Albion Rovers F.C.
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| Albion Rovers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | John McCormack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Scottish Third Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006-07 | Scottish Third Division, 6th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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. Their home stadium is Cliftonhill, opened on Christmas Day 1919. The club are currently considering plans to redevelop their stadium.
Albion Rovers F.C. 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.
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[edit] History
The club was formed with the merger of Albion and Rovers in 1882[1] and were admitted to the Scottish Football League in the 1902-03 season. They play in primrose yellow and red strips having changed from royal blue, white and black in 1961.[1] Their greatest claim to fame is that they were Scottish Cup runners-up in season 1919-20 season, losing in the final to Kilmarnock.
Otherwise, Second Division championships in 1933/34 and 1988/89 are the main honours the club has won. The club has competed in the top flight of Scottish football in nine seasons, including 1919/20 to 1922/23, 1934/35 to 1936/37 and, perhaps most unluckily 1939/40. Rovers had a good looking team and won 5-3 away to Hibs on 2 September 1939, the day before war was declared. The following few years were referred to in football terms in Coatbridge as the 'lost forties'. Promotion in 1947/48 saw the club compete for the ninth and (so far) last time in the top flight, but Rovers were relageted with a record low total of eight points. Arguably the most notorious match in the club's history took place during that season - a 3-3 home draw with Celtic in which Rovers were denied a late penalty for a two-handed clearance by a Celtic defender because the referee was reportedly scared of inciting a riot had he awarded a penalty to Rovers. Subsequent years saw the club fall into a decline as increasing numbers of local fans preferred to watch their football in Glasgow.
The title winning year of 1988/89 is the most memorable in recent history, a 2-0 win over Dumbarton wrapping up the championship. The title winning flag has since gone missing from the club's ground and has yet to be recovered.
A book covering the club's history 'The Boys From the 'Brig' by Robin Marwick was published in 1986. The book became notorious for its monotonous style of writing, with every season written up as a match-by-match summary (of up to three sentences but usually less) of every game from 1882 to 1986 - and for its relentlessly optimistic tone despite all evidence to the contrary; example: "...despite a poor season...the fans remained optimistic that it was only a matter of time before it fought itself out of Division B".
Famous players in the club's past include former Celtic and Scotland manager Jock Stein, Bernie Slaven, Peter Dickson, John "Jock" White (the only player capped for Scotland while with the club), Tony Green and Jim Brown as well as many more. In the 1970s The Rovers had a half-back line of Curry, Sage and Rice which raised a few smiles at the time.[citation needed]
Rovers (as their fans prefer the team to be called, rather than "Albion") currently play in the Scottish Third Division and have twice in the last few years been denied promotion on the final day of the season.
In early 2005 a group of fans set up Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust with a view to raising money to benefit the club and local community.
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. [2]
The club's survival for 125 years in the shadow of bigger clubs and the devotion it attracts from its committed hardcore of fans is a reason for celebration in itself.
[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: John Renwick (41, 1932/33)
[edit] Current Squad & Backroom Staff
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- Assistant Manager: Paul Martin
- Goalkeeping Coach: Barry Daniel
- Physio: John McMenemy
[edit] Famous Albion Rovers players
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[edit] Managers
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
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[edit] References
[edit] External links
- www.AlbionRovers.com
- Businesses rally to save Albion Rovers, stv feature, 19 June 2007.
