The Two Face of Airdrie

 On Saturday 5th of November (Remember, remember) I witnessed two very different football matches. In the morning I saw two teams play one another for nothing more than pride take the field and battle over every blade of grass. These two teams were made up of players who had played as a supporter’s team for 10-11 years - one team was made up of players who were over 33 the other under 33. The second match was……. I’ll let you fill in your own description. 

Airdrie’s over 33 team took to the field early only to be met by a pitch full of kids playing in their early morning matches, we were itching to get on and begin what most of us thought would be our last hoorah. When the u’33s took the pitch we also realised what a struggle it would be against lads who had not yet managed to obtain the necessary beer belly or receding hair line required to make it as a Swally veteran.  

Now let’s get things straight there was no expectations from this match it was to be a friendly and the result didn’t matter! Yeah right……If you put anyone in an Airdrie shirt the result always matters and this one was no exception, every blade of grass was covered, every ball contested, every controversial decision was moaned about especially the last minute penalty (IT WASN’T A PENALTY!!) awarded to the under 33’s that gave them the chance to equalise, they did and the game finished 4-4.

If only the Airdrie team that played in the afternoon had seen this match, had seen how guys who have nothing to play for but fun and pride battled, one of our number has even been diagnosed and is undergoing treatment for cancer (I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this) and he gave more than most of the players on Saturday to his cause.  They probably would have laughed and joked about what they were seeing but they would never have left the match as disgusted by the performance as every Airdrie fan that travelled the short distance to Coatbridge was. I left the inept display of our first team at 4-1 embarrassed, furious but really not very surprised, I spent Saturday night in my room like a petulant child with no one daring to speak to me and now I don’t know how to deal with the frustration I feel.

In ending, Albion Rovers beat Airdrie 7-2 and we await the consequences!