Latest news with #HamiltonAccies'
The National
26-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Incredible £5.7m Queen's Park spend as challenges laid bare
The Glasgow club have been fighting at the wrong end of the second tier, just missing out on relegation to League One by finishing eighth and helped by Hamilton Accies' 15 point deduction. Otherwise, the Spiders would have been contesting the relegation play-offs. Queen's Park sacked Callum Davidson after their historic Scottish Cup win over Rangers was followed by some poor league form. Steven MacLean saw them through to the end of the season but the reins have now been handed to his assistant Sean Crighton. Further changes will be made at the club as major funder Willie Haughey, and his company City Facilities Management Holdings Ltd, are withdrawing their financial backing from next year. That means cuts will have to be made and club president Graeme Shields revealed the extent of that - current expenditure of £5.7m needing to drop to around £1m. He told Queen's Park's YouTube channel: "So obviously we got notification that City are withdrawing their sponsorship from the end of June 2026. Read more: Brendan Rodgers' pointed Hampden 'message' to Celtic board ahead of big summer Kyogo hints at plans for next season as ex-Celtic star looks to future "Currently, the club's expenditure for thus year to be £5.7m. Once City's sponsorship ends we know we have to get that down to close to £1m, so we basically have to find £4.7m worth of savings between now and June 2026. "It's a massive challenge and it's something we have looked at and set up a change team to look at the change and all income and expenditure at the club. And to come up with ways we can actually find £4.7m worth of savings. "So far, we've identified about £2.3m worth of savings so we're about half way there but it's the next bit that's going to be the hardest. "The academy has gone and that was costing the club, for the elite status, about £1.1m a season. That has gone, although we've been able to retain the under-19s and 17s so we can protect the assets we've got in there and hopefully future training compensation for the club. "But it is an enormous task because you're dealing with people's lives which isn't a pleasant thing to go through." Asked for more information on the club's academy shutting down, he added: "For the academy we did have a number of interested parties come forward with potential investments. "Unfortunately none of them came to frution. Mainly for the scale of the investment because also because most of the interested parties were looking for some kind of equity in the club, which we can't do as a members club. "We need to change the whole model and ownership of the club to accommodate that, which is something we can't do at the moment. We might have to seriously consider that in the future."
Glasgow Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Incredible £5.7m Queen's Park spend as challenges laid bare
The Glasgow club have been fighting at the wrong end of the second tier, just missing out on relegation to League One by finishing eighth and helped by Hamilton Accies' 15 point deduction. Otherwise, the Spiders would have been contesting the relegation play-offs. Queen's Park sacked Callum Davidson after their historic Scottish Cup win over Rangers was followed by some poor league form. Steven MacLean saw them through to the end of the season but the reins have now been handed to his assistant Sean Crighton. Further changes will be made at the club as major funder Willie Haughey, and his company City Facilities Management Holdings Ltd, are withdrawing their financial backing from next year. That means cuts will have to be made and club president Graeme Shields revealed the extent of that - current expenditure of £5.7m needing to drop to around £1m. He told Queen's Park's YouTube channel: "So obviously we got notification that City are withdrawing their sponsorship from the end of June 2026. Read more: Brendan Rodgers' pointed Hampden 'message' to Celtic board ahead of big summer Kyogo hints at plans for next season as ex-Celtic star looks to future "Currently, the club's expenditure for thus year to be £5.7m. Once City's sponsorship ends we know we have to get that down to close to £1m, so we basically have to find £4.7m worth of savings between now and June 2026. "It's a massive challenge and it's something we have looked at and set up a change team to look at the change and all income and expenditure at the club. And to come up with ways we can actually find £4.7m worth of savings. "So far, we've identified about £2.3m worth of savings so we're about half way there but it's the next bit that's going to be the hardest. "The academy has gone and that was costing the club, for the elite status, about £1.1m a season. That has gone, although we've been able to retain the under-19s and 17s so we can protect the assets we've got in there and hopefully future training compensation for the club. "But it is an enormous task because you're dealing with people's lives which isn't a pleasant thing to go through." Asked for more information on the club's academy shutting down, he added: "For the academy we did have a number of interested parties come forward with potential investments. "Unfortunately none of them came to frution. Mainly for the scale of the investment because also because most of the interested parties were looking for some kind of equity in the club, which we can't do as a members club. "We need to change the whole model and ownership of the club to accommodate that, which is something we can't do at the moment. We might have to seriously consider that in the future."
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Airdrie skipper sets Championship 'challenge' target after play-off scrap
Adam Frizzell wants the Diamonds to hit the ground running next season Adam Frizzell says Airdrie fans have reasons to be optimistic and reckons his side will again be Championship challengers next season. The Diamonds stayed in the second tier via a combination of Hamilton Accies' 15-point deduction, and by coming through play-off clashes against Stenhousemuir and Cove Rangers. But having endured an injury-ravaged season, Frizzell reckons if Airdrie hit the ground running, they will be right up there next term. He said: 'If you look at the form table, we were in or around the top-four, and I think that's where we should be, with the squad we have. 'If we can take that into next season, I think we would be fine. 'There are a few teams in the league with big budgets and stuff, but I think we have a really good group in there and next season is an exciting one. 'If we can hit the ground running and start the way we played in the last three months, we'll be absolutely fine.' Frizzell added: 'I was talking to the management team, and they said the probability at Christmas for us to stay in the league was two per cent, and we've done it. 'There were outside circumstances with Hamilton and stuff, but that's outwith our control – we were gifted that and we took it. 'The boys have been excellent in the last three months, and we've deserved it. 'It's a really good group in there, regardless of what happened, the club is in a really good place. 'Since I've come it has been night and day. Off the pitch, things are getting better, on the pitch things are on an upwards trajectory. 'We've had this blip this season, but it's a young team. We'll learn from it, put a line under it, and go again next season.' Airdrie had just one league win to their name for the first half of the season, with an injury list like Frizzell has never seen. He said: 'It has seemed never-ending. I think there was one point this season when we had 11 boys out for 12 weeks of over, which is unheard of in my career – I've never seen anything like it. 'It has been a long season, I'm not going to lie to you, but the boys have dug in and, since the turn of the year, by and large we've been really good, and I think we deserved it.'
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Airdrie boss to hold player talks, but says several are already on board
Rhys McCabe will rebuild for next season in the Championship Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe will sit down with players to discuss their futures over the next week or so, but is pleased that several are already signed up for next season. Having endured a nightmare injury scenario, McCabe is looking forward to having a full squad to choose from in pre-season – once his stars have recharged their batteries. Airdrie's season came to an end on Saturday with a 0-0 Championship play-off final second leg draw at home to Cove Rangers, having won 2-1 away on Wednesday night to secure their status in the second tier. A relieved McCabe said: 'It has been very hard, because a lot has been riding on this game for the club, in terms of what division we're going to be playing in. 'Over the next, I imagine, week or so, we'll try and have a sit down with everyone, have that face-to-face, and go through it. 'The good thing that I will say is that a lot of these boys are already signed up and under contract, which is a real positive. 'We know we have a good group and core, going into pre-season. We'll get bodies back fit from injury, have a good pre-season and if everybody's healthy and raring to go, hopefully we start next season positively.' Having been involved in Premiership play-offs last season, Airdrie were at the opposite end of the spectrum and only avoid relegation outright due to Hamilton Accies' 15-point deduction for a number of offences. McCabe said: 'We'll all be better for this – coaches, people, players – so we've got to make sure we use these experiences and kick on. 'It has been a long season emotionally, and I think mentally quite draining as well, so it's important that we switch off, recharge the batteries. 'I'll give the boys a bit of time off and then we'll get back to work next week.' On the game, played in scorching temperatures, McCabe said: 'I think we got it done in the first leg. In that game we had chances to score more, I think Adam Frizzell has one towards the end where he hits the post. 'Today was more a case of you could see it in the boys' legs – it wasn't the fact they were done and dusted, but just the nervous energy and the mental magnitude of the game. 'Cove had nothing to lose, they had a goal to claw back and it was one of those games where the pressure was off for them. 'I thought we handled that quite well, we looked solid, and won ugly, which is not something that will always get levelled at my team.'
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Hamilton Accies pre-season setback as Broadwood pitch to be ripped up
Hamilton Accies' pre-season plans have suffered a setback before they have even completed their move to Broadwood Stadium - with the pitch at the Cumbernauld venue set to be ripped up this summer. The South Lanarkshire side announced last week that they would be ending their 24-year stay at New Douglas Park after failing to come to a buyout deal with the stadium landlords, HAFC Stadium Limited which is headed up by ex-Accies owner Colin McGowan. A deal to secure a switch across the region is close to completion after talks with North Lanarkshire Council. However, Accies will need to go elsewhere for their pre-season training with the artificial Broadwood pitch out of service while upgrades are made at the request of the Scottish Football Association and NLC. Lanarkshire Live Sport can reveal the Cumbernauld surface is set to be ripped up and replaced at the end of June, with a completion date earmarked for July 25, although it is hoped it could be ready before then. Some minor stadium repairs are also expected to be carried out. Hamilton's pre-season training starts on June 19 and it is understood the club will either use the public pitches adjacent to the stadium or look elsewhere. A training camp outside of Scotland is also under consideration. This is also likely to cause issues for Accies in terms of competitive action, with the Premier Sports League Cup group stages kicking off in July. Match dates for the competition are July 12/13, July 15/16, July 22/23 and July 26/27. The draw for the competition will take place on Wednesday, May 28. All pre-season friendlies will need to be played away from their 'home' ground and the pre-season North Lanarkshire Cup, which has taken place at Broadwood in four of the last five seasons and included the likes of Airdrieonians, Albion Rovers, Cumbernauld Colts and Motherwell B, will not go ahead. It is the latest setback to his crisis-hit Accies, who are licking their wounds after a 15-point deduction for multiple breaches of SPFL rules saw them relegated from the Championship last week. Rangers Women and Lowland League side Cumbernauld Colts are also tenants at Broadwood so will face the same issues over the close season.
