The Official Airdrieonians Thread - 2019/20 and beyond

[waysider]

I’ve noticed  recently a number of events involving the Trust which are not being held at the stadium .  Has that always been the case  or is it part of the ongoing rift with the board ?  Does anyone know ?  

 

 

 

[airdrieman]

On 24/04/2019 at 09:44, Tory Boy said:

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/it-gives-opportunity-full-time-14477392

I know people have their reservations. I personally felt this is the model Wotherspoon should have went for. We shouldn't have limited our options going completely full time and ruling out part-timers. Even our Cup Final teams in the 90's had part-time players. Obviously, it now all comes down to recruitment but I believe a mix of part and full-timers is the best option for a club our size.

Good article. Sensible to that we won't be ruling out the top part-time players (like last time) and we won't be limiting ourselves in terms of how many players we have of either status. Just take the best of either that we can. Glad there is talk of a clearout. It is badly needed. I hope though that it doesn't hamper our ability to sign players too much.

[AFC1878]

I’ve noticed  recently a number of events involving the Trust which are not being held at the stadium .  Has that always been the case  or is it part of the ongoing rift with the board ?  Does anyone know ?  

The kids Easter football camp (Airdrie Academy) and the programme organised for next month at Airdrie Leisure Centre is I believe, down to the fallout between the Trust and the stadium. My understanding is that the stadium decided to charge for the use of the stadium (previously there was no charge) and the other 2 venues are not charging as much.

The Trust wanted to hold the Player of the Year Dinner on Saturday after the last home game of the season, but that was rejected by the board as there is a game still to play after that, and we could have ended up in the playoffs at either end. It could still have gone ahead but the players weren’t allowed to go.

The tribute acts have always been in the town hall.

[Pesadilla]

18 minutes ago, AFC1878 said:

 

The kids Easter football camp (Airdrie Academy) and the programme organised for next month at Airdrie Leisure Centre is I believe, down to the fallout between the Trust and the stadium. My understanding is that the stadium decided to charge for the use of the stadium (previously there was no charge) and the other 2 venues are not charging as much.

The Trust wanted to hold the Player of the Year Dinner on Saturday after the last home game of the season, but that was rejected by the board as there is a game still to play after that, and we could have ended up in the playoffs at either end. It could still have gone ahead but the players weren’t allowed to go.

The tribute acts have always been in the town hall.


 

 

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

[Airdrie Minded]

I’d heard the last camp wasn’t held at the stadium as the Trust were told by the club it was unavailable due to “maintenance work”. It was also on Facebook that the Trust approached the club recently again with a view to holding a camp and the club had advised they couldn’t respond due to the request due to “legal reasons”!?

 

Interestingly since then the club have announced their own camp at the stadium in May (for which there is a charge) while the Trust have announced a free to all camp that they are running. That’s an amazing gesture

 

 

[Old Diamond]

9 hours ago, Pesadilla said:

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Hey - that was my line 

[waysider]

Thanks to everyone for the info. I find the whole thing incredibly sad. What are Board up to?

[Pesadilla]

34 minutes ago, Old Diamond said:

Hey - that was my line 

Who are you?

[Old Diamond]

10 minutes ago, Pesadilla said:

Who are you?

The call me the seeker....

 

(Diamond) - till the day I die

[She who dares gins]

There seems to be a split happening where you’re on the side of the trust and against the owners or on the side of the owners and maybe not necessarily with the trust.

Such a shame but I’m at the point where I’m done with all the off-field drama and just supporting the team on a Saturday is my only concern.

[Diamond8]

There seems to be a split happening where you’re on the side of the trust and against the owners or on the side of the owners and maybe not necessarily with the trust.

Such a shame but I’m at the point where I’m done with all the off-field drama and just supporting the team on a Saturday is my only concern.

This, I feel like people are far too quick to take sides and we will never know the full story. At the end of the day it's about the team on the park for the supporters and not they did this but they did that.

[airdrie_3]

[Airdrie Minded]

This, I feel like people are far too quick to take sides and we will never know the full story. At the end of the day it's about the team on the park for the supporters and not they did this but they did that.

I think it’s wrong to overlook everything that the Trust has done and not be interested in the current goings on. If they are effectively sidelined by the club (if that’s what’s happening) then it’ll be to the clubs and ours detriment as I expect we’d likely see the end of a number of initiatives such as kids free season tickets. That would be a huge shame and help in taking the club forward in any way.

 

In addition to the community initiatives, the Trust have also helped finance the club over the years (at particularly precarious points in time) or helped add players/coaching staff (is Prunty not an example of that l, might wrong) so again I think it would be wrong for us not to take an interest in what’s been going on from that perspective.

 

I completely agree that the product on the park is the most important thing but I think we shouldn’t stop asking questions as to how our club is run or the goings on around it. Sidelining a group that have actively been huge supporters is strange behaviour after all - but your point on knowing the full story is right. Hopefully one of the two, or ideally both, will step forward to explain.

[Mybitchunderprotest]

There seems to be a split happening where you’re on the side of the trust and against the owners or on the side of the owners and maybe not necessarily with the trust.

Such a shame but I’m at the point where I’m done with all the off-field drama and just supporting the team on a Saturday is my only concern.

This, I feel like people are far too quick to take sides and we will never know the full story. At the end of the day it's about the team on the park for the supporters and not they did this but they did that.

f**k all that shit. Like most things in life a side needs to be picked. And mine sure as f**k isn't the guy who seems to have driven fellow board members out the club, seemingly fucked over a commercial manager who has worked his arse off for the club and prior to that for a Trust who were doing a lot of good work, the same Trust who are now also seemingly being shut out.

[stuartcraig]

f**k all that shit. Like most things in life a side needs to be picked. And mine sure as f**k isn't the guy who seems to have driven fellow board members out the club, seemingly fucked over a commercial manager who has worked his arse off for the club and prior to that for a Trust who were doing a lot of good work, the same Trust who are now also seemingly being shut out.

Yup. You don’t need to be on the side of the Trust but you should be able to recognise that its members are just supporters like yourself who want the best for the club and the community and who put time and effort in support of this.

As for club owners, they deserve your support while their actions align with the best interests of the club AND while they show the club’s supporters respect.

[waysider]

3 hours ago, Diamond8 said:

This, I feel like people are far too quick to take sides and we will never know the full story. At the end of the day it's about the team on the park for the supporters and not they did this but they did that.

I don’t agree with this. Sure the team on the park is the most important but what kind of club we are is also important. Last season after the takeover we appeared to be  becoming  a real community club .  Now you look at us. The Spiers, Shields, Marshall and Watson resigned.  It can be argued that these people were the most  “Airdrie minded people “ on the board.  It is even rumoured that Ian McMillan has resigned  (surely the most Airdrie minded person ever ).  Dougie has gone . Rumours of sponsors disappearing.   There is clearly a serious problem between the board and the trust .

 Now I totally agree that every story has two sides to it .  It is easy to take a particular view when you are only getting one side. Some of the problems could be explained by  hearing the other side.  It is easy to understand how fans  will form certain conclusions only getting one side .

 The big problem here is that we are only getting one side .  What is left of the board simply does not communicate with the fans in any shape or form .  I may be wrong but I do not believe that the resignation of Willie Marshall has ever been announced officially by the board .  It is also easily understood that a number of fans will feel that the club is treating them with some contempt.

I would be content if the Board started talking to the fans but at the moment that doesn’t look likely. If things continue like this I can see Airdrie playing in front of 200 or 300 fans next season. For my part I have stopped going to matches. I never thought  I would say that after 50 years supporting the club.  I have not stopped going because of the standard of play on the pitch  (I am  well used to that by now !)  I have stopped going because of the perceived situation behind the scenes and will not be going back until something drastically changes with regard to this like an explanation which shows things in a different light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AFC1878]

I didn’t agree with the way Ballantyne was running the club laterally but still bought my season ticket as I felt it went some way to keep ‘my’ club going. Next season however, for the first time in 25 years I hasten to add, I doubt I will buy one as I feel utter contempt for Mr Hetherington and ‘his’ club!

 

 

 

 

[Spanish Armada]

I didn’t agree with the way Ballantyne was running the club laterally but still bought my season ticket as I felt it went some way to keep ‘my’ club going. Next season however, for the first time in 25 years I hasten to add, I doubt I will buy one as I feel utter contempt for Mr Hetherington and ‘his’ club! 

 

 

 

 

Under Ballantyne it was worse,I’m not sticking up for the current regime but ballantyne was a lying cheating lowlife rat and had no interest in airdrie,who would rather us sitting in the juniors least under hetherington they want us up a league but doing it the wrong way

 

[Moon]

I'm scunnered  by the whole situation, the Trust has achieved so much over the years and deserves to be treated with respect. In my view it's really simple; the Trust haven't caused umpteen directors to resign. The Trust hasn't decided to set up a different Trust with no track record for no good reason.

 

The blame lies squarely  with the remaining directors, and most likely with the major shareholder. This approach/current situation MUST change for the good of the club. IMO if we fail to get promotion next year the begging bowl will be out Ballantyne style, and the Trust will all be great guys and gals at that point.

 

Having said all that, the reason I'm not going today is down to the product on the pitch, I just can't take it anymore. We are utterly dire, play in an awful style, and it's not even remotely fun. My son's team lost 1-0 this morning, but worked really hard and had numerous good chances. so you go away disappointed but with lots of positives. Airdrie are just shite.

 

I genuinely believed that we would be in the play offs this year, comfortably second place. We were promised the earth, 2 or 3 players identified for each position when in reality we didn't even have a system in mind. And that's what worries me about next season.  I'm just an average fan, I love my team and "want to believe", but it's the same old, same old.  

 

We had the chance to work towards something and instead have shot ourselves repeatedly in the foot, from boardroom to pitch.

 

It's truly shite to be an Airdrie fan. Again.

 

 

[Mybitchunderprotest]

It's not the poor product on the park which is scunnering me, I'm pretty much used to it after these decades following Airdrie. There have been various times during that period when we've struggled with the playing side. Players and managers come and go, and fortunes change.

What really fucks me off is the shite way which the supporters trust have been/are being treated. People who give up their own time to raise money for the club and to promote it in the locality have been treated shamefully. This full page advert/propaganda piece in today's programme about the new community trust seems to be the clubs owner trying to muddy the waters further. Keep the new trust in house and then the issue of distributing funds raised by them can be controlled by one man. I'm beginning to question the exact sort of "business man" we have in charge and I fear it may not be the good kind.