AlbionMan

At the time it must have made sense to have an executive committee running the day to day operating of the subsidiary and a Trust taking an arm's length role as the owner.

When the club was bought and the Trust Board was setting up the executive everyone was pals in the new situation, and a divergence of opinion between the two bodies was not foreseen, which by stages has led us to this, partly by the Trust Board's failure to act earlier, partly by the executive's manoeuvring. For the past few years the chief operating officer and chairman has banged a drum claiming fan ownership doesn't work. Fan ownership by itself is neither a good or bad thing. However, in the case of Stirling Albion, it can't work as the "fans" running the club on the executive do not believe in fan ownership and have been actively trying to change our status. Thanks to the removal, by the chairman, from the executive and company board of every dissenting voice none of the "fans" currently running the club believe in fan ownership. An individual with any integrity would have resigned his membership of the trust and stood down from his appointments when he found he no longer supported the aims and objectives of Stirling Albion Supporters' Society. That individual however, would not be our chief operating officer and chairman.

No doubt the team's abysmal season has contributed to the dissatisfaction, but it's very far from that, What did start as private member's motion for the Trust AGM has forced trust members to think that after 5 years of hanging on with the 'devil you know' this may not be the case. There have been several discussions on the supporters' bus along the lines of 'how can he be got rid of'. There are better devils around. After the departure of the old trust board 5 years ago, its replacement was over conciliatory in attempting to restore calm to the club. This merely paved the way for the executive committee to further marginalise the Trust Board and destroy any balance in the club structure. The executive committee's continued actions would indicate they do not even acknowledge that they represent a subsidiary of the Trust and are accountable to its members through the Trust Board. I hope, that if anything this furore will bring the Trust Board's mind to bear on the adoption of protocols under which the executive committee will have the limits of their responsibility set for the day to day running of the club's operating and the Trust Board's level of authority as the principal to scrutinise their subsidiary's activities. Whoever the individuals are, roles, responsibility, accountability and authority need to be clearly set out and followed.

Yes, the vast majority of the new members who have come close to doubling the membership numbers in the past 10 days will vote against the motions. Club directors and associate directors have signed up these 'supporters of Stirling Albion' in an attempt frustrate the trust membership's will (which is unclear if the contentious motion would have passed anyway) and to keep themselves in position. All this to support the vanity of one man who cannot believe that he is not Tam Fergusson, and Peter McKenzie in one body.

The two boards do have trouble working with each other, there needs to be a balance between the authority of the owners and the operational responsibility of the executive, but at the moment collaboration is a one way street. There is supposed to be a joint working group of the two boards to find a way to improve the governance of the club. However since since June last year when the JWG was first notionally formed the executive have not contributed. I understand that they have declined invitations to meet, to the frustration of the Trust Board. At that level it appears that the executive are not interested in working together.

At one level you are right, new managers will not solve problems on the park. I believe our larger troubles are off the park, the chairman was appointed as chief operations officers in which post he has been reasonably successful, he talked this up to becoming chairman. From then on, he has put every effort into emasculating the owners Trust Board, and done it successfully. He does not acknowledge any accountability to the owners, the club board's actions are less than transparent and he appoints sycophants only, without reference. The Trust Board must share some blame, in that after the mass resignation, successive boards have been too conciliatory instead of exercising their authority, which has only further encouraged the chairman's power grab. That said, a number of good men have tried as Chairmen of the Trust to work with the club board but given up in frustration at the club chairman's refusal to collaborate. I hope it's not too late for the Trust Board to reassert their authority over the executive, but at this stage I fear the heart is being ripped out of the club. As the saying goes - power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The actions and remarks since his appointment would indicate that John Daly is less than suitable to sit as 'Supporters' Liaison Director', it would also show a considerable lack of judgement from those directors who made the appointment.

Apart from a very early scare when Annan hit the post and managed to turn the rebound past, the first half was uneventful with the game heading to a season-end 0-0. Cue our defence to make a hash of defending a long throw right on half time and it was effectively game over. Second half the Albion looked as if they'd taken some valium instead of a tonic drink during the interval. The level of ineptitude for the 2nd and 3rd goals outdid that for the 1st. To paraphrase Bill Shankly, even the unused subs had nothing smile about as they weren't good enough to get on to the park. Yesterday showed that last week's two wins in all probability owed more to the poverty of the opposition than anything that we offered.

You've forgotten that Peter was both a businessman and a 'football person', an ex-player albeit of a different age who knew made players tick and could get the best out of people.

For the first time in ages we looked like a team playing for each other and not a group that just happened to be in the changing room at the same time. Optimism needs to be tempered by the quality of the opposition last night, but you can only beat what's in front of you.

Two toothless tigers baring their gums at each other, goal threats from both sides suggest 0-0, but it wouldn't be a surprise if one or other managed a defensive howler.

you didn't need a goalkeeper, first effort on target a minute into stoppage time.

Don't even hint at giving us hope, it only makes disappointment harder to bear.

Sounds like a jump from the frying pan straight into the fire. He's been a regular with you for a good few seasons now. Any reason why he's being allowed out on loan? New manager doesn't fancy him?

Unless there are tensions twixt dressing room and boardroom of which nothing is known, I don't see an early cull of directors serving any useful purpose in ensuring we manage to stay in the league. O for the mid table mediocrity of recent years.

We've been in danger since Christmas and seem to sleep walking backwards towards the play off. Win or lose on Saturday and I'll still fear for us. We have a squad of players good enough to be challenging to get out of the lowest level of the national league at the top end not the bottom. One win in our last 15 games in the league shows something badly wrong with the club.

I have just read the 'history' of the loving cup and suspect that the 'tradition' originated to annoy the other cheek every second News Year's game.

BBC overdid the Cove fairy story and valiant underdogs from two tiers below during commentary. Cove defended well though and showed themselves dangerous in attack but Hibs made enough chances and should have been out of sight.

The standard of refereeing on Saturday was on a par with the football on show. Six goals made the game entertaining, although this was a match between two poor sides who are reaching for the safety of mid-table mediocrity in the fourth tier. That said a draw was probably a fair result, both sides had periods of "dominance" although the final equaliser came in a less than satisfactory manner. Albion's late defensive substitution left no out ball and only invited Stranraer to keep the pressure on, they did and "won" a penalty. The video clip from Stirling camera does indicate no contact in the tackle with Robertson. It will be interesting to see what the Stranraer highlights will show.

Never lived up to the promise he showed in his first couple of months when he was so dangerous and had us all excited, but that was 5 years ago. We had him again briefly at the end of that season but he wasn't as threatening. He had a couple of seasons in Cyprus and France, then signed for us again in the Covid ended season, it didn't go so well and it was a surprise that we signed him on again for 2020/21 and for 2021/22. Sentimental memories and vain hopes of him having recovered his attacking threat I suppose.

We were competitive if completely unthreatening until the second goal when it went in we just fell apart. There's a good side in there somewhere if it wasn't for a lack of pace in defence, a lack of creativity in midfield and no cutting edge up front, we could do with a leader on the park as well. It was disappointing to hear the arguing and 'blame game' amongst the players towards the end. Given the service that Caddick, Mackin, and the others who have been tried, a new striker isn't going to improve matters. Long balls to a lone striker and lack of crosses from the wings don't give him much chance to shoot never mind score.

That's just a wish that pigs might fly

The first 500, maybe immediately to season ticket holders, the rest will have to wait till we see which way sturgeon has jumped.

Well that's relief to get a result but the game only reflected both teams mid table mediocrity. Lots of huffing and puffing, but barely a sighting of quality. 1-0 down with another couple cleared off the line we never looked like scoring till Tapping's lifeline and Stenny proceeded to fold. The winner was well taken and sent the travelling support home happy. Granted there were a few names missing and the manager may have more options for Kelty, but he'll have a lot to do Tuesday and Thursday to make us competitive.

Up until the goal it didn't look as if either side was capable of scoring, it was typical League 2 football, two not vey good teams huffing and puffing with little result. I'm not sure if it was the Elgin goal or our substitutions that stirred us into action but the last 20/25 minutes showed what we could be capable of, apart from putting the ball in the net. It's not all doom and gloom for the new manager, our performances are not so much worse in the second quarter from the first. First quarter we had that wee bit of luck and got points without being convincing, second quarter we're still not playing particularly well but the wee bit of luck we had has gone elsewhere. Apart from Kelty the rest of the league is much of a muchness and I could see us finishing anywhere between 3rd and 8th.