And, even if it doesn’t, it is a nailed-on certainty the stadium where the Dark Blues have been based for the last 110 years will remain their long-term home.

It emerged yesterday no deal for the proposed sale of the ground by owner and Dundee United director John Bennett to Dundee’s multi-millionaire backer Calum Melville had been struck.

It’s understood they are a six-figure sum apart in their valuation and that led to Dundee announcing they were happy to continue the present leasing agreement with Bennett.

They recognise he did them a huge favour earlier this year by coming up with the six-figure sum that allowed them to settle a £7.5 million debt with HBOS.

He took ownership of the stadium as part of that arrangement and has other outstanding loans at Dundee.

Bennett accepts, now he has returned to Dundee United, it would be better if he could sell Dens, but that will only happen if he feels he is getting a fair price.

Right now, agreement between Bennett and Melville looks a considerable way off, but the deal is not completely dead.

What has emerged is that should they finally be able to shake hands on a price, Melville’s tenure as owner would be unlikely to last longer than a year or so before he would hand it over to fans’ Trust Dee 4 Life.

While it is set to be a few more months before there are any further developments, what is clear is Dens Park’s worth is based on it being used as a football stadium.

For a start, any change of use before 2019 would involve a repayment of a seven-figure sum received in grant aid from government agencies for the building of the Bobby Cox and Bob Shankly stands at either end of the stadium.