Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
From Airdrie title joy to the Bay of Bengal
MARK PIRIE
Sandy Stewart is the last Airdrie manager to win a league title.
The legendary former New Broomfield star led the Diamonds to Second Division title glory back in 2004.
With Ian Murray’s Airdrie attempting to mount a League One title charge this term, the days of Stewart’s time at ML6 seem like a lifetime ago.
Now, as he sits in a five-star hotel in Chennai, India, he has to take two flights to visit his family or watch his son Scott turn out for Arbroath in the Championship after becoming Owen Coyle’s number two at Indian Super League side Chennaiyin.
Having taken jobs at the top level in Scotland, England and America the latest adventure for the 54-year-old has seen him help former Airdrie pal Coyle steer the side from the Bay of Bengal away from the foot of the table.
Looking back, Stewart says it was the exploits almost two decades ago that helped spur on his remarkable coaching journey.
He said: “That title win was really what whetted my appetite to go into coaching.
“I was gobsmacked first of all that I was asked to take the job on at the time. It was a bit of pressure as I had a good relationship with the fans from my time playing there, but I had great assistants, first with Brian Rice and then with Kenny Black.
“We didn’t really look like title contenders until the final run of that season, but we had a fantastic team with Willie McLaren, Alan Gow and big Owen.
“For me and as someone with such close ties to Airdrie, that final four months of the season is probably one of the most exciting times I have had in football – and probably one of the best to be a fan.
“We really had confidence that we would go and win every game. We just need to forget the first part of that season.
“Those four months really gave me an appetite for coaching.
“In management you have highs and lows, but I don’t think I would have been able to have the experiences I’ve had without that time at Airdrie.
“If you had told me at that time that I would have been able to manage in the EPL, stay down there for nine years, go across to America and coach and now India, I wouldn’t have believed it. “Football is a strange game” Having left Ayr United following the appointment of Mark Kerr, Stewart was enjoying a break from football and spending time with family.
That was before long-time pal Coyle picked up the phone.
Having worked as assistant to the former Airdrie hero at seven clubs including Burnley, Bolton, Houston Dynamo, St Johnstone and Ross County, it seemed like an obvious choice for Stewart.
However, he admits there was some resistance from him to follow his friend across the globe to a side that had only been formed in 2014.
Now he is loving his spell at a club who have been managed by World Cup winner Marco Matterazi and former Aston Villa gaffer John Gregory.
And the players are getting to grips with his Scottish accent.
Sandy said: “It was something that totally came out of the blue for me. Owen phoned and I initially said no. I was helping out with the family and it didn’t feel like the right time.
“I then went away and thought about it and spoke about it with my family.
“I decided it could be a good experience and I had been thinking about my next move after leaving Ayr, so why not try it?”
He went on: “It is very, very warm– it’s about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s like being back in Houston in the US, but the pitch has been first class and the training facility is great.
“It was a bit of a culture shock at first, but everyone here speaks English, I would say about 90 per cent of people.
“The foreigners you are allowed in your squad also have really good English. Sometimes the issue is the Scottish accent though.
“I sometimes have to get the foreign players to pass on what we mean to the Indian players. They have all been really receptive to the ideas myself and Owen are putting across though.
“When we came in we were second bottom and now we are up to mid-table. I’m really glad I took the chance to grab the experience.”
With the former ISL champions Chennaiyan now climbing the table under the charge of two Lanarkshire heroes, what does Stewart think of Airdrie?
He says that this is the point in the season where results really matter to Ian Murray’s side if they want to add to the trophy cabinet.
“We were well behind the other teams at the top at the end of January, then we went on a great run. It was unbelievable.
“You need everyone to be pulling in the same direction and a couple of results to go your way, that will start to take the pressure off.
“If your goal is to get promoted, this is when points and your fitness really matters.”
To both the Diamonds, and his current squad in Chennai, the message from the Lanarkshire legend is clear – “Don’t rest on your laurels.”