New web site

[Plump Larkyaccie HAW]

HAW Niall away stick yer heid back up George Galloway's erese and geez aw peice.

[Stevie Clarke]

Much as I dislike McGowan and want him gone, to say the club has been in decline since his arrival is plain wrong. Historically Accies are not a top tier club, even when it was made up of 18 teams. We've just had another seven years in the Premier. The club does belong to the people of Hamilton unfortunately the vast majority of them couldn't care less. It's always dispiriting in a spell of warm weather like this to see the number of OF tops on the town's streets, mostly Rangers it has to be said. It is a bit of a thankless task, Ronnie said McGowan brought him on board and we've had a lot of good times since 2003. I've already talked about the neverending stream of shady if not downright criminal sponsors. He drags the name of the club down. It would be better for all concerned if he left.

[Beckford]

Much as I dislike McGowan and want him gone, to say the club has been in decline since his arrival is plain wrong. Historically Accies are not a top tier club, even when it was made up of 18 teams. We've just had another seven years in the Premier. The club does belong to the people of Hamilton unfortunately the vast majority of them couldn't care less. It's always dispiriting in a spell of warm weather like this to see the number of OF tops on the town's streets, mostly Rangers it has to be said. It is a bit of a thankless task, Ronnie said McGowan brought him on board and we've had a lot of good times since 2003. I've already talked about the neverending stream of shady if not downright criminal sponsors. He drags the name of the club down. It would be better for all concerned if he left.

HI Stevie, I take your point and i valued and celebrated the teams relative period of success as we all did.

However, I have consistently highlighted how the board has utterly failed to build on this and in fact taken the club backwards. Our steady decline to league one I feel supports this. This is not a retrospective view as anyone who knows me would testify.

During our period in the top league, at no point were measures taken to ensure the long term future of the club, our reputation was in fact eroded to the point where we are now thought of as a laughing stock and an uter shambles. This has not happend over night, it has been a slow constant decay and i stand by my view (whilst respecting your own)

The miss-management and missuse of the club has resulted in our poor reputation, which in turn has added to the towns apathy. During periods of success, a club should be able to atract potential new fans. Our fanbase never grew, even when the product on the pitch was a real selling point. I believe this was down to how the club opperates and presents itself. If there is nothing to get behind, why should people choose to follow the club?

I was born in Hamilton but don't live there due to work and family. However accies have always been my club and always will. I still make sacrafices to attend the games, i almost have no choice! Countless times i have thought of giving up and felt life would be so much more enjoyable if i wasnt constantly let down by the club i love. Thats not a feeling i experience when the team loose a game by the way (no mater how often that occurs) its only when there is an interaction with the board or the club. This should never be the case for any fan that gives unconditional suport, and why the latest press release promoting season tickets was such an insult. We know we are not valued, our collective experiences tells us this!

[Stevie Clarke]

The club did have two seasons of ridiculously low season ticket prices, for adults anyway, the pensioners had to pay the same as the waged. £150 in 2016/17 & £180 the next season. I think the take up was good but still nowhere near what it should've been for a top tier side in a town of 52,000. As I said, the locals cannot see past the Old Firm. But you're correct, we became a laughing stock everywhere when we were conned out of nearly a million. Our amateurish set up is probably why we, out of 41 other clubs, were targeted.

We've finally got a decent website it seems. Two weeks ago the upcoming match on the old one was Cove away in September. Lamentable. No programme but the pamphlet we had was regularly the worst in the land. So much of the club smacks of just not giving a damn, apart from the youth set up, credit there where it's due and, of course, charity. Not long now til another new strip without hoops. Fans want them back, but they never listen.

[Beckford]

I agree the new web site is a big improvement, heres hoping they actually use it to promote the football club as it should. General feed back across various boards and social media outlets has been positive, seems there are still a few comunication issues with other formats like twitter though (which i do not use so not in a position to comment on) Hopefully things are improving in general and yes, credit where credit is due

Failure can often be a catalyst for big improvements. We need to make our voices heard and drive changes such as this. We all want a club to be proud of, and that is so much more than having a wining team. (Though obviously that is a huge part of it)

[niallfraser8]

I'm a supporter the same as you guys and there is no question that Colin never went out to endear himself to fans, thats a given. But now he's exiting the football club the conversation I'm having here is one of truth, when we look at Raith Rover accounts Colin saved them, despite what fans in Kirkcaldy may think about him personally this is the case, similarly Mcgowan saved accies despite what a number of fans may think. The proof lies within companies house publicly for all see and TT MUST know this, therefore it would seem to me to be more of a personal vendetta against Mcgowan rather than a factually based argument.

Even in the first instance if you think about it going back 20 years ago in order to attempt to blacken someones name is a stretch indeed, nevermind the information being dug up and reported being deceptive and untrue.

[smc4761]

Dear lord Niall wake up and smell the coffee. Take off your rose tinted specs and join us in the real world

The Companies House accounts for the miriade of companies that McGowan has set up are just a way of moving what little money there is around. TT and several otheres have tried to investigate these companies but its a spiders web, no doubt set up by clever accountants.

If McGowan was so successful at saving Raith why do you think just about all of them wanted the parasite out. Same at Accies, If McGowan is so wonderful as you make out, why do just about all the fans want him to go

The sponsors that McGowan has brought in are at best shady, Nero Vodka, and the rest are barely solvent, according to Companies House records.

McGowan is not exiting the club, as such he has worked it so that he holds the stadium rights. So any poor sod that comes in, is right away trying to run the club with one hand tied behind their back. Until the parasite leaves our beloved club for good and sods off with his pet projects the club has no chance of going forward.

I for one will not give a penny to the club whilst the parasite remains at the club; and I am sure i am not alone

[Beckford]

Come on Niall, if he has been the saviour of the Rovers and Accies, why have both sets of fans such a low opinion of him? Its not that he never tried to build a relationship with the fans, he actively went out of his way to antagonise them!

Our club has been used as a vehicle to promote self interest, nothing has ever been done purely for the benifit of the club. When this is raised and questions are asked they are met by petty and spiteful actions in an atempt to taint the support and deflect attention from the questionable and down right dodgy dealings. "But, but my charity work" and "oh the big bad fans dont like me even though i am great" responses fool no one and we are sick of it.

He has no interest in football and that alone is reason enough to want him out, even without all the sideshow garbage that comes with him. Thre is no personal vandeta, (although I will freely admit i find him contemptable) I want him to cut all ties with the club for the sake of the football club. History has shown he will look to destroy a club for his own benifit. As such, hes not fit to be the custodian of a football club that means so much to its fans on a personal level.

[niallfraser8]

Nice diversion away from the question ; Have you checked the Raith Rovers accounts
I checked this out personally and Mcgowan got on well with Raith supporters until he let Claude Anelka be the manager in 2004 then all hell broke loose but the fact remains that Mcgowan saved Raith from certain liquidation FACT.
Yes a number of supporters from 20 years ago may harbour a dislike for the man although like the Accies without Mcgowan they would not have a club to be fans of FACT.

As for the Hamilton Stadium property, Mcgowan's company Edencrest owned it for 10 years before he was asked to join the accies boardin 2014 and yes all this info is available on companies house. I am also told Mcgowan was instrumental in bringing Ronnie MacDonald and our current board to NDP so I'm not sure who it is that needs to smell the coffee here. Quick question if Accies could not afford to pay it's players when Mcgowan arrived how could it afford to buy and run a property company? In any case most clubs rent their stadiums and this should be about football not another mans property company that he owned for 10 years before joining the board.

As for not putting a further penny in that is indeed unfortunate, I'll personally be buying a season book and attending some of the events like the fireworks night, everything helps the club and community. You have to hand it to Mcgowan having over 5000 at the fireworks year in year out as well as big numbers at other events throughout the year. His School addiction talks are SURELY to be complimented in 1, providing a much needed service for free and 2, bringing in new young supporters. The community seems to be right behind him year in and year out for someone who is not meant to be liked. Naturally and obviously not every supporter shares your views, when I was volunteering there a few years back I noticed a great number of supporters that support these events.

Although having said all this the important thing is to win football matches and get back to the championship asap. We have to hope that the new owners get a really good commercial man or woman because no matter who likes or dislikes Mcgowan he knew how to raise money, that much is indisputable. We desperately need a great start to the new season ahead.

[Beckford]

So your case for arguing that he has been good for the football club is to list a number of non football related pet projects?

Maybe events like the firework night are a success because they are heavily promoted and invested in? Time and resources which evidence suggest are never assigned to the "football department" I would be interested to know how many accies fans attend his events. Many wont even attend games such is their distrust of the man.

Maybe the reason he is so keen to hold onto the stadium is it gives him a vehicle to run these projects? Its not a desire to build a sustainable football club, so why turn our football stadium into a hellish version of the pheonix club.

I would suggest that it is not the fans guilty of deflection?

Your entitled to your views and i am glad we have a place to voice and express them. Unlike your friend, i listen to others even when i do not agree with them. However, I am also glad there are folk on here that are willing to speak out and will dispute the propaganda and lies that is often spread by the club.

[smc4761]

:lol: Nice diversion away from the question ; Have you checked the Raith Rovers accounts
I checked this out personally and Mcgowan got on well with Raith supporters until he let Claude Anelka be the manager in 2004 then all hell broke loose but the fact remains that Mcgowan saved Raith from certain liquidation FACT.
Yes a number of supporters from 20 years ago may harbour a dislike for the man although like the Accies without Mcgowan they would not have a club to be fans of FACT.

As for the Hamilton Stadium property, Mcgowan's company Edencrest owned it for 10 years before he was asked to join the accies boardin 2014 and yes all this info is available on companies house. I am also told Mcgowan was instrumental in bringing Ronnie MacDonald and our current board to NDP so I'm not sure who it is that needs to smell the coffee here. Quick question if Accies could not afford to pay it's players when Mcgowan arrived how could it afford to buy and run a property company? In any case most clubs rent their stadiums and this should be about football not another mans property company that he owned for 10 years before joining the board.

As for not putting a further penny in that is indeed unfortunate, I'll personally be buying a season book and attending some of the events like the fireworks night, everything helps the club and community. You have to hand it to Mcgowan having over 5000 at the fireworks year in year out as well as big numbers at other events throughout the year. His School addiction talks are SURELY to be complimented in 1, providing a much needed service for free and 2, bringing in new young supporters. The community seems to be right behind him year in and year out for someone who is not meant to be liked. Naturally and obviously not every supporter shares your views, when I was volunteering there a few years back I noticed a great number of supporters that support these events.

Although having said all this the important thing is to win football matches and get back to the championship asap. We have to hope that the new owners get a really good commercial man or woman because no matter who likes or dislikes Mcgowan he knew how to raise money, that much is indisputable. We desperately need a great start to the new season ahead.

BIB, he may well get plenty at his well promoted fireworkd displays, unfortunately that does not make its way down to the football side, with our ever dwindling support. Accies have never been a well supported side in my 50 years as a fan however there was always a hardcore at home games of around 1500. Now that figure is probably around half of that, if we are lucky due to, 1, a terrible product on the park, 2 the complete disdain in the way the club treats the fans.

So sorry niall, your propoganda fails againat first hurdle, the community is not getting behind him, unless of course that is to get behind him and push him out the door

Until he leaves OUR beloved club completley the club has no chance of moving forward.

Any thoughts on our very dodgy sponsors, who on the face of it seem to contribute very little if anything to the club

[porcupine]

:lol:
As for the Hamilton Stadium property, Mcgowan's company Edencrest owned it for 10 years before he was asked to join the accies board in 2014 and yes all this info is available on companies house. Another mans property company that he owned for 10 years before joining the board.

Let's look at Companies House records

Edencrest was a shell company, dormant with a share capital paid up of £2 when it was formed in 2003. Walter Hamlton & Colin McGowan (Property Developer) were Director & Secretary by 2004.

In June 2005 Edencrest has some activity ending up with £557 of Capital, so no property then.

In November 2005 Allied Irish Bank gets a Bond & Floating Charge from Edencrest, and the June 2006 balance sheet shows
a Fixed Asset of £552,750 plus/including a 55% share of Deeka Ltd. Bank Loans are now shown on that set of accounts.

So any property asset only appears in 2005 and CMcG joins Accies in 2014? That's not 10 years.

Is it the case that Edencrest had no apparent trading income but obtained a bank loan in addition to Directors loans, on the back of a 20 year blue-chip lease income from SLC of around £200K p.a.??

Can you clearly explain the real detail behind all this, Niall?

For the rest of us, it's all very confusing.

How any potential 'new owner' will have carried out a due diligence exercise before investing, is beyond me!

[Beckford]

To get the thread back on track, are standards slipping already? Or is the press jumping the gun? Reports of done deals for players before its announced on the website. Please keep on top of things after some long overdue positivity about something the club did.

[PrideOfLanarkshire]

:lol:
As for the Hamilton Stadium property, Mcgowan's company Edencrest owned it for 10 years before he was asked to join the accies board in 2014 and yes all this info is available on companies house. Another mans property company that he owned for 10 years before joining the board.

Let's look at Companies House records

Edencrest was a shell company, dormant with a share capital paid up of £2 when it was formed in 2003. Walter Hamlton & Colin McGowan (Property Developer) were Director & Secretary by 2004.

In June 2005 Edencrest has some activity ending up with £557 of Capital, so no property then.

In November 2005 Allied Irish Bank gets a Bond & Floating Charge from Edencrest, and the June 2006 balance sheet shows
a Fixed Asset of £552,750 plus/including a 55% share of Deeka Ltd. Bank Loans are now shown on that set of accounts.

So any property asset only appears in 2005 and CMcG joins Accies in 2014? That's not 10 years.

Is it the case that Edencrest had no apparent trading income but obtained a bank loan in addition to Directors loans, on the back of a 20 year blue-chip lease income from SLC of around £200K p.a.??

Can you clearly explain the real detail behind all this, Niall?

For the rest of us, it's all very confusing.

How any potential 'new owner' will have carried out a due diligence exercise before investing, is beyond me!

Top stuff. I don't expect a reply to this.

McGowan Out

[porcupine]

Here’s another question for you to answer, NF.

Why would HAFC Stadium Ltd (of which CMcG is the sole director) grant a Charge in June 2002, last year, to a company Prosigns (Scotland) ltd??

What’s this all about in a new era of transparency?

[EarnockAccie]

Is that June 2022?
Has no one mentioned money laundering yet?
Cos we all know that’s what this is all a front for.
Criminality. The guy should be in jail.

[porcupine]

Here's the info from Companies House. The earlier one in July 2022 would rank First until 'satisfied' and is in favour of CMcG.
The August one would rank Second as long as the first was still outstanding. Perhaps someone can explain who Prosigns (Glasgow) Limited are and why they have a Security over the land and buildings at NDP, ranking behind CMcG?


Charge code SC19 4721 0013


Created
22 August 2022
Delivered
24 August 2022
Status
Outstanding
Persons entitled
Prosigns (Glasgow) Limited
Brief description
Subjects known as new douglas park, cadzow avenue, hamilton…

Charge code SC19 4721 0012

Created
14 July 2022
Delivered
20 July 2022
Status
Outstanding
Persons entitled
Colin Mcgowan
Brief description
Subjects know as new douglas park, cadzow avenue, hamilton…

Standard security

[TerracingTomas]

Perhaps someone can explain who Prosigns (Glasgow) Limited are and why they have a Security over the land and buildings at NDP, ranking behind CMcG?

Alex McGrath is the owner of Prosigns, Porcupine a good friend of Mcgoofeys’. His company do the signage work around the stadium. He is a trustee of Blameless and is a shareholder in Hope CBD. He or,his company rather appears to have lent money (120k) to the stadium company last year. Why is anybody’s guess.

[porcupine]

Thanks, TT.

So Alex McGrath, a profit focused businessman with a sound and solid balance sheet i/n/o Prosigns (Glasgow) Limited, and having a good trading record over many years, is somehow encouraged to have his company invest £120K in HAFC Limited in August 2022? This date is after Prosigns company's year end of 31 March,so we know little more than that until August 2023 when the March 2023 accounts should appear on Companies House Records.

Are we to assume that Prosigns (Scotland) Limited is relaxed about having what appears to be a Second Charge (as opposed to a First Charge which is granted to one C McGowan) over the subjects known as New Douglas Park. There is no note of what sums are due to CMcG before he can agree to discharge his First Security? All very puzzling?

[Beckford]

To whever is responsible for updating the web site, can we please make sure its not just updated when you can be bothered.

A big deal was made of the launch of the new site and the fans were quick to praise the club for the much requested improvements.

However, its no use having a couple of weeks of improvements to then let it slip soon after. We are three days away from the start of a new campaign. It should be full of promotions, advertising and generally trying to create a buzz about the season kicking off. Obviously if the club got their collective finger out and had some news about ownership, kit launch etc. creating content would be simpler

This cant be a part time job for someone, the site claims we have a stadium that never sleeps, well social media and the internet doesnt either. It is vital for any modern football club at any level to have a profesional running these things. Yet again the only Accies boys are doing a far better job than the official output.