Stirling Albion F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stirling Albion

Full name	Stirling Albion Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Binos
Founded	1945
Ground	Forthbank Stadium, Stirling
Ground Capacity	3,808 (2,508 seated)
Owner	Stirling Albion Supporters Trust
Chairman	Alasdair Dunn
Manager	Alan Maybury
League	Scottish League Two
2015–16	Scottish League Two, 7th
Home colours Away colours

Stirling Albion Football Club is a Scottish football team. It is based in the city of Stirling, Scotland. The club started in 1945. This was after the previous local team, King's Park, stopped playing after World War II.

Stirling Albion currently plays in Scottish League Two. This is part of the Scottish Professional Football League. The club's best league finish was 12th place in the top league in 1958–59. They have won the second tier of Scottish football four times. Their last win was in 1964–65. In recent years, they have mostly played in the third or fourth tiers.

The team's home ground is Forthbank Stadium. It can hold 3,808 fans. The stadium is in the east of Stirling, near the River Forth. Before Forthbank opened in 1993, the club played at Annfield Stadium. Annfield was their home from 1945.

The Story of Stirling Albion Football Club

How Stirling Albion Started

Stirling Albion was formed in 1945. The town's old team, King's Park, did not continue after World War II. King's Park's stadium was damaged during the war.

A local businessman named Thomas Fergusson started the new club. He was a coal dealer. He bought the Annfield area to build a new stadium. Annfield was close to the town centre. It was the home of "The Binos" until 1992.

The name 'Albion' was chosen because it is an old word for Great Britain. It was meaningful to the club's founder.

The "Yo-Yo" Years: Up and Down the Leagues

From 1946 to 1968, Stirling Albion became known as "The Yo-Yos." This was because they often moved between leagues. They were usually too good for the lower league but not quite strong enough for the top league. They were promoted and relegated many times. People in Scotland even had a saying: "going up and down like Stirling Albion." In 1966, the club made history. They were the first British team to play a game in Japan.

The 1970s and 1980s: Building a Strong Team

Under manager Bob Shankly, Stirling Albion improved. They finished 3rd in their league in 1971–72 and 1972–73. They almost got promoted to the top league.

Later, Alex Smith became manager. He was a former Albion player. In his first season, 1974–75, the team finished 8th. This was just a few points behind Alex Ferguson's St Mirren.

Over the next two seasons, Smith built a great team. He brought in new players like John Kennedy and Allan Moffat. These players joined a strong group of existing players.

In the 1976–77 season, Albion had a fantastic year. They nearly beat Aberdeen, a top team, in the League Cup. They then went on to win the Second Division title. They let in only 29 goals in 39 games. They won the league with many games left to play.

Back in the second tier, Albion finished 5th in 1977–78. They stayed in the middle of the table for the next two seasons. However, their stadium, Annfield, needed a lot of repairs. The club started to run out of money.

Selling Players to Stay Afloat

The 1980–81 season started with a big win. They beat Celtic 1–0 in the League Cup. This was a huge upset. But after a few more tough games, the team struggled. They went 13 games without scoring a goal. This led to them being relegated back to the third tier.

To raise money, Albion had to sell their best players. Players like George Young, John Colquhoun, and Brian Grant left. Despite losing key players, Albion kept finishing in the top half of the league.

In 1984, they set a club record. They won a Scottish Cup game 20–0 against Selkirk. This made headlines around the world.

In 1986, manager Alex Smith left for St Mirren. His assistant, George Peebles, took over. Albion finished 3rd that season. They just missed promotion. More local players were sold, bringing in a lot of money for the club.

Changes at Annfield Stadium

The local council decided to make money from Annfield. The grass pitch was replaced with artificial turf. This was the first artificial pitch in Scotland. The main stand was also taken down because it was unsafe.

Because of the new pitch, other teams sometimes refused to play cup games at Annfield. So, Albion's home cup games were played away for five years. The artificial pitch did not give Albion the advantage they hoped for.

Jim Fleeting became manager for a short time. He made big changes. When he left, star player John Brogan became manager. Brogan led the Binos to win the Division 2 title in 1991. They went a whole year without losing an away game.

The 1990s: Moving to a New Home

The next three years were busy. The club stayed in Division 1. But Annfield was no longer their home. A new stadium, Forthbank Stadium, was built. It is outside Stirling town centre, by the River Forth. Stirling Council now owns Forthbank Stadium.

The Scottish football league changed again. Albion was relegated to Division 2. Manager John Brogan was replaced by Kevin Drinkell. Drinkell had a tough first season. But he brought in new players, and the team went on a 10-game unbeaten run. They almost got promoted back to Division 1.

In the 1995–96 season, the club had an amazing run. They won the league by Christmas. They often scored six goals in their games.

From 1996 to 1998, the club played in the First Division. They finished well in 1996–97. But in 1997–98, they were relegated. Drinkell was replaced by Ray Stewart.

Between 1998 and 2000, the club was in the 2nd Division. John Philliben was manager. He was replaced by Ray Stewart, who returned for a second time.

Recent Years: Ups and Downs

The 2000–01 season was hard for Stirling Albion. They went 17 games without a win. They finished last in the Second Division and were relegated. The next season was also tough. They nearly finished last in the Third Division. Ray Stewart was sacked.

Allan Moore became manager in 2002–03. The team quickly improved. They were promoted to the Second Division in 2003–04. The next season, they finished a good fourth place.

In 2005–06, they almost made the play-offs for promotion. The next season, they had an 18-game unbeaten run. This helped them finish 2nd in the Second Division. This earned them a play-off spot for promotion to the Scottish First Division.

Play-off Success and Promotion

Stirling Albion played Raith Rovers in the play-off semifinals. After a draw in the first game, Albion won the second game at Forthbank. Chris Aitken scored two goals, and Colin Cramb scored another. This set up a final against Airdrie United.

In the first game of the final, Albion came back from two goals down to draw 2–2. On May 12, 2007, they played the final game in Airdrie. Stirling Albion won the game. Robert Snodgrass scored two goals, and Stewart Devine scored the third. This meant the Binos were promoted to the Scottish First Division!

It took the Binos almost ten years to get back to the Scottish First Division. Manager Allan Moore had led them from a very low point to promotion. However, they were the only part-time team in the First Division. They struggled and were relegated the next season.

Fan Ownership and More Changes

In May 2009, Stirling Albion supporters started a campaign to buy the club. They wanted to make sure the club had a good future.

The 2009–10 season looked promising. Stirling Albion started well and were at the top of the league. But poor home form and bad weather caused them to fall behind. They were 15 points behind Alloa at one point.

However, things changed. They played eight games in 21 days and started winning. They caught up to Alloa and regained the top spot. They needed just a draw in their last game against Brechin. An early goal and a strong defense helped them get the draw. This won them their first league title in almost 15 years!

After promotion, manager Allan Moore left. John O'Neill became the new manager. On July 2, 2010, the Stirling Albion Supporters Trust bought the club. Stirling Albion became the first Scottish League club to be 100% owned by its fans.

The 2010–11 season started badly. After six straight league defeats, John O'Neill was replaced by Jocky Scott. But the team was relegated back to the Second Division in April 2011.

In 2011, the club asked players to pay to try out for the team. This caused some debate. Later, manager Jocky Scott left. Defender Greig McDonald took over. At 29, he became the youngest manager in the UK. But Stirling Albion was relegated to the Third Division in April 2012.

Notable Wins and Recent Seasons

On October 6, 2012, Stirling Albion beat Rangers 1–0. This was a big win, especially since Albion was at the bottom of the league. They also drew 1–1 with Rangers later that season. On March 9, 2013, they had a huge 9–1 home win against East Stirlingshire. Jordan White scored four goals.

In May 2014, Stirling Albion was promoted again. They won the League One play-off final. But they were relegated the next season in 2015. Since then, the club has mostly stayed in League Two.

In December 2021, Darren Young became the new first-team manager.

Stirling Albion's Achievements

League Titles

• Scottish Second Tier (now called Scottish Championship)
  • Champions (4): 1952–53, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1964–65
  • Runners-up (2): 1948–49, 1950–51
• Scottish Third Tier (now called Scottish League One)
  • Champions (5): 1946–47, 1976–77, 1990–91, 1995–96, 2009–10
  • Runners-up (1): 2006–07
  • Play-off winners (1): 2006–07
• Scottish Fourth Tier (now called Scottish League Two)
  • Champions (1): 2022–23
  • Runners-up (1): 2003–04

Club Records: Amazing Moments

• Biggest Win: 20–0 against Selkirk in the Scottish Cup, December 8, 1984.
• Biggest Loss: 0–9 against Dundee United (December 30, 1967) and 0–9 against Ross County (February 6, 2010).
• Highest Attendance at Annfield Stadium: 26,400 fans watched them play Celtic in the Scottish Cup, March 11, 1959.
• Highest Attendance at Forthbank Stadium: 3,808 fans watched them play Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup, February 15, 1996.
• Most Games Played: Matt McPhee played 556 games (1967–1981).
• Top Goal Scorer: Billy Steele scored 129 goals (1971–1983).

Images for kids

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  Stirling Albion celebrating winning the league.

See also

In Spanish: Stirling Albion Football Club para niños