Albion Rovers F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Albion Rovers


fullname = Albion Rovers Football Club
nickname = "The Wee Rovers"
founded = 1882
ground = Cliftonhill, Coatbridge, Scotland
capacity = 1,249 | chairman = Frank Meade
manager = flagicon|Scotland Paul Martin
assist. = Vacant
league = Scottish Third Division
season = 2007-08
position = Scottish Third Division, 7th
shirtsponsors= Reigart
pattern_la1=_blueshoulders
pattern_b1=_royalbluesweepsides
pattern_ra1=_blueshoulders
leftarm1=FFFF33
body1=FFFF33
rightarm1=FFFF33
shorts1=0000FF
socks1=0000FF
pattern_la2=_gold_stripe_parallel
pattern_b2=_red_gold_collar
pattern_ra2=_gold_stripe_parallel
pattern_s2=_gold triangles
leftarm2=FF0000
body2=FF0000
rightarm2=FF0000
shorts2=FF0000
socks2=FF0000

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.

History

The club was formed with the merger of Albion and Rovers in 1882cite news|url=http://www.albionrovers.com/history.htm|publisher=albionrovers.com|title=Albion Rovers F.C. - 1882-Present|accessdate=2008-02-06] 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. 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 relegated 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 Currie, Sage and Rice which raised a few smiles at the time. Fact|date=February 2008

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. cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/5381688.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Ross County 4-1 Albion Rovers|date=2006-10-27|accessdate=2008-02-06]

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.

Honours

*Scottish First DivisionKnown as second division prior to 1975] :
**Winners (1): 1934-35
**Runners-up (3): 1913-14, 1937-38, 1947-48

*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

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)

Current Squad

Backroom Staff

*Manager: Paul Martin
*Assistant Manager: Paddy Connolly
*Goalkeeping Coach: Barry Daniel
*Physio: John McMenemy
*Kit Man: Jordan Campbell

Famous Albion Rovers players

*Peter Dickson
*John "Jock" White
*Jock Stein
*Tommy Keirnan
*Willie Findlay
*Johnny McIlhatton
*Matt Carson
*Danny Hegan
*Tony Green
*Jim Brown
*Mick Green
*Sam Malcolmson
*Jeff King
*John Brogan
*Bernie Slaven
*Victor Kasule
*Kevin McAllister
*Steve Evans
*Tom Sermanni
*(Alec Reid)
*(Andy Murphy)
*(Joe Gallagher)
*(Kenny Jenkins), fastest hat trick, Clydebank 1967
* Michael McGowan

Managers

*flagicon|SCO Archie Montgomery (1920-1922)
*flagicon|SCO William Reid (1922-1929)
*flagicon|SCO Webber Lees (1929-1935)
*flagicon|SCO John Weir (1935-1937)
*flagicon|SCO Webber Lees (1937-1949)
*flagicon|SCO Robert Beath (1950-1952)
*flagicon|SCO Tom Fagan (1952-1953)
*flagicon|SCO Jackie Hutton (1953-1961)
*flagicon|SCO Duncan McGill (1961-1962)
*flagicon|SCO Willie Telfer (1962-1965)
*flagicon|ENG Bobby Flavell (1965-1966)
*flagicon|SCO Jackie Stewart (1966-1968)
*flagicon|SCO Jimmy Harrower (1969)
*flagicon|ENG Bobby Flavell(1969-1972)
*flagicon|SCO Frank Beattie (1972-1973)
*flagicon|SCO Ralph Brand (1973-1974)
*flagicon|SCO George Caldwell (1974-1976)
*flagicon|SCO Sam Goodwin (1976-1981)
*flagicon|SCO Harry Hood (1981)
*flagicon|ENG Joe Baker (1981-1982)
*flagicon|SCO Derek Whiteford (1982)
*flagicon|SCO Martin Ferguson (1982-1983)
*flagicon|SCO Billy Wilson (1983-1984)
*flagicon|SCO Benny Rooney (1984)
*flagicon|SCO Andy Ritchie (1984)
*flagicon|ENG Joe Baker (1984-1985)
*flagicon|SCO Ray Franchetti (1985-1986)
*flagicon|SCO Tommy Gemmell (1986-1987)
*flagicon|SCO Davie Provan (1987-1991)
*flagicon|SCO Mick Oliver (1991-1992)
*flagicon|SCO Billy McLaren (1992-1993)
*flagicon|SCO Tommy Gemmell (1993-1994)
*flagicon|SCO Tom Spence (1994-1995)
*flagicon|SCO Jimmy Crease (1995)
*flagicon|ENG Vinnie Moore (1996-1998)
*flagicon|SCO Billy McLaren (1998-1999)
*flagicon|SCO Mark Shanks (1999-2000)
*flagicon|SCO John McVeigh (2000-2002)
*flagicon|SCO Peter Hetherston (2002-2003)
*flagicon|SCO Kevin McAllister (2003-2005)
*flagicon|SCO Jimmy Lindsay (2005)
*flagicon|SCO Jim Chapman (2005-2007)
*flagicon|SCO John McCormack (2007-2008)
*flagicon|SCO Paul Martin (2008-present)

References

External links

* [http://www.albionrovers.com www.AlbionRovers.com]
* [http://www.stv.tv/content/sport/exclusive/display.html?id=opencms:/sport/exclusive/Albion_feature_190607 Businesses rally to save Albion Rovers] , stv feature, 19 June 2007. [http://www.erichall.eu/footsc.html Photos of Cliftonhill April 2008]