Aberdeen City Council yesterday ruled out helping fund a new Dons stadium at the beach.
Council co-leader Ian Yuill stated: "We are not in the business of putting council money into football stadiums."
The Press and Journal says the plans for a £80million ground, predicted to bring Aberdeen a "billion-pound boost" over future decades, are now facing an uncertain future.
Mr Yuill and the other council co-leader, Alex Nicoll, told the newspaper that club bosses would have to dig into their own pockets if they want to build the stadium.
The SNP and Liberal Dem coalition which they lead commands a majority of 24 of the 45 councillors in Aberdeen.
The comments from the leaders came after Aberdeen FC chairman Dave Cormack lifted the lid on what he felt were "premature" council requests about how much money the Dons could put towards the new stadium.
Council leaders approach
The Dons had been set to move to Kingsford when council leaders approached them about staying in the city almost two years ago. Back then, the local authority indicated it would contribute some of the £150million cash earmarked for the city centre and beach masterplan towards the arena.
They wanted it to act as a "centrepiece" for the multi-million-pound seafront revamp. And recent economic studies indicated such a complex, capable of hosting gigs and other sporting events, would inject £20million into the local economy every year of its 50-year lifespan.
Much change
Much has changed since 2021, when the Labour and Conservative-led administration contacted the club while in charge of the authority.
Lib Dem group leader Mr Yuill, who became co-leader this May, has previously railed against any public cash being invested in a new Dons stadium. And last night, he revealed his long-held crusade against parting with public cash had finally paid off.
He stressed that the stadium plans come at a time when the council is facing unprecedented financial challenges.
He added: "Our priority is investing very-scarce public funds in facilities that will benefit people in Aberdeen, like schools, libraries, roads and sports facilities.
Legal duty
"These are the public facilities we have a legal duty to provide.
"The decision about taking forward the football stadium is for Aberdeen FC."
SNP leader Alex Nicoll later told said that he and Mr Yuill were "singing from the same hymn sheet".
The authority's director of resources, Steve Whyte, wrote to Aberdeen FC last week asking if they had "full funding" in place for the stadium themselves.
In a message shared online yesterday with supporters, Mr Cormack says: "Last week the council asked the club to confirm if the full funding for a new net-zero stadium at the beach had been secured.
Level of detail
"We have informed the council we do not yet have the level of detail on construction, procurement, funding development, ownership and the ongoing operation of the proposed facilities to have meaningful conversations about funding."
Mr Cormack adds that the Dons are in "preliminary discussions" about securing cash for the mammoth project.
The message also states that "since the council approached the club" about remaining in the city, the Dons have "willingly and enthusiastically" ploughed "considerable time and resources" into its potential design and operation.
It adds: "We are prepared to continue to invest time and resources to play our part."
More than a stadium
Mr Cormack has again stressed that the complex will be much more than a mere football stadium.
He says: "No-one is talking about a stand-alone football stadium. This project is about delivering an integrated, net-zero, community stadium linked to wider community and leisure facilities which is the catalyst for enabling the wider regeneration of the beachfront.
"It is much more than a home for the football club, which is only used every other week."
The chairman would not be drawn on where this leaves the ambitious scheme.
He adds "It's now about working together, with a defined outline business case, to secure funding from the club, from potential private funding partners, from the UK and Scottish Governments, as well as the council, to deliver this prize for the local economy, the city and its citizens."
Just last month, the chairman told the P&J that he could yet proceed with the Kingsford relocation at a cheaper price.
But he said he would rather build closer to the club's historic home due to the predicted economic boost to the city.