Build it and they will come!
By Stomp Admin
May 27 2008
But only if you let them know where, when, what time and how to get there. Sounds simple enough but how do you do it? Nine out of ten football fans outside the SPHell realise that football matches are played on a Saturday at 3:00pm, as it should be. People in the know realise that Airdrie play at New Broomfield(Excelsior stadium) every few weeks and as we all know we do play matches in Airdrie.
So how do we let the people who are not in our little clique, (no better change that word some people might feel they belong to something and change their mind about being a fan at all), know what's going on.
First of all I think the SFL should take a stand on this and with the sponsorship money from Irn Bru do something simple that could be seen as a step forward. They should release a free magazine that can be passed around pubs, shops, libraries and schools so that you can pick it up have a read and leave it for others to do the same. It could maybe have some stats, upcoming matches basic things. The strange thing is they have one! Click Here
It just needs someone to take care of printing it out and circulating it. In that one instance people in general have a fixture list, kick off times and an idea that there is football outside the SPHell. Plus the job of circulating it gives clubs another outlet to passing on information and making new contacts.
Next on the list, has anyone crossed the border in to deepest darkest Coatbridge, anyone noticed the big yellow signs (All round the wrong way) giving you direction to the ground, not sure of costs or permissions needed to put up the signs but the point is you notice them, you may have a little snigger but you notice tham and in the end that's part of our problem. Does anyone really know we are here?
As for those ubiquitous directional signs, I believe you have to have permission from the council to put them up (and there is a charge for it). Chris, as I work for NLC (please send money, not sympathy cards!), albeit in a different area, I'll make a few enquiries about them and get back to you on that front.
The club was a major self-contained publicity machine in the early years, there were some weeks when you couldn't pick up a paper without seeing Jim talking about some aspect of it. This has pretty much tailed off over the years and I reckon this is because there is something of a Catch 22 situation in place. Now, the fans don't reckon the club are doing enough to get us on the map, either publicity-wise or through the product on the park. The directors, for their part, reckon the fans are not being supportive enough and are even being downright disloyal at times. Each side is causing even more negativity from the other and, as far as I can see, the only way this will stop and the club can move forward positively is if all the collective egos are set aside and everyone sees that having a football club in Airdrie is the only thing we all want.
Any chance we can set all differences aside and get things together for the good of Airdrie FC (whether that be United OR Onians – eh, Kali B???)?
POSITIVITY - NOT NEGATIVITY!! The NEW (unofficial) Airdrie watchword - never mind "onwards & upwards".
Airdrieonians We'll support you ever more.