'Darkest period in history' for Accies

The following statement has been issued by the Accies Supporters Association:

'It’s agonising to have confirmation that we are once again in the wilderness after 25 years back at home in Hamilton. This is a situation that no one wanted.

We are devastated – but we won’t give up. The fight to get Hamilton back in Hamilton has already begun. We need everyone’s support.

Many fans will drift away, and we ask that people don’t judge anyone who chooses to boycott or to attend Broadwood [Cumbernauld], but those who do stick around were here long before the current board and we plan to outlast them.

However, our overriding concern is that there will be no club to come back to Hamilton. We know how close Accies came to extinction during the previous seven homeless years, and we do not trust the board to deliver a second stadium in Hamilton. In fact, the only promise they have delivered on throughout their stewardship has been the catastrophic decision to take our club out of our home.

They must now prove us all wrong by demonstrating that they do have a clear and realistic plan for Accies to return to Hamilton, or they will face the kind of backlash that they never have before. We have dedicated our lives to this club, and the only way we could ever trust this board again is for them to show that same dedication to us by immediately working with the Supporters’ Association and the wider fanbase.

We have received a provisional offer from chairman Jock Brown for a Golden Share and two representatives on the board, something that should protect our ‘heritage’ so that we’re never in this position again. This is a first step, albeit one that requires negotiation, but one step isn’t going to save us from plunging into one of the darkest periods in our history.