Airdrie have become victims of their unfair reputation

Evan Balfour was in the car with him, and he was charged because he

unclipped his seatbelt before Sandison had pulled on the handbrake. Owen

Coyle was booked for being there.

Nothing of the kind happened, of course, but had these Airdrie players

been treated with such harshness by authority, no-one would have been

surprised. It could still be a form of paranoia, but it becomes

increasingly difficult to ignore the Broomfield club's plea that they

are a team of victims.

They can't say publicly -- for fear that the SFA might send them all

off to Botany Bay or, worse, Coatbridge -- but there is little doubt the

Diamonds feel the establishment is out to get them. So far this season

Airdrie players have been shown 72 yellow cards and five red. Kenny

Black has been booked 11 times and has done time on the sidelines on

four occasions.

During their match against Dundee on Saturday eight players were

booked and two sent off. All but two of the cautions were given to

Dundee players -- Ivo Den Biemen and Graham Rix were the two who walked

-- but no doubt someone somewhere is already working out a way to put

the blame on the Broomfield side.

It is being said that the SFA, who fined Airdrie #5000 last season

because of their high crime count, will examine the club's record of

behaviour today and, if the association run true to form so far as

Airdrie are concerned, they could be rounded up and shot at dawn

tomorrow.

There are two ways of looking at Airdrie's disciplinary record. First,

it just might be they are a gang of thugs who dress up as footballers

every now and then and abuse anyone who comes within kicking distance.

Secondly, they may have been given an unfair reputation as ruffians and

are forever guilty in the eyes of the referees.

Naturally enough, this is how Airdrie themselves see it, and they

would point to the behaviour of others. For instance, the crime

statistics show that Aberdeen, Hearts, and Celtic are no saints either,

yet no-one jumps up and down calling for the death penalty to be brought

back for any of their players.

Why should this be? Is there a set of rules for Airdrie alone? Are

they being victimised? Of course not, but it is probably true that

referees are less lenient with Airdrie's players than those of most

other clubs. It is also the case that not only do outsiders frown on the

team, they ridicule the ground also.

Nobody likes Airdrie, and that's a fact.

Often it seems as though some people in the business will not be happy

until Airdrie are pushed down and locked in football's cellar, commonly

referred to as the second division. However, if they are to begin a

journey down into the darkness by leaving the premier division they will

not go quietly, that's for sure, because the only thing these players

understand is grit and determination.

These are their true qualities, not any primitive desire to hurt and

break opponents. Airdrie's players can only roll up their sleeves and

run and chase and pressure. They play on a tight pitch and press up

against their opponents denying them daylight.

Airdrie are not a particularly good team because they don't have

particularly good players, but they are honest professionals who give

their all.

When Alex MacDonald was manager of Hearts and had an extremely limited

budget in the early days at Tynecastle, his team played in a similar

fashion to his Airdrie side, but there was no widespread condemnation of

his work. He was applauded. People were impressed to see so much being

done with so little, and no-one can honestly say the current Airdrie

side are more cynical or wilder than that Hearts team.

The truth is that a combination of factors, the creaking, dusty

ground, the blandness of the team, and also the disdain for the press

which exists within the Broomfield boardroom, have given Airdrie a bad

name. It has become fashionable to heap derision on this unfortunate

lot, who are merely trying to survive.

There is one other aspect of Airdrie's reputation which has led people

to believe they are monsters. Indeed, they have been described as

beasts, but the fault is not all theirs. You know, this game's real

rascals, the referees, may have a case to answer.

Airdrie played Dunfermline in the Skol Cup semi-final at Tynecastle

last season and lost the match after referee David Syme awarded the Fife

side a penalty. Syme made a mistake that night and, for a number of days

afterwards, Airdrie continued to protest and it was even suggested they

might take court action. Bad mistake.

The authorities don't like dissent of any kind. They rarely entertain

the notion that they or their officials could be at fault, and those who

suggest otherwise invariably find themselves in trouble. Just like

Airdrie? This is not to say Airdrie are entirely innocent, but neither

are they brutes. Referees are quick, almost eager, to punish Airdrie

players, who have suffered badly for trivial offences.

If you have seen any of their matches you will know they are not

really equipped to kick and frighten the opposition. They are much too

small to be football assassins. They may indeed be victims.