Divided Loyalties

BY ten to five tomorrow night it will, mercifully, all be over.

Airdrie United's first division home match with Queen of the South has been a game I have been looking forward to with trepidation for some weeks now.

You see, I'm a born-and-bred Doonhamer and been a Queens supporter for as long as I can remember. They are my team.

But having worked at the Advertiser since June last year, it goes without saying that I want to see Airdrie, Albion Rovers and all of Monklands' sporting teams and personalities do well.

So when one of your "professional" teams faces your "personal" team, it is fair to say the mind is plunged into turmoil. One side's success will naturally have a detrimental effect on the other's.

It won't be a pleasant afternoon for me, that's for sure. Airdrie lying bottom of the table cranks up the intensity that little bit more. This is not a game they can afford to lose if they harbour hopes of achieving eighth place before the season runs its course.

When I left Cappielow on Tuesday night after the Diamonds' 0-0 draw at Morton, I bumped into Airdrie secretary Ann Marie Ballantyne who asked if I enjoyed the game.

Endured it, I said was the better phrase to use.

At this stage of the season, given that every point is a prisoner in Airdrie's situation, that's all that can be done.

And if I am being truly honest, I'm hoping I will be "enduring" nothing worse than a draw tomorrow; as long as its entertaining, I will have no complaints.