Forthbank Stadium, Springkerse, Stirling, Scotland, FK7 7UJ
Forthbank Details: [Information] [Location] [Directions]

Away Strip
Shirt - Royal Blue
Shorts - Royal Blue
Socks - Royal Blue
Click to view our away strip...

A Brief History of Stirling Albion's Kits
Prior to the Second World War, Stirling had been represented in the Scottish Football League by King's Park FC. Formed in 1849, King's Park had turned out in an all navy-blue outfit featuring a red stripe sewn into the side of players' knickers, long shorts that reached below the knee. The team played in maroon and then red tops in the mid 1880s before adopting cardinal red and white stripes in 1892. They wore stripes until 1939 when a set of cardinal red shirts with white sleeves were adopted.

In 1940, after the club had closed down for the duration of World War Two, the Luftwaffe dropped a single bomb on Stirling and it happened to fall on King's Park's ground. When the war ended and plans were laid to reinstate the Scottish Football League (SFL), Thomas Ferguson, a coal magnate, offered to host King's Park in the brand new Annfield Stadium that he planned to build. the King's Park board declined the offer, preferring to wait for war compensation. By the time they received this, in 1953, it was just enough to cover the club's debts and they went out of business.

Meanwhile Ferguson forged ahead and formed Stirling Albion FC to play in his brand new stadium and when the SFL was reinstated in 1946, the new club was elected in King's Park's place.

In their first season (1945-46), Albion wore red shirts with white collars, white shorts, red stockings with white turnovers. On joining the SFL they adopted red and white hooped shirts but reverted to plain red tops for the 1947-48 season. Between 1948 and 1950 they reverted to hooped shirts but in 1950 they changed to red shirts with white collars and sleeves and white shorts. This outfit became the club's signature kit and has been revived on several occasions.

In 1959, Albion bowed to fashion with a smart new all-white kit featuring two red bands across the chest and red and white trimmed V necks. Shorts were significantly shorter than the baggy items worn previously and were now adorned with a red stripe down each side. Between 1961 and 1964 the Stirlingshire arms, a saltire cross with a red lion rampant, appeared on the shirts.

In 1965, again following a general trend, Albion adopted an all-white kit which was, in 1967-68, relieved by two red rings on the stocking turnover. In 1968, the team adopted classic red shirts with white crew necks, white shorts and red stockings while in 1971, the shorts became red. Any resemblance to the Manchester United and Liverpool sides of the period was probably coinicidental.

After 13 seasons in all-red, the Binos reverted to white sleeves and shorts and by this stage, sponsorship was appearing on the players' shirts - initially this was for TNT, the parcel delivery firm. Between 1988 and 1993 the shoulders as well as the sleeves were white.

The 1995-96 kit was the first to combine red shirts and shorts with white sleeves with the addition of black flashes at the shoulder seam. The following season, the players turned out in red and white halved shirts with shorts to match. There is a gap in my records for 1997-2001 (so please get in touch if you can help).
The strip worn in 2001-02 was quite a departure for the club, consisting of red shirts and black shorts with red, white and black trim.

In 2002, Albion reverted to all red and signed a sponsorship deal with Prudential Insurance, whose name still appears on the players' shirts. The kits between 2002 and 2004 had white side panels and seams down the sleeve: white sleeves returned in 2004-05 and it was back to all-red with white trim in 2005.

The club's kits are now manufactured by Vandanel, a French company and follow the all red pattern although for this season only the manufacturer's logos and club badge are in white.

Dave Moor
Historical Football Kits
To view a full graphic history of Albion's kits visit www.historicalkits.co.uk

The Albion, The Reds but more recently The Binos - The Binos has become the most popular nickname amongst the supporters and the media. Thankfully the match day programme editor has reminded people of the correct spelling which is BINOS not Beanos as has been written in many newspapers. Although Binos is pronounced as you would say beanos

2003/04 Division 3 - 2nd Place - Promoted

2004/05 Division 2 - 4th Place

2005/06 Division 2 - 5th Place

2006/07 Division 2 - 2nd Place - Won Play-off - Promoted

2007/08 Division 1 - 10th Place - Relegated
2008/09 Division 2 - 5th Place

2009/10 Division 2 - 1st Place - Champions

2002/03 Division 3 - 11 Goals - Steven Nicholas

2003/04 Division 3 - 22 Goals - Scott McLean

2004/05 Division 2 - 13 Goals - Scott McLean

2005/06 Division 2 - 16 Goals - Paddy Connolly

2006/07 Division 2 - 16 Goals - Colin Cramb
2007/08 Division 1 - 15 Goals - Chris Aitken
2008/09 Division 2 - 13 Goals - David McKenna
2009/10 Division 2 - 09 Goals - David McKenna & Michael Mullen

Scottish Division 2 Champions - 1957/58, 1960/61, 1964/65, 1976/77, 1990/91, 1995/96, 2009/10

Division 2 Runners-Up - 1948/49, 1950/51

Division 3 Runners-Up - 2003/04

Division B Champions - 1952/53

Division B Runners-Up - 1948/49, 1950/51

Division C Champions - 1946/47

Scottish League Cup Semi Finalists - 1961/62

Suupplementary Cup Runners-Up - 1947/48

Stirlingshire Cup Winners - 1953/54, 1954/55, 1958/59, 1971/72, 1973/74, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1983/84, 1991/92, 1998/99, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06

Stirlingshire Cup Runners-Up - 1950/51, 1951/52, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1980/81, 1984/85, 1986/87, 1987/88, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08

Stirlingshire Consolation Cup Winners - 1950/51

Penman Cup Winners - 1949/50, 1957/58

Penman Cup Runners-Up - 1945/46 1959/60

Dewar Shield Winners - 1954/55, 1955/56