Arbroath players will celebrate a fifth successive season in the Championship at their Player of the Year dinner on Saturday night.
The glitzy affair at Carnoustie Golf Hotel has been timed to perfection after their 0-0 draw with Hamilton was enough to confirm their Championship status.
It was a hard-fought survival battle and, at times, it wasn’t pretty.
Sheer grit and determination got Arbroath over the line. In the end, they deserved to finish safe in eighth place.
This is the most successful period in the club’s 145-year history and another page in the Dick Campbell success story.
FT – Arbroath 0 – 0 Hamilton Accies
5th consecutive season in the Championship confirmed! pic.twitter.com/Cf0pSkRXx2
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) May 5, 2023
Mike Card and his forward-thinking Arbroath directors have dared to dream big. It’s paying off.
Commercial director Paul Reid has lifted Lichties to the next level with his ‘blue sky’ approach to merchandising, marketing and hospitality.
This amazing Arbroath adventure is testament to hard-working players, dedicated staff and selfless volunteers.
But the real heroes this season haven’t been on the park.
They have been stood on the terraces, sat in the stands on buses up and down the country all season. Win, lose or draw the Arbroath fans have turned up.
Bobby Linn issued a rally call in the build-up to this game asking the supporters to turn up one final time. He said it was ‘time to deliver.’
Arbroath fans support side with banner and drums
25 minute after the full time whistle and there are still several players around the ground posing for selfies and signing autographs.
Fantastic to see so many young supporters supporting their local team. pic.twitter.com/5DgEqkX5Zx
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) May 5, 2023
The fans also took heed of his rally call.
They were there in numbers with 2,736 turning up for their third biggest league crowd this season.
The young lichties unfurled a banner that read: ‘Let’s end the season on winning ways’
They sang and beat their drums the entire game.
With a record 1,500 season ticket holders, Arbroath’s average gate is up by 444 on last year to 2,152.
They are the fifth best-supported team in the league, almost on a part with Inverness and Ayr United, and behind champions Dundee and play-off qualifiers Partick Thistle.
That’s all the more remarkable when you consider that Arbroath have spent almost the entire season in a relegation dogfight.
If Arbroath can get their fans to stick with them and do even better in the Championship next term, what kind of crowds can they expect?
No wonder Arbroath fans love their talisman Bobby Linn
The news that Arbroath boss Dick Campbell has offered Linn a new deal will be music to the ears of the fans.
Will he stay? It will be understandable if Linn feels his future lies elsewhere if he is guaranteed more regular first team football.
But even at 37, Linn is fit as a fiddle.
His attitude to the game is infectious and what an amazing shift he put in against Hamilton.
He urged everyone at Arbroath to deliver in his pre-match address and Linn delivered in spades. He was outstanding for almost 90 minutes.
Bobbloves the club and the club loves him. Surely one last dance is in order?
What does next season look like for Arbroath?
There are likely to be significant changes to the Arbroath squad in the coming weeks.
Arbroath have 12 players at the end of their loan or nearing the end of their contract.
The core group that comprises of the likes of Derek Gaston, Ricky Little, Tam O’Brien, Colin Hamilton, David Gold, Scott Stewart and Michael McKenna are all tied down.
Ryan Dow and Joao Balde have been very welcome additions and Arbroath can only hope Linn accepts a new deal to stay.
Dick Campbell can build a squad with confidence but you can bet the one thing that will be top of his list will be a new striker.
Arbroath’s head of recruitment Barry Sellars is continuing to work hard to unearth the players to build on this year’s survival.
It has been a hard watch at times but Arbroath got over the line and have every right to celebrate and believe that next year could be even better.
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