Football fans across the world are, for the first time, being offered the chance to become part of the first ever 100% fans’ owned football league club in the UK - Scottish Second Division side Stirling Albion.
And Soccerade and FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, have pledged their support to the campaign.
The Stirling Albion Supporters Trust has created a novel scheme called ‘BuyStirlingAlbion’ which aims to buy Stirling Albion FC from its current owners and in turn help save it from going out of business and retain its position in Scotland’s senior leagues.
Stirling Albion FC has been for sale for several years and, with no serious bids forthcoming, is at risk of going out of business with spiraling costs and little sign of any investment. Formed in 1945, Stirling Albion finished in 5th position in Scotland’s Second Division this season.
The specific amount required to buy the club is still to be confirmed but The Stirling Albion Supporters Trust has put an ambitious target of over 20,000 memberships from all over the world to generate money to buy the club and provide funds towards the ongoing operating costs.
Paul Goodwin from BuyStirlingAlbion said,
This is the chance of a lifetime for everyone to be part of the first 100% fans trust owned league club in the UK. Fans trusts already have ownership in clubs across the UK and in four cases have majority stakes but this innovative and ambitious campaign aims to make Stirling Albion FC the UK’s first ever 100% fans trust owned club. However, we have to be very clear that if this campaign doesn’t come off there is a serious danger that the club may cease to exist as a league club which is why it’s so important that it succeeds.
Cristiano Ronaldo and the team at Soccerade said,
“Buystirlingalbion.org.uk is a great community football project that we fully endorse”.
Buying an ‘Albion Trust Membership’ will cost £40 and will see football fans from across the world helping save the football club whilst having a direct input into the running of the club, through The Stirling Albion Supporters Trust, including choosing the team kit and who holds the position of Club President. Other ‘Albion Trust Membership’ holders will have the chance to win seats in the directors’ box and travel on the team bus to away matches.
The campaign will also offer, for the first time in Scottish senior football, the rights to a sponsor to have its name included as part of the official team name.
‘Albion Business Bonds’ are also available for £75 with numerous Club incentives and discounted sponsorship packages available for those companies that show their support.
Paul Goodwin added:
A lot of time, planning and thought has been put in over the last nine months to come up with a really innovative fundraising plan the like of which has never been seen before in Scottish or UK football. We hope it will result in securing the future of the club and create a fresh start with football fans owning 100% of the club. The city of Stirling already plays a huge part in Scottish history and is a place that people from across the world travel to visit. Stirling’s football clubs have played an important part in the history of Scottish football for the last 160 years and we want Stirling Albion fans and supporters of other clubs from across the world to be part of this unique attempt to preserve its future. We hope our campaign will reach most corners of the world and appeal to football fans generally but also people with Scottish roots, family in Scotland or Stirling or maybe those who have visited the area before and feel a connection. It might even be that they live in another part of the world called Stirling or maybe they just want to have a football team that they can have real input to. Most football fans around the world seem to have a favourite English team so we hope to appeal to those who want a favourite Scottish team that they will become a real part of.
Stirling is the home of the oldest football in the world which was found in the roof structure of the ‘Queen’s Chamber’ in Stirling Castle in 1981. Historians believe it to date from circa 1540 (the bedroom ceiling was enclosed with wooden panels in the 1540s) making Stirling the first place ‘football’ was played in Scotland.
And as far back as 1497 the accounts at The Royal Court show a sum being given to buy footballs for King James IV.
Goodwin added:
These days it can be easily forgotten how important a role football clubs play in the communities they are based. It’s not just about playing in those communities every second week but more often than not its all about what goes on in the days when the first team isn’t playing. Stirling Albion is an essential part of the community with children from the age of four through to semi professionals playing and enjoying their football. The club also plays an important part in the Active Stirling football development programme that provides structured activities for children in the area.
The city of Stirling has had a senior football club since 1875 and been represented in the Scottish Football League since 1921. Firstly with King’s Park FC (which joined the SFA in 1881) and then by Stirling Albion FC which was formed in 1946 following the demise of King’s Park FC after its ground was destroyed by the only bomb dropped on Stirling during the Second World War in 1940.
When the war ended in 1945 and plans were laid to reinstate the Scottish Football League (SFL), Thomas Fergusson, a coal magnate, offered to host King’s Park in the brand new Annfield Stadium that he planned to build. This offer was declined by the King’s Park FC board who preferred to wait for war compensation so Fergusson forged ahead and formed Stirling Albion FC to play in his brand new stadium. When the SFL was reinstated in 1946 the new club was elected in King’s Park FC’s place. By the time King’s Park FC received its war compensation in 1953 it was just enough to cover the club’s debts and they went out of business.
Celebrity Support
The ‘BuyStirlingAlbion’ campaign launched on the 6th of May 2009 and received over 250,000 visits to the BuyStirlingAlbion.org.uk website from 38 different countries round the world within 48 hours of the site launch.
Adding to the support from Cristiano Ronaldo and the team at Soccerade announced at the campaign’s launch, more celebrities have announced at their support for the innovative campaign to become the UK’s first 100% fan owned league club. Snooker legend Stephen Hendry, footballing brothers Gary and Steven Caldwell and top chef Nick Nairn have all now pledged their support for The ‘BuyStirlingAlbion’ campaign.
Stephen Hendry said:
Having practiced at Spencer’s Snooker Club for most of my professional career, I know how important Stirling Albion Football Club is to the local community, and I wish the Trust well in its efforts to ensure the long term future of the club.
Nick Nairn said:
My brother and I have always supported our local team and will do our utmost to make sure this campaign is a success
Celtic and Scotland star Gary Caldwell said
please give your backing and join the fight to save Stirling Albion. Good luck with the campaign
Steven Caldwell of Championship side Burnley said,
I think it is really important that every community has a local football team and fully support the campaign to save Stirling Albion.
As Paul Goodwin explained:
We knew there would be interest in the BuyStirlingAlbion campaign but the level of interest from across the world has blown us away. To get support from Mr McKenzie, the club’s Chairman, is very important to us as we are all now working towards preserving the future of Stirling Albion The campaign was always going to be a long game and it would never have been won in the first few days but we are delighted by the support we’ve been receiving from Stirling Albion fans and from fans of other clubs too.
Get Involved
For full details on the campaign to create the first 100% fans owned Scottish league club please visit www.BuyStirlingAlbion.org.uk.
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- A week of Scottish woes
- The continuing saga of Scottish football
- Extra Time – A Scottish football round-up
- The Scottish Football Four to Follow
- Scottish Football Midweek Round-up
Tags: SFL, Stirling Albion
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