Brannan's club sacked manager Jocky Scott in March

By Jim Spence

Dundee chairman Bob Brannan has asked the club's fans for increased backing next season to ensure a healthy future for the Dens Park club.

A sizeable lead was squandered as they missed out on promotion this season.

And Brannan has taken the unusual step of writing an open letter to the city's evening newspaper regarding the plight of the club.

"If the fans don't get behind the club, there will be no club," Brannan told BBC Scotland.

"People are disappointed with this season. We threw a lot of money at the league and that is not a sustainable position."

Backed by director Calum Melville, Dundee were among the biggest spenders in the whole of Scottish football in the last year.

We have an SPL cost base with First Division income Dundee chairman Bob Brannan

Brannan, who is set to stand down as chairman has admitted to having invested several hundred thousand pounds in the Dens Park club.

Meanwhile, some estimates reckon that benefactor Melville pumped around £1.3m pounds into last season's unsuccessful attempt to win promotion to the Scottish Premier League.

"Calum Melville is still very supportive, but the budget has to be at a more realistic level," said Brannan. "My message is to get behind the club.

"I read negative stuff about fans saying they won't buy a season ticket unless there are three or four big signings. That is Man Utd talk not Dundee FC.

"There is a serious danger to any club whether they are in the SPL or the First Division.

"We have got down to a pretty healthy cost base and we're not a million miles from break even, but we need to raise more income.

"We have an SPL cost base with First Division income, so we need more through the gates or through fans schemes to raise more money."

Dundee sacked manager Jocky Scott in March as their lead started to slip, but replacement Gordon Chisholm, who arrived from Division One rivals Queen of the South, was unable to arrest the decline as a late charge by Inverness Caledonian Thistle secured the title.

"I know there has been a lot more thin than thick in recent times, but fans have to ask whether they support the club or not," added Brannan.

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