oldest mentors in marketing used to say that if you had a product, service or idea with nothing to recommend it whatsoever, Football was about the best tool you could use to promote it. Looks like ASCEF and their cronies have taken that idea to heart and shown nothing more than utter contempt for the people of Aberdeen. The quicker this project dies the better!

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6

burnsSTARpupil

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 04:18 PM

Alec..for once you're wrong. Regarding something to be proud of....the people, Alec - the people - more so than any building project. While I'm here, I think somebodys' "away wi' the birds. " £140.000.000 tae upgrade a gairden!! Whit aboot the potholes?!

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5

Bug R Tiffanno

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 02:31 PM

That Sir Ian would give 50 million pounds of his own money to the most miserable, whining, ungrateful, selfish spoiled basttards in the planet is to his credit.................................The usual drivel comments from the Iberdeen Rajes tell us all we require about them.

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4

Lawnman

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 01:23 PM

Let Fergie give advice to Goven or Manchester where he comes from, he was only the football manager at the Don's till he ran out.

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3

Lawnman

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 01:19 PM

If Woods has so much money A) let him pay for the whole thing or B) Build a hospital ward or primary school. Aberdeen can hardly fill the shops on Union St., as it is never mind the shopping malls.

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2

Aberdeen lad

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 12:30 PM

Alex Ferguson doesn't even live in Aberdeen, it's the citizens that will suffer if they build (on public land) Sir Ian Woods square.

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1

man-o-field

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 09:26 AM

The handout picture in the 'vote for the garden project' is incorrect. It shows a view from a low angle, about railway height, looking toward the theatre whereas this would not exist when the gardens are raised up to street level.

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