Cup final visit may ice Dixon's Dundee cake

Football

Dundee's exiled chairman, Ron Dixon, may see the club play for the first time in a year if business commitments allow him to travel from his native Canada to watch them on the Scottish Coca-Cola Cup final on Sunday.

He has a seat at Hampden waiting for him if he can make it to the First Division club's first major Scottish final for 15 years. Nigel Squire, the club's managing director, is prepared to surrender his, even it that means watching from the dug-out as Dundee take on Aberdeen.

Dixon, whose pounds 2m investment has helped keep Dundee in business, has been out of Scotland for a year and was out of contact with the Dens Park board for more than six months.

Squire said yesterday that Dixon had made phoned "within the last few days" from Vancouver to wish the club all the best for the final. "Ron knew all about the club's progress - the semi-final win over Airdrie, and the derby win over Dundee United," Squire said. "He has a lot of business on at the moment. I'd love for him to see this sleeping giant that he has helped keep going - with 17,000 fans behind them at Hampden. I would hope that if he did manage to attend they would be chanting his name.

"I'm keeping one seat for him if he needs it. He can have mine if he wants - I'll even sit in the dug-out if need be."

Squire drove Dixon to Edinburgh Airport a year ago and has not seen him since. Prior to his most recent call, the last contact had been around March.

"I told him to get a seat on a plane and get over here but he did say he would rather leave it to us. We had talks on the financial position and he is quite happy to let the board carry on running it. He has made a pounds 2m investment in the club and deserves credit for that."

Squire has warned supporters to behave at Hampden, whatever the result. "We've had a rap on the knuckles from the authorities for mini pitch invasions at both the quarter and semi-finals. If there is any repeat I would expect a fine."

That would not be good use of Dixon's money.