Crisis, What Crisis???

By By Gordon Thomson
December 2 2004

Date: 5/12/2001 The latest press release from Airdrie, or to be more precise, Andy Gemmill, suggests that promotion to the SPL may not be an option for Airdrie, even if we finish top of the the league.


Manager Ian McCall and his collection of dogged fighters he has assembled into this years promotion favourites must be gutted at the latest offering from Airdrie "supremo" Andy Gemmill.

Having attended a meeting organised by the fans back in August, he was decidedly negative on the subject of promotion this season. Ian McCall has plugged away regardlessly, and currently sit 5 points clear of our nearest challengers Partick.

As we've seen Livingston enter the SPL as tenants in their stadium, it is quite obvious that any objections from the SPL would centre on Airdrie's financial status.

When Steve Archibald was evicted, KPMG clearly stated that Archibald had to put up or shut up, and that they wanted a long term and decisive solution to Airdrie's situation. So far, Barr has been given planning permission for Craigneuk Park, but nothing has happened. The CVA is still nowhere on the horizon, and the ever morphing consortium have now had, 3 months and counting, longer than Archibald to conclude the takeover.

We've heard unsubstantiated claims this week that the Innes consortium is being investigated by the Scottish League Management Committee, suitably adorned by Partick and St. Mirren's Chairmen of course, on the grounds that there may have been illegal funding under their rules. I wonder if politics will come into play?

There were also reports last week in the press that three members of the Innes Consortium were trying to buy East Fife. Messrs Todd, Todd and Stevenson must therefore have been bought out of Airdrie?

There is a great deal of concern amongst fans of Airdrie now. At least 90% of fans who boycotted are going back to games on the basis that Mr. Gemmill was genuine in his ambitions for Airdrie, and that continued support of the club, despite major reservations, was essential for Airdrie to at least retain their full time status. Any more bad feeling will surely ensure that the black days of last spring and summer will be round the corner again.

I have tried to contact Mr. Gemmill for answers and enlightenment which I would hope to pass on through these pages.

One last thing. When talking above about media coverage, the silence from that "great Airdrie fan" who writes for Scotland's top selling tabloid has been deafening. THERE IS A STORY OUT THERE!!!

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