By Chris Mac
March 26 2003

What would it take to secure full time football for Airdrie United Football Club? Every Airdrie fan thinks that full time football may have secured us first division football at the end of this season.

I have not totally ruled promotion out for this season, but like most others I am happy to consolidate in the first and go up next season as Second Division Champions and not just runners up. But I do feel this will take full time football.

At past meetings Jim Ballantyne has said that the finances would not dramatically change going full time, But surely it can't be left in the hands of the Ballantyne and Spiers families to secure full time football at the club. What can we do to help?

The Lottery:  As far as I can tell it has been a great success since it started, averaging over 2500 every week and last week breaking the 3000 mark for the first time(3125). Finance like this coming in over the closed season will help but it takes everyone to buy them faithfully every week. Remember sellers of the tickets receive 10% of the sales and 5% if they get a win.

Season Tickets: This season we broke all Airdrie records and set the standard we have to try and achieve every season. We also need more taken up this year. The club has to help with this, making it easier to pay up tickets and maybe even lowering the prices. Kids season tickets  also have to be considered, they are the future support and we have to get them through the gates as early as possible. For me any kids under 11 should get in for £1, over elevens not much more.

Merchandise and Strips: From what I can remember the strips will not be changing this season, so if you have already bought one there is not much point in having two or three, but there is other Airdrie United merchandise to buy. I feel the club lose a lot of finance by not having any income from the concessions, but our Baseball fan Gordon T gave me an idea. Can we have a few people selling sweets, crisps or juice from trays at half time? Probably not but it's an idea.

Supporters Trust: Any fund raising ideas?, the money raised by the Airdrie United Supporters Society should not go directly to the club, but once finance is in place the sponsorship of players should be in the fore front of it's it aims. the trust is there to secure Airdrie United future. So again if fund raising activities are held please help out.

To end this, another thing I think the fans really need to know is what the club really needs from us. The above are the simple things true fans do every season but what else can we do? Advertising on the wall boards, do the club benefit from this? Hospitality, again where does the biggest majority of this go?

Lets try and help Airdrie United secure full time football, by doing all we can.