THE SURVIVAL SPECIALISTS
Ally: Making Rice boss was genius and my old team have stuck two fingers up at foes
For Hamilton to stay in the Premiership for six seasons is miraculous ALLY GRAHAM
ALLY GRAHAM insists Hamilton’s decision to bin Martin Canning and replace him in the dugout with Brian Rice was a masterstroke.
And the former Accies striker admits the subsequent top-flight survival – to ensure a sixth straight season in the Premiership – was a two-fingered salute to those who do them down.
The 52-year-old reckons the siege mentality created around the club at the start of every new season is enough to spur them on to great heights.
Graham said: “Hamilton continually punching above their weight and staying in the Premiership is the success story of the campaign.
“For some reason everybody wants Hamilton to go down. People believe Accies don’t bring much to the table and don’t contribute anything to the league in terms of support.
“Do you know what? Accies keep disappointing the critics and defying the odds and that is incredible.
“Hamilton are always going to be a team fighting relegation and they are used to performing under pressure and digging out results when all seems lost.
“The siege mentality created BY ANTHONY HAGGERTY around the club from August onwards is amazing and every point is a prisoner to them.
“Accies just always seem to find that strength to keep them in the league. Look at Dundee United in the Championship – they seem to have the hoodoo on them and can’t get up while we can’t get rid of Accies.
“The appointment of Brian can’t be underestimated as he came in when they parted company with Martin and made them a more expressive team and that has paid dividends.
“Before Rice arrived everyone thought we were dead and buried and yet Hamilton have done the business again.
“They needed a change at managerial level and this was Rice’s first gig as a manager in his own right and it was a gamble but what a job he did.
“For Hamilton to stay in the Premiership for six seasons is nothing short of miraculous especially when you look at the budgets of every club.
“That is a fantastic record for such a small club. To continually prove people wrong takes guts. You have to applaud them for that as they are brilliant at it.
“I would just love to see them unearth another gem in the James McCarthy and James McArthur mould as the club are rightfully proud of that and another player to sell for a tidy profit would not go amiss.
“I’d also like to see them add another 1000 to the gate.
“You know what you’re getting with Hamilton as it’s pure honest, hard work and endeavour and Scottish football in the raw.
“Success is survival and it’d be great to see them finishing a comfortable seventh or eighth.
“As long as they keep staying up they will continue to flick the two-fingered salute to those who want rid of them – and you wouldn’t bet against them making it a magnificent seven.”