FROM THE PROGRAMME V QUEENS PARK – Nov-22-2003 – ISSUE 9

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,”

Stirling Albion 0-2 Dumbarton, Scottish 2nd Division, 13/5/1995

A tremendous late run of results saw Stirling claiming 24 out of a possible 30 points to push them to the brink of promotion. Only 90 minutes of football stood between the Albion team and a spot in Division One…there was only one catch, 90 minutes was all that stood between Dumbarton and Division One too. It was to be a shoot out to the death at Forthbank.

A full house of 3,808 packed into Forthbank that day with many more unfortunate fans locked out from proceedings. As only a ten year old boy at the time, my memories of the game are very much reduced to a few snapshot images of Dumbarton players and fans celebrating their two goals. Both came in the second half when the whole home stand of Forthbank was hoping that the Kevin Drinkell’s Binos could hold on for at least the draw which would’ve meant promotion. It was not to be. Dumbarton held on comfortably and would claim their place in Division 1 along side Morton, who would go up as Champions albeit only just by a couple of points.

As the horsemen of the apocalypse saddled up outside Forthbank at 4.45pm that day and the dust settled on another season it was clear that it was Albion’s home form which had let them down; they suffered 6 home defeats, 12 overall, which generally is not good enough for a team fighting for promotion. In fact it was trips to, now disappeared, venues such as Boghead and the Commonwealth Stadium that tended to prove more fruitful for the Binos that year. Looking back at the fixture card of that year teams like Meadowbank Thistle and Airdrie were to be played; eight years later it’s incredible to think that these teams and stadia are all but memories fading into the mists of time.

As Meadowbank went down that year and rose from the ashes as Livingston it signaled the end of an era in Scottish Football, the age of franchise and commercialisation was truly upon us. The SFL has never really recovered from the big spending of the mid-nineties and that period could yet claim more clubs. Hopefully, in another eight years time we will be able to watch the same sides as today, still in existence, playing in a flourishing Scottish Football League.

At the time though these thoughts were all very much at the back of the mind of Albion fans but some twelve months later, however, the feeling was to be a very different one. Drinkell built up his squad in the summer to great effect as we see next time…

FROM THE PROGRAMME V QUEENS PARK – Nov-15-2003 – ISSUE 8

“Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools”

Stirling Albion 1-1 Queen of the South, Scottish 2nd Division, 28/4/2001

It was like seeing the four horsemen of the apocalypse and then having to wait patiently until the world ended in a whimper four months later, knowing that the day would come but hoping with all your heart that it would somehow stay away…this was the day that every Albion fan had been dreading for weeks and months beforehand. Relegation to the 3rd Division was now not just a fear but a stark reality and one to which the club was not accustomed after a decade of (mostly) brilliant football under Brogan and Drinkell.

The process of relegation had been long and drawn out to this stage; virtually the whole season had been horrific. Only 2 wins were recorder in the first 9 games, although the Bios were only beaten themselves twice, not really pointing the way to the collapse that would follow. Between the time Albion beat Stranraer in September until the time they won in Stranraer in late March not a single win was recorded in 17 games worth of football league. The fans were anticipating the team to start playing with the undoubted potential that was there, however a couple of scrappy wins later had given the fans a slaver of hope.

In Greenock the previous week, the battle had been drawn out further after a late Alex Williams goal had equalised Alex Burke’s earlier effort for a now renamed Clydebank side. But all this would prove ultimately to no avail. The prolific Peter Weatherston had Queens ahead just before the break. The Doonhamers had dominated proceedings for the most part in the first half and it came as no surprise when the Geordie’s volley bulleted past Chris Reid. Stirling’s afternoon was a microcosm of their season as they struggled to get anything going, were second to every ball and lacked the fight and confidence to gain a proper footing in the game.

Some hope was restored when Craig Feroz forced an equaliser just after half time and the fans were back to thinking “maybe…just maybe” again. This week it was not to be though. Despite expectations from the fans Stirling never laid siege, or even attacked the Queen’s goal menacingly in the last half hour so by the time the final whistle was blown by John Rowbotham it almost seemed like a vet pulling an old dog down.

Many fans thought that day we had hit rock bottom but it was not to be. The following season was to be one of the worst in the history of Stirling Albion F.C. However, my columns have all been full of doom and gloom; hopefully things on the park have lifted your spirits somewhat! Hopefully the team can pick up today after a couple of disappointing results in the last couple of weeks, they’ll have to as next times article doesn’t get any cheerier(have no fear, they begin to pick up after it).

FROM THE PROGRAMME V STRANRAER – Oct-25-2003 – ISSUE 7

“If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools”

Stirling Albion 0-1 St. Mirren, Scottish 1st Division, 2/5/1998

Saved from relegation the previous week by a last minute David Lorimer strike at Stark’s Park, Stirling came into this match knowing anything less than another three points would not be good enough to keep them in the league. It was a dramatic end to a campaign which had promised so much at the start of the season after the 6-2 demolishing of Scottish Cup holders Kilmarnock but never again built up to those dizzy heights. A disappointing defeat a couple of weeks before the Saints match the Binos had gone down 1-0 to Partick Thistle, who would eventually go down.

Much o this game has, for obvious reasons, been wiped from my memory. Understandably the match was a tense affair with neither side really creating anything that was too clear cut. There was also a shower of yellow cards handed out to two sides both desperately scrapping for their Division One lives, no less than seven were booked; five of those were Albion players.

The goal which settled things came ten minutes into the second half and from an unlikely source. Hugh Murray, scorer of only eight goals in a career of around 160 games, blasted the Paisley Saints ahead. Kevin Drinkell tried to change things by bringing on Laundry Zahani-Oni for Gavin Price but it was not to be Stirling’s day.

It was to be a painful blow for all involved with Stirling Albion and one from which we only started recovering from last season when Allan Moore took charge. After seven consecutive seasons of finishing lower in the league than in the previous year Moore guided the Binos to a 5th place finish in the league. Although we ended up comfortably out of the promotion race we held on until March, providing the fans with some much needed excitement and, more importantly, building the nucleus of the team we see today.

Hopefully under the leadership of Moore, Stirling can continue the fantastic sequence of results that has catapulted us eight points clear of today’s opponents, Stranraer, and twelve ahead of Albion Rovers, who lie third. Let’s really get behind the team today as a win would give us huge breathing space going into a tough month of November and remember to enjoy the good times as much as possible, you never know when they will end.

FROM THE PROGRAMME V MONTROSE – Oct-11-2003 – ISSUE 6

“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same”

Stirling Albion 3-2 Raith Rovers, Scottish 1st Division, 27/12/1997

The Christmas period was proving to be an important spell in a campaign which saw the Binos languishing near the foot of the 1st Division. After a hugely impressive run of results in the second half of the previous season hopes were high of another relatively comfortable escape.

At the time of this game Raith were going fairly well and had just got top scorer Keith Wright back from a couple of weeks out injured. It was the former Hibs goalscorer and now Cowdenbeath manager who scored the goals that put Raith 2-0 and easily in the driving seat after just 24 minutes. Both goals came from crosses from the left and both were expertly put past Mark McGewon.

This seemed to shake Stirling out of their Yuletide lethargy but a goal was needed before half time to have any real chance of winning the game. This came from Neil Bennett virtually with the last kick of the first half as he met an Alex Bone cutback and drove the ball low into the corner of Guido Van Der Kamp’s near post.

The Albion came out for the second half with a volley of attacks and had managed to pull themselves level within quarter of an hour. A free kick won on the right hand side of the park which the mercurial Laundry Zahani-Oni whipped into the box. Gavin Price got his “head” to it and knocked it past the big Dutchman in the Raith goal. There was huge protests as Van Der Kamp chased the referee back to the centre circle claiming hand ball, much to the amusement of the Albion following.

At this stage there was only going to be one team that won the game and Andy Paterson’s thirty yard free kick which flew into the top corner was a goal that deserved to win any game. With only 5 minutes left to play Stirling held on relatively comfortably and could enjoy the highlights on Scotsport the next day.

Unfortunately, the season ultimately ended in failure when the Binos’ place in the First Division was lost and Kevin Drinkell resigned as manager signaling the end of an era at Stirling Albion.

FROM THE PROGRAMME V ELGIN CITY – Oct-04-2003 – ISSUE 5

“If you can dream-and not make dreams your master
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim”

Stirling Albion 2-3 Heart of Midlothian, League Cup 2nd Round, 25/9/2002

As I entered Forthbank that night I remember feeling a special buzz that’s around on special Cup nights. Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite one of the great night’s in Stirling Albion’s history but had Lady Luck been on the Binos’ side the 3000 odd inside Forthbank would have witnessed a great cup shock.

Stirling played towards the Forth end of the ground in the first half and, surprisingly, it only took them a couple of minutes to register. And what a goal it was. Stevie Mallan picked up the ball deep inside his own half and fed it to Paul Hay in the centre circle. The midfielder then cheekily back healed the ball back to the onrushing Mallan who switched the ball to Robert Dunn. The chance looked to have gone when the wee wingers first touch was poor but he recovered and swung a tremendous ball into the box onto which Mallan’s head connected to power the ball past Roddy McKenzie.

This seemed to shake the Jambos and almost immediately they were putting pressure on the Stirling defence, in fact, it only took nine minutes for the Edinburgh side to draw level. A corner from the right was headed back across goal by the free scoring De Vries and Northern Irishman Andy Kirk left Chris Reid with little chance with a rocket header from 4 yards out.

From a Stirling point of view it could have all gone horribly wrong from there but the team kept their heads held high and fought their way back into the game. Stevie Mallan and, in particular, Stevie Nicholas’ direct running were causing the Hearts defence all kinds of problems. It was Nicholas who got on the end of a sweeping move but from twelve yards he couldn’t connect properly and the ball trickled into McKenzie’s hands. This was a real let off for Hearts who hit the front just before half time.

Paul Nugent, who had an outstanding match that night, was very harshly adjudged to have used his hands to control the ball twenty yards out but Frenchmen Jean Louis Valois was in no mood to let Stirling off lightly as he inflicted maximum punishment by curling a superb free-kick into the top left hand corner of Reid’s goal.

Again the timing of the goal was a body blow but four minutes into the second half Stirling were once again level. Stevie Nicholas latched onto a woeful pass back from McKenna, took the ball around McKenzie and slotted home from a ridiculously acute angle.

At this Hearts seemed to panic a bit and the game was much more even. But it was Hearts who managed to nick themselves ahead again. De Vries, who had been restrained extremely well by the Stirling defence, got an inch in the box and turned away from Hay who put in a valiant challenge but only succeeded in bringing the big Dutchman down in the box. Steven Pressley battered the ball into the corner of the net to give Stirling another mountain to climb.

However , the Binos were clearly in the mood for it as they forced a succession of corners towards the end of the match in a desperate attempted to find an equaliser that their endeavor and play had so richly deserved . But football can be a cruel game and the third proved illusive. Allan Moore said at the end of the match it was disappointing to lose from three set pieces, and it was. Stirling had played much of the football and Nicholas in particular was in outstanding form that night. Had the break gone to the men in red then perhaps it would’ve been a different story but we will never know.

In hindsight this game really seemed to give the team a lift which saw them going on that excellent run of five wins seeing off Gretna, Queen’s Park, Morton, Albion Rovers and Peterhead. Three of the top four teams in the league last year were included in that run but lets hope this year the momentum can be continued long into the season.

FROM THE PROGRAMME V ALBION ROVERS – Sep-20-2003 – ISSUE 4

“Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise”

Stirling Albion 2-0 Morton, Scottish 3rd Division, 19/10/2002

There had been a fair bit of animosity between the fans of Stirling and Morton after a game earlier in the season when Alex Williams, who had just been sold to the Greenock club, kissed the Morton badge in front of the Stirling support at Cappielow. As expected this lead to one of the most heated atmosphere’s that Forthbank has ever seen.

It was the young Morton striker who gained the upper hand early on, forcing Iain Turner, now of Everton, into tipping the ball round the post for a corner. Robert Dunn was then forced to hack the ball off the line from another corner. Gradually Stirling wrestled some control of the match away from the Ton with David O’Brien in particular causing all kinds off problems for the visitors n the left side. Stevie Mallan blasted a chance from 6 yards over the bar and this was to prove Stirling’s best chance in a pulsating half of football which ultimately finished goalless.

Iain Turner was then to prove exactly why he was to go a Premiership club. He had been controversially penalised for handling the ball outside the area but justice was done when he tremendously tipped a free-kick arrowing into the top corner of the goal away.

It is said that on such moments matches turn and this was to be one of those matches. Mallan fired the warning shot to Morton after Nicholas’ cutback but it was straight at Craig Coyle in the Morton goal. It was the same two players that linked up again to set up David O’Brien as the back post to bundle the ball in after Nicholas had again played the ball in the and Mallan had headed back across goal.

Morton tried, but could not, lift their game enough to threaten a resolute Stirling defence. It was made clear to Alex Williams what the score was and exactly what the Stirling fans thought of him and the pressure was clearly getting to the young striker who appeared to lash out at Mark McNally only for both referee and his assistant t miss the incident.

With only a few minutes left Morton were piling everything forward and this allowed Stirling to launch a swift counter attack of their own which culminated in Mallan rolling Stevie Nicholas in behind the defence. He lashed the ball into the net and the home fans were sent home ecstatic and full of enthusiasm for the season ahead. This was to prove the best the team played in the league al year but after four consecutive wins and, Montrose in the CIS Cup excepting, a series of excellent performances from which a lot can be taken. Let’s just hope the team can live up to the pressure early season promise can bring.

FROM THE PROGRAMME V PETERHEAD – Sep-13-2003 – ISSUE 3

“If you can wait and not be tired waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies”

Stirling Albion 4-5 Dumbarton, Scottish 3rd Division, 19/9/2001

Stirling had a succession of good results going into the game so hopes were riding high for a victory against a strong Dumbarton team who, like ourselves, were doing well in the 3rd Division at the time. However, hopes of getting anything from the game were quickly dashed as the Sons raced into a three goal lead in the opening forty minutes. Joe Robertson gave Dumbarton their perfect start as he forced the ball past Chris Reid in the Albion goal after just a couple of minutes. Worse was to follow from a Stirling point of view as the same player made it 2-0 half an hour later and then Paddy Flannery headed in a third for Dumbarton virtually straight after the second. Shouts for that time manager Ray Stewart’s, head were beginning to become a little less muted after a season previously which saw relegation for the Binos into Division 3 for the first time when many expected a serious promotion push.

Even when Nicky Henderson stuck away a penalty after Alex Williams had been fouled in the box it looked likely to be nothing more than a consolation goal. But Stirling continued to fight back and Alex Williams made it 3-2 going in at the half time interval.

Shooting towards the Safeway end in the second half hopes were again high for Stirling, who clearly had Dumbarton on the ropes. And it didn’t take long before the equaliser came. A ball swept in from the right and it was Williams, again, who was on hand to finish the move and spark mass celebration amongst the 350 or so hardy home supporters. By the time that Williams had completed his hat-trick, which meant he had scored consecutive hat-tricks in home games after bagging 3 against Second Division Cowdenbeath a week earlier in the CIS Cup competition, the Albion fans were jubilant and none could have foreseen the finish to the game that was to follow. Ray Stewart was also looking a whole lot smugger.

The biggest blow for Stirling after taking the lead was when Paddy Flannery, so often a thorn in our side, equalised after only four minutes of being behind. Despite this Stirling continued to press forward although with Mark Crilly pulling the strings in the Dumbarton midfield they always looked dangerous on the counter attack. It was one of these such counter attacks which led to the goal which ultimately cost Stirling the game. Nicky Henderson tries to take a quick free-kick but Crilly was aware to it, intercepted the ball and drove forward. A pass was offloaded and with Graeme Morrison beaten for pace in the Stirling defence and the forward in the clear, there was a tug of the shirt and the inevitable free-kick was awarded. From 20 yards, Crilly curled the perfect free kick around the huge Stirling wall to really deflate anyone in red and white in the stadium.

There was no time left for Albion to fight back but to compound their misery, Morrison was sent off for a second bookable offence in stoppage time.

Let’s hope that the outcome this season is a lot better than that of season 2001/02 when the start of the season proved only to be a fallacy of what was to come. As for “if you can wait, and not be tires waiting,” this surely has to be a direct reference to the 350 odd Albion fans who traveled home and away for seven years prior to last year with no reward greater than a seventh place finish. Allan Moore’s side provided some cheer last year with a top half finish and eyes will be firmly fixed upon the promotion places this year but any improvement in terms of league position would be very welcome.

FROM THE PROGRAME V EAST STIRLING – Aug-23-2003 – ISSUE 2

“If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too”

Stirling Albion 2-1 St. Mirren, CIS Insurance Cup Round 2, 26/9/2001

Going into this game no-one really gave Third Division Albion too much of a chance against a St Mirren side who had just been relegated from the SPL and had just secured the signing of Christopher Wreh, a former squad layer at Arsenal. The Binos had already knocked out opposition in a higher league a couple of weeks earlier in the shape of Cowdenbeath, who lost 3-1 to an Alex Williams hat-trick.

Williams would once again prove influential in the outcome of this game as St Mirren pounded Chris Reid’s goal early on but could not find a way through in the first five minutes. By the time Angolan Jose Quitongo tapped in after the Stirling defence had ripped apart it looked very much like it could be a rout. St Mirren had their chances to extend their lead before Alex Williams latched onto a Gareth Munro through ball and finished in style with a superb lob over Ludovic Roy from the far corner of the box.

The second half was a siege on the Albion goal with Chris Reid I outstanding form to prevent McGarry, Yardley and Quitongo, once again, giving the Paisley side a lead that would surely have proved crucial. McGarry had seen an effort crash off the cross bar earlier but it was him who supplied the ball to Yardley. The big striker looked set to seal Saints place in the 3rd Round but somehow his header from 6 yards was blocked and his follow up was spooned well over the bar.

Albion were still struggling to hold on at this stage and even reaching extra time would have been considered some achievement. But extra time was not to be required. A hopeful punt was gamely chased by Michael Geraghty, and it was his presence that forced Scott Walker into a back header which fell short. Gareth Munro nipped in and the young midfielder, who had previously only stated two games and who had never scored a top team goal, showed great composure to fire the ball past Roy. The few hundred Albion fans went absolutely ballistic.

Munro scored in the 88th minute which meant that the last two minutes felt like two hours. But Stirling held on right to the end to set up a Third Round game with Celtic. Unfortunately, that game did not go so well as the Albion went down by eight to a rampant home side. However bad Stirling played that day, the two games that went before it in the same competition will always be remembered as beacons in Ray Stewart’s less than impressive stint in charge of the club.

FROM THE PROGRAMME V COWDENBEATH – Aug-09-2003 – ISSUE 1

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