Chairman’s Message
The start of a new season always has an air of real excitement and anticipation, the beginning of a new chapter in our history at Hamilton has added to those feelings as we approach our first home league match.
The move from Broadwood to New Douglas Park is now complete, and my thanks go to the staff and volunteers who have made this happen. Of course, that has been helped by the warm welcome we have received from all here at Hamilton. We greatly appreciate their support in helping the club during this period. The decision to leave Broadwood on our terms was bold but it was the right call for our club. It has been a challenging period. Completing a move within a tight timescale while “business as usual” continued was no mean feat but it has been achieved. No doubt things may feel strange in the short term but that will change as we acclimatise, and the backing of our supporters will give the players the boost. The evidence from last Saturday’s trip to Dumfries I think has demonstrated the key role supporters can play in this transition. That backing galvanised the players in the challenges they faced throughout the match, and the same positive support will be a huge asset to the players and club in the weeks ahead.
As a club we require to learn from the past but not to dwell on it, work hard as a team and be focused on achieving our aim. On the pitch that might be finishing as high up the league and progress in the cup. Off the pitch our goal is clear- It’s time to go back home. Everything that we do should be focused on returning to the East End of Glasgow as a successful SPFL club on and off the pitch. We want our club to be first and foremost one which makes a positive difference and is an active partner with the communities in the East End, with activities based from a centre in which we have a controlling interest. Enabling a hub to be formed that can not only host our football ambitions but brings resources to its surrounding area and is an asset to local people and organisations with similar aims.
I am assured that this ambition is not just warm words. From the outset of this process, we have been fostering a strong relationship with Glasgow City Council, who have consistently expressed a sincere desire to help us achieve our vision. Productive talks are ongoing, but they remain at a sensitive stage. Two potential sites are currently under consideration and I am hopeful that we will soon be able to be more candid on their locations so that we can begin consulting with supporters on a proposition for one or the other.
Just like the squad that Danny has assembled, we need to be a team to achieve our aim. People will take on different roles and have varied tasks to play to ensure our return to Glasgow. In the near future we will begin to announce the ways in which individual supporters can be further involved and this will build on the positive experience of previous working groups that have helped the club. Notwithstanding my delight at the result and our performance in the first league match I cannot predict what this season will bring on the park. Off it, however, I am confident that by being focused and united we will take positive steps on our journey home.
Gordon Thomson, Chairman.