Thread: Hamilton Accies 25 Year Rollercoaster Ride: 1985-2010 by Ian Kelly of Accies Trust

This is the next book I'm goin to read, only football books I've ever read have been about Celtic or Accies. Looks like a good read tbh.

Debut author scores with Accies book
Aug 4 2010 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

A HAIRMYRES football fanatic has put his obsession with Hamilton Accies FC to good use – by writing his first book.

Ian Kelly has spent almost a year researching and writing his debut work, entitled ‘Hamilton Accies 25 Year Rollercoaster Ride: 1985-2010’.

The qualified accountant is delighted to have had it published after all his hard work.

Ian, 44, said: “I have taken six months to write it, from December to June, and it took a month to July to get the final printed versions. It is a self-published book and the publisher has been first class to work with.

“The major hurdle was researching the time period pre -internet. It is amazing how much life has changed in that time. I do, however, have a collection of almost every Hamilton home programme since 1975 so that was a big help.

“It’s great to get it published. I’ve done it off my own back and I never expected everything to go so well.”

Ian, a former pupil of Maxwellton Primary and Hunter High Schools, is a life-long Accies fan.

He first got the bug in 1974 when his father took him to his first Accies game at the age of eight.

But the inspiration for his first book – and probably his last, by his own admission – was when he realised just how vast his Accies memorabilia collection was.

Ian, who is also treasurer of the Accies Supporters Trust, explained: “My inspiration came from a meeting I had with Richie McBrearty, who is the curator of the Hampden Museum.

“That led me to review the memorabilia and newspaper cuttings I had accumulated over the years.

“Then I realised that the summer of 2010 marked the 25th aniversary of Accies’ first promotion season in my lifetime, in 1985/86, as nothing really happened between 1974 and 1985.

“So I thought it made sense to do something.”

The past 25 yeas has certainly been a rollercoaster for Accies and their fans.

Promotion to the Premier League was followed by immediate relegations, cup wins and then a move away from their home ground of Douglas Park in 1994.

The club became homeless for seven years, fell through the leagues, had a player strike and were deducted 15 points, ending up in the Third Division.

But following a move back to Hamilton in 2001 and the takeover by Ronnie McDonald in 2003, the club rose to the SPL in 2008.

And, finally, last season they reached their highest league placing since the war, finishing seventh in the SPL.

l Ian’s book is priced £15. To order a copy, you can contact him via email on acciesbook2010@tiscali.co.uk or call him on 07505997243.

Debut author scores with Accies book - East Kilbride News