Ex-Hamilton Accies chairman details eye-watering cost of keeping club afloat

Former Hamilton Accies chairman Ronnie MacDonald has revealed that it costs £2m a year just to keep the League One club afloat, and that their new owners could be in for a shock.

MacDonald stepped down from the club a fortnight ago alongside directors Les Gray and Allan Maitland, and chief executive Colin McGowan, when new owners took over.

A statement issued by the New Douglas Park club said 1874 Holdings Ltd had taken a majority shareholding and the new owner is Seref Zengin.

But MacDonald, 53, who joined the club's board in 2017, says it takes a lot more than people think just to run the club.

MacDonald told the Scottish Sun: "If you take away gate receipts and season ticket money, we had to find £2m every year.

"It's not our money. We've appealed to pals and business associates, done sponsorship deals, sold the likes of James McCarthy, Lewis Ferguson and James McArthur.

"If you're in the Premiership and get a good cup draw, you could get £500,000. Lewis could get sold and you might get a sell-on payment.

"Last month we got a £50,000 add-on from the sale of Hakeem Odoffin to Rotherham because they stayed up, but our efforts are what have made up 80 per cent of the revenue.

"We've taken Accies from going bust and owing £5.4m to where they are now.

"We took all the financial risk, now Colin sold the club for £1. It's his stadium, that's it.

"He'll run the business, he'll let it to the nursery, to Alcoholics Anonymous, and all the charity groups, which are his passion.

"Colin is, in many ways, the hero of the story."

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