Binos start out on Scottish Cup run
Stirling Albion embark on another Scottish Cup campaign on Saturday, hoping for a decent run in a tournament that concludes at Hampden Park on May 9 next year.
The club’s high-water mark is the quarter-finals – a stage they last reached in 1989/90 under John Brogan, a season when they played some outstanding football only to be pipped for promotion from Division Two by Brechin City and Kilmarnock.
The Scottish Cup run was, it has to be said, aided by a kind draw but Stirling had to play all their games away from home due to the plastic pitch at Annfield. pponents had the option of taking ties to a neutral ground with a grass surface and, unsurprisingly, all of them did.
Albion kicked off with a routine 4-0 win over Coldstream at Alloa’s Recreation Park then saw off Whitehill Welfare 3-0 at Firs Park, home of East Stirlingshire. They returned there to face the Shire in round three and won 1-0 on a Monday night thanks to a goal from Robert Docherty.
Stirling were now in the last 16, where they would play Highland League Inverness Caley at Brockville. This was a few years before the merger with Inverness Thistle that would see the new club join the Scottish Football League in 1994.
Caley were a strong side, who had already knocked out Airdrie. However, in a tie postponed until the Wednesday night, Albion swept them away with a superb performance, winning 6-2 to set up a quarter-final with Clydebank at Kilbowie Park.
On the same day that Scotland famously beat England at Murrayfield to win the Grand Slam in 1990 – Tony Stanger scoring the crucial try – Stirling Albion should have reached their first ever Scottish Cup semi-final. The Bankies were in Division One and had beaten St Mirren en route but were outplayed by Brogan’s men for much of the game. Vinnie Moore converted a penalty and Clydebank had striker Ken Eadie sent off but the Binos couldn’t find the winner despite creating a string of chances. They lost the replay 1-0 at Brockville, denying them a shot against Celtic at Hampden.
Stirling haven’t managed such a run in the intervening period, although they came close in 1993/94 when a last-minute equaliser salvaged a 3-3 draw for St Johnstone in a dramatic encounter at McDiarmid Park. Saints set up a quarter-final with Aberdeen by winning the replay 2-0 two days later.
Progressing to the fourth round in January has to be the target for Kevin Rutkiewicz’s side, something that would offer the possibility of a game against a Premiership outfit – a cash boost to the club and some excitement for the fans, as was the case when the Binos landed a trip to Celtic Park in January 2008 and performed well despite ultimately losing 3-0.
In 2015/16 they reached that stage under Stuart McLaren and held Inverness Caley Thistle to a 0-0 draw. They lost the replay 2-0 in the Highland capital but were around £80,000 better off thanks to Sky Sports showing the match live – it was only the second time in Albion’s history they had been covered live on TV. The first occasion was for a 0-0 draw with Rangers at Ibrox in March 2013, broadcast on ESPN at lunchtime on a cold day.
Stirling are favourites to see off Strathspey on Saturday but there will be no complacency among the supporters, who saw their side slump to a humiliating 5-3 defeat to Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale at the same stage two years ago. Last season brought another early exit in the shape of a 2-1 reverse to Queen’s Park; Jordan Allan missing a last-minute penalty that would have earned a replay.
The club’s most famous Scottish Cup result is, of course, the 20-0 thrashing of Selkirk in a first-round tie at Annfield in December 1984. Davie Thompson scored seven goals and Willie Irvine grabbed five for Alex Smith’s side, who led 5-0 at the break and incredibly netted 15 times after the interval.
Since moving to Forthbank in 1993, the most eye-catching Scottish Cup tie was the 2-1 replay victory over Hibernian in February 1999. No-one gave John Philliben’s men a chance but Stevie Nicholas scored to earn a 1-1 draw at Easter Road and the Binos completed the job at home to Alex McLeish’s team, who were riding high at the top of the First Division.
Stirling have met Highland League opponents on a number of occasions in the recent past, with mixed results. In 2016/17 they beat Wick Academy 2-0 at Forthbank when the visitors were arguably worthy of a replay but crashed out 1-0 at home to Deveronvale in 2012/13, just a few weeks after beating Rangers. Turriff United were beaten 3-0 away from home the following season after Greig McDonald’s side had squeezed past Whitehill Welfare in a replay.
There have been plenty other ties against non-league opponents in the last decade – Cumbernauld Colts were thumped 6-0 but Hurlford United were only beaten after a marathon penalty shoot-out that eventually ended 13-12 while the 3-0 win at Linlithgow Rose was not as comfortable as it sounds.
After a poor start in Ladbrokes League 2 this season, Stirling could certainly use an emphatic win this weekend to boost confidence and clinch a place in round three/