Albion’s league application is knocked back

Newly-formed Stirling Albion were dealt a blow in mid-1945 when an application by the club for admission to the Scottish League was turned down.

Albion had been founded that year, rising from the ashes of the town’s previous Scottish League club, King’s Park.

Debt-ridden King’s Park failed to survive World War Two after a German bomb – one of two dropped on Stirling during the conflict – hit and damaged the club’s Forthbank ground.

A group of businessman, including coal magnate Thomas Fergusson, who had managed King’s Park, came together at the end of WW2 to bring league football back to the town.

They set up Stirling Albion and Annfield Estate was bought for a new stadium but their plans hit a snag in June 1945 when applications from Stirling, Brechin City, Forfar and Montrose were turned down by the Scottish League.

Much to the obvious annoyance of the Observer, Alloa and Stenhousemuir were successful in securing a place in the league’s B Division.

One of the reasons given in the national press for the rejection of the applications from Stirling and the other three clubs was they were `too remote’ for other teams to visit.

However, as the Observer pointed out, Stirling was on the main road and the rail line north and better situated than Alloa.

Reports also suggested league chiefs were influenced by the record of clubs in the previous 10 years – something that would have gone against Stirling as it had just come into existence.

Furthermore, statements issued to the press indicated the league authorities had `no official knowledge’ of Stirling having a new ground or any information about Albion and King’s Park.

The Observer acknowledged rejection would be a blow to those who had formed the club and others who had been working hard to prepare the playing field at Annfield.

However, it was hoped the club would be in a better position to be granted a place in the higher echelon of Scottish football in season 194647 when league football was due to properly resume.

Meanwhile, opposition to the creation of a football stadium at Annfield Estate was growing. Stirling town councillors, by a majority decision, had in May 1945, approved the plans. However, at a meeting on the town council a month later it emerged the decision had attracted six letters of objection. One was from the `Stirling Planning Group’, who felt the move would be prejudicial to future planning in the area, create `extreme road dangers’ and impinge on amenity.

Other criticism came from the Department of Health and Stirling branch of the National Council of Women whose members were angry that `such speedy sanction had been given to destruction of Annfield Estate’. They also felt the stadium would `spoil the southern approach to Stirling’.

Albion played at Annfield until 1993 when it switched to a new stadium at Forthbank