The Albion - March 2013 by The Albion Magazine

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Stirling Albion F.C. Official Magazine

Issue #18

March 2013

£3.00

JOHN BROGAN FORMER BINOS FAVOURITE TALKS TO THE ALBION MAGAZINE

VIEW FROM THE DUG-OUT | MARK FERRY- THE DEEP END |MATCH PREVIEWS|PLAYER QUICK QUIZ

Editors Notes What a change it has been for Stirling Albion since the turn of the year. While I am writing this on the back of the club’s 1-0 defeat away to Berwick Rangers, the seven games unbeaten before this loss seem far more important. Easy goals given away and a lack of chances up top seem a thing of the past, as the defensive unit has come together to form a formidable outfit, with the likes of Jamie Bishop and Ross Forsyth making a real impact to bolster the side. At the other end, what a spell this has been for Keiran McAnespie. After a man of the match effort against Montrose, Keiran netted a fantastic team goal against Clyde and was a candidate for the match ball again when Rangers came to town. The former Fulham man then went on to bag a brace against Elgin, but as we know, this return to form has been far more than a one man show. While today’s fixture against East Stirlingshire would so recently have been a bottom of the table scrap, it is instead a meeting of two teams well on form, but let’s hope the rejuvenated Binos can get back to winning ways by defeating the Shire. In this month’s Albion, you will find an interview with former Stirling striker and manager John Brogan, who lead the club to the 1990/91 Second Division title amongst his other achievements. You’ll also find Mark Ferry interviewed In the Deep End, David McClune take on the player’s quick quiz, and all the match reports and game previews to make you an Albion expert for the next 30 days. Enjoy. Stuart K.

The defeat to Berwick was unfortunately the end to an amazing unbeaten run by the club. While something like this can be disheartening, I hope Greig and the boys can use it as inspiration to work even harder as the club tries to get into the play-off positions after a slow start to the season.

Club Executive Team Chair and Operations Director Stuart Brown Finance Director Alan Christie Commercial Director John Hunter

I was at the Rangers game and the turnout despite the cold weather was great, and many a Bino would agree that the Blues leaving with a point was actually a bit unfair on us! Kieran McAnespie’s set-pieces that night were top class and he is finding some great form.

Director David McFarlane

Defensively the side are looking a lot more solid and Ross Forsyth and Jamie Bishop are looking good there.

Football Management Manager Greig McDonald

I’m confident enough that we’ll have plenty of positives to write about it in the magazine in the coming months and I would just love it if the team were to seal a play-off position and bounce straight back up to Division Two following last seasons relegation. Everyone at the club deserves that and it would be just rewards for the season.

Assistant Manager Marc McCulloch

We have a great interview with John Brogan this issue alongside your match reports and previews! Not to mention getting to know a bit more about David McClune.

Kit Man Gregor Dryden

As always, we enjoy your interactions with us on Facebook and Twitter so keep them coming! You might be featured in the mag soon...

Members Graham Douglas Jim Thomson

Physiotherapist Stuart Phin Goalkeeping Coach David Eccles

Club Doctor Michael Beyer Head of Youth (Admin) Stewart Taylor Head of Youth (Coaching) Blair Cremin

Regards, David C.

Under 19 Coaches Graeme Donald David Binnie

@StuartKenny

CONTENTS

@DavidJChalmers

Club Chaplain Duncan Strathdee 0778 991 2259

Regular features: 03. Inside the Box 04. Albion news 05. from the dugout 26. The deep end

Mark Ferry The Deep End

28 East Stirling preview Berwick preview

Stuart Kenny talks to John Brogan

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Editors: Stuart Kenny David Chalmers Contributors: David Ogilvie Scott Binnie Stuart Brown Fraser Clarke Greg Barrie Thanks to: John Brogan Graham Hamilton Greig McDonald David McClune Mark Ferry Graeme Donald & David Binnie Montrose FC Photography: Andrew Wightman Connor Hamilton Deena Mobbs (redweb) Montrose FC Dave Murty Design: David Chalmers Printing: Mailboxes Etc. Stirling Contact: magazine@stirlingalbionfc.co.uk Interact: T| 01786 450339 E| stirlingalbion@btconnect.com W| stirlingalbionfc.co.uk

Club Honours C Division Champions 1946/47 B Division Champions 1952/53 Second Division Champions 1957/58, 1976/77, 1990/91, 1995/96, 2009/10 Division One Play-off Winners 2006/07 Stirlingshire Cup Winners 1953/54, 54/55, 58/59, 71/72, 73/74, 76/77, 77/78, 83/84, 88/89, 91/92, 98/99, 2003/04, 04/05, 05/06 Social Media

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@StirAlbionMag @stirling_albion

Inside the Box Stuart Brown - Operations Director

February was a month to remember – played six, won three, drawn three, including a comfortable draw against Rangers to round the month off – and when you add on last Saturday’s first away win of the season at Elgin, I suspect we’ve enjoyed the most successful run of results since taking over the reins at the beginning of season 2010/11. It was extremely frustrating to end that run on Tuesday evening at Berwick when, on a difficult pitch, the game appeared to be heading for a goalless stalemate. It was particularly harsh on goalkeeper Sam Filler who had a great game, including a penalty save, only to be denied a clean sheet by the cruellest of deflections with 3 minutes left on the clock. I’ll leave Greig McDonald to dwell on footballing matters in his article but it would be remiss of me not to thank him, Marc (McCulloch) and the entire playing squad for their hard work that sees us off the bottom of the league and within touching distance of a play-off spot. Fingers crossed that we get it right at the fourth time of asking versus East Stirlingshire and maintain our upwards progress. Away from the football, by the time you read this, the Annual Dinner will have taken place (Friday 8th March) at the Golden Lion, Stirling. The event is guaranteed, thanks to the tireless efforts of John Hunter’s Commercial Team, to exceed the projected financial expectations. In other news, having repeatedly said “watch this space” with regards to the Community Engagement Manager’s post over the past few months, I’m thrilled to announce that the final touches are being put to the job description and the role will be formally advertised at the beginning of w/c 18 March. The Club Website will be the primary medium for communication but other channels will be deployed as appropriate. If everything goes to plan we will have the successful candidate in post by mid to late April. This is a huge and exciting venture for the Club and one that I’m confident will do what it says on the tin – engage Stirling Albion with its community in a manner that will be of benefit to everyone. The other “biggie” on the go is a new kit deal with our three year deal with Puma due to end in May. Similar to the community post, the kit deal is on the verge of being signed off and I anticipate being in a position to share next season’s shirt options (home and away) with the Trust Board at their meeting on Monday 11th March. It is for them to decide whether or not they wish to offer these options out to their membership to vote on. In any event, watch out for a Press Release sometime next week. Finally, a mention for Irn Bru Cans for Youth; there’s £70k up for grabs for SFL3 (starting with £10k to the winners) and I’m pleased to be able to report that, with the Club Board fully focussed on and occupied by running the Club, the Trust in their role as a fund raising body, have agreed to lead on this initiative. It is essential that they get the full support of not just their members but everyone that has the future of SAFC at heart. If you can help in any way, please give Graham Douglas a ring on 07765 486847 or e-mail him at graham.douglas@ntlworld. com in the first instance. Free money for our Youth Development, in return for some hard work is not something we should miss out on! Finally a special mention to Smiffy’s Restaurant (aka Fish and Chip shop) in Aviemore for coping admirably with the almost simultaneous arrival of the Team Bus and the Supporters’ Bus as they made their respective return journeys from Elgin – no mean feat, even if some of the supporters opted for a liquid refreshment in the Cairngorm Hotel instead! Stuart Brown Operations Director

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Albion News FANTASTIC FEBRUARY It’s fair to say that February was a month to remember. It’s been a difficult season but wins over Montrose, Clyde and Annan and draws against East Stirlingshire, Peterhead and Rangers have revived our campaign. Ross Forsyth’s equaliser against Rangers – his first goal since he netted in a 1-1 draw against Dundee in October 2010 – has to be the highlight. LONG WAIT IS OVER Our 2-1 win at Elgin on March 2 – courtesy of two incredible goals from Kieran McAnespie – was Albion’s first away league victory since we came from behind to defeat Albion Rovers 2-1 on the final day of last season. With the exception of Rangers, Queen’s Park and, to a lesser extent Montrose, teams have generally struggled on their travels in Division Three. At the time of writing, before our March 5 trip to Berwick, ourselves and Annan had just one away win, Elgin and Berwick had managed two, and Peterhead, East Stirlingshire and Clyde were all on three away victories. GET COLLECTING! Stirling Albion fans and members of the local community are being urged to once again get behind their local club to help score a share of cash for their local youth teams. Now in its second season, Cans for Youth Teams is a club investment initiative from IRN-BRU and the Scottish Football League (SFL) which awards each of the 30 teams in the SFL a share of a £70,000 prize fund. The more IRN-BRU cans collected by Binos’ supporters, the larger the share their club receives. With £10,000 available for the top club from each division, competition will be as stronger than ever. Cans for Youth Teams collection bins will be placed at Forthbank Stadium and participating local stores and key venues in the community, allowing members of the public out shopping or fans attending a game to drop in their empty cans of IRNBRU before the cut-off date of Saturday 4 May. THOM MISSES OUT Defender Gary Thom will miss our March 9 meeting with East Stirlingshire due to a one-match ban after picking up his sixth booking of the season in the 2-0 win over Clyde on March 23. INJURY UPDATE Goalkeeper David Crawford missed our 2-1 win at Elgin due to a thigh injury picked up in the 1-1 draw against Rangers and is expected to be out for a couple of

weeks. Forward Graham Weir was unable to play against Rangers or Elgin due to a hamstring strain he suffered against Clyde on February 23, while defender Ross McGeachie has been absent for a number of weeks due to injury. SAFC ANNUAL DINNER A big thanks to everyone who attended the Stirling Albion annual dinner at the Golden Lion Hotel on Friday March 8. This magazine went to print the day before the dinner but we are extremely grateful to those who supported the event which we hope will have raised a sizeable sum for club funds. TWENTY YEARS AT FORTHBANK We are nearing the 20th anniversary of our first ever match at Forthbank – a 3-2 defeat to Clydebank on April 24, 1993. Annfield will always be sadly missed by many Albion fans but there have been plenty of good memories over the last two decades here – beating Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Rangers to name but three! Send us your favourite Forthbank moments to magazine@stirlingalbionfc.co.uk and we’ll publish them in the April edition of The Albion magazine.

Fixture List August Sat Aug 4 League Cup R1 Arbroath (A) Sat Aug 11 Annan Athletic (H) Sat Aug 18 Elgin City (A) Sat Aug 25 Clyde (H) September Sat Sep 1 Queen’s Park (H) Sat Sep 15 East Stirlingshire (A) Sat Sep 22 Berwick Rangers (A) Sat Sep 29 Dalbeattie Star (A) October Sat Oct 6 Rangers H Sun Oct 14 Ramsdens Challenge Cup Semi-Final Sat Oct 20 Montrose H Sat Oct 27 Peterhead A Wed Oct 31 League Cup 4 November Sat Nov 3 Deveronvale H Sat Nov 10 Annan Athletic A Sat Nov 17 Elgin City H Fri Nov 23 Queen’s Park A December Sat Dec 1 East Stirlingshire H / S.F.A. Cup 4 Sat Dec 8 Rangers A Sat Dec 15 Berwick Rangers H Sat Dec 22 Peterhead H Sat Dec 29 Montrose A

MARCH BIRTHDAYS Congratulations to midfielder Daly McSorley, who celebrated his 21st birthday on the first of the month and best wishes to assistant manager Marc McCulloch, who turns 33 on March 14.

January Wed Jan 2 East Stirlingshire A Sat Jan 5 Queen’s Park H Sat Jan 12 Clyde A Sat Jan 19 Annan Athletic H Sat Jan 26 Berwick Rangers A / League Cup Semi-Final

TOP SCORERS 10 Jordan White 7 Mark Ferry 5 Scott Davidson 5 Graham Weir 3 Stephen Day 3 Kieran McAnespie 3 Gary Thom 3 Steven Weir 2 Josh Flood 1 Brian Allison 1 Danny Ashe 1 Jamie Clark 1 Ross Forsyth 1 Gavin Macpherson 1 Greig McDonald

February Sat Feb 2 Rangers H / S.F.A..Cup 5 Sat Feb 9 Montrose H Sat Feb 16 Peterhead A Tue Feb 19 Annan Athletic H Sat Feb 23 Clyde H Tue Feb 26 Rangers H

DIVISION THREE FIXTURES - MARCH 9 Berwick Rangers v Montrose Clyde v Queen’s Park Peterhead v Elgin City Rangers v Annan Stirling Albion v East Stirlingshire

March Sat Mar 2 Elgin City A / S.F.A. Cup 6 Tue Mar 5 Berwick Rangers A Sat Mar 9 East Stirlingshire H Sun Mar 17 League Cup Final Sat Mar 23 Rangers A Sat Mar 30 Berwick Rangers H April Tue Apr 2 Queen’s Park A Sat Apr 6 Montrose A Sun Apr 7 Ramsdens Challenge Cup Final Sat Apr 13 Peterhead H / S.F.A. Cup Semi-Final Sat Apr 20 Annan Athletic A Sat Apr 27 Elgin City H May Sat May 4 Clyde A

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View from the Dug-Out Greig McDonald “I would like to thank our supporters who made the long trips to Elgin on Saturday and Berwick on Tuesday”

he squad should be proud of what they have done over the last few weeks. To play so many games in such a short space of time and to rack up four wins and three draws is a great effort and a real testament to their fitness. The level of performance has also been excellent and we can’t speak highly enough of them. It was obviously disappointing to see our sevenmatch unbeaten run come to an end when we lost 1-0 to Berwick on Tuesday, particularly given the effort we had put into the game, and with the goal coming from a deflected free-kick in the last few minutes. Sam Filler made a great save from the penalty and, despite not playing our best, I thought we were looking good for at least a point. I really felt for the players and the supporters who made the journey because once again they put in a phenomenal shift, however unfortunately this time there was no reward. To fight back against Rangers and earn a draw in our last home match highlights the determination and ability among this group of players. It would have been easy to fold when Andy Little scored for Rangers early on but we were immense and fully deserved the equaliser from Ross Forsyth. To then go to Elgin and earn our first away league win of the season was very pleasing and Kieran McAnespie’s two goals were as good as any you are likely to see. Elgin away is always a difficult game as they are team with excellent attacking qualities and obviously it’s a difficult fixture in terms of travel as well. However, I thought the players handled both aspects extremely well. Clearly it has taken too long to get our first away victory of the season and it has been frustrating for all of us - thankfully we’ve done that now. I would like to M a rc h 2 0 13 / w w w.s t i r li n g al b i o nfc. co . uk

thank our supporters who made the long trips to Elgin on Saturday and Berwick on Tuesday - the support is much appreciated by the players, Marc and myself. Today’s game against East Stirlingshire marks the beginning of the final quarter of the campaign. Only seven points separate the bottom of the table from the play-off places so clearly there is a lot to play for in the next few weeks and our aim is simply to pick up as many points as possible. Like ourselves, Shire are on a good run of form and John Coughlin has done a terrific job at Ochilview. They won three games in the space of a week before putting in an excellent performance at Ibrox on Saturday, taking the lead before losing 3-1. We are yet to get the better of our local rivals this season and are determined to put that right. The red cards for Scott Davidson and Gary Thom were big turning points in the away games - we got our noses in front when the teams met here last month but allowed Shire back into it. This is our ninth match in 29 days and it is one we are very much looking forward to. We have no game next Saturday due to the League Cup final at Hampden dislodging our trip to Queen’s Park until the beginning of April and our aim is to go into that short break on the back of a win. We know it won’t be easy but we have shown over the last few weeks the levels we are capable of reaching. Best wishes Greig McDonald

Match Report by Stuart Kenny

Forthbank clean-sheet lifts Binos off bottom Barclay Kane MacDonald Gray (51) Lyden Hay Nicoll Sweeney (79) Watt McGachie McColm (74)

Subs: Filler Mcsorley Flood (90) Cunningham (21,72) Davidson (72)

Subs: Rajovic Scullion Fitzharris (51) MacBeth (79) Fitzpatrick (74)

2-0

Pictures by Rajmund Bakonyi

Stirling Albion McAnespie 4’ Ferry 34’

23rd February, 2013 Referee: C. Steven Att: 604

HE Binos claimed their second win in five days and a massive morale boost when they beat Clyde 2-0 in late February to climb off the bottom of the Irn-Bru Third Division.

It was a dominant first-half showing from the Stirling side, and while this has not always lead to McDonald’s men netting the opening goal in the past, deserved strikes from Keiran McAnespie and Mark Ferry before the break proved enough to see the home side through to take all three points. With Brian Allison serving his second match on the sidelines after his dismissal at Peterhead, Jamie Bishop, Gary Thom, Ross Forsyth and Jamie McCunnie made up the back line for the Binos, with Keiran McAnespie moving into midfield, where he showed an abundance of attacking flair. There was only four minutes on the clock when Albion broke the deadlock, and the goal came from a fantastic team move. A series of passes lead Forsyth to play in McAnespie on the edge of the area, and when the soon to be goalscorer dummied the ball, it fell nicely to Graham Weir, whose first time chip found Jordan White in the box. White nodded the ball back across to the centre of the danger zone and McAnespie’s run was perfectly timed to knock the ball past Jamie Barclay. Stirling then took a blow when Weir, who had recently recovered from a calf injury, was forced off the park with a hamstring strain on 21 minutes, but his replacement Sandy Cunningham looked lively, and the home side continued to dominate possession. At this point it seemed like it was only a matter of time until Stirling scored again, and that moment came as the half-hour mark passed.

Crawford McCunnie Forsyth McClune Bishop Thom McAnespie Ferry White Weir (21) Johnston (90)

Clyde

White launched a dangerous attack that culminated in a strike from the right side of the box that was parried by Barclay, who should have held the tame shot. With only one member of the Bully Wee defence back to battle, it was Mark Ferry who got to the rebound first, slotting the ball into the inside netting to double the Binos lead, and wrong footing the scrambling Clyde keeper in the process. While the important statistics were chalked up in the first-half of the match, there were plenty of chances to change that in the second, and Jim Duffy’s Clyde came out a stronger side than when they went in for the break. Keiran McGachie shot wide from close range for the away side before McAnespie sent a brilliant ball into the enemy area which Phil Johnston met with a low drill kept out only by a chance deflection. Two clear cut chances quickly followed this, and the travelling fanset were left to wonder after Stuart McColl scooped the ball over the bar from a couple of yards when a threatening ball across the Binos goalline had left him to tap into an empty net. The Binos soon blew a similarly frustrating opportunity however, after White was released clear in the Clyde box and delayed until Barclay was drawn out before squaring to Cunningham, who mishit his shot into the welcoming goal wide under pressure from back-tracking defenders. The chance would be the youngster’s last contribution of the game after he was subsequently injured whilst launching a dangerous attack, and though Clyde’s Kevin Watt did well to create a brace of shooting attempts for his side after this, David Crawford stood well in the Stirling goal when called upon. March 2013 / w w w.st irlin g albionf c .c o.uk

Match Report by David Ogilvie

McAnespie scores brace in rare away win Malin Beveridge McMullan (69) Crighton Duff Cameron Gun Morrison (69) Leslie Nicholson (83) Moore Subs: Black McHardy O’Donoghue (69) Millar (69) Harkins (83) Pictures by Rajmund Bakonyi

Subs: Cleland Thom (54) Ahse (73) Flood (83) Cunningham

1-2

Elgin City Leslie 23’

2nd March, 2013 Referee: N. Walsh Att: 681

LBION’S terrific run continued with our first away league win of the season as we made it seven matches without defeat thanks to a stunning first-half double from Kieran McAnespie. The former Arbroath midfielder, who scored his first goal for the Binos in last weekend’s 2-0 home victory over Clyde, struck a brilliant 25-yarder into the top corner after just seven minutes. Stuart Leslie equalised for the hosts in 23 minutes when he was unmarked at the back post to score with a simple header but McAnespie smashed home a wonderful volley high into the net nine minutes before the break after a corner was only partially cleared. It was a thoroughly deserved win and a phenomenal effort from the players, who have racked up seven matches without loss in the space of 22 days. The result lifts us to seventh spot in the table ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Berwick Rangers. Elgin had already beaten us 3-1 and 4-1 this season but we gained revenge to inflict a fourth straight defeat on Ross Jack’s men, who have won just twice since their Forthbank triumph in November and have slipped out of the play-off places.

Filler McCunnie Forsyth McClune Allison (54) Bishop McAnespie Ferry White Davidson (73) Johnston (83)

Stirling Albion

McAnespie 7’, 36’

Albion fans might have feared we would suffer a negative reaction to the exertions of the midweek 1-1 draw against Rangers but the team were outstanding at Borough Briggs, digging in during the second half as Elgin pressed for an equaliser. Scott Davidson started in place of Josh Flood and we went into the game without keeper David Crawford but Sam Filler proved an able deputy. We restricted City, who welcomed back several key players from injury, to few clear-cut chances. Filler made a smart save from Leslie in the first half and a header was just too high in the dying minutes but Stirling carved out some good opportunities. Top scorer Jordan White put in a superb shift and was unlucky not to add to his 10-goal tally when his header skimmed the bar in the first half while he also came close on a couple of occasions after the break. McAnespie’s incredible double ultimately proved decisive but this was a team performance to be proud of and the travelling support showed their appreciation after four minutes of stoppage time.

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The John Hartson Foundation has been set up through the determination of John himself as he continues to battle through his horrendous ordeal, this is the character of the man, his main focus will be to openly offer his experience in going through a traumatic time since he was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer after ignoring a lump for 4 years, John admits himself that if he was aware of how easy it was to get checked and that Testicular Cancer is over 90% curable if caught early enough he probably would not have had to go through the brain operations, lung operations and over 60 sessions of chemotherapy. The aims and objectives of the Foundation will be to raise awareness of Testicular Cancer and how easy and most of all how important it is to check yourself on a regular basis, the foundation will also raise funds to provide cancer organisations more support throughout the UK.

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Match Report by Stuart Kenny

Forsyth equaliser tests Rangers resolve Crawford McCunnie Forsyth McClune Allison Bishop McAnespie Ferry White (90) Glood (46) Johnston

Alexander Argyriou Hegarty Wallace Hutton Little Black Shiels (73) Naismith Templeton (73)

Subs: Subs: Gallacher Filler Crawford Thom Faure Ashe (46) McKay (73) Davidson Sandaza (73) Cunningham (90)

1-1

Pictures by Rajmund Bakonyi

Stirling Albion Forsyth 56’

26th February, 2013 Referee: S. Finnie Att: 3,707

Rangers

Little 16’

TIRLING Albion sent another major shockwave into the world of strong Crawford save after driving into the right side of the box, but it Scottish football as they came from a goal behind to clinch a 1-1 was the home side that would see out the half stronger, after a lengthy draw against Rangers at Forthbank. attack lead to a McAnespie cross just out the reach of Flood’s touch.

The recent transformation of Greig McDonald’s team was clear to see Stirling returned from the break solid too, with Jamie Bishop and Brias the Light Blues returned to the scene of their only league loss this an Allison seeming impassable in the final-third, and with McDonald’s season, and while many anticipated the Ibrox outlet to emphatically men launching a growing number of attacks, the home support were beavenge their 1-0 loss to the Binos in October, a header from Ross Forsyth ginning to grow confident their side could pull level. proved enough to cancel out Andy Little’s opener and secure a point for the home side. That moment came in the 51st minute, as a McAnespie free-kick from the left wing found Ross Forsyth free in the middle of the box. The deNot only did the stalemate extend the unbeaten run of Stirling to six fensive player made no mistake in nodding the ball past Neil Alexander matches, it also saw the team open up a one point gap over Clyde at the and getting the Binos off the mark. bottom of the table and show the rest of the country what they are capable of with a second-half performance worthy of all three points. A period of Rangers pressure ensued, with Little firing wide from a tight angle after rounding Crawford in a crowded box before the Stirling With Graham Weir unavailable after picking up a hamstring strain in shot stopper made a comfortable save from a right footed Lee Wallace the club’s 2-0 defeat of the Bully Wee, Joshua Flood came into the Stir- effort. ling line up, with Brian Allison also back in the side after serving a two match suspension. The Light Blue legions were left wondering how their team were not in front shortly after though, as substitute Fran Sandaza and Ian Black And it was Flood who has the first chance for the Binos, meeting a long combined to monumentally fluff a golden opportunity from a matter of cross from Phil Johnston deep into the Rangers area, only to misread the yards out, although the shot did still require a Mark Ferry goalline clearflight of the ball and mishit the ball harmlessly wide. ance after bouncing past Crawford. Ally McCoist’s men soon found themselves in front though, as a qualStirling looked firm for the rest of the fixture, with no sign of the lapses ity ball from Dean Shiels split the Stirling defence to release Little one in concentration or cheap use of possession that plagued the team in on one with David Crawford. While the Northern Irish striker had been early games this term. denied by the linesman flag when his side tried an almost identical attack minutes earlier, the officials stayed quiet this time around, allowing And the home side almost pulled in front in the final ten minutes when Little to round the outrushing Crawford and slot into an empty net. McAnespie came close to netting with a brace of in-range free-kicks; first forcing a strong Alexander save before firing just over the bar. The Binos reacted to conceding with a resistant period of possession, and when Brian Allison met a Keiran McAnespie free-kick, the Stirling Sandaza had the chance to speak last however, when the ball fell to skipper’s headed effort flew only inches wide of the post. the ex-Saints man on the Albion penalty spot in stoppage time, but the Spanish striker hit his shot straight at the keeper and Stirling were left Little remained the main threat for Rangers meanwhile, forcing a with a well earned point.

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The Springkerse View Whatever the occasion, you know you can count on The Springkerse View. If it’s a special day and you need to impress the in-laws, or just want to grab a quick bite to eat with friends, the seasonal menu, friendly service and warm welcome you receive will make sure your visit is everything you need it to be. 2 for £9.95 all day Monday - Thursday and until 5pm on Fridays & Sunday Roast £7.99, 2 course £9.99, 3 courses £11.99 We've got a great new summer offer- 2 for £9.95 is available all day Monday - Thursday and until 5pm on Fridays and don't forget on Sundays our roasts are £7.99 with 2 courses just £9.99 and 3 courses £11.99. See our menu for details. The practical stuff: it’s always good to know the opening times... Monday to Thursday – 9.30am till 11pm (food served till 9.30pm) Friday and Saturday – 9.30am till 11.30pm (food served till 10pm) Sunday – 9.30am till 11pm (food served till 9pm) www.eating-inn.co.uk/house/springkerse-view-stirling

HUNTERS EXECUTIVE COACHES Hunters Executive Coaches has one of the finest coach fleets in Central Scotland, situated in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. Hunters Executive Coaches was established by John Hunter, the current owner, and the company has gone from strength to strength due to the dedication of the Hunter family. We are well known for providing excellent customer care, reliability, professionalism, quality coaches and drivers. www.huntersexecutivecoaches.co.uk/

Match Report by David Ogilvie

Binos unbeaten run comes to an end McCallum Jacobs Gielty Townsley Brydon Currie McLaren Notman Carse (59) Dalziel (89) McDonald (70) Subs: Tufail McLean Addison (70) Janczyk (89) Lavery (59) Pictures by Rajmund Bakonyi

Subs: Cleland Thom Ashe Flood (70) Day (89)

1-0

Berwick Rangers Currie 87’

6th March, 2013 Referee: E. Anderson Att: 402

Filler McCunnie Forsyth McClune (89) Allison Bishop McAnespie Ferry White Davidson Johnston (70)

Stirling Albion

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JOHN BROGAN

Editor Stuart Kenny chats with former Stirling Albion fan favourite John Brogan

OHN Brogan had already made his name as a top class striker when he arrived at Stirling Albion in 1987.

After over 100 games for Albion Rovers in the early days of his career, Brogan joined St. Johnstone in 1977, where he would quickly become a fans favourite as he racked up an impressive 114 goals in 244 games – a strong enough return to make him the Perth club’s all time top scorer, a position he still occupies to this day. After shorter spells at Hibernian and Ayr United, the sharp eyed attacker then moved on to Hamilton, from where he would sign up to the Stirling ranks in 1987. During his time in red and white, Brogan netted 39 times in 76 appearances, a statistic which works out at a commendable 1:1.91 goal to game ratio. While many Binos will recall the striker’s antics on the pitch with a pleasurable nostalgia, perhaps even more smiles would arise when the Scot’s successful career in the dugouts of Annfield and Forthbank is brought to mind. Brogan initially took to the role of Stirling shot-caller as a player-manager, leading his side on a run to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals and agonizingly close to promotion from the Scottish Second Division in his first full season in charge – the 89/90 campaign that saw the Binos miss out on a First Division spot curtsey of a goal difference inferior to Kilmarnock’s by a mere three. After hanging up his playing boots though, the refreshed gaffer quickly bounced back to claim promotion for the club the following year, and after keeping the club in Division One for two years, Brogan finally departed ways with Albion after the 93/94 term that saw the Binos relegated due to the reconstruction of the Scottish leagues. Safe to say, with the managerial and striking success rate achieved by Brogan during his time at Stirling, he is still regarded by many around the club as a legend. The Albion caught up with the former Binos frontman, who now manages Yoker Athletic, to talk through his time spent at the heart of Stirling Albion success. M a rc h 2 0 13 / w w w.s t i r li n g al b i o nfc. co . uk

So you played for Stirling Albion for six years in the late 80s and early 90s, how did your move from Hamilton initially come about? “I had been at Hamilton and I was looking to move on, and John Lambie, the manager at the time, didn’t want me to go, but I thought that if I dropped down a division I would maybe enjoy it a bit better and I wanted to do that. The opportunity then came when John Peebles phoned me up from Stirling Albion and I agreed to sign.” You had a good goal record at Stirling too, how did you feel your partnership with Charlie Gibson up top came naturally? “That was a good partnership – we scored a lot of goals between us. I had no complaints at all about that because we really did work well together at Stirling.”

“A great achievement in the 90/91 season was that we had the second best defensive record in Britain after Arsenal.” Did you hesitate at all in taking the player/manager role when offered it in January of 1989? And was it always your plan to retire soon after? “No, I wanted the job and I was definitely keen to get the job, but I wasn’t actually [thinking about retiring at the end of the 89/90 season]. I wasn’t going to retire, but I started to feel that when you are on the field it was a lot harder to come off and judge players and maybe you weren’t doing so well yourself too. “So I thought that I’d rather watch the game, and I could always play in the reserve side as well, which I did do, and it all worked out fine.” At the time you were the best part-time team in Scotland and of course you claimed the 1991 Division Two Title by nine points over Montrose, losing just five times all season. What was so good about the Stirling Albion team that year? “We had actually sold Charlie Gibson, who was the player of the year [for the 89/90 season], and got £50,000 and Stuart Robinson from Dumbarton for him. I had discussed this with Peter McKenzie, the Chairman at the time, and said that if we could do this deal – although Peter was a bit concerned about it with Charlie being the player of the year at the time – then it would help us hugely with the club. “That is what I felt we needed to do, because there were too many players at the club who had been there too long and achieved nothing, and this allowed us to bring in some top quality players like Jimmy Kerr, Graham Hay, and that was a big change for us. “We brought in David Lloyd and Joe Reid as well and they were a real successful partnership [netting 25 goals altogether for the season]. So, that really helped. We had a better quality of player and a great achievement that season was that we had the second best defensive record in Britain after Arsenal. “Defensively we were excellent. We had a great back four; Colin Mitchell, Dougie Lawrie, John Mailer and Graham Hay, and Mark McGeown was the goalkeeper. The five of them were outstanding at the back, but also a

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lot of goals were scored from all over the team. “Probably, yeah, [that was my fondest season with the club]. Winning the title that season – we won it in style – was excellent and we were an excellent side; great going forward and rock solid at the back. A real, real good side. Any other particular highlights? “There were a lot of good times at the club in general, a lot of the performances were great, like when we won the league up at Montrose 1-0 I thought it was brilliant and the supporters thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a great relationship with the supporters first as a player and then as the manager, and I had great times at Stirling Albion in general. “It was really a wonderful group of supporters – great and loyal. There were a lot of people at the club who were a great help to me. And there was the 1990 Scottish Cup quarter-finals too. You were still in the Second Division at that time, so how great was it to be on that kind of run? You went from Coldstream in the first round to beating Inverness 6-2 in the fourth before losing in a replay to Clydebank... “Yeah, that was a very good cup run, and even when we went out I thought we were very unlucky to lose out to Clydebank. I thought that when we played Clydebank at their pitch we actually dominated the match but we just couldn’t get that winner, and then they beat us in the replay because we had a couple of players suspended and injured and that had quite a big effect on us in that second game. “It was brilliant though, a great achievement.” You were, of course, the manager when the club first moved to Forthbank. How was the new stadium, and how gutted were you when you were relegated by default in ’94? “It was [gutting], because we were the highest part-time club in Scotland at the time and I thought we were punching above our weight.” “It was a great stadium to go to though and we avoided relegation when we had to. When I left the club we were the highest part-time club in Scotland, and the only reason we were relegated was because of the reorganization of the league – which I thought was totally unfair. But that was just how it was. And do you think Stirling can push on now to move up the divisions once more? “You never know how high you can go but Stirling have picked up a lot in recent weeks. It’s always going to be difficult at part-time clubs in Scotland now – it is so difficult with the financial restraints.” M a rc h 2 0 13 / w w w.s t i r li n g al b i o nfc. co . uk

Away Preview by Fraser Clarke Queens Park (Apr 2nd)

TIRLING will make the trip to play Queen’s Park at Hampden on the second of April. At the time of writing, Queen’s Park are second in the table behind runaway leaders Rangers and so should prove a tough test for the Binos. However, since February Albion have been a new side – as the Forthbank faithful will be very aware – and the team’s unbeaten run in the early months of 2013 has given them a new confidence that could well prove the difference between falling to the kind of narrow losses inflicted by the Spiders so far this season and grabbing the point that McDonald’s men deserve. Queen’s Park themselves have had a much steadier season in comparison to Stirling. Their form has remained consistent throughout the campaign and has enabled them to take control of second spot, two points clear of third place Montrose having played two less games. Manager Gardner Speirs has assembled a strong squad since taking over from current Scotland U-21 boss Billy Stark in 2008, and the current crop playing under him are well on their way to securing a play-off spot. The manager’s previous experience working at Aberdeen and Ross County has clearly helped this season and Albion will have to play at their best to defeat Speirs’ solid side. Recent form has been good for Queen’s Park. Although they suffered a 2-1 reverse in a recent fixture against Montrose, their latest tie though saw a bold return to form as they claimed an emphatic victory away to a struggling Elgin side, earning a comfortable three points by a 3-0 scoreline. Before this loss to the Gable Endies too, Queen’s were on a three match winning spree, with two of these wins coming away from home – where Speirs men have been excellent this season – and with the team only conceding one goal in the fixture triplet. The first of these three wins came against Berwick Rangers, and saw former Rangers striker Darren Lavery break the deadlock for Berwick before the Spiders drew level through Jamie Longworth’s third goal in three games. Berwick were then sent down to ten men, and Queen’s would make the extra man advantage count with a winner coming from Anthony McParland – a good indicator of the kind of control the club can initiate when holding posession. The next win up at Peterhead demonstrated the strength and depth that Queen’s Park have in their squad. Manager Gardner Speirs was without a host of regular first teamers but the replacements took their chance as they beat Jim McInally’s side for the first time in eight matches, with a Steven Noble own goal and Lawrence Shankland strike providing a commendable

win. The young Shankland has been turning heads all season with his agile prowess down the wing, and this strike was just one of many he has contributed this term – the Binos will certainly need to keep close on the player when these sides next meet. A convincing 5-3 win away to Clyde completed this winning spell, and this latest match at Elgin City was a firm reminder of how strong and dangerous Speirs men can be, as they raced into a 5-1 lead after just 58 minutes. Albion have not lost to Queen’s by anything more than a one goal margin this season, and now that McDonald’s side have found their form, the Forthbank gaffer will be adamant his side can get at least a point from this fixture which has caused only gloom this season. While their past encounters have been cagey affairs, played largely with rigid defending and flowing attacks, Albion must make sure they shut out the Spiders if they are to avoid falling into their web once more. LAST MEETING The last time the two sides met in January, the match was a goal fest which saw the Binos narrowly lose out 3-2. Queen’s Park were the visitors to Forthbank and Aidan Connolly put them one nil up on 25 minutes when his cross from the right wing evaded everyone in the Stirling box and crept in. Connolly then got an assist when he found Paul McGinn who finished to put the visitors two goals to the good. Stirling pulled a goal back when Mark Ferry found the top corner from the edge of the box, but Anthony McParland restored Queen’s two goal advantage with a 25 yard free kick. Ferry scored again on 75 minutes to set up a tense finale but an equalising goal proved elusive for the Binos. KEY BATTLE Jamie Longworth vs Brian Allison Longworth is the main goal threat for Queen’s Park and Allison will need to have a good game at the back to keep the striker quiet. As the defender with the most Albion appearances this season and the Captain of the club, fans will look to Allison as the man to draw on his experience to combat the threat of Longworth. The frontman scored 20 goals last season and became Queen’s highest goal scorer in for one campaign in 30 years. He is a fans favourite due to his tireless effort and accurate eye for finishing and is sure to give the Albion defence a tough day at the office.

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Player Quick Quiz with David McClune Date of birth: 08/02/83 Age: 30 Position: Defender/Midfielder Albion debut: Stirling Albion 5-1 Annan, Division Three, 11/08/12 Previous clubs? St Johnstone, Forfar, Alloa and Brechin. Where do you live? Dennistoun in Glasgow. What do you work as outside of football? Cost Engineer for BAE Systems. What’s the best goal you have scored? Volley in last minute for Alloa v Clyde. Not a huge catalogue to choose from to be fair! Biggest influence on your career? Dad outwith football. Billy Kirkwood, my old St Johnstone U21 manager, within football. Best ground played at? Ibrox. Most difficult opponent? Henrik Larsson. What’s the best thing about being a footballer? The 10k a week wages! Ha! And the worst? Elgin away! What’s the last football match you went to see? Celtic v Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.

and Mark Ferry. We all came through the ranks together at St Johnstone. Worst dressed player at the club? Jamie ‘hashtag’ Clark. Who’s the joker in the dressing room? Kieran McAnespie is 33 going on 13! What would be your perfect weekend? Ayia Napa with the boys! If you could have three people over for dinner, who would they be? Denzel Washington, Kevin Bridges and Micky Flanagan. Who would be your dream date? Jennifer Aniston. What was the last film you went to see? Lawless. What’s your favourite band/musician? The George Bowie experience. Favourite food? Mexican. Favourite holiday destination? New York Favourite TV programme? Entourage Any hobbies? Beating Ross Forsyth at tennis. Beating Marco at golf

Who are your best pals in football? Marco (McCulloch), Ross Forsyth, Kieran McAnespie

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The Eilidh Brown Memorial Fund has been set up by her family to make Eilidh’s wish, of helping others in her situation, come true. The aim of the Memorial Fund is to build and maintain a respite holiday home in the Stirling area for young people and their families who are in treatment for or recovering from cancer. A place where, not only the families can relax and spend quality time together, but they can make memories that will last a lifetime. Before Eilidh passed away, the family took a holiday to Calum’s Cabin, it was their last holiday together. Eilidh wanted other families to have the opportunity to do this too.

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Away Preview by Greg Barrie Rangers (March 23rd)

HE Binos face a daunting task when they head to Ibrox looking to become just the third side this season to take anything away from the runaway leaders home patch. Rangers are unsurprisingly undefeated at home in the league, but they have failed to pick up all three points on two occasions. Both were 1-1 draws in matches that they led until late on, with both Elgin and Montrose snatching an unlikely point from the brink of defeat after the turn of the year. The circumstances behind these two blips on the otherwise perfect Rangers home run could not have been more different. Elgin were gifted a draw when Neil Alexander uncharacteristically threw the ball into his own net under very little pressure, whilst Montrose shocked the Glasgow giants with a late 30-yard strike from substitute David Gray. Rangers have been as dominant at home as you would expect them to be, scoring 39 goals and conceding just 8 in the 13 matches played at Ibrox. Half of these conceded strikes came in the space of three matches in January, which included the two draws that have been mentioned. Since then, Rangers have bounced back with comfortable wins over Queens Park and East Stirlingshire, and it would be fair to say that normal service has resumed in terms of their dominant home performances. However, Stirling will take great encouragement from the three matches that have been played against Rangers already this season. Stirling still remain the only side in the league to have beaten the Old Firm side, and having also battled to a vital point in the last encounter at Forthbank they have taken more points of Rangers than any other side in the league. In the 1-1 draw on 26th February, Stirling were slightly unlucky not to score a winner towards the end of the match, with two Kieran McAnespie free kicks coming extremely close too. Furthermore, the December tie between the two sides at Ibrox very nearly ended in an upset when substitute Josh Flood latched on to a slack pass from Kyle Hutton to batter a shot off the post with the scores still at just 1-0. Rangers went on to win the game 2-0 after Daly McSorely had been sent off, but there was certainly a nervous nature around Ibrox that day as the home support feared an unscripted twist in the celebrations of their 140th anniversary. The memory of that match will encourage the Binos as they were under severe pressure from Rangers for the majority of the match but they hung in and nearly claimed a point, and that is undeniably the best method of taking anything from Ibrox, as such is the quality of their squad that it unlikely many SFL sides could turn up and play them off the park. Absorbing pressure and hitting their defence effectively on the counter attack will be the key to gaining anything from the game. Set pieces could also prove an effective weapon as the Rangers defence struggled to deal with a lot of the aerial pressure that Stirling applied in the recent draw at Forthbank. Realistically though, anything gained from a trip to Ibrox would be a massive bonus, as with the Light Blues out of

all cup competitions, there is little chance of them taking the foot of the gas as they tie the league up. The Binos have already shown that they can cause Rangers problems though, and with the recent run that the team has been on they will be confident of travelling home with at least a point secured. LAST MEETING Rangers arrived at Forthbank Stadium on a nine-game away winning spree and looked set to continue that form when Andy Little collected a pass from fellow NorthernIreland international Dean Shiels in the 16th minute and rounded David Crawford to slot in his 22nd goal of the campaign. Stirling responded well though and were a constant threat through set pieces, with Brian Allison heading narrowly wide from a Kieran McAnespie corner. McAnespie’s set pieces were excellent and were the source of the equaliser six minutes after the break, with Ross Forsyth finding himself unmarked in the Rangers danger zone to nod in the leveler with seeming ease. The expected Rangers onslaught never really arrived, although Mark Ferry had to be alert to clear Francisco Sandaza’s effort of the line with twelve minutes remaining. Ferry came close at the other end with a 20-yarder that had Alexander concerned, and McAnespie was inches away from giving the home side the lead with a brace of well struck free-kicks. There was a huge let off at the death when Rangers managed to make a mess of a great chance, with Little eventually shooting straight at Crawford, and at the final whistle, the game remained tied at 1-1, leaving Stirling with a well earned point. KEY BATTLE The Rangers team is awash with talent, but it will be the likes of former SPL attackers Dean Shiels and David Templeton that will provide the main threat to Stirling on the large pitch of Ibrox. While Andy Little remains the man to watch up front, it has consistently been the through balls from the Gers midfield that have picked apart Division Three defences to release Little all term. The Stirling defence has really improved in recent weeks though, and they have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last eight matches. Key to this has been the partnership of Brian Allison and Jamie Bishop, and the pair will need to be at their absolute best to keep the on form Little off the score sheet. If Allison and Bishop can prevent Little springing through on goal, and the likes of Mark Ferry, Keiran McAnespie and David McClune can prevent Shiels and Templeton from finding the space they need to provide the frontman with deadly through-balls, there is a good chance of keeping Ally McCoist’s men quiet for most of the game – as the Binos did in the second-half of the side’s latest meeting at Forthbank. March 2013 / w w w.st irlin g albionf c .c o.uk

The Deep End

“

We’re definitely targeting the playoffs now. We’re only a few points off fourth place and there’s no reason we can’t think about making the playoffs. We’ve certainly got a bit of a mountain to climb but it’s very realistic to think we could claim fourth place.

SCOTT BINNIE CATCHES UP WITH

Mark Ferry

“

SB: Was the poor form pre-January what you’d expected to happen? MF: No not really. We actually got off to a great start against Annan and won 5-1 but we just didn’t manage to carry it on. The confidence then took a shot. We’ve managed to bounce back now though and hopefully we’re able to carry it on for the rest of the season. How big a role did confidence, or a lack of it, play in the bad form? I think it had a big part to play. Confidence is a massive thing in football and once you lose a couple of games the heads start to drop a little bit. That had a big effect on us. We managed to beat Rangers as well, and you’d think we’d take a big lift from that but it never happened. It was a few things but confidence was a big part of it. What about the unfortunate timing of call-offs? They all seemed to come immediately after a good result or performance. That was a factor as well. Momentum is another big part of football and the last few weeks have shown that. You get a couple of results close by, the confidence flows and you’re bouncing. How did you feel after beating Rangers? It was a great day, absolutely brilliant. The games against Rangers aren’t going to decide our season though, it’s the games against other teams, so it was nice to get the three points but we wish we’d been picking up more points against other teams. We were delighted to beat Rangers though. A couple of the boys said last week after the draw that it proved the win wasn’t a fluke. In the second half of that game we were the most likely to score. Given the performance in that game, did it feel as though it was two points dropped? That’s certainly what it was like. A couple of the boys said that in the dressing room after the game, possibly tongue-incheek though. On the balance of play the least we deserved was a draw. Coming from behind was testament to the character of the players and we’ve managed to do that a couple of times now. A lot of teams have conceded against Rangers and capitulated by conceding three or four goals, so it’s good that we stayed strong. We looked the more likely to score a second goal to go on and win the game. It was a great effort from Kiery [Keiran McAnespie] at the end and I’d say Neil Alexander has won Rangers a point with that save. A key feature of the side since January has been your play alongside David McClune in the middle of the park, a partnership that looks to have helped change the teams’ form so significantly. How do you feel playing with David there?

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I think we complement each other’s game really well. David and I have known each other for a long time, we played together at St Johnstone and we know each other’s game. I’m more forward-thinking and he’s a bit more defensive-thinking, so we balance it pretty well. Obviously now Ross Forsyth has come in and he’s a massive player for us, he’s gone in at left back and Kieran McAnespie has moved to the middle of the park. If I happen to move out to the left then I’m happy with it if it’s good for the team. What was the biggest factor in the huge turnaround in fortune since January? I’d say the boys that came in have made a massive difference. It’s no coincidence that these guys have come in and the form has picked up. The standard in training has went up as well and it’s showing on results on the pitch. Having the experience around the team is really good. Now we’ve got experience, if we go up in a game, we feel like we can go on and close the game out. All these games are close together but the guys are all looking forward to them because confidence is so high, training’s really good, and everybody’s looking forward to games. The dressing room is certainly a happier place to be around. What was it like being faced with so many games in such a short spell of time? We were just taking one game at a time. We’ve been playing on Tuesdays and Saturdays so it’s not like we can do a lot on Thursdays but the manager has tailored it to fit and he’s keeping us all on our toes. The fitness levels we’ve shown have been really good and that’s a real positive for us as well. After getting a lot of stick from some corners, is the manager now proving the doubters wrong and showing what he’s really capable of? I’d say that’s certainly true. It’s one of the best runs the club have seen in years and hopefully we can keep it going. The manager’s done really well and he’s turned it around. Stuart Brown has been firmly behind the manager and it’s good that we’ve been able to repay them both, and the fans, with the results. Are the play-offs the goal now? We’re definitely targeting the playoffs now. We’re only a few points off fourth place and there’s no reason we can’t think about making the playoffs. We’ve certainly got a bit of a mountain to climb but it’s very realistic to think we could claim fourth place. Two or three wins or defeats and you can go from the top to the bottom of vice versa, it’s really congested and everyone’s beating everyone else. M a rc h 2 0 13 / w w w.s t i r li n g al b i o nfc. co . uk

Match Preview: Stirling Albion vs. East Stirling Club Profile: (March 9th) Founded: 1881 Stadium: Ochilview Capacity: 3,776 Nickname: The Shire Manager: John Coughlin

Preview by Stuart Kenny For the majority of this Third Division campaign, the battle to stay off the bottom of the league has been one largely fought between East Stirlingshire and Stirling Albion. As the second-half of the season gets underway though, this statement is beginning to stray further and further from the truth. The Binos finally found themselves rising up the table after a 2-0 victory over Clyde in late February completed a run of five matches featuring three triumphs and a duo of draws, but it wasn’t the Shire who would pay the price for Stirling’s good form. Rather, McDonald’s men leapfrogged the Bully Wee into ninth place and closed the gap on the rest of the mid-table pack to a point of promise and realism. With this sort of an unbeaten spell, it was a wonder how the Forthbank fighters had not been lifted from the foot of the table sooner, and the answer can be found in the fantastic recent form of East Stirlingshire – who have received a similar boost in fortunes since the turn of the year. Now up to a solid mid-table position, the Shire can now state that they are within touching distance of the play-off positions thanks to two wins from four games in January and a classy February run that has earned them just one defeat and a respectable eight points from a possible 15. When it is noted that this run comes on the back of a bleak close to 2012 that saw the club win just once in nine matches, it becomes all the more impressive. Key victories for John Coughlin’s men can be found in their 3-0 defeat of Clyde, a win that kept them above Stirling after the Binos had beat Annan 2-1, and in their more recent 3-2 defeat over the steadily stumbling Elgin City – with the latter victory putting them just two points away from the Borough Briggs promotion hopefuls. In many ways then, the meeting today between the Stirlingshire sides is now one of form and momentum, rather than one of a lower table struggle. Kevin Turner remains the main force for the Ochilview attack, with nine league goals to his name and a handful of

experience. After playing for Rangers and Airdrie United as a youngster, the attacking minded force was strutting his stuff in the amateur leagues before impressing the scouts at East Stirlingshire. He certainly repaid the club’s faith too, providing a troublesome entity for defences throughout the Third Division. Paul Quinn has also proved a key factor in this rejuvenation, with the 22 year-old looking a threatening and controlling player in the Shire’s line up. The former St Mirren and Stenhousemuir man joined Coughlin’s ranks for the 11/12 season, and has proved his worth this season with an impressive eight strikes to back up Turner’s tally. As with the Binos however, much of East Stirlingshire’s rejuvenation has been heralded from an extra notch of confidence and improved form at the other end of the pitch, and the defensive unit at Ochilview has been steadily starting to impress since the turn of the year. A clean sheet at home to Clyde will have no doubt boosted the morale in the Shire dressing room, and although they struggled to keep Elgin out, the likes of Raymond Buchanan and Ricky Miller are beginning to find their feet in the back line. John Coughlin has been firm on his position in the last few weeks. He knows that previously Stirling Albion were the main rivals for his club, and that the first milestone for them was to stretch their tally away from that of the Binos. With recent results going the way they have however, he now knows that this is no longer the case. “Maybe a few weeks ago people were thinking that we wanted Stirling Albion to become detached so we couldn’t end up bottom,” noted the East Stirling boss. “But we have always been looking up, not down and, in a sense, our own recent good form and that of Stirling has helped us do that.” This encounter may not be one that decides who will land the bottom placed finish in the Third Division then, but have no doubt that the rivalry and passion on display today will clearly display the importance of this tie to both teams involved.

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East Stirling Squad Goalkeepers Midfielders 1 Hay 3 Maxwell 17 Gordon 6 Hunter 7 Greenhill Defenders 12 Zufle 2 Shepherd 15 Benton 4 Miller McKernon 8 Stirling Devlin 16 Gillespie Campbell Kelly Begg Tart Donaldson McCaughie Hume Herd

Fixtures Stirling March 9th SFL Div. 3

Berwick March 16th SFL Div. 3

Montrose Mar 23rd SFL Div. 3

Clyde March 30th SFL Div. 3

Peterhead April 6th SFL Div. 3

LAST TIME M a rc h 2 0 13 / w w w.s t i r li n g al b i o nfc. co . uk

Forwards 9 Turner 10 Quinn 11 Glasgow 14 Wright Jackson Kelly

Key Battle Mark Ferry vs. Michael Herd These attacking minded midfield men will meet today in a clash that should provide an abundance of chances and a stern defensive test for two sides that have largely upped their game in the past two months. If starting in their usual attacking-minded central midfield roles, Mark Ferry and Michael Herd will face the task of overcoming one another at either end of the park. Herd has been a stand out player for the Shire since signing on from East of Scotland side Whitehill Welfare at the start of the season, and has shown his flair by netting recently against both Clyde and Elgin City. Mark Ferry has been doing a similar job for Stirling, and with seven goals in all competitions this season, the Binos regular has frequently been a part of launching dangerous attacks and finishing them off too. A keen eye for goal has seen Ferry net from long-range, close-range and from the occasional header too, showing his versatility and attacking edge. These similarly minded players could find a lot of time on the ball today as both of them push forward in search of feeding their frontman or netting themselves, and whoever is more successful at these tasks may well end up winning the tie for their team.

For the football punter who likes to go with the pattern of past matches, the draw would certainly be an appealing bet when the Shire come to Forthbank today. The past two ties between these sides, one of which was in Stirling and the other at Ochilview, have both ended 1-1, with either side threatening to claim victory in each encounter. While the former stalemate saw Albion reduced to ten men before the break and pleased to leave their away clash with a point, the more recent tie in February was more winnable for the Binos. Graham Weir put McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s men in front in to head for a win that would have saw the club move off the bottom of the league that little bit sooner, but a penalty was awarded to the away side shortly after when Andy Stirling was brought down by Stephen Day in the area. Kevin Turner stepped up to convert the penalty, and while Jordan White and Mark Ferry had chances to win the game, they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t convert to take a vital victory.

Away Preview by Scott Binnie Montrose (April 6th) With 13 goals in the three previous games between Stirling and Montrose this season you can bet your mortgage on a 0-0 this time around. The visitors ran out 3-1 victors at Forthbank in October, Kieran McAnespie’s own goal adding to strikes from Leighton McIntosh and Scott Morton to cancel out Gary Thom’s opener. Steven Weir and Stephen McNally both received red cards for a physical altercation in the second half of that game and the poor performance was par for the course for the Binos at that time – Stirling had just three wins from 10 games before the match and didn’t taste victory for another seven afterwards.

the back of the net after the visiting side had gone ahead thanks to a Stephen McNally header that gave the travellers the lead against the run of play. It had been almost a month since the Binos had last played, a 2-1 defeat at Clyde, but there were no signs of rustiness as a new-look Albion team battered Montrose from the off.

It was a far tighter affair the next time the teams met, this time at Links Park in the last game of 2012. Montrose won 3-2 but the away side were rightly disappointed to come away with nothing after a great performance. Scott Davidson was the star of the match, scoring a brace in a terrific showing from the forward. Jamie Winter, Garry Wood and Leighton McIntosh all scored for Montrose to consign Albion to defeat, but the loss came after two victories over Berwick Rangers and Peterhead that suggested Stirling were better than the much maligned tag of “worst team in Scotland” that 10th place carries with it.

Montrose went into the game with the opportunity to move into second behind runaway leaders Rangers whilst Stirling looked to close a five-point gap on East Stirlingshire in ninth with new signings Jamie Bishop, Ross Forsyth and David Crawford all straight into the squad, but it was the struggling Binos that took the spoils.

As fate would have it Stirling finally did break their duck over Montrose and their 3-1 win in February was the first of eight games in 24 days for Greig McDonald and his players to navigate. That well-earned victory started the club on a fantastic unbeaten run of seven games including four victories and a point against league leaders Rangers. Top scorers Jordan White and Mark Ferry put Albion ahead after going behind and Stephen Day ensured the three points late in the game. Montrose were widely considered strong candidates for the bottom few places pre-season while Stirling were title favourites before Rangers’ demotion, but events transpired in the opposite fashion in the first-half of the season with Albion rooted to the foot of the table and Montrose flying high in the top three. Goals were flying in constantly from the likes of Leighton McIntosh and Garry Wood whilst Sandy Wood was keeping vigil between the sticks with a run of good form that was keeping now-Bino David Crawford on the bench. Manager Stuart Garden looked to freshen the squad up in January by signing John Gibson from Dundee, former player Martin Boyle on loan from the same club, and Ross McCord on loan from Alloa Athletic. Boyle in particular has thrived since his return and he has grabbed a terrifying seven goals in five games. Stirling were even busier in the transfer window, though, and the likes of Jamie Bishop, Ross Forsyth and David Crawford, who was released by Montrose, have been key factors in turning things round for Albion. Both sides have enjoyed terrific starts to 2013 and the crushing collision of these juggernauts of form is assured to result in a mesmerising affair. LAST MEETING Jordan White, Mark Ferry and Stephen Day all found

McNally leapt highest at a corner to head past former Montrose goalkeeper, and new Stirling signing, David Crawford, but the Binos didn’t let their heads drop andcontinued to press a team that they certainly had the beating of. David McClune played a stunning pass through the defence for White to roll past the Montrose goalkeeper before Mark Ferry attempted to remove the net with a blazing shot from the edge of the box to give Stirling a very well deserved lead. Day came off the bench with fifteen minutes remaining and was on hand to stab home into a gaping net after Weir’s lung-bursting run took the goalkeeper out of the game, giving Greig McDonald’s players a margin of victory that was not at all deceiving. KEY BATTLE An important feature of the game will be the winner of this battle between two January signings in the Albion penalty area. Boyle rejoined Montrose on loan from Dundee just a year after leaving the Gable Endies for Dens Park while Bishop signed for the Binos for the rest of the campaign after his contract with Forfar Athletic was terminated. They went head to head in last month’s game at Forthbank and Bishop was undoubtedly the winner that day with the hosts running out comfortable 3-1 victors. However, the 19-year-old striker has scored six times in three games since then including a tremendous four-goal haul against Annan Athletic. With the hitman on blistering form, defensive behemoth Bishop will need to continue his own fine run of games to keep his opponent out. Bish has added balance, solidity and leadership to a backline that was frail and porous before and after his emergency loan stint with Stirling in December. The defenders around him look much more comfortable for his presence and there’s no question that the latest run-in between Boyle and Bishop will have a significant bearing on the winner come close of play.

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Young Binos Co-Editor David Chalmers talks to Stirling Albion coach David Binnie about the Under-19s recent form. DC: The side drew 4-4 with Ayr; what are the positives and negatives of such a high-scoring game? DB: The draw felt like a defeat in the end because we recovered from an early goal in the game to go 3-1 up at one stage. We were pegged back to 3-2 and then went 4-2 up before they came back to claim a 4-4 draw in late on. It does highlight that young players can sometimes be naïve in the way they play at times. We played some terrific football and scored some great goals but were unable to shut the back door in the end. As youth coaches, we use this type of result as an opportunity to highlight the need for full concentration and defensive discipline so that in the future we can come away from these matches with a win as opposed to a frustrating draw. Was the loss to Clyde hard to take considering the late goals? It was very hard to take. Both Graeme and myself were not at the game as we had prior working commitments, however the report coming back from Blair Cremin was that it was a tight game with both teams seemingly cancelling each other out. I think the lads had put so much effort into the match, that when Clyde scored a late goal, it knocked the stuffing out of them. Inevitably, as the team went in search of an equaliser, it left them vulnerable to being hit on the counter attack and this resulted in further goals for Clyde. It means that we have got our League Cup campaign off to a less than satisfactory start and will face an uphill struggle to make the top two position in the section. You beat East Stirling; do the young boys enjoy a bit of local rivalry?

some terrific young players. The fact that the entire team is full-time was less evident that we perhaps assumed and it is a testament to how hard our players work on their fitness and physical preparation in their own time. We came out quickly in the 2nd half and Lee Hamilton got us in front with a terrific long range effort that flew in the top corner. We were looking good for a fantastic win and with Jamie Cleland pulling off one of best saves of the season. Unfortunately having made an incredible save, he managed to inexplicably fumble a long range free kick and the ball trickled over the line for a Hamilton equaliser. Stephen Day then had a wonder chance to put us in front again but their keeper made a great block. Almost inevitably, Hamilton got a late penalty after Jamie Clark hauled over the striker in the box. The striker despatched the penalty and we were left with nothing at the end of a match, which had so many positives for Graeme and myself. Billy Reid, of course and ex Stirling Albion player, was taking the Hamilton team and he was very complimentary of our players and expressed praise for the way the players went about the game. Steven Forbes looks to be picking up the scoring mantle lately, how’s he getting on? Steven is an unbelievable talent. Two footed, intelligent and has the ability to go a long way in the game if he keeps progressing. He is the type of player who excites people by the way he plays the game. He goes past opponents as for fun and rarely scores ordinary goals. He has caught the eye of the gaffer in training and in youth games this season and we hope that he can come in during pre season and prove that he deserves the opportunity to become part of the senior squad. He still has a long way to in terms of physical development in order to cope with the rigours of the senior game and like many creative players, he needs to continue working on the consistency of his performances. If he can add these components to his game then our high hopes for him will be justified.

Irrespective of whether its a youth or a 1st team match, local derby’s are important to our players and given the poor start to the League Cup, we were looking for a positive reaction against East Stirlingshire. We went into the game bolstered by the presence of Jamie Clark, Stephen Day and Danny Ashe who were all selected in order to keep them sharp. For Jamie, he has been recovering from injury and illness and is in need of match sharpness. In the case of Danny and Stephen, they haven’t been featuring in the 1st team as much as they would have liked in recent weeks so the game represented an excellent opportunity for them to get a competitive match under their belts. Danny’s excellent 2nd half performance against Rangers on Tuesday night perfectly demonstrates the benefit in having the U19’s effectively acting as a reserve team at this stage in the season. The match itself was a good one for us. The lads started the match at a high tempo and really took the game to the Shire. We went 2-0 up very quickly and should have added to the scoring before half-time. A concentration error by our goalkeeper allowed them to peg us back to 2-1 at the break. The lads controlled the 2nd half in it’s entirety but couldn’t add to our advantage. It was a good win and restored some confidence to the team.

What’s the feeling in the camp right now?

What are your thoughts on the Hamilton game?

We have another tough match at the weekend against Livington at home on Sunday. Similarly to the 3rd division, our league cup section remains very tight and despite our indifferent start, we remain in the hunt for 2nd place. It’s a must win game this weekend and if the lads can produce a similar performance to the one against Hamilton today then I feel we will have an excellent chance to win the game.

Unfortunately as I write this, I do so on the back of a narrow defeat to Hamilton. We travelled to Lanarkshire with high hopes of getting a result against the current table toppers. It was an excellent 1st half with both teams playing some really attractive football. Hamilton are an excellent team and have

I believe we are all focused on finishing the season as positively as possible. The players are all playing for their futures at the club and the chance to emulate people like Sandy Cunningham and Steven Day, who have managed to push for 1st team selection. We gave the players the night off training on Tuesday so that they could attend the Rangers match. If they weren’t motivated by the sight of Danny Ashe playing so well in 2nd half of the Rangers game, having lined up alongside them on the Sunday, or Sandy coming off the bench late on in front of a packed Forthbank, then nothing will spur them on in their own careers. There is a realisation amongst the group that there is a climate within the structure of our club, which aims to promote our talented youngsters into the senior squad if they are producing the goods at youth level. Graeme and myself are working closer than ever before with Grieg and Mark to create a pathway into the senior squad and hopefully some of them can realise the opportunity that they have and make the leap. What’s next for the young Binos?

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Match Preview: Stirling Albion vs. Berwick Club Profile (Mar 30th) Founded: 1884 Stadium: Shielfield Park Capacity: 4,131 Nickname: The Black and Gold Manager: Ian Little

Preview by David Chalmers Berwick Rangers travel to Forthbank at the end of the month not long after facing off at Shielfield Park. Lee Currie’s first goal since December meant that Stirling Albion’s 7-game unbeaten run came to an unfortunate end with the midfielder’s 87th minute winner. It was hard for Greig McDonald to take and Albion striker Jordan White used Twitter to provide support for team-mate Sam Filler, insisting the goalkeeper deserved to keep a clean sheet considering his performance. A win away would have put Stirling ahead of Berwick in the league table but instead the Black and Gold went three points closer to the play-off positions. The win looks vital for them with a tough fixture list going into the end of the season meaning that they play Montrose, Peterhead and Queens Park at home but also have to travel to Hampden, Forthbank and Ibrox to cement their chances of a play-off spot. The travelling side are in a decent bit of form at the time of writing with two wins in their last three matches and a draw between those results. Berwick were on the end of a battering at Forthbank in December as the Binos went riot with a six-goal return as they won 6-3 in the highest scoring league game at Forthbank and in Division Three this season. The closest challengers are Rangers with two separate 6-2 wins. Jordan White, Stephen Day, Gary Thom, Steven Weir and Mark Ferry all helped themselves to goals in the match while the visitors scored through Darren Lavery and a Lee Currie double. Lee Currie clearly enjoys scoring against the Binos and the midfielder is a big threat going into the match. Away

Last time 1-0 5th March 2013

“Forthbank has become a bit of a fortress recently and manager Greig McDonald will hope that continues to be the case as his side make the late challenge for the play-offs” tactics can sometimes dictate that it is the midfield where the match is won and Currie has the ability to damage Stirling should he be allowed time and space on the ball. Fraser McLaren is another dangerous player in Rangers’ side; another goal-scoring midfielder, McLaren has seven league goals to his name, which is an impressive return. The Scot scored in the recent 2-2 draw with Annan Athletic alongside Scott Dalziel. Dalziel has scored in two of their last three matches which have been his first league goals of the campaign. The 28-year-old striker could get the nod should he continue his fine form but top goal-scorer Darren Lavery is the clubs main man with 15 league goals showing his worth to the team. Stirling should be heading into the match with hopes of securing a play-off position of their own with a good squad that blends youth and experience. The Binos could over-take Berwick before the fixture if results go their way. Forthbank has become a bit of a fortress recently and manager Greig McDonald will hope that continues to be the case as his side make the late challenge for the playoffs. It wasn’t long ago that the Binos were sitting bottom of the table but a couple of results could put them into the top half for the first time since the opening of the season when the Binos enjoyed a 5-1 win over Annan Athletic in the opening weekend. It could be an entertaining game with the fixture list looking less congested as we approach this game. March 2013 / w w w.st irlin g albionf c .c o.uk

Fixtures Montrose Mar 9th SFL Div. 3

Queens Park Mar 12th SFL Div. 3

East Stirling Mar 16th SFL Div. 3

Peterhead Mar 23rd SFL Div. 3

Stirling Mar 30th SFL Div. 3

A Darren Lavery

Clyde F.C Squad Goalkeepers 1 McCallum 16 McCaldon Beveridge Sandison Bejaoui Defenders 2 Jacobs 3 Hoskins 4 Brydon 5 Townsley 8 Janczyk Droudge Thompson Midfielders 6 Currie

7 McLaren 11 Gielty 12 McLean 13 McDonald 15 O’Brien Notman Addison Miller Forwards 9 Lavery 10 Dalziel Ferguson Noble Smith Easton Morris

Darren Lavery is Berwick’s top scorer this season. The 21-year-old has already scored twice against the Binos; once in the 4-1 defeat at Shielfield Park and again at Forthbank as Berwick went down 6-3 in December. The Scot’s 15 league goals make him the second top goalscorer in Division

15 Goals M a rc h 2 0 13 / w w w.s t i r li n g al b i o nfc. co . uk

Stirling Albion

David Crawford

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Brian Allison

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2012/13 Squad

Marc McCulloch Greig McDonald Jim Scrimgeour

Ina Shaw M.B.E

Mark Ferry

Scott Davidson

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Jamie Bishop

Phil Johnston (On loan from Dumbarton)

Jack Stickler

Kieran McAnespie

Sandy Cunningham

John Turnbull

Jordan White

Bradley Coyne

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Division Three Round-Up by Stuart Kenny There has been a mass turn around in the Three goals in the last 20 minutes would form of clubs in the Irn-Bru Third Division consolidate the home side, but it is unlikely since the clocks struck midnight on December that either the Elgin support nor the Queen’s 31st 2012. players will have been overly emotional by the sight of these strikes, with the win already in Of course, at the heart of this has been an the bag for Gardiner Speirs’ men. amazing run of form by Stirling Albion, which has rocketed the club off the bottom of the Indeed, if there is one team that who have table to a commendable seventh place. The been really struggling of late in the Third Binos may still only be one point off the foot Division it is Elgin City, who after a fantastic of the league, but more importantly, Greig start to the 2012/13 campaign have fallen out McDonald’s men are looking upwards, and the of contention for the second place spot, and play-off places once again seem achievable for now sit in sixth place, just four points from the the Forthbank club after seeming so far away bottom of the table. just weeks ago. Four consecutive defeats must have the City Just six points behind fourth placed support in a state of disbelief, and along with Peterhead, the upcoming matches will now Annan Athletic, who have also not tasted define Stirling Albion’s season, but whatever victory in their past five games, the club must the outcome of the Binos campaign, there will look for a quick answer if they want to keep no doubt be a hard fought battle in the bottom their play-off challenge alive. tier of Scottish football for that final position in the Third Division play-offs. As Annan and Elgin fell down the league table then, Clyde went with them, and the Bully With Rangers running away with the league Wee took the bottom spot from Stirling Albion title on 66 points – 20 ahead of their closest after claiming just one victory in their last five rivals Queen’s Park – Gardiner Speirs’ Spiders encounters – with that one win coming in an and a Montrose side enjoying a good run impressive 2-0 success over Peterhead last of results seem to be forming a secondary week. breakaway group behind the Light Blues. Peterhead still look the favourites for that With the Gable Endies recording an fourth placed spot in which they currently impressive 2-1 dismissal of Queen’s Park at sit though, but Berwick Rangers have begun Hampden last Saturday, the club maintained to threaten with a good run of form that sees their third placed status in the league, closing them now unbeaten in three fixtures and lying the gap on Queen’s to just two points thanks to just one point off that much coveted fourth a dramatic turnaround that saw the away side position. overturn a one goal deficit by netting twice in three minutes with just 17 minutes left on the East Stiringshire meanwhile have enjoyed a clock. turn in fate similar to that of the Binos since January, with a run of three straight wins only Nevertheless, the consistently threatening coming to an end at Ibrox recently, and the Queen’s got back to winning ways quickly, Shire look set to keep looking upwards and smashing a struggling Elgin City side at claim a mid-table place by the end of this term. Borough Briggs by a massive 5-3 scoreline on Tuesday. Goals from Lawrence Shankland, With the final quarter of the Third Division Sean Burns and Blair Spittal meant the now upon us then, the play-off positions are Hampden side had the win wrapped up by still very much up for grabs, and we should half-time, and when Burns netted again after have an interesting next few months ahead a goal from Michael Keenan, the misery really of us as the drama unfolds in what has been a was piling on Elgin. gripping season of football so far.

March 2013 / w w w.st irlin g albionf c .c o.uk

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