Accies chairman MacDonald finds serenity in title success

Apr 25 2008 By Andy McGilvray

ACCIES chairman Ronnie MacDonald was the calmest person inside New Douglas Park as he watched Hamilton win the First Division title.

MacDonald is proud of Hamilton's achievements, but there was an aura of calm expectation about the club supremo.

He said: "I’m delighted for everybody else, but I expected us to get there and I think the disappointment if we hadn't would have been hellish.

"But I had faith in everybody, it's come true, and obviously we're very pleased that the job is done.

"It's been an amazing season and the boys have done amazingly well; to have played 18 home games and conceded just three goals seems quite incredible.

"The boys have done really well and they're a credit to themselves, but they're in the team, and they’re getting pushed by people who aren't.

"People have come into the team and pushed on, like Tony Stevenson, while Tomas Cerny has come in for Bryn Halliwell in goals.

"There's real competition in the squad all over the park, and that's what has driven us on."

MacDonald hopes Hamilton will compete well in the SPL, but insists they won't change their ethos or policy.

He said: "We'll compete in the SPL, and we'll compete to the best of our endeavours.

"If that isn't good enough, it isn't good enough, but we aren't going to change our philosophy and start flying foreign stars in from Bolivia and South Africa - it's just not going to happen."

Ronnie says that now Accies have done the town proud, it's up to the community to back them in greater numbers next season.

He said: "When I was given the opportunity to save the club, if you like, from its demise, I always hoped we'd get days like that, when people find their pride.

"Getting us from where we were to where we are just now has been a real struggle, so hopefully the people who have soured over the last 10 years can come back, enjoy the club, get involved with the kids, or whatever.

"That's really what it’s all about - if you're not going to have fun and involvement, there's no point.

"We're obviously never going to win the Champions' League, but we want people to be proud of their team, go and watch them, support them, and we'll do the best we can.

"We're proud of what we've achieved, and it's good that we got to celebrate like that on our home park, because I don't think Hamilton Accies have won too many things on their own park.

"That's great in front of the people and the town, because it is a football town.

"Having done their bit, I think the players are entitled to expect the community to come and support them."

MacDonald now knows that Hamilton will have to lift their synthetic surface in order to meet SPL requirements, but said there are concrete plans to create a football academy.

He said: "We hope very shortly to announce plans for an academy remote from the ground, where we'll have more than one pitch.

"The situation this season, in spite of us having our own artificial pitch, is that we've got so many teams that we can't get them all on it.

"We're going to need extra pitches and I think that's a great sign, because we want to get kids involved rather than just wandering around aimlessly."