Albion Rovers F.C.
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| Full name | Albion Rovers Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Wee Rovers | ||
| Founded | 1882 | ||
| Ground | Cliftonhill, Coatbridge, Scotland (Capacity: 1,249) |
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| Chairman | Frank Meade | ||
| Manager |  Paul Martin |
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| League | Scottish Third Division | ||
| 2008–09 | Scottish Third Division, 8th | ||
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Albion Rovers Football Club are a Scottish football team from the North Lanarkshire town of Coatbridge, who are currently playing in the Irn-Bru Scottish Football League. Founded in 1882 as the result of an amalgamation of two other teams, the club joined the Scottish Footbal League initially in 1903 before returning in 1919 and, although they have spent most of their time in the lower divisions, have maintained their league membership since. Their sole major honours during that time have been wins in the old and new Second Divisions (second and third tiers respectively).
The club's home stadium is Cliftonhill, opened on Christmas Day 1919, although they are currently considering plans to sell up and build a new stadium elsewhere in Coatbridge. Like most small clubs in the Central Lowlands they have struggled to attract support due to the close proximity of the highly successful Old Firm clubs.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early years
Albion Rovers were formed in 1882 from a merger of the two Coatbridge sides that gave the club its name, Albion and Rovers.[1] The club joined the Scottish Football League Second Division in 1903 along with Ayr Parkhouse F.C. following a small expansion in numbers.[2] Rovers (as their fans prefer the team to be called, rather than "Albion") settled into the League reasonably well, albeit without ever clinching promotion, until the outbreak of the First World War. By 1915 the Scottish Football League had been merged into a single division structure, with the second division scrapped. As such the Rovers moved to join the Western Football League and whilst members of this set-up moved to their current Cliftonhill home in 1919.[1] They had been close to a return in 1917, although in a vote Clydebank triumphed over Rovers, Vale of Leven and Stevenston United.[3]
[edit] Return to the League
With their new stadium completed, Rovers returned to the still one division Scottish League for the 1919-20 season. Although they finished rock bottom that season the club also enjoyed possibly their finest hour when they reached the final of the Scottish Cup, but ultimately they were defeated 3-2 by Kilmarnock in the game itself.[1] Rovers remained a top-flight side after the return of the Second Division until their relegation in 1923. Indeed in 1922 their top-flight status even saw the only instance of a Rovers player, John "Jock" White, appearing for Scotland, in a match against Wales.[4] The club became mired in the Second Division mid-table until the 1933-34 season when they took the Second Division title by a point from Dunfermline Athletic, thus ensuring promotion to the First Division.[5] Of the five seasons immediately before the Second World War Rovers spent all but one of them as a top-flight side. They took part in the emergency Western League during the 1939-40 season before transferring over to the Southern Football League. Despie struggling from time to time to get a full side out the Rovers managed to survive the war in good shape.[6]
[edit] Post-war
It would be 1946-47 before the League returned full-time and Rovers, whose 16th place finish in 1939 would not normally have led to relegation, were assigned to the 'B' Division due to a restructuring of the League set-up.[7] To add to their problems the celebrated wing partnership of Willie Findlay and Johnny McIlhatton was broken up when the former departed for Rangers late in the season.[8] Despite this Rovers, whose team included Jock Stein, did manage to clinch promotion in 1948, although their performance in the 1948-49 was poor as they managed only 8 points to ensure an immediate return to the 'B' Division.[9]
This was to mark the effective end of the Rovers as any sort of force in Scottish football as they became stuck in the Second Division from then on, rarely threatening the teams at the top. In a rare break from the gloom for supporters for a spell during the 1970s the Rovers team frequently included the "spicy" trio of Bill Currie, Sid Sage and Albert Rice[10] which raised a few smiles at the time. The changes brought in for the 1975-76 season saw Rovers placed in the new Second Division, which was now the third tier of the Scottish League and once again the club settled into a constant role amongst the division's also rans, even finishing last in 1983-84 season.[11] They did however manage to make some headlines for reasons other than their on-filed performances when in 1983 confectioners Tunnock's became the club's shirt sponsor and the appearance of the shirt was altered to mimic the gold wrapper with red diagonal stripes of a caramel wafer bar the company produced, making Rovers one of the very few clubs to wear a kit inspired by a sweet wrapper.[1] Also off the pitch a book covering the club's history, "The Boys From the 'Brig'" by Robin Marwick, was published in 1986.
Although the form of players such as Vic Kasule and Bernie Slaven brought some repsite from the poor form it was not until the 1988-89 season that the fans had anything to celebrate when the club were crowned Second Division champions.[12] The First Division stay was to last only one season however and by 1991-92 season the club was bottom of the League again, a situation that was replicated the following year.[13]
[edit] Third Division
The struggling Rovers were assigned to the newly created Scottish Football League Third Division for the 1994-95 season and once again collected the wooden spoon.[14] Rovers were one of the weakest sides in this new League but yet another last place finish in 1999-2000 led to an attempt to chage the club's fortunes. In 2000 the club, which has inevitably struggled financially due to the proximity of the Old Firm clubs, surprisingly went full-time, although many of the full-time players were unemployed youths that the club gave work to under a government scheme. On the pitch it almost paid dividends as Rovers began to challenge for promotion although ultimately the experiment proved too expensive and the number of full-timers has since been substantially reduced.[1] In an attempt to cut costs the club's board did consider an unpopular groundshare with Airdrieonians although it came to nothing and the board was ousted. Despite this offers have been considered to purchase Cliftonhill, although the new board has insisted that it will first seek a new home in Coatbridge before closing any deal.[1] Against this background in early 2005 a group of fans set up Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust with a view to benefit the club and local community. Meanwhile on the pitch although denied promotion on the last day twice, the club nonetheless remain members of the Third Division that they founded.
[edit] 125th anniversary
The 2006–07 season saw the club celebrate its 125th anniversary and various events and souvenirs took place. 2006–07 also saw the club progress to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, their first semi-final since 1921, a match they lost 4–1 to Ross County in Dingwall.[15] A new kit that combined the original blue colours with the yellow adopted during the 1960s was also introduced as part of the celebrations.[1]
[edit] Honours
- Scottish Second Division:
- Winners (1): 1988–89
- Scottish Cup:
- Runners-up (1): 1919–20
- Scottish Qualifying Cup:
- Winners (1): 1913–14
- Lanarkshire Cup:
- Winners (8): 1899–00, 1920–21, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1986–87
- Scottish Football Combination:
- Winners (1): 1913–14
[edit] Club records
Biggest win: 12–0 v Airdriehill (Scottish Cup, 3 September 1887)
Biggest defeat: 1–11 v Partick Thistle (Scottish League Cup, 11 August 1993)
Biggest home attendance: 27,381 v Rangers (Scottish Cup, 8 February 1936) Record Scorer: No record.
[edit] Current Squad
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[edit] Backroom Staff
- Manager: Paul Martin
- Assistant Manager: Todd Lumsden
- Physio: John McMenemy
[edit] Managers
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
[edit] Derivative teams
Albion Rovers from Newport, Wales, playing in the Gwent County League, are named after Albion Rovers F.C. in Scotland, by "expats". There are also clubs of the same name in Australia (currently using the name Cairnlea but has changed to and from Albion Rovers several times over their 40 year history) and the Republic of Ireland.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Albion Rovers at Historical Kits site
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 97
- ^ B. Crampsey, The First Hundred Years, Glasgow: Scottish Football League, 1990, pp. 62-3
- ^ G. & J. Rolin, Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2003-2004, p. 858
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 110
- ^ B. Crampsey, The First Hundred Years, Glasgow: Scottish Football League, 1990, pp. 118-9
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 113
- ^ 'Albion Rovers Greats'
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 114
- ^ Full list of Albion Rovers players
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 133
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 136
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 137-8
- ^ M. Robinson, Football League Tables 1888-2003, p. 137-8
- ^ "Ross County 4-1 Albion Rovers". BBC Sport. 2006-10-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/5381688.stm. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ Known as second division prior to 1975
[edit] External links
- www.AlbionRovers.com
- Businesses rally to save Albion Rovers, stv feature, 19 June 2007.
- Photos of Cliftonhill April 2008
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