Gates slump and injuries hit King’s Park

Plunging gate receipts plus injuries to key players made the 1928-29 season a difficult one for Stirling’s premier football team at that time, King’s Park FC.

At a generally cordial annual meeting of shareholders, chairman Captain Hardie said the club made a loss during the season of £561, equivalent to more than £35,000 today.

Bemoaning the lack of public support for the club, the captain said gate receipts amounted to £2472 (more than £156,000 today) in season 1925-26 and £2345 (almost £150,000) in the following season.

However, in season 1928-29, the figure had fallen to £1701 (£108,000).

There had been an increase in support in the months of 1929 but this had still left them with a deficit on the balance sheet, explained Captain Hardie.

He called on supporters to`do their utmost’to back the club in the coming season.

Injuries and illness during the previous season had robbed them of key players – including centre-half and captain Toner – and it had cost the club £300 (almost £19,000) to bring in replacements.

And the absence of star players had also affected gate receipts, according to the chairman.

He also told shareholders that extra expense had been incurred through bringing in the players twice weekly for training in an attempt to improve results.

There was applause when he said he thought this had paid off and everyone would agree that towards the end of the season King’s Park was`one of the best-playing teams’in the Second Division.

Looking ahead to the new season, Captain Hardie said they were hoping to retain the strongest of the current side and introduce `a little new blood’.

Some discussion followed and among the suggestions made was additional coverings for the stand’s open spaces, which caused draughts for long-suffering fans.