The Trust was originally conceived in 2002 and was established by a small group of diehard Stirling Albion supporters who were concerned at the growing debt appearing within the Club’s Annual Accounts. The Trust was seen as an ideal vehicle through which financial support could be given to the Club from money raised through membership subscriptions and fundraising activities.
It was also seen as a means of raising awareness within the local community of the existence of a senior Scottish football club in its midst and as an important two-way channel of communication between football supporters and the Club’s Directors.
However, despite the best efforts of the Trust to engage with the Directors, all ideas advanced for the betterment of the Club fell upon stony ground and tangible offers of assistance were not taken up.
This situation changed subsequently when the post of match day programme editor fell vacant and the Club’s Board of Directors accepted an offer from the Trust to produce each programme, a situation which prevails currently.
Over many years, notwithstanding the financial support of principal shareholder and Chairman, Peter McKenzie, the Club’s debts have continued to increase to a significant level. Also, a six-figure bank overdraft has existed for several years.
More recently, Mr McKenzie announced that he wished to relinquish the reins at Stirling Albion FC and his shareholding within the Club has been up for sale. However, there have been no takers and in an increasingly difficult financial climate it is unlikely that this will change.
In the light of this, the Trust, along with the Stirling Albion Supporters’ Club, Redweb and Young Reds, put their heads together and devised an ambitious campaign – Buy Stirling Albion – to raise sufficient funds to purchase the majority shareholding held by Mr McKenzie. The Buy Stirling Albion campaign was formally launched on 6 May 2009 with the Trust being the primary vehicle to take it forward, hopefully, to the point where it is able to purchase the Club.
In addition to the production of the match day programme, Stirling Albion FC has recently agreed to the Trust selling official club merchandise at the Trust’s shop in the Stirling Arcade in Stirling’s city centre which was opened on 4 September 2009. The arrival of the shop is thought to mark the first time that a football supporters’ trust has opened a retail outlet in a town or city centre in the UK.
