Dougie Looks Forward
Dougie Donnelly spoke to www.clydefc.co.uk as preparations continued for The Bully Wee’s new Quiz Night.
The event will take place on the 16th April at Walkabout in Renfield Street, Glasgow. Dougie will be host on the evening, with the questions taking a mainly sports’ flavour but also including some general knowledge rounds.
“It’s an event I’m really looking forward to,” he said. “I hope it is well supported and can contribute to the fundraising efforts of the club.”
Dougie also took time to put on record his views on the question focussing the minds of all Clyde FC Owners; the East Kilbride proposal:-
“The 50th anniversary of my very first Clyde match at Shawfield slipped past without celebration last September. Somehow, none of us have been in the mood to do much celebrating in recent seasons. That is the great fear for all Bully Wee fans – that the great days have gone forever and all we have to look forward to is a constant battle for survival at the bottom end of Scottish football, winning only sympathy for our plight as the memories of Championship titles and Scottish Cup wins become ever dimmer.
“That is not what any of us want for our club and is what a dedicated and extremely hard-working Board have been desperately trying to avoid for the last few seasons. Frankly, I think they have done a remarkable job in reducing that huge debt to a level where it will have disappeared entirely in a little over 18 months from now.
“But that momentous day in itself will not guarantee a return to the good times. We are not wanted at Broadwood, where we will never have the opportunity to build a successful business model and a successful football club. Fortunately we have an escape route and not just a way out of a seemingly hopeless situation, but one which, almost incredibly, offers us real hope for a bright and successful future in a town which already has links to the club and wants to see us in their community.
“Yes, we have to make a change to our club’s 136-year-old name and, ideally, none of us would have wanted to make that change. But I believe it is a concession we simply have to make to demonstrate that we are as committed to East Kilbride as they are to us and to guarantee that there will still be a Clyde FC to support; even with two letters added in front of it.
“These are seriously worrying times for Scottish football, as we all know. I firmly believe that some of our most famous clubs may not survive. I don’t want Clyde to be amongst them. I will be voting with my head as well as my heart on April 20th. I hope that my fellow Clyde owners will vote with me for a new home in East Kilbride and that we take this outstanding, perhaps once in a lifetime, opportunity to guarantee a future for our club.
“Now that really would be a reason to celebrate.”
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) will be held at Broadwood on Saturday 20th April at 12.30pm. It is vital that as many Owners as possible attend the meeting, but those unable to attend have the opportunity to submit their proxy form by post or nominate a proxy to attend the meeting and vote on their behalf.
Information meetings will be held on Saturday 6th April (1pm) at Broadwood and w/c 8th April at a Glasgow location, with details to be confirmed soon. Board members will also attend meetings of smaller groups on request.