At a meeting tonight, the DFC Development Club, Dundee Supporters Association and lottery organisers Dee Promotions are set to reject a Dens board plan for their cash gifts to be brought under one umbrella.

The suspicious groups see that as a way of the club wrestling complete control over the funds they raise and how they are spent.

They are angry at the way pressure has been exerted on them to fall in line with the plan.

Up until now, the groups have handed over all money raised, but have stipulated in which areas it should be spent.

The Development Club and Dee Promotions, in particular, direct their cash towards the youth set-up.

They are unhappy at the prospect of that changing and, in meeting with club officials, have been less than impressed with a lack of awareness of just how much work they do for Dundee.

In the last 12 months, Dee Promotions handed over in excess of £80,000, the Development Club between £12,000 and £15,000, with the DSA cash taking the overall figure donated to over £100,000.

“We do a lot of good for the club at no cost to them, but the way they want it done would cost money for administration and they are effectively trying to bully us into this,” said a committee member of one of the groups.

“They are changing a system that works perfectly well and the only reason I can see for it is because they want total control.”

At the weekend, Dens chairman Bob Brannan said there had been “fragmentation” and the proposed changes would bring about better co-ordination and control.

Grateful as they are for the funding, he and his fellow board members believe that, with better co-ordination, more money could be raised and planning the annual budget would be made easier by the proposed move.

And Dundee have stressed this is not an attack on the autonomy of the organisations involved.

Fans group Dee 4 Life, who are represented at board room level in the shape of George Knight, are supporting the move.