Hamilton Academical Football Club can’t run full-time without commercial income – and they could go BUST without it, according to chief executive Colin McGowan.
Accies are currently preparing for their second term in the Championship following their Premiership relegation last season.
There’s much doubt though over what comes next at New Douglas Park after a drawn-out process sees head coach Stuart Taylor’s exit still to be signed off as players return for pre-season.
But financially that isn’t the main area of concern for the football club, as commercially things have to keep ticking over amid slimming budgets.
Speaking on our Lanarkshire Live Sport podcast, McGowan revealed that sponsors keep coming back to Hamilton because of its ‘social consciousness’ and that football isn’t enough to keep things like their youth academy going.
When asked if season ticket and gate money could keep Hamilton full-time, he said: “No. It would not generate enough money to have an elite academy. It’s simple mathematics.
“I am not even sure if this club would exist. But because of the commercial income we can generate, not only do we survive, we flourish.
“The reality is that we had 10 years in the Premiership. You can’t fluke that. Physical season ticket and gate money makes this club unsustainable. So it’s actually a company that is very much centred commercially.
“The whole thing breathes on commercial income. I would like to have 3000 fans here like some other clubs. The commercial income would still be important, but not as important. We need to have it.
“If we stopped events and the work we do within the charity field... the sponsors love what we do. They have a social consciousness because of the things we do and they put their money in.”
Hamilton have introduced free season tickets for U18s as part of their drive to boost matchday attendances at New Douglas Park, with some falling to the four-figure mark last season.
A Premiership return is being targeted but McGowan says the ‘economic reality’ is that much of their efforts have to be focused on things like their annual fireworks night to keep the lights on.
When asked if football could become the main revenue source at the club, McGowan explained: “I don’t think it’s conceivably possible. I don’t think it will happen in my lifetime.
“That’s why there is a football board and a commercial side, which I have been heading up, and brings in the required money. Our dinosaur fun day brought in more than two home gates.
“Our fireworks night brings in more money, our events we put on bring in more money. That’s the economic reality.
"As a company, Hamilton Academical is unsustainable with season ticket and gate money.
“We’ve made ends meet with our commercial work and the great work our former CEO Ronnie MacDonald did with the sale of players.
"We have visited schools and spoken to thousands of kids. We are giving free U18s tickets. Many people have got used to not going to football. That's not helped, and there's that much of it on TV now.
"In the short-term, I don't think we can double or triple the support that comes here. I now need to focus on commercial income for the survival of the club itself. There's nothing I can do. I have tried many times to raise the support, without any success.
"We want to go back to the Premiership for certain. Every player who runs out the tunnel wants the points that take us back to the Premiership. The commercial side is the root to that and probably always has been.
"I need to find enough revenue there. Would I channel more of my energy to getting more supporters in?
"I have tried to do that without much success. So my energy is best spent bringing in money that brings in payments that hopefully takes us there.
"We want Celtic, Rangers and Motherwell to come to this area. It brings more people to the area, which is good."
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