Broomfield Bulletin

Issue 16 - Hamilton @ Home

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to issue 16 of the Broomfield Bulletin. Needless to say, this is the biggest game of the season as we enter the last chance saloon. Let’s hope we will be saying ‘Cheers’ to 3 points tonight and a step closer to possible safety. ‘Mon the diamonds!

Championship Round-Up

Airdrie slipped to another miserable defeat at the hands of a title chaser, this time losing 3-0 at home to Falkirk on Tuesday night. An Aidan Wilson own-goal, a Brad Spencer cross and a Barney Stewart header - all three goals from corners - saw Falkirk go 3 points clear at the top of the Championship ahead of Ayr United and 4 ahead of Livingston. Both teams also played during the week. Ayr maintained the pressure on Falkirk after coming from two goals down (via Jack Turner and Zack Rudden) to win 3-2 at Hampden. Marco Rus started Ayr’s comeback after ‘66 minutes, Ben Dempsey equalised within 10 minutes and Curtis Main won it for the Honest Men with a header 3 minutes later. Ayr moved into 2nd place, overtaking Livingston who could only draw 0-0 with Raith Rovers at Almondvale. The point took Livi back to within 3 points of Falkirk and level with Ayr, having played a game more.

By Sean Smith

Recent Head-To-Head

May 17th 2023

SPFL Championship play-off final first leg

Airdrieonians 1-0 Hamilton Academical

May 20th 2023

SPFL Championship play-off final second leg

Hamilton Academicals 2-1 Airdrieonians (AET) Airdrieonians won 6-5 on penalties

August 31st 2024

Scottish Championship

Hamilton Academical 2-2 Airdrieonians

2nd November 2024

Scottish Championship

Airdrieonians 0-4 Hamilton Academical

28th December 2024

Scottish Championship

Hamilton Academical 3-2 Airdrieonians

Forever First

In the programme for the match against Hamilton back in November we had a look at how both clubs had fared since moving away from their traditional homes at the end of 1993/94. If places in the Lanarkshire pecking order are determined by top division status, then we can't dispute that Accies have been the county's second team across those thirty years. We haven't been in the Premiership in all that time, but Hamilton had ten seasons in the top flight between 2008 and 2021.

If that seems to puts them out in front of us there's more than consolation in the fact that, when major honours are counted, we can still boast we've won one and they haven't. Indeed, our 1924 Scottish Cup win was the first by a Lanarkshire club. Accies were one of three county clubs to reach the final before us, but they all came up short.

A club called Clydesdale reached the first final in 1874 but they were from the southside of Glasgow, not the large rural area around Lanark. Cambuslang had the distinction of being the first club from within the county boundary to contest the final. That was way back in 1888, long before that area became one of Glasgow's contiguous suburbs. They faced Renton at 2nd Hampden but lost 6-1. The club had disappeared before the turn of the twentieth century and is unrelated to the current Cambuslang Rangers. We lost at Vale of Leven in the third round. Millburn Park in Alexandria is still in use today.

Accies were next up and they accounted for Third Lanark, Johnstone, Motherwell and Dundee before meeting Celtic in the 1910/11 final.

The record books show that in 10 previous meetings with Celtic they'd managed one solitary draw. A stout defensive display earned them a 0-0 draw and they held out for 80 minutes in the replay before the Parkhead outfit scored two in the last ten minutes. Both games were played at Ibrox. We lost at Aberdeen in the second round.

Albion Rovers was the other club that made a final appearance before us and got to Hampden in 1919/20. Wins against Dykehad (from Shotts), St Bernards and Aberdeen set up what was an epic semi-final series against Rangers. Rovers won 2-0 in the second replay after 1-1 and 0-0 draws. If that result is probably the greatest in the club's history they were minutes away from equalling it at Ibrox in March 2014. As it was, they took the lead against Kilmarnock in the final but eventually lost 3-2. We fell at the first hurdle, away to Dundee.

Clyde had reached the final in 1910 and did so again 1912 but it would be a stretch to say that Shawfield (still extant) is in Lanarkshire. That was put to the test when Clyde's third place league finish in 1966/67 saw them qualify for the following season's Fairs Cup. UEFA's one team per city rule deemed they were ineligible however, Clyde's claim they were from Rutherglen falling on deaf ears. Runners-up Rangers represented the city instead.

For the record, Motherwell didn't reach the final until 1931 and it was 1952 before they won it, almost 30 years on from our 1924 success. If you add their 1991 win to their 1932 championship and 1951 League Cup then they have a total of four major titles. They haven't been out of the top flight since 1985 so, if that means Accies are second and we appear a distant third, no matter, 1924 means we're forever first!

By Peter Smith

Airdrie For All

Airdrie For All hosted their inaugural event with a foodbank drive in aid of Airdrie Foodbank and the Lanarkshire Community Food and Health Partnership (LCFHP).

Airdrie For All were established in November 2024 with the aim of harnessing the power of the Airdrieonians FC support to mobilise around social and economic issues in Airdrie and make a positive difference to Airdrieonians and to and for the community and; ensure that the football club is a prominent, safe and welcoming space for all members of the community regardless of race, gender, religion, financial circumstances or background.

After supporting Airdrie Action Partnership’s Christmas appeal, Airdrie For All, at our game v Falkirk on Tuesday 4th March, opted to hold a foodbank collection for Airdrie Foodbank and LCFHP - two essential and worthwhile causes that help some of the most vulnerable members of our community by providing them with food, meals, fruit, healthy eating advice for schools and businesses and salutogenic approaches to reduce diet and poverty related health inequalities.

Myself and the other Airdrie fans involved in organising the collection were positively overwhelmed by the generosity shown by everybody who made a donation. A massive thank you to you all is in order. Thank you. We believe that this shows the true spirit and solidarity of our town and its people and how all Airdrieonians look out for one another.

Photo Credit: David Linden

Thank you also to the club and community trust for their donations and for the logistical and communicative support.

Thank you to you all and keep an eye on social media for news and updates on all future events.

By Sean Smith

The North-South Lanarkshire derby

First Meeting - 1883

Total Games - 183

Airdrie Wins - 79

Hamilton Wins - 60

Draws - 44

Airdrie Goals - 292

Hamilton Goals - 278

Fingers crossed for win #80 this weekend

On This Day

1902

Scottish Division Two (old)

Abercorn 0-3 Airdrieonians

1913

Scottish Division One (old)

Airdrieonians 5-1 Morton

1919

Scottish Division One (old)

Clyde 3-5 Airdrieonians

1922

Scottish Division One (old)

Hamilton 0-0 Airdrieonians

1947

Scottish Division Two (old)

Airdrieonians 6-4 Dunfermline

1952

Scottish Cup

Airdrieonians 2-2 Hearts

This match holds the highest attendance recorded at Broomfield - 24,000

2003

Scottish League Two

Airdrie united 2-1 Dumbarton

2005

Scottish League One

Airdrie United 1-0 Hamilton

Collectors’ Corner

Skol Cup semi-final Airdrie V Dunfermline Athletic Tynecastle Park 24/09/1991 & Broomfield Bulletin Vol 23 No8, Airdrie V Rangers, Premier Division 5/10/1991.

On this occasion, I wish to review two match programmes, rather than one. The common link being one man, who to this day, still rankles, or worse, with the Airdrie diehard of old – Rutherglen referee, Mr David Syme.

Mr Syme may have a CV including high profile European ties, but no Airdrie fan will forget his performance at Tynecastle Park on 24th September, 1991. It was the Skol Cup Semi Final. Airdrie, who had already beaten Aberdeen and Celtic to get to the semi-final, were 1-0 ahead, with only minutes to play.

With a Diamonds victory and a place in the Final in sight, Syme inexplicitly awarded Dunfermline a penalty. Syme claimed Sandison had elbowed the ball on the ‘edge’ of the box. It was nonsense. The players and fans were incensed. Dunfermline scored from the spot, taking the game into extra time. There were no further goals and the Pars ran out victors, winning 3-2 on penalties. Dunfermline were off to Hampden, and we were raging.

The Diamonds had a great team at the time, including legends such as John Martin, Walter Kidd, Chris Honor, Jimmy Sandison, Alan Lawerence, Owen Coyle, and Sammy Conn, to name just a few. Alex MacDonald spent £100,000 bringing Sandison from Hearts and a club record fee of £175,000 in bringing Coyle from Clydebank. It was a great era for the Diamonds, including promotion to the Premier League, Scottish Cup finalists (1992 & 1995), and beating Aberdeen and Celtic to reach this league cup semi-final.

The match programme was a glossy 32-page affair, with plenty of Skol related adverts, including the word Skol, along with a picture of goalkeeper, Alan Rough with the slogan “I’d never tip it over the bar.”! Generous coverage was afforded to both clubs, and both manager Alex McDonald, and captain, Jimmy Sandison, had their say.

Just 12 days later, the Diamonds were back in Premier League action at home against Rangers. Rather unwisely and providing our link between the two matches, the game was referred by one Mr David Syme.

David Leggat, Daily Record wrote” …. Airdrie found it hard to concentrate, given the fact the most hated man in the Lanarkshire town, David Syme, was the ref. He got pelters from the home crowd as soon as he emerged from the dressing room. Skipper Jimmy Sandison didn’t help matters by refusing to shake hands with Syme at the toss-up. Syme may have been wrong in his penalty award against Dunfermline to scupper Airdrie’s Skol Cup dream, but two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Rangers may have gone on to win the game 4-0, but you get an idea of the quality of the opposition when you see Mo Johnston scored one, with a brace from Ally McCoist. The Rangers team sheet included Alexei Mikhailichenko and Oleg Kuznetsov, as well as home stars such as Ian Durrant and Stuart McCall, all led by manager, Walter Smith. The crowd of 11,101 filling Broomfield also had the much talented Stevie Gray for Airdrie to enjoy, signed previously from Aberdeen.

The match programme, The Broomfield Bulletin, was also a glossy 32-page affair crammed with detail, and ably edited by John Henderson. What caught my interest, was a wee article headed ‘Thomas Huschbeck, Not Returning to Broomfield.” The article confirmed Airdrie had decided not to pursue their interest in the player, who had recently turned out for our reserves. To give you an idea of our ambition at the time – Huschbeck, born in Cologne, was with top German league side, Borussia Monchengladbach at the time!

Airdrie, unfairly described by others as the ‘Beastie Boys’ for our Get Up and at ‘Em style, fought well against quality Premier League opposition, finished the 91/92 season, a very respectable 7th in a league of 12 – St Mirren and Dunfermline going down.

Brian Bollen in his book Airdrieonians Football Club wrote “…. Mr David Syme, robbed Airdrie of a first -ever League Cup final spot. (however) Life was happier in the Scottish Cup (1992), where the official match programme described Airdrie’s progress to the final against Rangers as ‘the greatest football fairy-tale of modern times: Airdrie’s achievements are a godsend for Scottish Football.” The 1990’s was indeed an interesting time to be a Diamond!

By Andy Locke

Trivia

Last issue we asked you - Who scored Airdrie’s goal in the 1992 Scottish Cup final?

The Answer - Andy Smith

This issue - Which ex Diamond and Accies player has also played in the Singapore Premier League?