Attacking midfielder Scott Chaplain swapped Albion Rovers for Annan Athletic in the summer and he was pleased with his move after it got off to a flying start with a 1-0 win over First Division Livingston in The Ramsdens Cup First Round tie that opened the season.
Graeme Bell’s goal gave the Galabank men a win in the initial game played on their new artificial surface and Chaplain said: “It was a great start to my time at Annan. Livingston had a few chances but we hung in there and got the win.”
The Galabankies’ success earned them a home tie with Stenhousemuir where the former Rangers youth player and Ayr United, Partick Thistle and Dumbarton first teamer will come across his former Coatbridge team-mate John Gemmell.
The duo helped keep Albion Rovers in the Second Division as they both scored to knock Elgin out of the Play-Off Semi-Final and Chaplain hitting a double to set up a penalty shoot-out success over Stranraer as Rovers won the Play-Off Final.
Chaplain said: “There was a terrific spirit in that squad and coming through the Play-Offs was a great success. The two goals against Stranraer was a real highlight for me and it was a perfect way for me to end my time there.
“It was the right time to leave because although I have enjoyed my two spells at the club, I wanted a fresh challenge and with Paul Martin leaving as Manager and a number of other players moving on as well, it was the right time to leave.”
The 28-year-old said: “I wish them well and hope I can play against them in the Second Division next season.”
As for Stenhousemuir, Chaplain said: “They have gone through a number of changes as well and I noticed that big John has scored in both of the games he has played in and we will need to keep him quiet to progress. They have a number of new players and I am sure that they will do well in the Second Division so there are a few guys that we need to keep quiet.”
Stenhousemuir striker John Gemmell will return to his ‘Field of Dreams’ in Annan tomorrow night and he will find it much changed from his last visit back in May, 2011.
Gemmell was part of an Albion Rovers squad that secured promotion to the Second Division at Galabank with a 4-3 aggregate Play-Off success over Harry Cairney’s side and after becoming a Warrior during the summer, the 27-year-old is looking forward to returning for tomorrow’s Ramsdens Cup Second Round tie.
The striker said: “It is a ground full of happy memories as that Rovers team had a wonderful spirit and it was great for them to get promoted. We lost that particular game 2-1 but had won 3-1 in the first leg so it was a brilliant day.
“Mind you, my last game there was on grass and now it is an artificial pitch. I am not so keen on them but most pitches will be artificial one day so I will just need to get on with it.”
Gemmell and his Coatbridge team-mates secured another season in the Second Division last May when they defeated Stranraer in a penalty shoot-out however, the striker was suspended for the second leg of that Final and had kicked his last ball for the club in the first leg at Stair Park that was lost 2-0.
The frontman explained: “I had really been thinking of leaving but when a few players and then the Manager, Paul Martin, did so, I began to seriously think about. I have not won much in my career and I want to do that before I call it a day and that is why I moved to Stenhousemuir.
“It was time for a change.”
A change being as good as a rest appears to be working for Gemmell as he talked about his short time as a Stenhousemuir player saying: “It is a case of so far, so good although I was not able to start my League campaign on Saturday in the 1-1 draw with Ayr United due to suspension. I have worked hard in pre-season and feeling fitter than I have in a long time.
“The club also recruited some good players and the squad is really strong. The fact that there is such great competition for places has upped my game.”
Gemmell has responded to that challenge by scoring against Stranraer in The Ramsdens Cup First Round before also scoring against Brechin City in The Scottish Communities League Cup at Ochilview.
They were very different types of goals with Gemmell saying: “I scored with a six yard header at Stranraer and people probably think that is a typical John Gemmell goal. I am well known for winning headers, well at least in the opponent’s box, as any of my Managers will tell you as defensively, they reckon I have never won one!
“It was good to get my Stenhousemuir career off to a good start early with that goal at Stair Park.”
Gemmell’s career at his new home ground of Ochilview got off to a good early start as well as he scored within 30 seconds in their game against Brechin on Saturday, 4th August with a flick in the air and then a thumping shot from 25 yards.
“The ball set up nicely and I thought why not?” said Gemmell before adding, “I have seen Andy Rodgers hit them like that in training and pre-season so I thought I would see if I could do it myself.”
The game at Galabank will see Gemmell come across a couple of familiar faces as he explained: “Scott Chaplain is down there now and we played together for the last two seasons. We both did well during that spell but like me, he felt it was time to move on but delighted that we had done our bit to keep Rovers in the Second Division.
“We came across each other in pre-season and he scored the only goal in a friendly match. Michael McGowan played at centre half for Annan that night and like me, he was up for a good physical battle in the game. I am sure it will be the same if he is playing on Tuesday.”
Gemmell is hoping to help fire his men into a Ramsdens Cup Quarter Final although that will not satisfy his desire for success pointing out: “I said I wanted to win things as a player and The Ramsdens Cup probably represents our best chance of success in cup competitions. We will hopefully challenge for the League but a cup run would be great as well.
“I was in a Challenge Cup Semi-Final quite early in my career when I was at Queen’s Park some 10 years ago. We played Brechin City and lost 4-3 at Hampden. I scored one that night but Roddy Grant scored the winner for them.”
Gemmell finished by saying: “I would love to play in a Cup Final but at the moment, I am hoping to do enough to get another great result at Galabank.”
It would normally be correct to say that if a player gave a club ten seasons of service, they would have spent the lions’ share of their playing days there but for Annan Athletic Manager Harry Cairney, that would not ring true as he had a total of 23 seasons as player.
Cairney will lead his men against a Stenhousemuir side on Tuesday night that he played for from 1983 until 1992 however, his period as a Warrior does not even represent half of his playing days.
The Galabank Manager explained: “I went there from my first club Airdrieonians after three years there when Stenhousemuir were in the Second Division, which at that time, was the lowest division. Jim Black, who was an ex-Airdrie centre back, took me there. I had not played with Jim but it seemed to be a route a number of players seemed to take when they left Broomfield.
Back in 1983, the top division in Scotland comprised 10 clubs and they were not all full-time sides either with Cairney saying: “We were all part-time at Airdrie then and in fact, I was a part-time player in the two seasons that Airdrie played in the Premier Division of The Scottish Football League before I went to Stenhousemuir.”
It would be fair to describe Stenhousemuir’s results during his time at Ochilview as mixed as there was a seventh placed finish, followed by a fifth, a seventh, a twelfth, a tenth and a bottom placed fourteenth place followed by two near misses for promotion that saw fourth spot secured twice before Cairney’s final season ended in thirteenth place.
Cairney recalled: “It was a bit up and down and we went through a number of Managers as well. As well as Jim, we had Archie Rose, Billy Henderson and former St. Johnstone Manager Alex Rennie dipping in and out. I have to give credit to Jim Meechan who took over and made a huge difference to the place.
“We finished bottom of the SFL in season 1988/89 and we used 45 players that season and seven goalkeepers and that uncertainty definitely worked against us. The following season we were much more settled and almost got promoted to the First Division.”
Brechin City won the title and it was Kilmarnock who took second spot with Cairney adding: “I remember Kilmarnock coming to our place and Tommy Burns was in their midfield as well as being their Manager. I was told to man mark him and it worked as we beat them 2-1.
“We had a decent team ourselves with Colin Walker, who I am still friendly with, and Jimmy Fisher coming in and doing well with Miller Mathieson scoring a lot of goals.”
Cairney added: “I enjoyed my time there as it was a good friendly club and I remember David Reid, who is on the Board now, being at every training session acting as a ball boy and unpaid kit man helping out.”
As well as Reid progressing from the Kit Room to the Board Room, there have been other changes with Cairney saying: “Stenhousemuir played on grass at that time with the old white Stand, which was famously built without any stairs to get in and out of it and the Social Club that stands in one corner thriving at that time.
“When they put the new artificial pitch down, they discovered that the old grass pitch was not even in its width and that explained to me why so many of my passes went out of play!”
Ironically, Stenhousemuir provided the opposition when Annan hosted their first ever League game as a Scottish Football League club back in August, 2008 which ended in a 1-1 draw and the second Third Division meeting at Galabank in February, 2009 also ended in the same score.
It is Stenhousemuir and not Cairney’s turn to visit a changed ground this time with Annan now the owners of an artificial surface with the Galabank boss saying: “Quite a lot has changed as we have a new squad that is still gelling together on a new surface that is wider and flatter than the old one.
“Having reached the Semi-Finals of The Ramsdens Cup twice in the four seasons we have been members of The Scottish Football League, we are in no hurry to have a Second Round exit this time out.”
Cairney finished by stating: “I had my early years at Airdrie and then enjoyed a good stint at Stenhousemuir that was recognised with a Testimonial game against Rangers. In saying that, I still had time for another eleven years after that at Brechin.”
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