SPARTANS believe they can still convince the Scottish Football League's 29 member clubs that they would be the best addition to the set up, despite scoring poorly with the SFL management committee.
The Edinburgh club have been the high-profile contenders in the race to replace Gretna but were subjected to an extra grilling by the SFL's representatives at a meeting at Hampden on Wednesday. However, the findings, which have been circulated to all
voting members, are intended purely for information and are unlikely to sway several chairmen who have privately offered their backing.
The fact that the majority of the concerns centre around the new Ainslie Park ground, which will not be completed until the beginning of September, have actually assuaged the fears of many club representatives, who believe that the end product will justify Spartans' confidence. The hope, according to Spartans club captain Craig Graham, is that others will also consider the bigger picture.
"We were happy to oblige the management committee and acknowledge it would be better if the new academy and playing surface could have been ready in time for the league season starting but the fact is we may have to wait five weeks. We have had the go-ahead to play those initial games at Meadowbank Stadium, which did score well with the management committee, and have agreed, if necessary to play a complete round of matches there, but what people have to remember is that we are looking well into the future.
"It's not just about the first five weeks, it's about having a club who will work with and enhance the league over the next five, 10, 50 years.
"We were aware that we may be marked down because the ground isn't ready yet but it will be ready by September 13 and when it is we will be in a position to provide the Third Division with a facility it can be proud of and one other teams can look forward to coming to."
Having canvassed several clubs, Graham hopes the other chairman will have the vision themselves to see beyond the first five weeks of the season. "When our ground is finished we will have the best facilities and when it comes to other criteria, we know we are in a strong position. We know we have the best fan base, the best community scheme, with over 500 players, throughout the age groups, registered with the club, we have the history of on-field success and the profile which goes with that and considering the capital does not have an SFL club at the moment, we think we have the best location."
The other matter raised by the management committee was the financial stability of the club but, having successfully raised £3.5m for the new academy, Graham insist they are as financially astute and reliable as anyone. "Unlike several clubs who rely significantly on a single benefactor, we have many Spartans-minded businessmen on our committee who are full-committed to the club."
The vote will be taken by the 29 existing member clubs at Hampden on Thursday, with each club having one vote. The first club to receive 15 votes will be accepted into the SFL set-up. If, however, the first vote fails to find an outright winner, the applicant receiving the fewest votes will drop out and a second vote taken. That will continue until the winner is decided.
Addressing the issue of their fan base and their detractors' on-going negative comparisons with Meadowbank Thistle, manager Mike Lawson, who previously played and managed the now-defunct side, said there was room for a third Edinburgh club.
"Meadowbank was a club dropped into an athletics stadium, with no profile and a very small fan base. When I was at Meadowbank, we played arguably the biggest game in the club's history, against Rangers at Ibrox. I have said that we only managed to take 200 fans with us that day, despite the quality of the opposition, but I was corrected by a Meadowbank fan, who told me there was only 127 and sent me a photo to prove it.
"Spartans, on the other hand, took 400 fans away to Arbroath, for example, and 1,000 to a Scottish Cup replay against St Mirren." The fact it was a midweek replay and the rain was throwing it down, suggests they are no fair-weather fans either. The club has also attracted crowds approaching four figures for their non-league cup finals this season.
The admission of Spartans would also benefit a raft of forgotten players as well as fans, according to striker Keith McLeod. The club have a handful of former SFL players on their books and he says they could still be plying their trade at that level if there was a club in the capital.
"If you are not good enough to play for Hearts or Hibs then there are no local options. Good Edinburgh players are being lost to the football league because the nearest league clubs are still a distance away, especially when you are playing part-time and having to combine training and playing with full-time work. The travelling gets too much and, understandably, most employers are not happy when you have to leave work early to get to training on time.
"It doesn't make sense not to have an SFL club in Edinburgh. It's too big a gap from the SPL to non-league level for players and a lot of fans who want to watch decent football without the expense of following an SPL team."
The full article contains 943 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
