The future of Aberdeen Football Club could be in doubt if councillors vote against a community sports complex, according to club chairman Stewart Milne.

Aberdeen City Council is due to rule on Wednesday on the Cove Rangers bid to build at the city's Calder Park, where both clubs intend to share training facilities.

In a letter to councillors, Mr Milne and the Cove chairman George Yule, say blocking the proposals would kill off Aberdeen's plans to build their new stadium nearby.

The Dons chief also claims the club would have to shrink Pittodrie and play any European games in the central belt.

The letter read: “Cove Rangers FC and Aberdeen FC have committed significant time, effort and cost in developing the business plan, facilities specifications and an operational strategy for Calder Park community sports complex to the satisfaction of ACC officials and the former Administration, and as recently as January 2012 planning consent was approved for a revision of the facilities within the community complex to ensure that what was being built would deliver far greater benefit to the local community than the original plan.

“You may be aware that the Calder Park development site is zoned only for recreation and leisure and has been designed as part of the master planning exercise with the City Council and the John Muir Group over the past three years to be completely integral with the new AFC stadium development, and accordingly if the Calder Park project is stopped, then the new stadium is also killed off – as AFC is unable to implement their detailed planning consent because of stadium parking provisions and a shared second access with Calder Park. i.e. a ‘no’ vote will halt an estimated £40m reinvestment within the City, prevent the creation of further employment opportunities and have major implications on the future of AFC and Cove Rangers FC.”

The letter goes on to outline the main features, benefits and impact of Calder Park before asking councillors to “fully consider the bigger picture for Aberdeen” when voting.

It also says “it is entirely inconceivable that the City of Aberdeen could be left without a professional football team participating in the Scottish game in future, but this is precisely the potential outcome of a ‘no’ vote for the continuation of the Calder Park sports complex development”.

Aberdeen City councillors are due to discuss the plans in private, despite calls from the SNP and Aberdeen FC for it to be in public, on Wednesday at a meeting of the full council.