Binos face cup clash with the Dark Blues
Betfredtussleshouldbringcrowd
Stirling Albion will kick off their Betfred Cup campaign against Group D favourites Dundee at Forthbank on Saturday, July 14.
The season opener should attract a decent crowd for what will be the first meeting between the teams since the Dark Blues won a Scottish Cup tie 2-1 in Stirling in November 2011.
Neil McCann’s men finished ninth in the Ladbrokes Premiership last season, six points clear of the relegation play-off place.
They have so far added four players to their squad for next term – Hearts goalkeeper Jack Hamilton is joined on Tayside by Elton Ngwatala (Kidderminster Harriers), Kharl Madianga (Lokomotiv GO) and Nathan Ralph (Woking).
Albion have a terrible record against the Dens Park club down the years, with only three wins in 50 attempts – the last of them coming at Annfield in October 1978 – and will be long odds to pull off a shock on matchday one.
Albion are also at home in matchday two on Tuesday, July 17 when relegated Brechin City are the visitors. Darren Dods’ side are aiming to put a nightmare Championship campaign behind them and also gain revenge for a 2-0 defeat at Forthbank in last year’s Betfred Cup.
The Binos then make the long journey north to play Peterhead in matchday three on Saturday, July 21 before finishing off on Saturday, July 28 at East End Park against Dunfermline Athletic.
Allan Johnston’s side finished fourth in the Ladbrokes Championship and were unlucky to lose to Dundee United in the play-off quarter-final.
They have lost striker Nicky Clark and winger Fraser Aird to the Tannadice club but have brought in brothers Louis and Jackson Longridge from Falkirk and Livingston.
Stirling and Dunfermline last crossed paths in 2014/15 when the Pars were in League 1 and the most recent encounter ended 1-1 when Gordon Smith scored for the visitors.
A total of 40 teams are involved in the group stage of the Betfred Cup, with the eight section winners and four best runnersup joining European qualifiers Celtic, Aberdeen, Rangers and Hibernian in the last 16 on the weekend of Saturday, August 18.