Watt a prospect Kev is!
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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As much as I hate to admit it, the past 12 months have been difficult being an Airdrie United fan. I would put myself in the diehard bracket - that’s to say that no matter how bad things get on the park, I wouldn’t contemplate not going to support the team on a Saturday. Being a football fan for me means sticking by the team through thick and thin, because without suffering the lows, the highs cannot happen.
That doesn’t mean to say that I’m enjoying it. I am a competent enough businessman to understand the root of the problem. Fans crying out about how the club should sign this player, keep hold of another, buy this and invest in that need to have a reality check. We have gates within of under 1000. We have minimal other sources of income. It’s all very well saying Jim Ballantyne should put more money in, but the man is losing money on a weekly basis. He’s funding this club and isn’t getting the respect that he deserves for saving the club. Anyway, that’s another story - I’ll come back to that at a later date.
While we can perhaps accept a lack of quality on show - you get what you pay for after all - the one thing football fans and especially Airdrie supporters who have been used in recent years to the dogged spirit of hard working stars such as Evan Balfour, Sandy Stewart, Jimmy Sandison, Stevie Cooper and dare I say it, Kenny Black.
At the end of last season, Neil McGowan blasted the 2006-07 squad, saying that too many players didn’t care about the plight of the club. From watching some of the pathetic performances in games billed as “must win”, I found it hard to disagree. Ultimately though, that’s what you get when you deal with the calibre of players we have - largely they are immature kids who are happy to float from club to club. Gone are the days of experienced players such as Kenny, Sandy and Owen Coyle for whom the game and professionalism is everything. Sadly, this is a reflection of Scottish society.
Take the case of Alan Hutton. Here we have a talented, yet massively over-rated player who is given the tremendous opportunity to play in the English Premiership with one of their leading clubs. For a driven individual who has goals of career development and personal ambition, they would be mad not to take this opportunity to further their career. Yet there is a general feeling that if you take Hutton out his comfort zone, he would crumble. Barry Ferguson couldn’t hack it in England. Because once the average Scot is taken out of their comfort zone, hanging with their mates, going down the pub after games they simply can’t hack it. Hutton would be found out in the Premiership and deep down he knows it.
In contrast, look at Cesc Fabregas. Here is a guy who left Spain at the age of 16 to go to Arsenal to develop his career and look at him now. It is that determination and drive which is missing from our young talent. That is why so many of them miss the boat. Look at Steven McDougall. 12 months ago he was being linked with Hibs and Falkirk and now he isn’t even a guaranteed pick at a struggling Airdrie side. Does he care enough about the game? Only he can tell you.
That is why the emergence of Kevin Watt brings a smile to my face. Not only has Kevin made a tremendous impact in terms of results, setting up a last minute winner against Queen’s Park and then winning the game for us against Peterhead, but he plays the game in the right way - with enthusiasm and a smile on his face.
From reading the interviews, he seems to be a very down to earth young boy who is grateful for the opportunity he has been handed and determined to make the most of it. There is no air of arrogance about Kevin, no deluded sense of grandeur. As a player, that can only help him to develop his game as I’m sure he will listen to the advice he is given and I’m sure if he continues in this mould, he will go onto have a successful future in the game.
As fans, we can identify with him and he is exactly what we need just now - someone who can get the fans excited at the games and help lift some of the apathy we are all feeling.
Contrary to popular belief - football is not all about results. Like any business, Airdrie is a brand and the first thing a brand must do is create an identity and a bond with his supporters. I remember coming away from St Johnstone a few years ago in a Cup replay disappointed (as we’d lost), but proud of the team for the efforts they put in. In contrast, I’ve walked away from numerous victories this season (most notably the 1-0 win at Queen’s Park) absolutely disgusted with what I’ve seen.
For Airdrie to get crowds back up, we need to get players we can identify with, players who will give 100% for the jersey and do everything they can for the club. Once the players show that commitment, it will filter through to the fans, just like the apathy has done in reverse.
Kevin Watt is a positive step in that direction.
i followed this club for 60 years and can agree with you on some things you say but we have had a lots of worse than we have now we must remember that we aways cant get the players we want for variousreasonsthe biggest one is money very few now play for a club just how much money they can get we have maybe 5 that dont prunty lovering watt mc donald and robbodo u think the rest give 100 persent when they play
I completely agree with what you are saying. I am struggling to identify with the current group of players - I wouldn’t miss any of them if they left.
Watt does look a good prospect though, I’m aware Kenny has to ease him in slowly but I hope to see a lot more of him between now and May.