Hamilton calls for patience

PLAYER manager Gary Hamilton has pleaded with Glenavon fans to be patient during what could be a frustrating season.

It has been far from an earth-shattering start to the league term as the Blues have picked up just 10 points in 12 league matches.

However, the boss is adamant that his side are on target for what would be a relatively successful season.

Hamilton says that Glenavon need to gradually build a bigger budget in order to compete and has begged the supporters to give him and his team time to climb up the league table – something that could be a gradual process.

He said: “I don’t want anybody to be frustrated but our aim this year is to be nowhere near relegation and at this minute in time, we’re on course from that.

“For example, five players in Glentoran’s squad earn more than our full squad so people have to understand the difference.

“If we had a budget like that, we’d be able to sign top quality players. We don’t have that and people have to understand that. Ballinamallard are the exception, I’ll hold my hands up to that but they’ve come out of a league where they’re used to winning games and they haven’t gone on a run of losing games yet, when they do we’ll see how they react.

“The rest of the teams with lower budgets like ourselves are in the same position. Dungannon, DC, Distillery, ourselves and to a lesser extent Ballymena - these clubs are all in the same position and that’s for a reason.

“I’m not trying to make excuses but this is the reality of it. For example, Glentoran had nine players out and still could afford to have one of their highest paid players sitting on the bench on Saturday in Stephen McAlorum.

“That tells me a story. We had a few injuries and we had a player on our bench who has never played Premiership football before. You have to look at the bigger picture.

“If we had a bigger budget, I’ve no doubt that we could bring more big players to the club because we are an attractive club if we had the money.

“The reality is that we don’t and we don’t want to become another Omagh Town.”

Hamilton has also begged fans to back the players, despite a poor run of form.

He said: “I know that we’ve only got one point out of a possible 15 but these things will happen with the budget that we have, especially when we have some injuries.

“The important thing is that the fans back the players. If they want, they can give all the flack to me but they have to stay with the players. The players are the most important people in any club and when the fans get on their backs, that’s when problems come.”