Accies spend £750,000 to prepare for SPL

Jun 5 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON chairman Ronnie MacDonald this week revealed that preparing for life in the SPL could cost the club up to £750,000.

The New Douglas Park supremo spoke exclusively to the Advertiser about the rising cost of redevelopment work, as he announced that manager Billy Reid had signed a new three-year extension on his existing rolling contract.

Due to strict SPL rules Accies need to revamp New Douglas Park extensively, which includes installing undersoil heating, putting in a new drainage and sprinkler system, laying turf, and providing two new dug-outs.

The temporary stand requires pathways to be built and emergency lighting to be installed, a perimeter fence to be erected behind that stand, and boards to be put up at the ‘Sainsburys’ end.

A press room and players’ lounge, and a new commercial department will also be put in on the ground floor, while police require an upgrade to the CCTV and computer-operated turnstile systems.

Setanta Sports also require a scaffolding gantry and four positions throughout the stadium for them to set up.

MacDonald wants to have most of the work completed by July.

And he hopes that all of Hamilton’s extensive renovations will convince people that Accies are serious about making an impact on the top flight.

He said: “It’s probably going to cost us £750,000. Anybody saying that we didn’t really want to go up to the SPL doesn’t know me, because whatever I’m doing I want to win.”

MacDonald also revealed that Hamilton took the decision to replace their Fieldturf synthetic surface rather than being told to.

He said: “The SPL say that artificial surfaces are acceptable if they meet the standards, which ours did, but they said we would need underfield heating.

“To put that in would require us to strip our plastic pitch, which would effectively ruin it, so we just decided that to avoid controversy we would put grass down. Then, as and when we won, we could say it wasn’t because of a plastic park.”

MacDonald firmly believes that it will be money well spent when he sees Accies run out for their first SPL fixture on August 9, and said: “It’s an exciting time and that’s why we all do it.

“We’ve been successful in retaining our players and I don’t want to sell anybody to pay for the ground or whatever – I want to give the fans the best chance we’ve got of staying in the SPL.”

Meanwhile, boss Billy Reid spoke of his delight at being handed a new deal.

He said: “The club have tied up our young players, so the chairman approached me and I was delighted to sign a new three-year rolling deal.

“I’m happy at this football club, I enjoy working with the chairman and we’ve been successful so far, but this is just the start of it for us.

“We want to drive this club forward, you can see the changes being made, and it’s a club on the up.

“We know it’s going to be difficult in the Premier League; we’re not silly, we know we have a young side, but I can’t wait to get started.”

He added: “I’m in no hurry to leave, I would be silly to do that, but we all want to play and manage at the highest level possible – that’s natural for anybody and it’s important to have that drive.

“I certainly do as well, but what better chance to manage in the Premier League than with Hamilton Accies?”

Reid was delighted this week to welcome back defender Chris Swailes (37), who decided against retiring.

He said: “Chris was due to go to Gran Canaria, but I thought that he had done a marvellous job for us as a part-time player, felt we needed experience, and decided to offer him a full-time deal.

“The fact that he has given up his jobs and came back shows how much he wants to play in the SPL and he’s signed for a year.”

Reid hopes to tie up Alex Neil and Richard Offiong on longer deals over the next week or so, and is in negotiations with three or four players as he bids to strengthen.