We caught up with a group of long-serving Stirling Albion fans to get the View from the West Stand…
How would you assess your club's 22/23 season so far?
Encouraging. Stirling haven’t played in League 1 since 2014/15 and that’s far too long. Maybe this could be the year. Darren Young has the team sitting second in the table, four points behind a Dumbarton side who were thrashed 6-0 at Forthbank in October but have recovered well. The goals were flying in a few weeks ago but our form has dipped of late with just one win in four. Plenty of football still to be played but the forthcoming trip to Dumbarton on January 7 will obviously be a key game. Cove Rangers, Queen’s Park and Kelty Hearts dominated League 2 in the past three seasons but it’s much more open this time and just about anyone could make the play-offs.
Main Man: Favourite current player and why
It has to be Dale Carrick. The former Airdrie striker netted 11 times last season and has already found the net 16 times across all competitions, including a remarkable run of scoring in seven league games in a row. He’s such an important player – not just for his goals; he also puts in a power of work. Kai Fotheringham, on loan from Dundee United, has also been a big part of the attacking threat and hopefully his stay will be extended beyond January.
What is your earliest memory supporting your club?
Most of our group have been watching the team since the 1970s but I’m not quite as old as them! My first game was a 3-1 victory over Albion Rovers at Annfield in December 1983 but it was the 1986/87 season when I started going regularly. The club moved to Forthbank in April 1993 but Annfield is still missed by many fans. There was something special about both the ground and its location just a short walk from the town centre. It’s now a housing estate.
Explain the nickname
The Binos. From Albion. When the club was formed in 1945 there was apparently some talk about naming it Stirling Villa but Albion was selected by local coal merchant Tom Fergusson and the other businessmen who ensured the return of football to the town after the demise of King’s Park.
Almost Famous – What is your club best known for?
Possibly the staggering 20-0 (TWENTY) victory over Selkirk in the first round of the Scottish Cup at Annfield in December 1984. Davie Thompson got seven of the goals as the visitors’ offside trap failed on a regular basis. It was ‘only’ 5-0 at half-time but Alex Smith’s team ran amok in the second half. By a happy coincidence the BBC cameras were there to film the match as part of a Road to Hampden package. It was back to reality in round two – we lost 2-1 to Cowdenbeath at Central Park.
Stirling Albion set a goalscoring record of the wrong kind a few years before that – after a 1-0 win at Dunfermline in January 1981 the team failed to score in 14 consecutive matches. We were, unsurprisingly, relegated from Division One as a result.
Greatest Gaffer: Your favourite/most loved boss watching your team?
Allan Moore received great backing from chairman Peter McKenzie and delivered three promotions during his time, the last of which was in 2009/10. There was much to enjoy across Moore’s eight years in charge but that last season was quite something – we sealed the title with a 1-1 draw at Brechin on the final day to pip Alloa on goal difference. We had been 15 points behind our local rivals, albeit with a few games in hand, and they beat us in all four meetings. An incredible late run took the team over the line – the comeback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Cowdenbeath in the penultimate game will live long in the memory.
Kevin Drinkell was the man in charge when we stormed to the Second Division title in 1995/96, going 27 league games without defeat and dishing out thrashings on an almost weekly basis. We won 7-0 at Queen of the South and it should have been 10. It was an incredible season, with Steve McCormick and Alex Bone scoring a combined 50 goals. We did well in the First Division the following year – memorable wins over Falkirk and St Mirren stand out.
John Brogan deserves recognition for ending the club’s decade-long stint in the bottom division with the 1990/91 Second Division title success.
Can you tell us one interesting fact about your club which other fans may not know?
Stirling Albion embarked on a Far East tour in 1966 - something else happened that summer but we can’t recall what… The Binos played games in Greece and Iran en route, before taking on Japan and a Select Team in Tokyo’s Olympic stadium in front of big crowds. The story goes that Sheffield Wednesday were due to make the trip but pulled out and Stirling got the invite instead. Albion were a top-flight club at the time, which might surprise younger readers!
Artificial pitches are common place nowadays but we were the first club in Scotland to install one back in 1987. The first game on the surface was a 1-1 draw v Ayr United. The surface had its critics, with Partick Thistle boss John Lambie among the most vociferous! The team enjoyed some good moments on it, winning the Second Division title in 1990/91. The last game on the pitch was against Clydebank in May 1992. The Scottish Football League had ordered a return to grass - that led to the move to Springkerse, where there was space for a stadium and associated community facilities.
Who would make your ultimate all-time 5-a-side team?
Mark McGeown: Goalkeeper who played almost 400 games for the club after joining in 1988.
Ross Forsyth: Fans’ favourite, the left-back was a key player in the Allan Moore era.
Tom Tait: Part of the 1995/96 title-winning side. An outstanding midfielder.
John Colquhoun: Went on to play for Celtic and Hearts after starring for Stirling during Alex Smith’s time as manager.
Willie Watters: Supremely talented striker who signed in the early 1990s. The Albion fanzine of the time produced “Watters is God” badges.
What is your all-time favourite match?
There was a bit of debate about this so let’s list a few that came up in conversation. The 6-2 thrashing of Kilmarnock in the 1997/98 League Cup was probably Forthbank’s greatest night. This was just a few months after Killie had lifted the Scottish Cup and Kevin Drinkell’s team were outstanding. Beating Hibs 2-1 in a Scottish Cup replay in February 1999 was another huge cup shock. The Easter Road club were top of the First Division and hadn’t lost for months.
The 3-2 play-off win over Airdrie – helped by a double from a certain Robert Snodgrass (on loan from Livingston) in May 2007 was a brilliant day, as was the 2-1 victory at East Fife in another play-off in 2014. Sandy Cunningham scored a fantastic late winner to secure another promotion.
Other games that stand out include a 1-0 win over Celtic in a League Cup tie in August 1980 (sadly we lost the second leg after extra time) and beating Rangers by the same score in Division Three a decade ago. A personal favourite was the 6-2 thumping of Inverness Caley in a Scottish Cup tie in February 1990. That took us into the quarter-finals and an unlucky defeat to Clydebank.
Also worthy of inclusion is a 3-2 win over Ayr United at Somerset Park on the last day of 1986/87. An incredible 90 minutes although both clubs ended up missing out on promotion on goal difference as Raith Rovers won at Stranraer to go up with Meadowbank Thistle.
What should visiting fans make sure they see/do when visiting your club/town?
Forthbank is a very pleasant place to watch a game and you also get a great view of the Ochils. And if history is your thing, we’ve got the Wallace Monument and Scotland’s best castle!
What makes your club special to YOU?
To support your local team and experience all the joy, hope and despair of football with the same group of people over all these years has been a privilege. It’s been a huge part of my life – arguably too big – but I wouldn’t change it. There’s something special about the Saturday routine and knowing that win, lose, or draw you’ll be going again next week. Even when it’s a Friday night at Borough Briggs two days before Christmas…
You can follow Stirling Albion's progress every week in our SPFL Lower League Round Up - watch the latest edition now!
