Stirling Albion F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Stirling Albion Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Binos | ||
| Founded | 1945 | ||
| Ground | Forthbank Stadium, Stirling | ||
| 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 | ||
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Stirling Albion Football Club is a Scottish football team from the city of Stirling. It was started in 1945 after the old local team, King's Park, stopped playing after World War II. Today, they play in Scottish League Two as part of the Scottish Professional Football League.
The club's best league finish was 12th in the top division during the 1958–59 season. They have won the second tier of Scottish football four times, with their last win in 1964–65. More recently, they have played in the third or fourth divisions after the league was changed in 1975 and 1994.
Stirling Albion's home ground is Forthbank Stadium. This stadium can hold 3,808 people and is located in the east of Stirling, near the River Forth. Before Forthbank opened in 1993, the team played at Annfield Stadium. Annfield was their home from when the club was founded in 1945.
Contents
Club History: The Binos' Journey
How Stirling Albion Started
Stirling Albion was created in 1945. This happened because the town's previous football team, King's Park, did not continue after World War II. King's Park's stadium had been damaged by a German bomb in July 1940. This was one of only two bombs that fell on Stirling during the war.
A local businessman named Thomas Fergusson had the idea for the new club. He was a coal boss and bought the Annfield area to build a new stadium. Annfield was very 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 had special meaning for the club's founder.
The "Yo-Yo" Years
From 1946 to 1968, Stirling Albion became known as a "yo-yo club". This meant they were often promoted to a higher league, but then quickly relegated back down. People in Scotland even had a saying: "going up and down like Stirling Albion." In 1966, the club made history by becoming the first British team to play a game in Japan.
The 1970s and 1980s
Under experienced manager Bob Shankly, Stirling Albion improved. They finished third in the league in both 1971–72 and 1972–73. They just missed out on getting promoted to the top division.
After Shankly retired, Alex Smith became manager. In his first season, 1974–75, the club finished 8th. This small difference meant they stayed in the Second Division instead of moving to the new third tier.
Over the next two seasons, Smith built a strong team. He brought in new players like John Kennedy and Allan Moffat. In the 1976–77 season, Albion nearly beat Premier Division team Aberdeen in the League Cup. They went on to win the Second Division title that season. They only let in 29 goals in 39 matches.
Back in the second tier, Albion finished 5th in 1977–78. They had comfortable mid-table finishes for the next two seasons. However, their stadium, Annfield, needed a lot of repairs, and the club started to run out of money.
The 1980–81 season began with a big 1–0 win over Celtic in the League Cup. They even scored first in the second game at Celtic Park. But Celtic eventually won the tie. After this, Albion struggled and were relegated back to the third tier.
The club had to sell its best players to survive. Players like George Young, George Nicol, and John Kennedy left. Later, local talents like John Colquhoun and Brian Grant also moved to bigger clubs. Despite losing key players, Albion usually finished in the top half of the league. In 1984, they set a club record with a huge 20–0 win against Selkirk in the Scottish Cup. This made headlines around the world.
In 1986, Alex Smith left to manage St Mirren. His assistant, George Peebles, took over. Albion finished third that season, missing promotion by a small margin. More local players were sold, bringing in a lot of money for the club.
However, Annfield Stadium faced problems. The main stand was taken down because it was unsafe. In September 1987, Stirling Albion played Ayr United on Scotland's first-ever artificial football pitch. This change meant that for five years, all of Stirling Albion's home cup games had to be played away.
The artificial pitch did not give them the expected advantage. After a big loss to St Johnstone, Peebles was replaced by Jim Fleeting. Fleeting was manager for only six months, but he made big changes. When he left for Kilmarnock, star striker John Brogan became manager. Brogan led the Binos out of Division Two in 1991. They went a whole year without losing an away game and won the title easily.
The 1990s: Moving Between Divisions
The next three years in Division 1 were busy. The club stayed up, but Annfield was replaced. A new stadium, Forthbank Stadium, was built outside Stirling town centre. It is owned by Stirling Council.
The club was relegated to Division 2 when Scottish Football changed to a four-division system. Brogan was replaced by Kevin Drinkell. Drinkell had a tough first season. By February, the team was near the bottom. After a loss to Brechin City, fans were unhappy. Drinkell brought in new players, and the team went on a 10-game unbeaten run. This lifted them to second place on the last day of the season. A draw would have sent them back to Division 1. But Dumbarton won at Forthbank, and Albion stayed in Division 2.
However, in the 1995–96 season, the club had an amazing run. They had the league title secured by Christmas and often scored six goals in their games.
From 1996 to 1998, the club played in the First Division. The 1996–97 season saw them finish in a good mid-table position. The 1997–98 season started well in cup games. But the team was relegated after losing key players. Drinkell was replaced by his assistant, former West Ham United and Scotland player Ray Stewart.
Between 1998 and 2000, the club played in the 2nd Division under manager John Philliben. He was replaced by Ray Stewart, who returned for his second time as manager.
Recent Years: Ups and Downs
The 2000–01 season was tough for Stirling Albion. They went 17 games without a win and finished last in the Second Division. This meant they were relegated to the Third Division. The next season was also poor, as they finished second-to-last in the Third Division. Ray Stewart was sacked at the end of the season.
Allan Moore became manager in 2002. The team quickly improved. They were promoted to the Second Division at the end of the 2003–04 season. The next season, they finished a good fourth place. This improvement continued, and they had an 18-game unbeaten run. This helped them finish 2nd in the Second Division. This earned them a spot in the play-offs for promotion to the Scottish First Division.
Stirling Albion entered the play-offs after a few losses. They played Raith Rovers in the semifinals. The first game was a draw. In the second game, Albion won 3–0 at Forthbank. This set up a play-off final against Airdrie United. In the first game, 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 3–0, earning promotion from the Scottish Second Division 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 and were relegated the next season.
In May 2009, Stirling Albion supporters started a campaign to buy the club. On July 2, 2010, the chairman agreed to sell his shares to the Stirling Albion Supporters Trust. This made Stirling Albion the first Scottish League club to be 100% owned by its fans.
The 2009–10 season started well for Stirling. They were seen as favorites for the title. They led the league for a while but then struggled with poor home form. A long cold spell in early 2010 affected them more than other teams. They fell behind their rivals.
However, things changed. Eight games in 21 days saw the team come together. They closed the gap on Alloa. As Alloa lost games, Albion's consistent form brought them back to the top. They needed a draw in their last game against Brechin. An early goal put them in control, but Brechin scored, and a player was sent off. Despite being down to 10 men, Stirling held on for a 1–1 draw. This won them their first league title in almost 15 years.
After promotion, manager Allan Moore left for Greenock Morton. John O'Neill, his assistant, took over.
A poor start to the 2010–11 season put pressure on O'Neill. After six straight league losses, he and his assistant were let go in January. Former Dundee and Aberdeen manager Jocky Scott took over. Only months later, on April 9, 2011, the Binos were relegated back to the Second Division.
In the summer of 2011, the club asked for a £200 payment from players wanting to try out for the team. Two players from these trials, Sam Filler and John Crawley, were given professional contracts.
After seven losses in a row, Jocky Scott and his assistant left the club in December 2011. Defender Greig McDonald was put in temporary charge. He stopped the losing streak and was made full-time manager, becoming the youngest in the UK at 29. However, Stirling Albion was relegated to the Third Division on April 29, 2012.
On October 6, 2012, Stirling Albion, who were last in the league, beat Rangers 1–0. They also drew 1–1 with Rangers at home later that season. On March 9, 2013, the club had a huge 9–1 home win against East Stirlingshire.
In May 2014, Stirling Albion won the League One play-off final, beating East Fife 3–2. This meant promotion. However, they only stayed in the higher division for one season, being relegated in 2015. The club has been in League Two since 2015, usually finishing in the middle of the table.
In December 2021, Stirling Albion and manager Kevin Rutkiewicz parted ways. Later that month, Darren Young was appointed as the new first team manager.
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Scottish second tier (now called Scottish Championship)
- Champions (4 times): 1952–53, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1964–65
- Second Place (2 times): 1948–49, 1950–51
- Scottish third tier (now called Scottish League One)
- Champions (5 times): 1946–47, 1976–77, 1990–91, 1995–96, 2009–10
- Second Place (1 time): 2006–07
- Play-off Winners (1 time): 2006–07
- Scottish fourth tier (now called Scottish League Two)
- Champions (1 time): 2022–23
- Second Place (1 time): 2003–04
Club Records
- Biggest Win: 20–0 against Selkirk in the Scottish Cup, December 8, 1984.
- Biggest Loss: 0–9 against Dundee United in Division One, December 30, 1967; and 0–9 against Ross County in the Scottish Cup, February 6, 2010.
- Record Attendance at Annfield Stadium: 26,400 against Celtic in the Scottish Cup, March 11, 1959.
- Record Attendance at Forthbank Stadium: 3,808 against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup, February 15, 1996.
- Most Games Played: Matt McPhee – 556 games (1967–1981).
- Top Goalscorer: Billy Steele – 129 goals (1971–1983).
Current First-Team Squad
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Club Officials
Coaching Staff
- Manager: Alan Maybury
- Assistant manager and head of youth development: Tony McMinn
- Goalkeeping coach: Derek Gaston
- Football operations support: Andy Kennedy
- Physiotherapist: Claragh Connor
- Sports scientist: Andy Somerville
- Kitman: Ian McIntyre
- Development squad coaching team: Derek Ure, Stevie Nicholas, Thomas Grant, Lewis Steele
See also
In Spanish: Stirling Albion Football Club para niños
