Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Stuart on the board
Shields appointed as director at Airdrieonians
The Airdrieonians Consortium are adamant that they will seal the deal for the Diamonds majority stake in the coming days.
Representatives of the rescue-group met faceto-face with Hamilton Accies chief executive Colin McGowan last week as he continues to broker the takeover on behalf of majority shareholder Tom Wotherspoon.
Former boss Bobby Watson is the chairman designate of the club should the group succeed in their takeover attempt.
His close friend Martin Ferguson – who was the chief scout at Manchester United for 16 years – is also the vice-chairman designate.
Consortium member Stuart Shields has been appointed as a club director - subject to final SFA and SPFL approval - and said it had given the Airdrie-minded businessmen “a bit more access than they would have had.”
He said both McGowan and club secretary AnnMarie Ballantyne have been “informative and helpful” and “details had been forthcoming” when requested.
They have also been granted one-to-one chats with first-team coach Stephen Findlay as he details positions he wishes to strengthen in the current transfer window.
The consortium had targeted closing the deal for the club before Christmas, however Shields admitted that may have been “too optimistic” given that face-to-face talks only started in November.
However, he believes a deal will be completed “by the end of the week” with the final details being “ironed out”.
“We’re not over the line yet but we are getting there - progressively,” he told the Advertiser.
“We didn’t expect to be where we are already, but we are in a much better of than we were a couple of months ago.
“Colin McGowan, Tom Wotherspoon and AnnMarie Ballantyne have been very helpful for us as we try to get a deal. I would also like to thank the Airdrieonians fan groups for their continued support.
“We had hoped to been able to get a deal through before Christmas without having to rush it - but it proved to be a big ask given the
holiday period.
“We have a price agreed for the stake - the funds are all sitting in the bank waiting to go.
“There isn’t anything untoward that we have come across - it’s just a huge amount of paperwork to go through.” He added: “I don’t believe that it won’t go through.” Shields also confirmed that formal talks had yet to take place with current chairman Jim Ballantyne and the family about snapping up their stake in Airdrieonians.
“We were granted access to do the deal for the majority stake in the club and we are focusing on that first and foremost,” he continued. “We haven’t officially approached the Ballantyne’s for their shares or made an offer. Would we like to purchase them at some point? Yes.
“At this moment we are solely focused on Tom Wotherspoon’s shares and the current negotiations.”
The Airdrieonians Supporters’ Trust (AST) - who the Advertiser previously revealed are actively involved with the consortium - also dubbed the deal “imminent, barring any unforeseen complications.”
In a statement, the Trust added that while “operational details remain to be agreed” they expect AST chairman Willie Marshall to represent them on the new board.
Marshall said: “This is an exciting time, and I am privileged to be playing an active role while we stabilise during the second half of the season.
“The whole Trust, and our membership, have been pivotal in the changes that are occurring, and I am convinced we will also have a leading role in shaping the club in the future.
“Come the summer, we will work with the rest of the board to agree how best to ensure fan representation is organised in the longer term.
“But for now, I will do my upmost to influence the direction of the club in a way that is sympathetic to our long-term objectives.”