Binos stadium set to host progamme fair

Binos’forthbank stadium will host a football memorabilia fair this spring.

It follows the first Stirling fair held at the city’s Colessio Hotel in 2021.

The fair has been organised by Stirling Albion fan Jim Thomson, who set up the Scottish Football Programme and Memorabilia Fair Facebook and Twitter pages two years ago.

There will be ten vendors in all at the Sunday, June 11 Forthbank event including Brian Johnson who runs Almondvale programmes in Edinburgh – one of only three of Scotland’s full-time programme shops – and Andy Mitchell, Scottish football historian, author and former SFA and UEFA employee.

And special guest will be former Aberdeen, Hibs and Rangers midfielder Dougie Bell who was inducted into the Aberdeen Hall of Fame last year.

Jim said:“the 2021 Colessio fair was a great day with over 160 collectors attending.

“Since then we have held fairs in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dumfries and Falkirk and been very encouraged by the numbers attending and the feedback and enthusiasm

“And the interest continues to grow, with the social media platforms now with over 2000 members.

“In June, I’ll be bringing the fair back to Stirling and Forthbank Stadium – nothing to do with the fact I’m an Albion fan, purely coincidence.

“It’ll be a great day for the football collector whether you have been collecting for years, just starting or just curious as to what it’s all about.”

Jim pointed out that during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s football programme collecting was a very popular hobby among football supporters and old programme fairs at Glasgow’s Mclennan Galleries would regularly attract around a thousand people.

He added:“the emergence of social media in recent years has sadly seen the sales of programmes decline.

“This is unfortunate because a programme can be such a fantastic memento to have.”

The Forthbank event takes place between 10.30am and 2pm. Admission is free and tea and coffee will be available.