Latest August 2002

Three Off As Rovers Concede Five
Rovers who were unbeaten at home since 2nd March managed to lose in spectacular style. East Fife won 5-1 and should have scored more! Referee Eddie Mack and his assistants must take some of the blame they were ******* awful with ludicrous offside, red and yellow card decisions.

Scott Shearer was a shadow of his normal self and would have been subbed if the decision had been down to the fans. Two goals from corners in the first five minutes were hard to stomach for Rovers fans but worse was to come. Andy Paterson was red carded for an "offence" which many didn't even think was a foul. Assistant Manager Jock McStay was ordered from the bench for letting Mr Mack know what he thought of it. Jim Dick who was booked earlier for dissent was sent off for a foul.

Thanks to Jane Knox for responding to the clubs request for a photographer and supplying some of the pics on the report page.

Rovers have today added to their pool of players by gaining the signatures of Lee Duncan and John McCaig. 19 year-old Duncan, a midfielder latterly of Ayr United, played as a trialist for Morton last Saturday and scored a goal! McCaig, also 19, has had spells with Queen of the South and Notts County, and recently played for Arbroath three times as a trialist. Red Lichties' manager John Brownlie was apparently extremely keen to sign the lad but was unable to come up with the money. A central defender, 6'2" in height, he will give manager Peter Hetherston additional options at the back.

Rovers' youngsters had a disappointing time of things on Wednesday night at Cliftonhill, losing 3-0 to a strong Ayr United outfit. Coach Jimmy Lindsay was honest enough to admit that his lads were "murdered", and that the visitors were well worth their win.

Other commitments are preventing regular photographer Dominic Smith from attending some of Rovers' home matches, especially during the early part of the season, and General Manager John Reynolds has issued an urgent appeal for any interested person to fill the gap. The volunteer does not have to be particularly obsessive about his hobby or unduly talented with a camera to carry out the task of shooting a few usable action pictures; just someone with an interest would fill the bill. Although Rovers could not afford to pay commercial rates for anything used, they will be happy to provide the required rolls of film and should the Advertiser choose to feature any of the pictures, due credit will be given. Surely someone out there could do this. Either let us know here or contact John at the club - preferably before this Saturday.

Rovers' Under-18's travelled to Arbroath yesterday and returned with a pleasing 2-1 win over their Angus rivals, Chris Mackie and Gary Robertson scoring the important goals. The lads' next match will take place at Cliftonhill this Wednesday evening, 28th, when Ayr United come calling. The match kicks-off at 6.30pm.

The first round of the Youth Cup (formerly the BP Cup) has given the Cliftonhill youngsters a tough task - away to St. Mirren. The match will be played - at Love Street, we think - on Sunday 8th September with a 2pm kick-off.

Gretna
Rovers first ever game against Gretna didn't go as planned, they lost 2-0. Rovers first league defeat in 14 games saw them slip to 3rd in the table.

Following discussions, it has been decided that only the stand side of Cliftonhill will be required to accommodate those who wish to attend this game next Saturday. Accies estimate that their support will not exceed 600 which, when added to our usual number (or even a few more) will easily be contained within the confines of the stand-side.

It is reported that in addition to Chris Silvestro with his ankle ligament injury, Jim Dick and Jered Stirling are carrying knocks to knee and groin respectively. At the moment, it is unclear whether either or both will be available for the trip to Gretna on Saturday.

Rovers' midfielder Chris Silvestro will be out of action for three or four weeks after tearing ligaments against East Stirlingshire on Saturday. It is a bitter blow for the in-form youngster who had just recaptured top form following protracted knee problems during the last couple of years. Let's hope he recovers in the shortest possible time.

It looks as if Colin McKinnon, signed just before the start of the season , is on his way out of Cliftonhill after only a few weeks. Manager Peter Hetherston today revealed that the midfielder, with his 33rd birthday on the horizon, feels that he must have regular outings, but as the boss is naturally unable to give any such guarantee, it looks as if the experienced player will be departing for pastures new. It has to be admitted that McKinnon, in his brief appearances in the yellow and red, failed to recapture the flair for which he was known and with adequate cover, his going may be largely unlamented.

Well, we did get it wrong. General Manager John Reynolds today admitted that he had given us misleading information and that he DID have large-size strips for sale! So, the magnificent sights at Firs Park on Saturday were genuine! Unfortunately, however, all those "biggies" have now gone and John has ordered more (or so he says!). No doubt this latest information will spawn another series of semi-serious diatribes from our regular contributors. But remember, nobody's perfect. Not even us!

It appears that this, the first in a long-awaited series of meetings, is almost certain to go ahead on the first Thursday of next month. As yet, it is unclear who will be representing the Board and/or Management, but we'll let you know as soon as we can. So that the meetings will indeed take place on a regular basis, we, the supporters, MUST turn out. If not, it will be all too easy for the "other side" to say that if we're not interested, why should they be. So, as soon as the date's confirmed, mark it down as a "must".

Any kind-hearted bricklayers out there? Rovers want to block-up the window at what is commonly termed the wicket-gate, and would appreciate the services of a brickie for a brief time. The window area is not very large and a competent worker would have the job done in no more than an hour. So, lads, how about it? John Reynolds would love to hear from you.

Rovers Go Top
Rovers went top of the league today with a 3-0 win over East Stirling at Firs Park. Todd Lumsden got the opener with John Bradford getting the other goals.

Rovers league record this season reads played 3, won 3, goals for 7, goals against 0. You can't ask for much more than that! Well done to Silky and the lads.

According to today's Evening Times, Jim Dick will return to Rovers' midfield at Firs Park this afternoon. Although his physical state may well allow him to play, given the problems of the last week, will his mental condition be a factor?

Admission prices for the forthcoming CIS match against Lanarkshire rivals Hamilton Accies have been set at £10 for adults and £5 concessions. As this is a first round match, season tickets are of course valid. In connection with the same competition, the Scottish League has been forced to postpone the dates for the third round (originally due to be played 15th/16th October) for one week, due to Scotland's friendly match against Canada.

The League management committee has decided that member SFL clubs will receive an immediate payment of £5,000, part of the Bell's sponsorship package. It is envisaged that this will enable clubs, if they wish, to strengthen squads ahead of the transfer deadline at the end of this month.

Subject to SFA agreement, Rovers and Hamilton Accies have arranged to play their CIS Cup tie on Saturday, 7th September, the day of the Faroe Islands v Scotland international. It should be noted that in case the international is live on TV. the match will have a 1pm kick-off.

Jimmy Lindsay reports that Rovers' Under-11 and Under-12 teams have been invited to join the SPL equivalent - a great compliment to the coaching system in operation at Cliftonhill. Until now, the lads have been playing in the East Kilbride League, but with Partick Thistle opting out of the bigger picture, Rovers have stepped in. In simple terms it means that when Thistle are playing Premier League matches, the young Rovers will now be in against their counterparts in Thistle's opposition of the day. The lads will also be involved in Soccer 7's tournaments throughout the country.

Youth Coach Jimmy Lindsay has been nominated to be a member of a five-man committee which will oversee the SFA's Youth Development Initiative. Other nominees include Campbell Money (Ayr United) and Hugh McCann (Alloa Athletic). This would seem to be further proof that Rovers' approach to bringing on the youngsters is correct.

There's a hole in Rovers' pitch! In the eastern half of the Cliftonhill pitch there's a hole about six inches in diameter and eight inches deep - dug, groundsman High McBride thinks - by either a fox or a rabbit. As the hole had been filled-in the previous day, the big question is what's buried there which makes it so attractive to our digger? Could the bone lying trackside be a clue? Any budding detectives out there with a theory? No doubt the usual wacky explanations will be forthcoming from our regular Message Board contributors.

Bus To East Stirling
The supporters bus for East Stirling on Saturday leaves Big Owens at 2.15.

Rovers have contacted opponents Hamilton Accies in an effort to have the CIS Cup tie scheduled for Tuesday 10th September brought forward to the previous Saturday (7th), a date left vacant because of an international fixture. Several other clubs have already made similar overtures, and it is expected that there will be no objections. We expect a decision within days.

Following our information that replica strips are now available, we have now learned that the XL size is not in fact in stock. General Manager John Reynolds is unsure when this larger size will be available, but it could be a number of weeks. John reports that sales of the others is proceeding at a satisfactory level.

The SFA/SFL have issued to member clubs a comprehensive book on the above-named system, a bulky volume which contains information/recommendations/instructions on every conceivable aspect of running a football club. The major sub-headings are :- Infrastructure (a heading which includes safety, the field of play, players and officials, the media and spectators), Youths/Coaching, Legal/Administration, Financial and Codes of Practice. There are various levels of expectations for clubs in the SPL down to ourselves in the Third Division, and they cover absolutely everything. The assessment of individual lower league clubs will take place sometime during season 2003/2004; an assessment which could have serious implications on Albion Rovers and/or Cliftonhill.

Today's News of the World contains an detailed article which claims that Rovers' player Jim Dick is a dole cheat. The article says that Dick got thousands of pounds in incapacity benefit - even though he was being paid by English outfit Boston United. It claims that while he was earning £600 a week from Boston, he was also claiming £53.50 from the Benefits Agency on the basis that he was unfit for work. The newspaper says that when confronted at his home last night, Dick replied, "I cannot talk about this. If this goes in the paper I will speak to my lawyer. This will be very upsetting for my family."

No doubt Rovers' bosses will be very interested in these allegations and will be conducting their own internal investigation.

Rovers Outclass Bloo Toon
Despite starting poorly Rovers outclassed Peterhead in their 3-0 win today. No less than six Rovers players plus the manager were making their home debuts, one of them (Peter Cormack) scored the opener. Rovers are now 2nd in the table, East Fife are above us having a one goal advantage with goal difference. Diack and Carr got Rovers other goals.

Veteran player Kevin McAllister (40 in November) has signed for Rovers. The former Falkirk (4 times!), Chelsea and Hibs man may well give Rovers attack the spark it lacked at Montrose.

Today's draw for the first round of the CIS Cup has paired Rovers with Lanarkshire rivals Hamilton Accies, the tie to be played at Cliftonhill on Tuesday 10th September. Interesting, to say the least!

General Manager John Reynolds advises that he has now taken delivery of the replica strips in the new vibrant colours. They come in four sizes ranging from Small to XL at a price between £25/£35. These jerseys can be obtained from John at the usual times i.e. virtually every morning and prior to home matches. Also available are new-design mugs (no comments about players, please!), with pennants and scarves due to arrive very soon.

During the close season it was suggested that there should be a series of Fans' Forums to allow interface between the supporters and those who run the club. We're happy to report that plans for just such meetings are very much alive, with the first pencilled-in for the month of September. It is expected that different representatives from the Board of Directors plus manager Peter Hetherston will be at these meetings, although maybe not all on every occasion. We'll let you know how arrangements progress.

Cup Exit
Rovers exited the Bell's Cup after losing 1-0 to Montrose at Links Park tonight. Rovers were a shadow of the team which did so well (in the 1st half at least) at Stirling last Saturday. Due to the journey and time we reached Coatbridge the report and photos won't be posted on this site until Wednesday evening.

Jim Dick, the man who scored the vital winning goal on Saturday, will miss tonight's Bell's Cup match at Montrose. Dick, substituted after 23 minutes at Stirling, has a ham-string injury which will keep him on the sidelines for at least a couple of weeks. Better news for fans is that Andy Paterson and Jered Stirling have recovered from knocks suffered in the same game and will feature tonight, as will young striker David Carr.

Wee Rover Retires
Mick Cooper (a.k.a. weerover) informs us that his site (albionroversfc.net) is now closed. Mick has in the past (and will no doubt remain) helpful with the odd piece of technical advice for this site. Cheers Mick!

Good Start
Captained by Jim Mercer Rovers started their league campaign with a win. It was the proverbial game of two halves however with Rovers dominating the first half but not doing so well in the second. It seems that manager Peter Hetherston has different ideas about who the first choice keeper should be than the poll suggests Rovers supporters have. Scott Shearer was the man between the posts (although had little to do in the first half anyway).

Youth Tournament Update
On Thursday the kids played a team who I heard fancied their chances against them. Whitley Bay FC Academy got a shock as they just overcame a resilient Albion Rovers 5-4. In the afternoon game the Albion Rovers kids went on a roll winning 5-0 against New Hartley. Our correspondent thinks that the lads have qualified for Saturday's quarter finals.
www.ntyouthsoccer.com

McAllister For Cliftonhill?

Rovers' boss Peter Hetherston is reported to be chasing the signature of former Falkirk favourite Kevin McAllister - possibly even in time to play against Stirling Albion tomorrow. The acquisition of the experienced McAllister would certainly be a great coup for Rovers, should the bid be successful.

Rovers now have two physiotherapists on their books, however it's not because they think they'll need the extra man. Alan Anderson (who trained for his job in a two-year course with the FA) will be looking after the lads on Monday evenings and Saturday afternoons, but other commitments mean that another expert (we understand it's Mark Armour) will be around at other times.

Youth Tournament
Rovers under 13's are currently taking part in the annual Whitley Bay tournament. Our correspondent tells us their first fixture was against the famous Wallsend Boys Club. The lads were 6-0 down at half time but due to the hard work in the second half Wallsend only scored 2 more. In the second fixture in the afternoon playing against Blyth Spartans FC the kids triumphed 2-1.

Photos
Rovers annual photo-shoot took place tonight at Cliftonhill. Rovers players were resplendent in their new strip and the pics will appear on this site soon.