More points, more kids, more fans
Allan Maitland says he’s looking for improvement in season 2019/20, and it’s very much a catch-all term at Hamilton Accies.
The chairman is looking for more points, more kids coming through to the first-team, better entertainment, and a larger number of fans turning out to watch the team every week.
Maitland feels that Hamilton, under head coach Brian Rice, are already on their way to doing that, but wants more.
“People say ‘you want to improve on last season’ and we do, but improvement is a funny thing,” said the former Accies, Clyde and Alloa manager.
“Last season we finished tenth in the league, managed to avoid the play-off, so is finishing ninth, with the same number of points, better?
“Improvement, for me, is another ten points on the board, getting ourselves to 40 points, avoiding that play-off spot – that’s where we want to be.
“If that means you move up and finish eighth or seventh in the league then great, but first and foremost we need to be better on the park, we need to get more points on the board.”
Hamilton ended last season on 33 points and with a goaldifference of -47. They avoided the play-off spot by a single point.
Bringing in Brian Rice in January was a major turning point in the season, and he was responsible for 19 of those points, including a brilliant win at Aberdeen and at home to Hearts and St Johnstone.
Maitland feels that Rice’s enthusiasm for the game will be a massive help at the club.
He said: “I think it was important that we made the change when we did and gave the team a bit of momentum.
“We got the goal by Darian Mackinnon in Brian’s first game against Dundee [1-1 draw] and I think that was crucial in getting wins after that.
“St Mirren improved dramatically after Christmas and despite Dundee’s results, I thought they had improved with their signings, so it was important that we did the same.
“Marios Ogkmpoe coming back into the team, George Oakley, Steve Davies and Tony Andreu coming in gave the team a big boost, and I think was a big part of us staying up.
“At that time there was no point in worrying about goal difference because we were so far behind anyway, so it was just a question of trying to win games, and I think Brian has done fantastically well.
“There’s a real positive feel about the club and we’re going into the new season with that momentum from last season, and hopefully that will show in results and performances.
“It might not work this season, but the feeling around the club is that there is a lot of optimism, there’s new energy in the football team and a lot of new energy in the players. I hope that shows.
“Brian has been a number two for a long time, but he has great experience, fantastic contacts in football and I know Brian.
“His enthusiasm is infectious, and I think that has transferred into the players.”