We'll Be Gret In Premier

Apr 20 2008

HAPPY Hamilton chairman Ronnie McDonald watched his side seal promotion to the SPL - then took an amazing swipe at relegated Gretna.

McDonald, who watched his young Accies beat Clyde to clinch the First Division title, said it was an "insult" to compare his club with Brooks Mileson's strugglers.

After watching skipper Alex Neil lift the title trophy, McDonald said: "It's an insult to compare us, with our history and tradition as a community club. We're not like them. We're a well run club and I'm just delighted this town's got its football club back."

McDonald will face a fight to hold on to his top young stars like James McCarthy and James McArthur. But he insisted that if they leave, they'll be replaced by more kids from Hamilton's successful youth programme.

Ronnie said: "We won't stand in their way if they want to go and we get the right offers for them. This club is all about producing our own. We won't go out and sign experienced replacements, we'll just take someone from our Under-17 team and throw him in."