Airdrie United F.C.
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| Airdrie United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Airdrie United Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Diamonds The Waysiders |
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| Founded | 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | New Broomfield Airdrie Scotland (Capacity 10,172) |
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| Chairman |  Jim Ballantyne |
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| Manager | Kenny Black |
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| League | Scottish First Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007-08 | Scottish Second Division, 2nd (promoted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the First Division following Gretna's relegation to the Third Division.
The club was formed in 1967 as Clydebank and changed its name to Airdrie United in May 2002, moving to the town of Airdrie in the same year following the bankruptcy of Airdrieonians.
The only trophy the new Airdrie have won in their short history came in the 2003/04 season when they were crowned champions of the Scottish Second Division. They reached the Challenge Cup final they same year but were edged out by Inverness Caledonian Thistle. This season remains the most successful the club have experienced.
The current manager is former Airdrieonians player Kenny Black, while the club captain is Paul Lovering.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Formation following Demise of Airdrieonians
The club was formed in 1967 as Clydebank and changed its name to Airdrie United in May 2002, moving to the town of Airdrie in the same year following the bankruptcy of Airdrieonians. Airdrieonians had finished runners-up in the Scottish First Division in the 2001/02 season but went out of business with debts approaching £3 million. The collapse of "The Diamonds", as they were known due to their distinctive kits, created a vacancy in the Scottish Football League (in the Scottish Third Division) and local Airdrie man and Airdrieonians fan Jim Ballantyne attempted, with the help of others, to gain entry with a club called "Airdrie United" who were essentially to be a re-incarnation of Airdrieonians. Their application, however, was rejected as the then English Northern Premier League side Gretna were preferred by league members over the new Airdrie team. As a last resort, Ballantyne completed a buy-out of the ailing Division Two side Clydebank and, with SFL approval, the club was relocated to Airdrie, the strips were transformed to resemble that of Airdrieonians and the name was changed to Airdrie United.
[edit] Inaugural Season (2002/03)
The new Airdrie's first match took place at New Broomfield against Forfar Athletic with captain Stephen Docherty scoring the only goal of the game as the Diamonds won 1-0. This first season in existence saw the club take the form of promotion challengers and only narrowly fail to achieve this aim due to a late injury-time goal from Brechin City which saw them promoted ahead of the Diamonds. In fact, Airdrie fans and players alike had begun celebrating promotion after their game at Stranraer until news of Brechin's result brought an end to the festivities. The highlight of the season was arguably when Airdrie shocked Premier League outfit Kilmarnock by knocking them out of the C.I.S. Cup on penalties at Rugby Park
[edit] First Success (2003/04)
United's first, and so far only, trophy came in the 2003-04 season, only the club's second in existence, when they won the Second Division Championship and promotion to the First Division. Sandy Stewart's side had started poorly but went on a run that saw them unbeaten in the last 18 games of the season. The final game of this run and of the league campaign saw a crowd of over 5000 at New Broomfield to watch Airdrie defeat Greenock Morton 2-0 and lift the League Championship trophy. The club having been confirmed champions the previous week following their 1-0 victory away to Alloa at Recreation Park.
Earlier in this season, the club had reached the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup, but lost 2-0 to Inverness Caledonian Thistle at McDiarmid Park.
[edit] Mid-Table in First Division (2004/05 & 2005/06)
In Airdrie's first season in the Scottish First Division they finished 5th, a position exceeding the expectations of most supporters. The club lost several key players in the summer of 2005, and went into the 2005/06 season with little expectation of repeating the success of 2004/05, but they still managed to finish a respectable sixth.
[edit] Sacking of Sandy Stewart and Relegation (2006/07)
On November 13, 2006, Sandy Stewart was relieved of his position as manager after over four years in charge of the club. He was succeeded by former Airdrieonians F.C. player and Airdrie United coach Kenny Black four days later.
Black had been a coach at Leicester City since 2004, and this was his first management post.[1]
Black, however, failed to inspire the Diamonds to any great extent and club finished the season 9th in the league, placing them in the Scottish First Division Play-Off position. They would have to be the victors in said Play-Off competition if they were to escape relegation.
Airdrie United got off to a promising start, cruising past Brechin City in the semi-final by an aggregate score of 6-1. This meant they only had to overcome Stirling Albion in a two-legged decider to ensure survival. Unfortunately the team drew the away leg of the tie 2-2 (having led 2-0 until the final five minutes) and lost the home game 3-2. Thus confirming the newly formed Airdrie's first relegation in their short history.
[edit] Kenny Black's Airdrie (2007/08)
Airdrie's start to this season was a disappointing one as they kicked-off their Second Division campaign with poor performance and a loss to Raith Rovers. The display was so mediocre, in fact, that it resulted in some players, most notably summer signing James Sharp who had failed to impress in pre-season, being booed as they left the park at the final whistle. Things did not get better for the Diamonds in other competitions as they fell at the first hurdle away to Partick Thistle in the League Cup; losing 2-1 thanks to Stevie Murray's last gasp winner.
Off the park a mystery consortium saved New Broomfield and promised to "safeguard it for the club"[2]. August of this season also saw the departure of long standing directors Gavin and Walter Spiers who left the club they had helped found due to the necessity that they devote more time to their ever growing business interests such as former Airdrie shirt sponsors Pertemps.
Following the aforementioned dismal start things had started to pick up for the Diamonds on the park as they notched up their first league win of the season with an impressive 6-0 win against Alloa Athletic, cruised to the second round of the Challenge Cup with a 3-1 victory over Third Division side Stenhousemuir and ended Queen's Park's 100% start to season when they defeated them by one goal to nil at New Broomfield[3]. With September beginning, however, the situation was hardly perfect as a 2-0 loss away to Berwick Rangers and 1-1 draw against Ross County at Victoria Park (which would almost certainly have been a defeat had Stephen Robertson not saved Andrew Barrowman's last minute penalty[4]) left the Diamonds with 7 points from their first 5 league fixtures, sitting in 4th place, 5 points behind league leaders Raith Rovers.
Airdrie then went through to the third round of the Challenge Cup after a rousing display saw them demolish Arbroath 5-1 with Allan Russell bagging four goals. The Diamonds were unable to build on this impressive win in the quarterfinals, where a second half brace from Mark Burchill saw Dunfermline Athletic defeat Airdrie 2-0.
Upon completion of the season, the Diamonds finished second in the table behind Ross County, thus entering them into the promotion playoffs with Clyde (9th place in Scottish First Division), Raith Rovers (3rd in Scottish Second Division), and Alloa Athletic (4th in Scottish Second Division). Airdrie saw off Raith 4-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals to reach the finals with Clyde. The thought of Clyde being relegated to the second division was inspiration enough to see them defeat the Diamonds 3-0 on aggregate to remain in the first division, leaving Airdrie in the second division for the 2008-09 season. However, with Gretna being relegated to the third division, Airdrie were promoted, by virtue of being the losing play-off finalists.
[edit] Club Information
[edit] Stadium
Airdrie United play their home fixtures at New Broomfield, Airdrie, as the fans call the stadium, officially known as Excelsior Stadium. The defunct Airdrieonians' previous home was sold to supermarket chain Safeway (since taken over by Wm. Morrison), who were given permission to build a new store on the site. It is generally the opinion that this transaction is what effectively triggered the financial ruination of Airdrieonians, as their old ground was demolished several years before the new ground was given planning permission. The years that the club away from the town Airdrie (Airdrieonians ground-shared Broadwood Stadium, in Cumbernauld, with Clyde) meant that the money from the sale of Broomfield Park which was to be used to fund the building of new stadium, was squandered.
This hiatus and the cost incurred by the board of directors' building a stadium with a capacity in excess of 10,000, despite crowds being less than 2,000, didn't help the club's cause. The boards reasoning behind building a ground of such a high capacity was that the Scottish Premier League required clubs to play at a stadium with a capacity of at least a 10,000 seats for entry into their league. Ironically, the requirement is now only 6,000, which may have been enough to have saved Airdrieonians from the financial burden they faced when constructing their new home.
[edit] Strip
Airdrie United have inherited Airdrieonians' distinctive playing colours; a white top with a red diamond. This is where Airdrieonians' nickname, 'The Diamonds', finds its roots and, along with the strip design, Airdrie United have adopted the moniker.
[edit] Shirt Sponsorship
The team was sponsored by Jobs@Pertemps and donned the company's logo on their shirt from their first year in existence until the end of the 2006/07 season.
From June 2007 Airdrie have been sponsored by A.R.P. (Airdrie Regeneration Partnership), a local company. The contract is a lucrative one from Airdrie's point of view, the biggest in the history of the club in fact, with the Diamonds receiving £300,000 to spend over the next 5 years (£60k a season).
[edit] Matchday Programme
The Airdrie United programme is called "Diamonds are Forever". It is edited by John O'Brien and photographs come courtesy of official club photographer Robert Dalzell. Its design and layout is the work of Frank Tocher and printing is provided by Walker & Connell Ltd.
The average Airdrie United programme begins with a listing of the two teams' squads, the officials for the day, a short reference to the team mascot and a note of thanks to the sponsors. Then comes a message from the club's chairman, Jim Ballantyne, and a short rundown of club news. Regular features of the programme include "Diamond Tales", a section where great memories of Airdrie United (and more often than not Airdrieonians') adventures are recounted. "Past & Present" is a selection of match reports provided by editor John O'Brien while "The Diamonds Log" looks at the recent day to day goings on within the club. Another regular article, "Diamonds are Forever", focusses on the history of Airdrie United and, of course, Airdrieonians. Said article is provided by writer Brian Bollen who has had a book published on the history of Airdrieonians. Following this comes a note on commercial matters within the club from commercial manager Les Jones and a review of the current football scene with relation to Airdrie United by Jim Milton. Additionally, there is, as is common with most football programmes, a note of statistics of the season, a contribution from the manager, a piece on the visiting side, an interview with an Airdrie player, photographs from the previous match and a youth team segment. Advertisements are interspersed throughout and the editor is also responsible for another two pieces concerning the club.
[edit] Club Officials
[edit] Board of Directors
- Chairman: Jim Ballentyne
- Directors: Ann Marie Ballantyne, John Ballantyne, Rose Ballantyne,
- Honorary President: Ian McMillan
[edit] Senior Club Staff
- Secretary: Ann Marie Ballantyne
- Commercial Manager:
- Groundsman: John McGuire
- Kitman: John Donnelly
- Programme Editor: John O'Brien
- Club Photographer: Robert Dalzell
- Season Ticket Co-ordinater: Scott Gilkinson
- Fans' Representative: Veronica MacGregor
[edit] Management
- Manager: Kenny Black
- Coach/Under 19s Manager: Jimmy Boyle
[edit] Medical Staff
- Club Doctor: Stuart Paterson
- Physiotherapist: Michael McLauchlan
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Managers
| Name | Reign | Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| Kenny Black |
2006- | |
| Sandy Stewart |
2002 to 2006 | Scottish Second Division Champions 2003/04 |
| Challenge Cup Runners-Up 2003/04 |
[edit] Honours & Records
[edit] Honours
- Scottish Second Division: 2003/04
[edit] General Club Records
| Record Type | Record | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Most League Points in a Season | 70 | in Second Division 2002/03 |
| Most League Goals by a Player in Season | 18, Jerome Vareille | in Second Division 2002/03 |
| Record Total League Appearances | ||
| Record Total League Goals | ||
| Record Attendance | 5,704 | -v- Greenock Morton on 15/5/04 in Second Division at New Broomfield |
| Record Win | 6-0 | -v- Berwick Rangers on 3/4/04 in Second Division |
| Record Loss | 1-6 | -v- Greenock Morton on 1/11/03 in Second Division |
[edit] Performance
[edit] Final League Standings
| Year | League | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | First Division | 9th | 36 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 39 | 50 | -11 | 40 | Relegated to Second Division after defeat in Play-Offs |
| 2005/06 | First Division | 6th | 36 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 57 | 43 | +14 | 45 | |
| 2004/05 | First Division | 5th | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 34 | 48 | -14 | 50 | |
| 2003/04 | Second Division | 1st | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 64 | 36 | +28 | 70 | Promoted to First Division as Champions |
| 2002/03 | Second Division | 3rd | 36 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 51 | 44 | +7 | 54 |
[edit] Scottish Cup
| Year | Round Reached | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 3rd | Went out due after a 1-0 defeat by local rivals Motherwell at New Broomfield |
| 2005/06 | 4th | A 1-1 draw with Dundee at New Broomfield sent the tie to a replay where Airdrie lost 2-0 |
| 2004/05 | 3rd | The Diamonds crashed out after being hammered 4-1 by Ross County at Victoria Park |
| 2003/04 | 3rd | A 2-0 loss to St. Mirren at Love Street ended this run |
| 2002/03 | 3rd | Airdrie lost 4-2 on penalties against St. Johnstone in the replay of this tie. Thus ending their first campaign |
[edit] Scottish League Cup
| Year | Round Reached | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | 1st | Fell at first hurdle away to Partick Thistle |
| 2006/07 | 2nd | Defeated by the Premier League's Dundee United after extra time |
| 2005/06 | 1st | Lost 2-0 to Raith Rovers at Stark's Park |
| 2004/05 | 2nd | Knocked out of the competition by Clyde for the second time in as many years |
| 2003/04 | 2nd | Lost 2-0 to Clyde at Broadwood Stadium and were subsequently eliminated |
| 2002/03 | 3rd | Knocked out after being beaten 2-1 by Dundee United at New Broomfield |
[edit] Challenge Cup
| Year | Round Reached | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | 3rd | Defeated 2-0 by eventual finalists Dunfermline |
| 2006/07 | 1st | Knocked out by Gretna |
| 2005/06 | 1st | Beaten by Dundee AET at Dens Park |
| 2004/05 | 1st | Knocked out by Queen of the South |
| 2003/04 | Final | Lost 2-0 to Inverness C.T. at McDiarmid Park in the club's first ever Cup Final appearance |
| 2002/03 | 2nd | A 2-0 loss away to Berwick Rangers ended the Diamonds hopes of retaining Airdrieonians' crown |
[edit] Statistics
[edit] Average Attendance
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[edit] Top League Goalscorers
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[edit] Awards
[edit] Official Club Player of the Year
| Year | Senior Player of the Year | Young Player of the Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | Allan Russell |
Kevin Watt |
| 2006/07 | Neil McGowan |
Stephen McKenna |
| 2005/06 | Bryan Prunty |
Steven McDougall |
| 2004/05 | Marvyn Wilson |
Stephen McKenna |
| 2003/04 | David Dunn |
Willie McLaren |
| 2002/03 |  Jerome Vareille |
Stephen McKeown |
[edit] Hall of Fame
| Year | Inductees |
|---|---|
| 2006/07 | Stephen Docherty, Paul Jack |
| 2005/06 | Alex MacDonald, Willie McCulloch, Jimmy Reid |
| 2004/05 | Brian McKeown, Lawrie Leslie |
| 2003/04 |  Steve Cooper, Billy Wilson |
| 2002/03 |  Antonio Calderon, Alan Lawrence, Jimmy Welch |
[edit] Notable Former Staff
[edit] Players
[edit] Managers
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Black Appointed new Airdrie boss" article from BBC Sport
- ^ "Mystery group saves club ground" article from BBC Sport
- ^ "Airdrie United 1-0 Queen's Park" article from BBC Sport
- ^ "Ross County 1-1 Airdrie Utd" article from BBC Sport
[edit] External links
[edit] Official Site
[edit] News Pages
- Airdrie United BBC Sport page
- Airdrie Football Club News
- Airdrie United at Football.co.uk
- Airdrie United at The Airdrie Page
[edit] Photography
[edit] Fan Sites
- The Broomfield Stomp messageboard
- Ceefax's Airdrie United Website
- The Airdrie Broomfield Message Board
- Airdrie United Football Club Fan Site
