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Albion Rovers F.C. (Scotland)
Encyclopedia
Albion Rovers Football Club are a Scottish
football
team from the North Lanarkshire
town of Coatbridge
, who are currently playing in the Scottish Football League
Second Division
. Founded in 1882 as the result of an amalgamation of two other teams, the club joined the Scottish Football 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.
Albion Rovers were formed in 1882 from a merger of the two Coatbridge sides Albion FC and Rovers FC. The club joined the Scottish Football League Second Division
in 1903 along with Ayr Parkhouse F.C.
following a small expansion in numbers. Rovers (as their fans prefer the team to be called, rather than "Albion") settled into the League reasonably well, albeit without ever clinching promotion. By 1915 the Scottish Football League
had been merged into a single division structure, with the second division scrapped. The Rovers moved to join the Western Football League and whilst members of this set-up moved to their current Cliftonhill home in 1919. They were close to returning to the Scottish League in 1917 but lost out in a vote amongst Clydebank
, Vale of Leven
and Stevenston United F.C.
. Although they finished rock bottom that season the club also enjoyed possibly their finest hour when they defeated Rangers
in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup
, before losing 3–2 to Kilmarnock
in the Final. Local folklore has it that Rovers' goalkeeper Joe Shortt had to be bailed out of police custody on the morning of the Final and that his subsequent performance at Hampden had been affected by the lingering effects of his alcohol consumption the night before.
Rovers remained a top-flight side even after the return of the Second Division until their relegation in 1923. It was during this period that John "Jock" White, became Rovers' only international appearing for Scotland
, in a match against Wales
. The club remained in the Second Division until the 1933–34 season
when they took the title by a point from Dunfermline Athletic. 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
. Despite struggling from time to time to get a full side out the Rovers managed to survive the war in good shape.
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. To add to their problems the celebrated wing partnership of Willie Findlay
and Johnny McIlhatton was broken up when the former departed for Rangers
. and the latter to Everton
. One feature of the McIlhatton transfer was a friendly match between the two clubs at Goodison Park in September 1946, which the Toffees won 6–3.
With Jock Stein
in the line-up (Stein played more matches for Rovers than for all his other clubs combined), Rovers managed to clinch promotion in 1947/48 if only for one season, amassing just 8 points in the First Division in 1948/49 and an immediate return to the 'B' Division. This was effectively the end of the Rovers as a major force in Scottish football as they became stuck in the Second Division for many years, only occasionally challenging at the top end of the league.
in 1965–66 and a run to the League Cup quarter-finals in 1973–74 (again defeating Airdrie along the way). Rovers took a 2–0 lead in the first leg against Kilmarnock
, but lost the 2nd leg 5–2 to go out 5–4 on aggregate.
Notable players from this era included midfielder Tony Green
, who subsequently became a club legend at both Blackpool
and Newcastle United
, and goalkeeper Jim Brown, who moved on to Chesterfield
, and then Sheffield United
– both players were capped for Scotland
. And no team has ever been able to put together a more spicy trio than [Bill] Currie, [Sid] Sage and [Bert] Rice, who appeared in Rovers' sides of the early 1970s.
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.
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. In 1986 a book covering the club's history was published, "The Boys From the 'Brig'" by Robin Marwick,
Players such as Vic Kasule and Bernie Slaven
brought some flamboyancy to Rovers in the mid-1980s, but it was not until the 1988–89 season
that the fans had something substantial to celebrate when the club were crowned Second Division champions. The First Division stay was again to last just one season and Rovers' form was such that the club finished bottom of the bottom division several times during the 1990s.
, finishing last in its inaugural season of 1994–95 season
. In an attempt to cut costs, the number of full-timers was substantially reduced and the club's board took a decision to sell Cliftonhill and groundshare with Airdrieonians
. Supporters mobilised shareholders to defeat the proposal and oust the then board, a prescient move as it turned out given Airdrie's struggle to maintain the costs of running their new ground and subsequent liquidation.
Following another last place finish in 1999–2000 there was an attempt to change the club's fortunes. The team surprisingly went full-time, although many of the full-time players were youths to whom the club gave employment under a government scheme. Rovers went into the last day of the season in 2001/02 and 2002/03 with a chance of promotion, only to miss out both times. The full time experiment proved too expensive had to be dismantled to keep the club's costs under control.
Another attempt by Directors in 2004 to sell Cliftonhill and move to Airdrie was defeated by shareholders, despite scare stories put about by the board that the football authorities would not allow the club to play at the ground for much longer. Rovers stayed put and it was against this background that a group of fans set up Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust with a view to benefit the club and local community.
Various commercial offers have subsequently been made to purchase Cliftonhill, but the new board has insisted that it will first seek a new home in Coatbridge before closing any deal.
in Dingwall
.
Rovers missed out on a promotion play-off position by a single point. The 2010–11 season
saw the club consistently in the top places and narrowly miss out on topping the division in mid-December. Impressive late season form saw Rovers finish 2nd and go on gain promotion, beating Queens Park in the play-off semi final and Annan Athletic
in the final. In memorable scenes, hundreds of Rovers fans invaded the Annan pitch at the final whistle and joined in prolonged celebrations with the players. The promotion means supporters can look forward in 2011–12 to football in a higher division for the first time in 22 seasons, as well as the first ever league matches against derby rivals Airdrie United
.
, 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.
(1920–1922) Willie Reid (1922–1929) Webber Lees (1929–1935) John Weir (1935–1937) Webber Lees (1937–1949) Robert Beath (1950–1952) Tom Fagan (1952–1953) Jackie Hutton
(1953–1961) Duncan McGill (1961–1962) Willie Telfer
(1962–1965) Bobby Flavell
(1965–1966) Jackie Stewart
(1966–1968) Jimmy Harrower
(1969) Bobby Flavell
(1969–1972) Frank Beattie
(1972–1973) Ralph Brand
(1973–1974) George Caldwell
(1974–1976) Sam Goodwin (1976–1981) Harry Hood
(1981) Joe Baker
(1981–1982) Derek Whiteford
(1982) Martin Ferguson (1982–1983)
Billy Wilson (1983–1984) Benny Rooney
(1984) Andy Ritchie (1984) Joe Baker
(1984–1985) Ray Franchetti
(1985–1986) Tommy Gemmell
(1986–1987) Dave Provan
(1987–1991) Mick Oliver
(1991–1992) Billy McLaren
(1992–1993) Tommy Gemmell
(1993–1994) Tom Spence
(1994–1995) Jimmy Crease
(1995) Vinnie Moore
(1996–1998) Billy McLaren
(1998–1999) Mark Shanks
(1999–2000) John McVeigh
(2000–2002) Peter Hetherston
(2002–2003) Kevin McAllister
(2003–2005) Jimmy Lindsay (2005) Jim Chapman
(2005–2007) John McCormack
(2007–2008) Paul Martin
(2008–present)
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.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team from the North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
town of Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
, who are currently playing in the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
Second Division
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system....
. Founded in 1882 as the result of an amalgamation of two other teams, the club joined the Scottish Football 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
Cliftonhill
Cliftonhill Stadium is the home ground of the Scottish Football League team Albion Rovers. The ground is situated in the town of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire.-History:...
, opened on Christmas Day 1919.
Early years
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system....
in 1903 along with Ayr Parkhouse F.C.
Ayr Parkhouse F.C.
Ayr Parkhouse Football Club were a football club from the town of Ayr in Scotland. The club was a member of the Scottish Football League until 1910, when they merged with neighbours Ayr F.C. to form Ayr United.- History :...
following a small expansion in numbers. Rovers (as their fans prefer the team to be called, rather than "Albion") settled into the League reasonably well, albeit without ever clinching promotion. By 1915 the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
had been merged into a single division structure, with the second division scrapped. The Rovers moved to join the Western Football League and whilst members of this set-up moved to their current Cliftonhill home in 1919. They were close to returning to the Scottish League in 1917 but lost out in a vote amongst Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
, Vale of Leven
Vale of Leven F.C.
Vale of Leven Football Club are an association club based in the town of Alexandria, Scotland, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed the Vale and formed in 1939, they play at Millburn Park...
and Stevenston United F.C.
Return to the League
With their new stadium completed, Rovers returned to the single division Scottish League for the 1919–20 season1919-20 in Scottish football
The 1919–20 season was the 30th season of competitive football in Scotland. The number of teams in the Scottish League was increased from 18 to 22...
. Although they finished rock bottom that season the club also enjoyed possibly their finest hour when they defeated Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
, before losing 3–2 to Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
in the Final. Local folklore has it that Rovers' goalkeeper Joe Shortt had to be bailed out of police custody on the morning of the Final and that his subsequent performance at Hampden had been affected by the lingering effects of his alcohol consumption the night before.
Rovers remained a top-flight side even after the return of the Second Division until their relegation in 1923. It was during this period that John "Jock" White, became Rovers' only international appearing for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, in a match against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
. The club remained in the Second Division until the 1933–34 season
1933-34 in Scottish football
The 1933–34 season was the 44th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: RangersRelegated: Third Lanark, Cowdenbeath-Scottish League Division Two:...
when they took the title by a point from Dunfermline Athletic. 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
Southern Football League (Scotland)
The Southern Football League was a Scottish regional football competition held during World War II, due to the suspension of the Scottish Football League. Held between 1940 and 1946, the competition was played as a single division until the introduction of teams in 1945–46 from the disbanded...
. Despite struggling from time to time to get a full side out the Rovers managed to survive the war in good shape.
Post-war
It would be 1946–471946-47 in Scottish football
The 1946–47 season was the 50th season of competitive football in Scotland, and the first since the 1938–39 season.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: Rangers-Scottish League Division B:-Scottish League Division C:...
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. To add to their problems the celebrated wing partnership of Willie Findlay
Willie Findlay
Willie Findlay was a Scottish football player.Motherwell-born Findlay began his career with Scottish junior club Blantyre Victoria F.C. before moving to join Scottish Football League club Albion Rovers in 1941...
and Johnny McIlhatton was broken up when the former departed for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. and the latter to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. One feature of the McIlhatton transfer was a friendly match between the two clubs at Goodison Park in September 1946, which the Toffees won 6–3.
With Jock Stein
Jock Stein
John 'Jock' Stein CBE was a Scottish association football player and manager. He became the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967...
in the line-up (Stein played more matches for Rovers than for all his other clubs combined), Rovers managed to clinch promotion in 1947/48 if only for one season, amassing just 8 points in the First Division in 1948/49 and an immediate return to the 'B' Division. This was effectively the end of the Rovers as a major force in Scottish football as they became stuck in the Second Division for many years, only occasionally challenging at the top end of the league.
1960s/70s
Nevertheless, there were enough moments to brighten up the lives of the Cliftonhill faithful – such as an 8–2 League Cup defeat of local rivals AirdrieoniansAirdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
in 1965–66 and a run to the League Cup quarter-finals in 1973–74 (again defeating Airdrie along the way). Rovers took a 2–0 lead in the first leg against Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
, but lost the 2nd leg 5–2 to go out 5–4 on aggregate.
Notable players from this era included midfielder Tony Green
Tony Green (footballer)
Anthony "Tony" Green is a Scottish former professional footballer.-Club career:Glasgow-born Green began his career at Albion Rovers in his native Scotland.-Blackpool:...
, who subsequently became a club legend at both Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, and goalkeeper Jim Brown, who moved on to Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, and then Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
– both players were capped for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. And no team has ever been able to put together a more spicy trio than [Bill] Currie, [Sid] Sage and [Bert] Rice, who appeared in Rovers' sides of the early 1970s.
Changes brought in for the 1975–76 season
1975-76 in Scottish football
The 1975–76 season was the 79th season of Scottish league football. It was the first season in the new, three-tier setup. Division One was no longer the top division in Scottish football, although all three divisions are still part of the Scottish Football League.The Premier Division...
saw Rovers placed in the new Second Division, which was now the third tier of the Scottish League.
1980s/90s
Rovers made some headlines for reasons other than their on-field performances when in 1983 confectioners Tunnock'sTunnock's
Thomas Tunnock Limited, commonly known as Tunnock's, is a family baker in Uddingston, Scotland.The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Uddingston. The company expanded in the 1950s, and it was at this time that the core products were...
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. In 1986 a book covering the club's history was published, "The Boys From the 'Brig'" by Robin Marwick,
Players such as Vic Kasule and Bernie Slaven
Bernie Slaven
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Slaven is a Scottish-born former Republic of Ireland international footballer. A striker, with 162 goals in 423 league games, in a 12 year career, he also earned seven caps for the Republic of Ireland....
brought some flamboyancy to Rovers in the mid-1980s, but it was not until the 1988–89 season
1988-89 in Scottish football
The 1988–89 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Notable events:Rangers regained their league title and retained the League Cup, but defeat by Celtic in the Scottish Cup final ended their hopes of a domestic treble....
that the fans had something substantial to celebrate when the club were crowned Second Division champions. The First Division stay was again to last just one season and Rovers' form was such that the club finished bottom of the bottom division several times during the 1990s.
Third Division
Rovers found themselves in the newly created Scottish Football League Third DivisionScottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
, finishing last in its inaugural season of 1994–95 season
1994-95 in Scottish football
The 1994–95 season was the 98th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season seen the re-introduction of the Scottish 3rd division, after an absence of 26 years, and also the introduction of three points for a win being awarded instead of just two.-Notable events:*Raith Rovers...
. In an attempt to cut costs, the number of full-timers was substantially reduced and the club's board took a decision to sell Cliftonhill and groundshare with Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
. Supporters mobilised shareholders to defeat the proposal and oust the then board, a prescient move as it turned out given Airdrie's struggle to maintain the costs of running their new ground and subsequent liquidation.
Following another last place finish in 1999–2000 there was an attempt to change the club's fortunes. The team surprisingly went full-time, although many of the full-time players were youths to whom the club gave employment under a government scheme. Rovers went into the last day of the season in 2001/02 and 2002/03 with a chance of promotion, only to miss out both times. The full time experiment proved too expensive had to be dismantled to keep the club's costs under control.
Another attempt by Directors in 2004 to sell Cliftonhill and move to Airdrie was defeated by shareholders, despite scare stories put about by the board that the football authorities would not allow the club to play at the ground for much longer. Rovers stayed put and it was against this background that a group of fans set up Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust with a view to benefit the club and local community.
Various commercial offers have subsequently been made to purchase Cliftonhill, but the new board has insisted that it will first seek a new home in Coatbridge before closing any deal.
125th anniversary
The 2006–07 season saw the club celebrate its 125th anniversary and various events took place and souvenirs were produced. A new kit that combined the original blue colours with the yellow adopted during the 1960s was also introduced as part of the celebrations. On the field 2006–07 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 CountyRoss County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
in Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
.
Promotion to the Second Division
In 2009–10 season2009–10 Scottish Third Division
Dumbarton as champions of the 2008–09 season were directly promoted to the 2009–10 Scottish Second Division. They were replaced by Stranraer who finished bottom of the 2008–09 Scottish Second Division....
Rovers missed out on a promotion play-off position by a single point. The 2010–11 season
2010–11 Scottish Third Division
The 2010–11 Scottish Football League Third Division was the 16th season in the format of ten teams in the fourth-tier of Scottish football. The season started on 7 August 2011 and ended on 7 May 2011. Arbroath F.C...
saw the club consistently in the top places and narrowly miss out on topping the division in mid-December. Impressive late season form saw Rovers finish 2nd and go on gain promotion, beating Queens Park in the play-off semi final and Annan Athletic
Annan Athletic F.C.
Annan Athletic Football Club are an association football club who compete in the Scottish Third Division. They are based in the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway...
in the final. In memorable scenes, hundreds of Rovers fans invaded the Annan pitch at the final whistle and joined in prolonged celebrations with the players. The promotion means supporters can look forward in 2011–12 to football in a higher division for the first time in 22 seasons, as well as the first ever league matches against derby rivals Airdrie United
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
.
Honours
- Scottish First DivisionScottish Football League First DivisionThe Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
':- Winners (1): 1933–34
- Runners-up (3): 1913–14, 1937–.38, 1947–48
- Scottish League Division Two:
- Winners (1): 1988–89
- Scottish Football League Division Three:
- Runners-up (1) 2010–11
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
:
- Scottish Qualifying CupScottish Qualifying CupThe Scottish Qualifying Cup was a football competition played in Scotland between 1895 and 2007. During that time, apart from a brief spell in the 1950s, it was the only way for non-league teams to qualify for the Scottish Cup...
:
- Lanarkshire League:
- Winners: 1901–02
- Lanarkshire CupLanarkshire CupThe Lanarkshire Cup was an annual competition open to football teams in the Lanarkshire area. The competition is now defunct.-List of winners:1879–80 - Stonelaw1880–81 - Thistle1881–82 -1882–83 - Benhar1883–84 - Cambuslang...
:- 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
- Scottish Division Three Play Offs:
- Winners (1): 2010–11
Club records
Biggest win: 12–0 v Airdriehill (Scottish CupScottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
, 3 September 1887)
Biggest defeat: 1–11 v Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
(Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
, 11 August 1993)
Biggest home attendance
Scottish football attendance records
This article lists Scottish football attendance records under the categories listed below. The highest ever attendance for a UEFA competition match was in the 1969–70 European Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, Scotland's National stadium. A record 136,505 people attended that Cup semi-final....
: 27,381 v Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
(Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
, 8 February 1936)
Record Scorer: No record.
Current squad
- For recent transfers, see Albion Rovers transfers in 2011–12 season.
Backroom Staff
- Manager: Paul MartinPaul Martin (Scottish footballer)Paul Martin is a Scottish football former player and coach. He is currently the manager of Albion Rovers, who play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
- Player/Assistant Manager: Todd LumsdenTodd LumsdenTodd Lumsden is an English footballer. He is currently playing for Albion Rovers in the Scottish Football League Third Division, where he is also working as the assistant manager...
- Player/Coach: Danny Ferry
- Coach: Paul Tyrell
Managers
Archie MontgomeryArchie Montgomery
Archibald Montgomery was a Scottish footballer. His regular position was as a goalkeeper. He was born in Chryston, Lanarkshire. He played for Manchester United, Rangers, and Bury. He would also manage Albion Rovers at the end of his career.-External links:*...
(1920–1922) Willie Reid (1922–1929) Webber Lees (1929–1935) John Weir (1935–1937) Webber Lees (1937–1949) Robert Beath (1950–1952) Tom Fagan (1952–1953) Jackie Hutton
Jackie Hutton
Jackie Hutton is a Scottish former footballer and manager. He played for Wishaw Juniors early in his football career and then most notably for Scunthorpe United....
(1953–1961) Duncan McGill (1961–1962) Willie Telfer
Willie Telfer (footballer born 1925)
Willie Telfer is a Scottish former football player and manager. He played as a centre half for St. Mirren, Rangers, Queen of the South and Hamilton Academical. He represented the Scotland once, in a 1954 British Home Championship match against Wales. He then managed Albion Rovers from 1962 until...
(1962–1965) Bobby Flavell
Bobby Flavell (Scottish footballer)
Bobby Flavell was a Scottish association football player and manager. His senior playing career, which was delayed by the Second World War, had its high point at Dundee, where he won two Scottish League Cup winners' medals in consecutive years. Flavell won two caps for the Scotland national...
(1965–1966) Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart (football manager)
Jackie Stewart was a Scottish football manager.He had some success as manager of Albion Rovers F.C.. His most famous period was as manager of Dumbarton F.C.. He managed the team which won the Second Division of the Scottish Football League in the 1971-72 season. During the next season he was...
(1966–1968) Jimmy Harrower
Jimmy Harrower
Jimmy Harrower in Dunfermline, Scotland, is a retired Scottish professional footballer who played as a left back in the Football League. He played for Scottish club Third Lanark and English club Accrington Stanley in seven year spells, from 1947 to 1961.-Football career:Harrower moved from his...
(1969) Bobby Flavell
Bobby Flavell (Scottish footballer)
Bobby Flavell was a Scottish association football player and manager. His senior playing career, which was delayed by the Second World War, had its high point at Dundee, where he won two Scottish League Cup winners' medals in consecutive years. Flavell won two caps for the Scotland national...
(1969–1972) Frank Beattie
Frank Beattie
Frank Beattie was a Scottish association football player and manager. He spent his entire senior playing career with Kilmarnock, making 422 league appearances between 1954 and 1972. He was captain of Kilmarnock when they won the Scottish League Championship in 1965...
(1972–1973) Ralph Brand
Ralph Brand
Ralph Laidlaw Brand is a retired Scottish footballer, who played as a striker for Rangers, and latterly, Manchester City, Sunderland, Raith Rovers and Hamilton Academical.-Playing career:...
(1973–1974) George Caldwell
George Caldwell
For the Louisiana contractor, see George A. Caldwell.George Alfred Caldwell was a United States Representative from Kentucky. He was born in Columbia, Kentucky where he attended the common schools...
(1974–1976) Sam Goodwin (1976–1981) Harry Hood
Harry Hood (footballer)
Henry Anthony "Harry" Hood was a Scottish footballer.-Celtic:Hood played for Celtic, for whom he scored the winning goal in the final of the 1971 Scottish Cup, a 2-1 replay win over Rangers. He also scored the first goal in the 1974 Scottish Cup Final in a 3-0 victory over Dundee Utd...
(1981) Joe Baker
Joe Baker
Joseph Henry "Joe" Baker was an England international footballer. Born in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland...
(1981–1982) Derek Whiteford
Derek Whiteford
Derek Whiteford is a Scottish former football player and manager. He played for Hibernian, Airdrie, Dumbarton and Falkirk.Whiteford started his senior career, but was soon given a free transfer...
(1982) Martin Ferguson (1982–1983)
Billy Wilson (1983–1984) Benny Rooney
Benny Rooney
Benny Rooney is a Scottish former association football player and manager.-Playing career:Rooney played for Celtic as a youth, but was allowed to sign for Dundee United on a free transfer in 1963. He was frequently relegated to United's reserve team, however, and he was eventually sold to St....
(1984) Andy Ritchie (1984) Joe Baker
Joe Baker
Joseph Henry "Joe" Baker was an England international footballer. Born in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland...
(1984–1985) Ray Franchetti
Ray Franchetti
Ray Franchetti is a former association football player and manager. He played for Airdrieonians and Albion Rovers in the Scottish Football League, and then managed Albion Rovers during the 1985–86 season.- References :...
(1985–1986) Tommy Gemmell
Tommy Gemmell
Thomas Gemmell is a former Scottish footballer and manager.He played as left-sided fullback and had powerful shooting ability. In October 1961, he joined Celtic from Coltness United. He was one of the 'Lisbon Lions' who won the European Cup in 1967. In the final he scored a spectacular goal that...
(1986–1987) Dave Provan
David Provan (footballer born 1941)
Dave Provan is a Scottish former professional football player who is best known for his time with Rangers.Provan was a product of the Rangers youth team and played as a full back. He made his debut on 27 December 1958 in a league match away to Third Lanark which Rangers won 3-2...
(1987–1991) Mick Oliver
Michael Oliver (footballer)
Michael Oliver is a former Scottish football player and manager. Oliver now holds the position as national team scout for the Scotland national football team, reporting directly to the national coach Craig Levein...
(1991–1992) Billy McLaren
Billy McLaren
Billy McLaren is a Scottish former association football player and manager.-Player:McLaren was something of a journeyman as a player, serving eight different Scottish league clubs. His longest service was to Dumfries club, Queen of the South...
(1992–1993) Tommy Gemmell
Tommy Gemmell
Thomas Gemmell is a former Scottish footballer and manager.He played as left-sided fullback and had powerful shooting ability. In October 1961, he joined Celtic from Coltness United. He was one of the 'Lisbon Lions' who won the European Cup in 1967. In the final he scored a spectacular goal that...
(1993–1994) Tom Spence
Tom Spence
Tom Spence is a Scottish former association football player and manager.- External links :*...
(1994–1995) Jimmy Crease
Jimmy Crease
James 'Jimmy' Crease born 1949, is a Scottish football manager and former player.Crease played for Berwick Rangers and Albion Rovers in the Scottish Football League. He has since managed Albion Rovers, Arniston Rangers, Fauldhouse United, Linlithgow Rose and he has had four spells as manager of...
(1995) Vinnie Moore
Vinnie Moore (footballer)
Vinnie Moore is an English former association football player and manager.- External links :*...
(1996–1998) Billy McLaren
Billy McLaren
Billy McLaren is a Scottish former association football player and manager.-Player:McLaren was something of a journeyman as a player, serving eight different Scottish league clubs. His longest service was to Dumfries club, Queen of the South...
(1998–1999) Mark Shanks
Mark Shanks
Mark Shanks is a Scottish former association football player and manager. Shanks played for Motherwell, Ayr United, Dumbarton and Dumfries club Queen of the South.- External links :*...
(1999–2000) John McVeigh
John McVeigh (footballer)
John McVeigh , is a former Scottish football midfielder and manager.-Playing career:McVeigh started his career with Airdrieonians in 1975, before moving to Australia to play for Brisbane City. He stayed in Australia for a year, before moving back to Scotland to play for Clyde, where he spent four...
(2000–2002) Peter Hetherston
Peter Hetherston
Peter Hetherston is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.-Career:Hetherston played over 350 league matches during his seventeen-year playing career, appearing for eight different clubs...
(2002–2003) Kevin McAllister
Kevin McAllister
Kevin McAllister is a former association football player. A winger, he began his professional career with Falkirk, with whom he spent 10 years over four separate spells. In between these spells he played for Chelsea and Hibernian...
(2003–2005) Jimmy Lindsay (2005) Jim Chapman
Jim Chapman (footballer)
Jim Chapman is a football player and manager.Chapman played as a forward for Albion Rovers and Dumbarton. A knee injury ended his career aged 25....
(2005–2007) John McCormack
John McCormack (Scottish footballer)
John Duffy McCormack is a Scottish former footballer who played as a defender and has managed several Scottish clubs.-Career:...
(2007–2008) Paul Martin
Paul Martin (Scottish footballer)
Paul Martin is a Scottish football former player and coach. He is currently the manager of Albion Rovers, who play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
(2008–present)
Derivative teams
Albion RoversAlbion Rovers F.C. (Wales)
Albion Rovers Football Club are a Welsh football team from the city of Newport, who from 1993 to 2005 played in the Welsh Football League. At the end of the 2004–05 season, they were relegated to the Gwent County League....
from Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, playing in the Gwent County League
Gwent County League
The Gwent County League is a football league in South Wales, consisting of 3 divisions, named Divisions One, Two and Three...
, 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.
External links
- Official Site
- Fan Site
- Businesses rally to save Albion Rovers, stv feature, 19 June 2007.
- Photos of Cliftonhill April 2008