Stranraer F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Stranraer Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Blues | ||
| Founded | 1870 | ||
| Ground | Stair Park, Stranraer | ||
| Capacity | 4,178 (1,830 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Iain Dougan | ||
| Manager | Chris Aitken | ||
| League | Scottish League One | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish League One, 4th | ||
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Stranraer Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football club. It is based in the town of Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway. The club started in 1870. This makes it the third-oldest football club in Scotland. It is also one of the 20 oldest clubs in the world!
Stranraer currently plays in Scottish League One. They are a part of the Scottish Professional Football League. The team has won the Scottish Second Division twice. Their most recent win was in 1997–98. They also finished second in 2004–05 and 2014–15.
The club reached a national cup final in 1996. They won the Scottish Challenge Cup by beating St Johnstone 1–0. Stranraer's home ground is Stair Park. It can hold about 1,830 seated fans. The total capacity is 4,178 including standing room. The ground opened in 1907. It is located in the east part of Stranraer.
Contents
Club History and Key Moments
Stranraer Football Club was founded in 1870. They play their home games at Stair Park. For many years, Stranraer played in local leagues. In 1949, they joined the C Division of the Scottish League. This division included reserve teams from bigger clubs.
Joining the Main League
In 1955, the C Division was removed. Stranraer then moved into the B Division. This meant they were playing against first teams. Their first promotion came in 1993–94. This was under the club's famous manager, Alex McAnespie.
Moving Up and Down
After the league changed in 1993–94, Stranraer moved up. They went into the new First Division for the 1994–95 season. However, they finished last with only 17 points. They were then moved back down.
Under manager Campbell Money, Stranraer spent three seasons in the Second Division. They earned promotion back to the First Division in 1997–98. Again, they finished last. They had the same low points total and lost 29 games.
Winning the Scottish Challenge Cup
During Campbell Money's time, the club won the Scottish League Challenge Cup. This was a big moment for the club. They beat St Johnstone 1–0 on November 3, 1996. The winning goal was an own goal by St Johnstone's Danny Griffin.
Cup Runs and Promotions
After this, the club spent four more years in the Second Division. A highlight was their strong run in the Scottish Cup in 2002–03. They reached the quarter-finals. They were beaten 4–0 by SPL team Motherwell.
However, their league form was not as good. They finished ninth in the Second Division. This meant they were moved down to the Third Division for 2003–04. But things quickly got better! Under Neil Watt, they won the Third Division right away. This sent them back up to the Second Division.
In 2004–05, the team stayed near the top of the league. A 1–1 draw with Morton on April 30, 2005, earned them promotion. They went up to the First Division for the third time. But they were moved down again the next season. They finished ninth and lost in the play-offs to Partick Thistle.
Tough Times and Comebacks
The 2006–07 season was difficult. They lost badly to other teams fighting relegation. They finished ninth again. This led to a play-off with East Fife. They lost 4–2 on total score. This meant they were moved down to the Third Division.
In January 2009, the club faced serious money problems. They owed a lot of money. Fans and supporters started a group called "Friends of Stranraer F.C." to help save the club. Key player Gregory Tade moved to another club to help reduce costs. Manager Derek Ferguson also left. Keith Knox took over as manager.
On April 4, 2009, Stranraer's move down to Division Three was confirmed. This meant the club had played in a different division for eight seasons in a row!
Recent Challenges and Successes
In 2011 and 2012, Stranraer had some very big cup losses. They lost 8–0 to Morton in the Ramsdens Challenge Cup. A year later, they lost 8–0 at home to Livingston in the Scottish League Cup.
In 2012, Rangers, a big Scottish club, had financial problems. They were moved to the Third Division. This meant an extra team from each league was promoted. Stranraer had finished second in the Third Division play-offs the year before. So, they were promoted to the Second Division. They stayed in the third tier of Scottish football after a win against Stenhousemuir. This happened after Stephen Aitken became manager in October.
The club did well in the third tier under Stephen Aitken. They finished third in 2013–14 and second in 2014–15. Stranraer also scored their first goal against Rangers in 2013. They earned their first point against the Glasgow club. They reached the play-offs for promotion but lost in the semi-finals both times.
Stephen Aitken left in May 2015. Brian Reid became the new manager. Stranraer started the 2015–16 season poorly. But they had a great run later. They finished 4th and made the promotion play-offs for the third year in a row.
This was the seventh time Stranraer had been in a play-off. They had not won the first six times. But in 2008 and 2012, they were promoted because another club had problems. In the semi-finals, they played Livingston. Stranraer won 8–6 on total score after extra time.
They then played Ayr United in the final for a spot in the second tier. The first game was a 1–1 draw. The second game was 0–0. Ayr won 3–1 in a penalty shootout. So, Ayr was promoted instead of Stranraer.
The 2016–17 season also started badly. Brian Reid left in January. Stephen Farrell became the new manager.
In the 2023–24 season, Stranraer finished last in Scottish League Two. They had to play East Kilbride in a play-off to avoid being moved out of the league. They drew 2–2 away from home. This meant they needed to win at Stair Park. A 3–1 win after extra time saved them! This win led to a huge celebration with 1,800 Stranraer fans on the pitch. It was their biggest crowd in almost ten years.
Club Records
Here are some of Stranraer's club records:
- Most league points in a season:
- 58 points (Second Division – 1993–94) (when a win was worth two points)
- 79 points (Third Division – 2003–04) (when a win was worth three points)
- Most league goals scored by a player in a season:
- Derek Frye scored 27 goals in 1977–78.
- Record attendance:
- 6,500 fans watched them play Rangers on January 24, 1948.
- Record victory:
- 9–0 against St Cuthbert Wanderers in 2010 (Scottish Cup).
- 9–0 against Wigtown in 2011 (Scottish Cup).
- Record defeat:
- 1–11 against Queen of the South in 1932.
In 1990, Stranraer was the first team to win a Scottish Cup game on penalties. They beat Kilmarnock 4–3 after a 0–0 draw.
The club also holds a record for shirt sponsorship. Stena Line has been on their shirts since the 1996–97 season. Before that, it was Sealink from 1988 to 1989. Since Sealink became Stena Line, the sponsor has been the same for over 35 seasons! This is one of the longest unbroken sponsorships in football.
Club Honours and Trophies
Stranraer has won several trophies throughout its history:
League Titles
- Scottish Second Division: (third tier)
- Winners (2): 1993–94, 1997–98
- Runners-up (2): 2004–05, 2014–15
- Scottish Third Division: (fourth tier)
- Winners (1): 2003–04
- Runners-up (1): 2007–08
- South of Scotland Football League:
- Winners (16): 1948–49, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1982–83 and 2018–19°
° This title was won by the Reserve Team.
Cup Wins
- Scottish Challenge Cup:
- Winners (1): 1996
- Scottish Qualifying Cup:
- Winners (1): 1937–38
- Runners-up (1): 1946–47
Current Team Squad
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Club Officials and Coaching Staff
The people who help run the club and coach the team are very important.
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Chris Aitken |
| Assistant manager | Stephen Aitken |
| First team coaches | Gary Brown Martin Fellowes |
| Goalkeeping coach | Jim Low |
| Head of youth development | Allan Jenkins |
| Physiotherapist | Kirsten Murray |
| Sports scientist | Nicole Watson |
| Club doctor | Carl Mullet |
| Groundsman | Colin Agnew |
See also
In Spanish: Stranraer Football Club para niños
