Stirling Albion F.C.

Origins

Stirling Albion was founded in 1945 after the town's previous football team King's Park had failed to survive the Second World War. King's Park's ground (Forthbank) had been damaged during the war, having been hit by a German bomb on 20 July 1940. This was one of only two bombs to fall on the town during the Second World War. The new club was the brainchild of local businessman Thomas Fergusson, a local coal magnate, and he purchased the Annfield estate to build a new stadium. Annfield was situated within a quarter of a mile from the town centre and would be the home of The Binos until 1992. The name 'Albion' supposedly came from the make of Fergusson's coal trucks. This however is an urban myth. Albion Coal lorries were used as grandstands but the club was named at a meeting of fans long before a ball was kicked. (Reference, Stirling Journal Newspaper, 1945.) The name Albion was chosen because it was an old word for Great Britain and held meaning for the founder.

The yo-yo years

Between 1946 and 1968, the club gained a reputation as a club that was too good for the lower league but never quite good enough to establish themselves in the top flight, being relegated and promoted several times, hence the club's nickname of The Yo-Yos. For a time it was a saying in Scotland that something or somebody was "going up and down like Stirling Albion". In 1966 the club became the first British team to play in Japan.

The 1970–1980s

Under the vastly…

League

Scottish second tier (currently Scottish Championship) Champions (4): 1952–53, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1964–65 Runners-up (2): 1948–49, 1950–51 Scottish third tier (currently Scottish League One) Champions (5): 1946–47, 1976–77, 1990–91, 1995–96, 2009–10 Runners-up (1): 2006–07 Play-off winners (1): 2006–07 Scottish fourth tier (currently Scottish League Two) Champions (1): 2022–23 Runners-up (1): 2003–04