Stirling Albion

By Graham Barnstaple
June 12 2011

Stirling Albion’s public trial scheme, costing £200 per place, has been criticised by the SPFA’s Stuart Lovell.

Albion were left with no signed players at the end of the season and with a view to assessing what was available out there they held a public trial and asked players to pay £200 for the privilege.

They are reported to have made £6000 out of the scheme, meaning at least 30 people were prepared to take the chance of shelling out some cash in the hope of making the squad.

Lovell seems to have a problem with the scheme saying, I wouldn't say it was a publicity stunt but it was an opportunity for the club to make money.”

"Have trials by all means. No one has any objection to that. "Clubs have got to find a squad of players for next season. But for guys to have to pay money to go on trial with no guarantees whatsoever, I'm not so sure that's right."

I have no problem with the idea, I believe the £200 would keep out the people who were never going to make it any way, and meant only people serious about making the squad would turn up.

The only other way I would look at it would have maybe to have used the £200 as some form of deposit that was refundable to the successful trialists. Or they could have detailed where the money was going, transparency is the key word of this generation and maybe that is all that was needed here.