Terrace Talk

Nov 5 2008 with Jim Milton, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

IT had all the makings of being the strangest prelude to an Airdrie match since Stevie Archibald’s Spanish Armada prepared for their maiden voyage to Inverness in August 2000.

On the face of it, a trip to Dens Park seldom qualifies as a likely scene for the bizarre or unusual – well, not since Dave Rodgers quit the Dark Blues anyway.

Yet, up until Thursday of last week, Airdrie fans could only guess as to which dug-out manager Kenny Black would head as kick-off time approached on the Saturday.

Strong indicators suggested that, in spite of Jim Ballantyne’s blanket refusal to sanction an approach by the managerless Dundee, primary target Black would indeed leave New Broomfield to succeed Alex Rae on Tayside.

A massive compliment, he had been placed at the head of the Dark Blues’ shortlist with only Ballantyne’s desire to hold on to him rivalling Dundee’s determination to get their man.

Then, as it emerged to the wider world that KB was operating without a contract, the move north, if you took any heed of the national press, seemed inevitable.

Indeed, this view was only strengthened when Marc Smyth, speaking for the players, commented what a sad loss Black would be to the club (a sure sign normally that one’s worst fears are about to be founded).

So it was with great joy and not inconsiderable relief that Thursday’s announcement that Black would be signing a contract to stay was well received by the bulk of Airdrie fans.

Well, those who hadn’t been calling for his head just a couple of weeks before as form took a temporary downturn.

Some will argue, quite rightly, that Black’s two-year Diamonds report card is hardly glowing.

Certainly, during that spell he has presided over a side relegated one year and, only through the demise of Gretna, returning through the back door to Division One the next.

Yet, like his predecessor Sandy Stewart, Black has had to balance things with meagre resources.

Only this season has he had at his disposal the improved means with which to assemble a squad of richer quality and greater depth.

When Allan Russell quit Airdrie in the summer, the task of replacing him for a season at a higher level seemed almost inconceivable.

Yet, in Paul Di Giacomo and Simon Lynch, Black has managed it twice over while, at the same time, managing to keep the likes of Robertson, Smith, Donnelly, McKenna and McDonald at the club.

As a result we now have a squad well-equipped to, at the very least, hold its own at this level.

For this alone, Black deserves a great deal of credit.