The Scottish Football Association has backed plans to build a new stadium at Aberdeen beach and said it could open the door to future Scotland matches returning to the Granite City.
A new stadium at Aberdeen beach is projected to inject at least £1billion into the local economy over the next 50 years and generate footfall of 38 million.
The economic impact of a community sports stadium as the centrepiece in Aberdeen’s beach regeneration was published in Thursday following a report carried out by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce and MKA Economics, jointly commissioned by Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Football Club.
The plans have since won the backing of those in charge of Scottish football.
Ian Maxwell, the SFA chief executive, said: “Keeping Aberdeen FC in the city with a new stadium, close to its spiritual home of Pittodrie, would benefit not only the club but the city as a whole.
“A modern stadium which includes facilities that meet strict criteria set by UEFA would ensure the North-east is a viable option to host future international matches involving Scotland National Teams of all levels.
“The plans are also in keeping with the Scottish FA strategy, the Power of Football, in particular building a united and successful future for our national game.”
Pittodrie currently generates around 400,000 visits every year. But with bigger and better facilities, the new stadium could bring an additional 350,000 visitors per year for major events alone. That is a total footfall of 750,000 every year.
Aberdeen chairman, Dave Cormack, welcomed the backing of the SFA.
He said: “It’s clear that the combined offering of our excellent training facilities at Cormack Park with a stunning new beachfront stadium would be appealing for our national teams, both men’s and women’s, at all levels.
"It would help promote diversity and inclusion in Aberdeen and further boost the already substantial £1billion projected economic uplift from the new stadium, which was identified by the recent Chamber of Commerce economic impact report.
“Being in the running to host international fixtures on a more regular basis, instead of just one every five years or so, could generate a significant and welcome boost to the local economy, attracting visitors to Aberdeen, increasing footfall and spend in the city centre and enhancing our international profile.”