If we are not going up then we are glad you are

History will be made at Galabank on Sunday as either hosts Annan Athletic or visitors Albion Rovers will win a place in the Second Division via the Play-offs for the first ever time.

The men from Coatbridge go into the Second Leg with a 3-1 advantage however, these clubs are more friends than rivals and the genuine feeling emerging from both camps is ‘Well if we are not going up, we are glad you are.’

The bond between the pair, who were both rated as outsiders for promotion at the start of the season, begins at the top with Annan Athletic Chairman Henry McClelland and Albion Rovers’ top man Frank Meade.

Both men are desperate for their club to win but as Meade puts it: “Winning is not everything, clubs like ours have to stick together in these difficult times.”

For McClelland, it is another milestone in Annan’s journey since joining the SFL at the start of season 2008/09 and there has been a few milestones passed already.

McClelland explained: “Every season we seem to be clocking up firsts in terms of the games we play in. In the first season, we had Clyde, who were then in the First Division away from home in the opening round of The ALBA Challenge Cup in our first ever game as a SFL side.

“We then had that great day at Cowdenbeath when we won our first game in the Third Division on the opening League Saturday. In the second season, we went up to Dundee for the Semi-Final of The ALBA Challenge Cup and this season, we had Partick Thistle at our place in a Co-operative Insurance Cup tie.

“That was a huge game for us and then we built on that by having a good run in the Scottish Cup and we brought Brechin back to our place after a draw at Glebe Park. Now we find ourselves hosting a Play-Off Final.”

McClelland beamed: “It has been an amazing journey and all these achievements vindicate our decision to go for SFL status and vindicate the decision of the clubs in the SFL to vote us in. I see this game as the end of the beginning of us as a SFL side.”

Whilst the rise to the Play-Offs has surprised many, it was what McClelland was expecting as he said: “We set a top four finish as a realistic target at the start of the season. The first two seasons was our honeymoon period as there was a step up that we had to make from being an East of Scotland side to being a SFL one.

“Our Manager Harry Cairney was bought in achieving a Play-Off place and so were his players, especially when we strengthened the side during the January transfer window.”

The changes saw SFL experience added with McClelland saying, “We brought in Sean O’Connor and Neil Macfarlane, two guys that have played in Scottish Cup Finals. We already had Andy Aitken here as our Player/Assistant Manager.

“Andy is a local boy who started off here before playing for Queen of the South and Ayr United and that gave us three players with great experience at a high level. Ian Harty came on board at the start of the season and people talk about him having had a lot of clubs where as we prefer to think, he has scored a lot of goals. He has earned our Player of the Year Award and that shows what he has brought here.”

The rise of both Annan Athletic and Albion Rovers to the Play-Offs was not predicted and McClelland grins as he says: “Yes, it was Clyde or Arbroath for the League and then Stranraer and Queen’s Park for the Play-Offs against a Stenhousemuir side who would be too strong.”

“We were in a good position throughout the season and sat there before moving up in the last couple of months. I still have a wee tinge of disappointment that we didn’t win the League.”

The Black and Gold’s Chairman cannot stop himself at having a swipe at another club from his area that were promoted out of the Third Division after joining saying: “The SFL’s sponsor IRN-BRU uses the word Phenomenal and that is our story. A team not far from here talked about ‘Living the Dream’ and that certainly did not work out. You have to live in reality and there is no doubt we do that and Harry works within the confines we set him without raising issues.

“People compare us to Gretna and that is not fair. We can afford to play in a higher division because we operate a sustainable model and everything is under our control. That ethos should be the way that all clubs are run. If we go up and find out that we cannot go any higher, there will be no change to that ethos as you find your level.”

McClelland added: “Our wages to income ratio sits at 30% odd and the only club probably lower than that is Queen’s Park as they do not pay any wages.”

Despite Wednesday night’s result, McClelland is expecting a positive reaction from the local fans for the second leg and he said: “The excitement in Annan is palpable. We do not have the distraction of the Old Firm and local people get behind us.

"The local TV station filmed us leaving for Coatbridge for the First Leg and that shows that we must be doing something right about engagement.”

Last Saturday’s 2-1 aggregate defeat of Second Division Alloa Athletic in the Play-Off Semi-Final saw plenty of handshakes and best wishes for the Final with McClelland saying: “People were congratulating me and that was fantastic but I am only the Chairman. It is a collective effort at Annan from the Board, to Harry to the team to the volunteers who help make it a real community team. That is the way I want it to stay.”

McClelland knew his side were going to win through shortly after half-time at Recreation Park as he explained: “I was really excited about our trip to Alloa, in fact it is the most excited I have ever felt about a game. With 30 minutes to go, I knew we were through. I was telling people it was done and dusted and my nerves had gone as I thought we had stood up to the best Alloa could throw at us. Mind you, that might have all been down to the hospitality from Mike Mulraney!

“Whilst I was really proud at the final whistle, it was not nice to see the other side of the result with the Alloa players slumped on the ground. I felt for them.”

Asked how he felt about Sunday’s game, McClelland replied: “I do not know how I will feel at the end of this game. We have a happy dressing room going into the biggest game of our short SFL history and it is a game we want to make history in.

“I know their Chairman Frank Meade really well and both clubs share similar values. Their Commercial Manager, Pat Rolink, is a comedian who does fundraisers for us and it is unfortunate that one of us has to lose.

"Of course I do not want it to be Annan but if it is, I will share in Albion Rovers’ happiness. I am sure Frank will be the same if it goes our way.”

Coatbridge Chairman Frank Meade is also looking forward to the biggest day of his Chairmanship as he explained: “I was asked to come in and help out at the Rovers six years ago when we were in a right bad way. To turn things around has taken of blood, sweat and tears and we have done that. We have also shown that you do not have to spend a fortune to prosper.

“It is 22 years since this club was promoted and that statistic alone shows you how massive a game this is.”

One of the reasons for the Rovers success is undoubtedly the prowess of Manager Paul Martin and his ability to build a bond between the players that sees the whole exceed the sum of the parts.

Meade said: “Paul came here four years ago when he was made Assistant Manager to John McCormack. John left in the summer of 2008 and we made Paul the Manager and he has made steady progress every season.

“Paul knows what this club is about and that we never have a lot of money but his management skills have seen improvement year on year in the team. It is a great testimony to him and his ability that we have done so well. “

One subject that Meade and Martin never discuss is money with the Chairman saying: “Paul knows there is no point in having one as we do not have any. What we do have is a really strong backroom team with his playing assistant Todd Lumsden being a great player on the pitch, Danny Ferry is a first class coach and Darren Cross has helped our goalkeepers enormously.

“We also have one of the most qualified physios in the SFL in John McMenemy and to have every job filled by a really good guy is terrific.”

Meade added: “Being the Manager of Albion Rovers is a hard job and Paul puts himself under a lot of pressure to do it well. Hopefully, he will get his reward this weekend.”

The former BT Accountant believes that the clubs in the SFL have something that bigger clubs envy as he explained: “With all that is going on with Scottish football, people should realise what we have in the SFL. The spirit and the co-operation is wonderful and I would suggest that other clubs, where it is all about money, secretly wish they could enjoy themselves in the way we can across clubs in the SFL.”

One such example of that spirit was evident at Cliftonhill last Saturday when Meade’s men defeated Queen’s Park 2-0 for a 3-1 Semi-Final aggregate win.

Meade said: “Queen’s handled their disappointment very well. Gardner Speirs made a point of shaking everyone’s hand and he also went into the dressing room to congratulate the players.

“It was an emotional occasion to qualify for the Play-Off Final and it was a very competitive match, so that gesture was appreciated. I just sometimes wish the press reporting was a bit more positive as they did not do the game justice.”

Despite their Semi-Final success, no one in Lanarkshire is getting carried away with Meade saying: “We are not getting carried away and our memories of our Scottish Cup defeat to Sunnybank Juniors are still fresh enough to ensure that we will be focused for the second leg.”

That Second Leg cannot come quickly enough for Meade who said: “If it was said at the start of the season that it would be Albion Rovers against Annan Athletic, not many people would have believed you.

"I think it is great to have the SFL’s newest clubs playing one of its oldest clubs for the right to be promoted. The only problem I have is that if we win, I will celebrate and if we lose, I will celebrate also as I like the Annan people so much.

“Henry and his Board usually take us out for lunch however, this time we have been invited down for a buffet reception with a host of other people. To be included in that shows football in a good light. There are not enough good people in football but Annan have a fair few good ones down there.”

So has Meade dreamed of promotion? “No, I haven’t,” was the reply before he added, “5.00pm on Sunday will be my first thoughts on the Second Division as it would be disrespectful to think of going up beforehand. If it happens, fantastic and discussions will start on the bus going home on Sunday night.

“Paul has the players playing really well but we need a really good performance to keep hold of our lead. There is a real togetherness in our squad and hopefully, they can finish the job that they have started.”