Hamilton Academical and Partick Thistle meet tonight in the second Friday Night game of the season and all eyes will be on New Douglas Park to see if the crowd is boosted in the same manner as Partick's was when they were the hosts in the first Friday Night game against Morton.
The bigger than average crowd was rewarded with a home win as they defeated Morton 5-0 back in September and for one player, Accies' skipper Alex Neil, it does not matter what time kick off is or what day it is on, as he is desperate to play after returning recently from a seven month spell out with injury. Neil is determined to help his side show they are bouncing back up the way after a sluggish start to life in the First Division by seeing off the men from Firhill.
The combative midfielder said: "Playing on a Friday night is nothing new for me as I played in a few games down south with Burnley and Mansfield on a Friday. Your routine changes for any night game be it a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.
"For a Saturday game, I get a long lie and usually only have to look after myself but when we have an evening kick off, you tend to have a lot of time to yourself during the day. I have two young kids to take care of so there is not much time to myself at all but I have not had too much football recently so I am certainly looking forward to this game."
The 30-year-old was sidelined with a troublesome groin injury after Accies' spell in the SPL ended last May and he has been making tentative steps back to playing and featured over the festive period against both Livingston and Queen of the South.
After resting against St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup last Saturday, Neil is hoping to be back against the Firhill side tonight and the player who started his career at Airdrieonians in 1999 talked through his injury saying: "It was a groin problem that has kept me out and it is on the opposite side of my body that I had trouble with a hip a couple of years ago.
"I had been out all season but I returned to full training just one week before coming back against Livingston on Boxing Day. We were not having the best run of results and the gaffer asked me if I could even manage the first half to help get some experience on the park.
"I did that and said I was okay at half-time to keep going so I did. They scored in the second half and I wanted to help us get a goal back so I kept on playing and I ended up with 90 minutes under my belt. I felt good enough to play against Queen of the South on 2nd January and I got through that game again although I am sure that a positive 2-1 result helped me."
The decision was taken to rest Neil against the Paisley side with the midfielder saying: "I cannot complain about that as it was a precautionary move as I do not want to overdo things and put myself back out again. After going so long without seeing any light at the end of a tunnel, I do not want to run myself out as soon as I am back playing."
There has been one positive for Neil during his time away from playing as he explained: "It was an incredibly frustrating period but I was able to dip my toe into the water of coaching a bit more and that has given me a taste for life once I finally stop playing. I was helping the Manager out on the sidelines at first team games and I have started taking the Hamilton Under-17 team.
"I have never had what people would call a proper job as football has been my profession all my life. I am glad to be back playing again and I have never hid my ambition to be involved in some capacity once I finally stop playing. Someone will need to drag me away from playing football as I appreciate it all the more now and have no intention of giving it up."
Neil is coming back during an exciting time for the Accies as they finally l
ook to be finding their feet in the First Division with their skipper saying: "We have a lot to look forward to in 2012 and our recent performances against Falkirk, Livingston and Queen of the South as well as St. Mirren have had a much more solid look about them.
"We lost a lot of players after relegation and they have been replaced with youngsters that are learning and improving all the time. There is also a Ramsdens Cup Final to be played later in the season against Falkirk and that is beginning to come from the back of people's minds after going through all the rounds earlier in the season."
At the moment, Neil is not getting too carried away about what the rest of the season brings as he said: "The First Division is a really difficult division and we have probably had a hangover after being a SPL side for three seasons. Every game is a battle, you are basically fighting for your life all the time and we are hopefully coming to terms with that now."
That next battle for the Accies is against Partick tonight and Neil is sure his team-mates will be ready as he said: "Partick did not start the season that well but have improved a lot recently. They will be disappointed at losing to Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup and they will be looking to hit back after that.
"However, we need to pick up some wins particularly at home where we have not done too well this season and I am looking forward to playing my part in doing that."
The New Douglas Park men have added to their squad this week by bringing in St. Mirren's 20-year-old striker Jon McShane on a loan deal until the end of the season with Neil saying: "Jon trained with us on Tuesday and he looked a right good player. He is a big striker and hopefully, he can get us goals."
Neil is however, not tipping himself to get a goal against The Jags all the same saying: "I started off playing wide right for Airdrieonians and had a few goals in me then. I scored five there in about 15 games in my first season but I have never been so prolific in goalscoring since.
"I don't think I could hit a barn door now mind you, it is pretty hard to do that from your own half anyway. I may have a chance if I venture further forward but I reckon that the gaffer does me a favour by keeping me in my own half of the park these days."
