Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Fans-tastic idea as orders flood in Hundreds of ‘Mark’s’ Diamond shirts needed for demand
Airdrieonians have had to send off for hundreds of extra shirts emblazoned with the face of diehard Diamond Mark Allison to meet “incredible” demands as the trailblazing kit captured the imagination of the public – all across the globe.
The strip sold out just 35 minutes after going on sale and the club initially placed an order for 200 more shirts – but have had to increase it to 500.
Requests for the shirt have come from as far afield as America, Australia and Germany and the innovative strip featured on hit television show Soccer AM on Saturday when host John ‘Fenners’ Fendley wore the shirt and paid tribute to Mark, who appeared on the show in October of last year.
As reported in last week’s Advertiser, Mark’s face will feature on Airdrieonians’ shirts for the remainder of the season as part of a five-figure kit deal with Airdrieonians Supporters’ Trust.
Mark passed away in June at the age of 49 following a braze battle with pancreatic cancer and his beloved Diamonds saw the shirt sponsorship as a fitting legacy to his memory.
Douglas Allsop, Airdrieonians’ commercial manager and a close friend of Mark’s, has hailed the response the new strip has received since its launch.
He told the Advertiser: “I thought the kit would go down well with the fans and the town, but I didn’t expect this.
“It has gone viral across the globe and after selling out of shirts in the first 35 minutes, we put an order in for another 200.
“But we then had to increase this to 350 and it looks like this will have to rise to 500 as the demand has been incredible.
“So many people are looking to buy the shirt – and not just Airdrie fans.
“We’ve been contacted by a distribution store in Berlin and the chief executive of Houston Dynamo, Steven Powell, and I have been interviewed by French media.
“‘Fenners’ wore the shirt on Soccer AM last Saturday and spoke about the new deal and Mark’s legacy, and Jeff Stelling even mentioned it on Soccer Saturday.
“The response has been way beyond the club’s expectations and we’re all flabbergasted by how popular the strip has been.
“Mark would have a big smile on his face if he could see all of the fuss he has created.”
The new kit deal will also see programme and trackside advertising at Airdrie’s New Broomfield stadium go to Maggie’s Lanarkshire cancer care centre and St Andrew’s Hospice – two charities that were close to Mark’s heart.
Anyone interested in buying the shirt can email Douglas on douglas.allsop@airdriefc.com to arrange payment.