2006 Archive
2005 Archive

6th December

Christmas Party
The annual Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust children's Christmas party is being held between 12 noon and 1.30pm on Saturday 16th December at Cliftonhill. The party is free to children of a maximum age of 12. For those wishing to travel on the supporters bus to Stenhousemuir it shall stop off at the ground after the party ends.

It is essential that a place is reserved for any child wishing to attend, send an email to  [now deleted] with the child's name and age.

4th November

Trust Mobiles
The Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust have launched a website in conjunction with a large mobile company selling mobile phones. The trust shall receive £20 for each contact phone sold through the site. So before you buy one check this site and see the offers on display!

The site can be accessed on www.albionrovers.org

7th October

Quiz
Last night in Chic's cafe at Cliftonhill the trust held a quiz night which Airdrie United's trust sent some teams to also. The capacity crowd enjoyed themselves and the winning team was appropriately named "Flash" and consisted of Rovers fans.

The raffle was a big success for the visitors from "up the road" as they went home with arms full of prizes mainly consisting of an alcoholic nature. Veronica MacGregor the Airdrie United Supporters' Trust and fans representative on the club's board won a hospitality package at the next home game, against Berwick Rangers. She explained she'd be at the United match that day and the prize was drawn again and awarded to another winner.

The raffle prizes were conducted by the clubs as yet unnamed canine mascot pictured below along with quizmaster Eddie Hagerty. The total raised for the trust was around the £250 mark.

Click on the pics to enlarge!

3rd October

5000th Goal Award
Tonight at Cliftonhill Craig Young who now plies his trade with Colville Park F.C. received his award from the Albion Rovers' Supporters Trust in recognition of his appropriately spectacular clubs 5000th league goal. It was scored on April 29th at Stenhousemuir and you can see the award made by trust committee member and Cliftonhill ballboy Shaun Millar below.

Click to enlarge!

20th September

The trust committee met last night and the varied agenda included transport, finances and a calendar of events.

The next event is a quiz to be held in Chic's Cafe at Cliftonhill on Friday 6th October starting at 7.30pm. This follows the successful event held there a year ago and once again a couple of teams shall be brought by Airdrie United trust. The price of entry is just £15 per team of 5 including pie & peas, just £3 a head! Bring your own drink.

Tickets shall go on sale soon!

28th August 2006

The match against Queen's Park last Saturday saw a special guest entertained in the board room, 84 year-old Peter Blain who played for Rovers alongside Jock Stein during his stint at Cliftonhill in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Peter is on holiday from his home in Australia and was at Firhill to see the challenge cup triumph and was particularly impressed by Gordon Lennon in that match.

The Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust presented Mr. Blain with a goodie bag containing a programme form the recent Jock Stein Friendship Trophy match, a scarf, hat and other items!

Ballboy and trust committee member Shaun Millar made the presentation with a short speech, Mr. Blain responded with a thank-you speech and a wee reminiscence.

 
Click to enlarge

24th August 2006

The trust committee met this week and paid for the carpeting in Chic's Bar. They also mapped out the year to come amongst other things. A horse racing night not dissimilar to the successful dog racing night last season is on the cards in mid-November as is a Rovers quiz night in early October. A special Christmas event for kids is on for December and a comedy night shall also be slotted in sometime too.

Former chairman Robin Marwick, author of Champion Albion has agreed to sell his book chronicling the championship winning season of 1988-1989 with £3 of the price going to the supporters' trust. Click HERE for more details!

18th July 2006

The Supporters' Trust is once more taking charge of the match programme for the coming season. This Saturdays is a special edition comprising 28 pages in glorious colour, many featuring Jock Stein for the match against Celtic Select. This programme is priced at £2.

For the rest of the season the programme shall revert to part colour and part black and white with a cover price of £1.50.

3rd July 2006

Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust this week launches a positive action summer workshops called "Supporting Diversity" the workshops commence on Monday 10th July.

The workshops will involve children in the primary seven age group from a mixture of schools in Coatbridge and Airdrie and will take place at Cliftonhill Stadium.

Places on each of the 4 one-week workshops are available, please contact trust committee member/club director Patrick Rolink via the club on 01236 606334 if you have children of the appropriate age who'd be interested in taking part. Please note there is no charge whatsoever for participation.

Funding for the project has been received from Sense over Sectarianism and the Scottish Executive, and will allow the children participating to enjoy activities such as drama, comedy filming and sports with the celebration of Scotland's diversity being the central theme to all the activity.
The launch will take place at Cliftonhill Stadium on Friday July 7th.

The project will last four weeks and will involve four primary seven classes split into four equal groupings, mixed from all participating schools. This will give each group maximum diversity.

The four groups will then attend for one week each and take part in the project.

Timetable; this will be repeated for each group taking part to ensure consistency.

Monday A.M. Classroom workshops with Strathclyde Police, and representatives of the major religions allowing for an in depth discussion of the diversity of religion and the USP of each major religion. The police will also explain the legal implications of sectarian behaviour. This will give the children knowledge and understanding, dispelling many myths and lies about some religions, and also showing the effects of intolerance and prejudice.

Monday P.M. The children will take part in a team sports session, discussing teamwork and highlighting of skills and talents within the group, demonstrating the strength of diversity and the importance of teamwork. 

Tuesday A.M. The children will workshop with comedians on using humour to defuse situations and put across strong messages, comedy is a terrific way of dealing with difficult issues and this workshop is designed to encourage children to use humour rather than aggression. The children will gain confidence and be able to project their views in a manner which their peer group will find more acceptable. Comedy can really banish stereotypical behaviour and intolerance by showing it has no credibility and no real foundation in fact.

Tuesday P.M. The children will take part in an individual sport session, golf, highlighting the need for decision making when on your own and playing fair, even when you can't get caught. Golf also teaches manners and respect for others as well as etiquette, a must for the modern citizen.

Wednesday A.M. The children will do a workshop finding common ground between our diverse communities, the children will look at society's needs and demands on us as individuals. The children will compare outcomes from situations where religious intolerance is accepted against outcomes where sectarian abuse and behaviour is not acceptable and wiped out. The children will workshop on team building and on leadership issues, seeking out each others talents and skills and finding the best use of them. Tasks will be assigned and dealt with by teams chosen by the children with the criteria being, the best person for the job.

Wednesday P.M. The children will have an afternoon of team games where to succeed you must achieve high levels of teamwork and co-operation, the challenges will be taxing and only attainable if teamwork levels are high and consistent.

Thursday A.M. The team will workshop with Police on the issue of dealing with sectarian abuse, do we need more laws, more policing or more understanding of others, let the children make their views and recommendations known.

Thursday P.M.
The children will have a fun sports festival with individual and team events with the emphasis being on fun and enjoyment. The children will chose their own teams and this should demonstrate the diversity of the group.

Friday; the children will work all day with a production company to produce a DVD will be shown in local schools. The DVD will be two minute film expressing in any way the children choose, the evils of sectarianism. Each child will receive a copy and a copy will be sent to all schools in the area. Let the children speak!

After 4 weeks, four classes will be going into high school with a new outlook on life and the sectarian problem in this country. These children will be armed with knowledge and understanding that can only enhance their perceptions of our ever more diverse community. I am confident that some of these children will gain so much personal strength and self-belief from this project that they will go into our high schools and make a difference.

29th June 2006

Would you like your name to appear in next years Albion Rovers programme which shall once more be produced by the Albion Rovers Supporters' trust?

Cost this year is £35 for one player or £60 for 2 players. People who were sponsors last season have first refusal on the man they sponsored last time so the ones available at present are Ciaran Donnelly and Iain Chisholm along with new boys Joe Savage, Alex Cleary and Gordon Moffat.

Pay to any committee member or by Paypal or post (cheque to Albion Rovers Supporters' Ltd.) address details above!

It would be helpful if sponsors from last year let us know whether they wish to be doing it again this season or not. People are free to change the player if they wish although the only available ones are listed above and we'll list any other becoming available as soon as it's known.

2nd June 2006

The supporters' trust is holding a series of events at Cliftonhill to coincide with the World Cup. The first such event is being held next Saturday (10th June).

We shall be viewing the England v Paraguay match (k-o 2pm) on the plasma screen in the soon to rebranded Enigma Cafe (currently known at the lounge) as well as enjoying a barbeque outside on the track or under the covered enclosure if a bit damp. After the match there shall be a bit of comedy from Pat Rolink and a sports panel consisting of former Cliftonhill favourite Ray Franchetti and another sporting celebrity too be confirmed (possibly a "Lisbon Lion"). Those who wish to stay on afterwards can take in the Trinidad & Tobago v Sweden (k-o 5pm) game too! Jim Chapman may also be present to update fans on team matters.

Cost for the barbeque is £5 per adult, kids free!

The events are not exclusive for members and are open to all!

The following is the geographical breakdown of trust memberships as at 2nd June is as below (some memberships are for multiple people)

Coatbridge            38
Airdrie                    6
Glasgow                  5
Hamilton                 4
Edinburgh               2
West Lothian          2
Cumbria                  2
Cheshire                 2
West Yorkshire      2
Northamptonshire  2
Leicestershire        2
London                    2

Ayrshire, Nottinghamshire, Perth, Helensburgh, Kent, Lancashire, Worcestershire, Cambridge and Bellshill all have one each.

25th May 2006

Tuesday (23rd May) saw the first A.G.M. of Albion Rovers Supporters' Ltd. (also known as Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust) held in the lounge at Cliftonhill, with around a quarter of the membership (including committee members) in attendance.

The meeting was opened by trust chairman Lew McWilliam who read out apologies from those unable to attend. After a brief word on the past year he invited treasurer David Herd to give a financial report for the year ended 31st December 2005, he then proceeded top go through the accounts (copies are available on request for members unable to make the meeting).

Then trust secretary Eddie Hagerty gave his report, briefly handing over to membership secretary David Crichton to update the meeting on membership numbers which stood at 81 on the night meaning in excess of 100 members when family memberships were taken into account. Some 18 memberships haven't as yet been renewed although some of that number are expected to do so. These have been at least matched by new members joining this year. A question from the floor asked when renewal notices were issued to members, December and a further reminder with the A.G.M. notice in mid-May was the answer.

Eddie Hagerty ran through the activities of the trust last year such as the joint quiz night with Airdrie United trust, the complete revamp of the match programme, purchase of the plasma TV for the lounge and the race night utilising it which made £800 profit for the trust which largely paid for the TV. Eddie thanked those who helped out and pointed out that the trust had employed a cleaner to get the innards of the stadium ready on match days. Last summers tidying and painting at the stadium was mentioned, as was the upcoming reprise of such events.

Upcoming trust events shall be World Cup nights in the lounge, the England v Paraguay and England v Sweden matches have been picked initially. These are meant to be relaxed nights and not major fund-raisers. The trusts liaisons with the club especially in regards to imminent improvements to dressing rooms was highlighted, trust chairman Lew McWilliam and club chairman Frank Meade also being on the trust committee bring excellent communications between trust and club.

The elections saw all current committee members re-elected en-bloc and 15 year-old ballboy Shaun Millar who is the son of existing committee member Colin elected to the committee. Club commercial director Patrick Rolink and local businessman Neil Welsh were both co-opted onto the committee top add their expertise.

Communications (primarily with the members of the trust) was discussed at length and a newsletter was mooted with member David Creswell offering to help-out with that. The website having information and the programme having up to a page in each issue dedicated to trust news was also discussed. The possibility of local press carrying trust news also was mentioned.

Under the stewardship of committee member John McEwan the newly launched Wee Rovers Fund was discussed. This is the scheme in which members (and potentially non-members too) sign-up to a monthly standing order to the trust. Although just launched the scheme already brings in around £100 per month which is expected to grow. Almost unanimously the assembly thought it fit that the committee should spend the money as they see fit rather than have the fund ring-fenced for one or more specific purposes.

The possibility of the trust acquiring shares in the club was raised and the committee didn't see a case for actively seeking to purchase shares. The reasoning behind this was better use of relatively limited available funds and the fact that the cash would go to shareholders selling rather than to the benefit of the club. The trust made it clear that any offer of shares being gifted would be welcome and the possibility of a small payment wasn't ruled out. The possibility of a club share issue sometime in the future was raised and the trust would consult members about participation in that as and when it arose.

One theme running through the meeting was that the committee did not consider itself and wished to distance itself from some peoples thoughts that the committee and possibly even the trust itself were a clique. All members being welcome to come along to a committee meeting to participate or just listen in.

14th May 2006

The Supporters' Trust presence at the Albion Rovers Sportsmans' Dinner at Drumpellier Golf Club on Friday (12th) didn't go unnoticed and some new members were gained and contacts were also made.

Player of the year Gordon Lennon made a special effort to thank fans for the award and for the support throughout the season and to express his pleasure at playing for Albion Rovers.

9th May 2006

The first A.G.M. of Albion Rovers Supporters' Ltd. also known as Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust shall take place on Tuesday the 23rd of May in the lounge at Cliftonhill Stadium.

Members who have not received official notification today should have it shortly through their letterbox. Included with the notice is the form enabling them to join the Wee Rovers Fund which involves a standing order paying an amount on a monthly basis to the trust. The A.G.M. is likely to include a discussion of what the funds cash is spent on. The fund is of course completely optional as is the amount payable, there are no restrictions on the how much although we suggest a minimum of £5 per month.

Members from last year who have not yet renewed their membership also received notification and a renewal form and an invitation to renew now or on the night of the meeting to take part. New members are also very welcome of course!

29th April 2006

Albion Rovers all-time 5000th league goal was bagged by Craig Young at Stenhousemuir today. The goal was timed at 78 times by our official source (the BBC website) and the winner of the £200 plus hospitality package at a match next season is Stephen McEwan of Coatbridge who predicted the goal would be scored by Young in 80 minutes and was therefore the nearest.

5000th Goal Page

12th April 2006

Address Change
Please note that with immediate effect the trust postal address shall be as follows

St. Vincent Street Post Office,
47 St. Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5QX.

This change has been made to save the £56 charge levied for the PO Box. Don't worry if you've sent something to the PO Box in the last few days as it is still operative for a short while.

30th March 2006

5000th Goal Imminent
With the club currently having scored 4994 goals in league competition since joining in 1903, the landmark event is not far away and could just happen this Saturday. If you haven't entered the Supporters' Trust 5000th goal prediction competition you'd better look lively. Entries can be emailed or handed over to Trust committee members right up to kick-off of the game in which you've predicted the goal to be scored.

Remember the prize has guaranteed minimum of £150!

Click HERE for details and entry forms!

Update
The Trust committee has decided to take a table at the clubs annual Sportsman's dinner bash at Drumpellier Golf Club on May 12th. Discussions are ongoing to see precisely what help the trust can offer to the club either directly or indirectly, with new floor covering in the bar, help picking a and possibly paying for new playing kit for next season being on the agenda. The Summer tidy-up of Cliftonhill is also certain to feature.

During the forthcoming World Cup in Germany the trust plan to hold events in the lounge to coincide with some of the matches. The first couple of games picked are England's matches against Paraguay on Saturday 10th June and Sweden on Tuesday 20th June. These events shall involve the big TV for watching the games on, the bar being open and other stuff to be arranged such as a mini-quiz, Patrick Rolink comedy, raffles etc.

17th March 2006

Trust Update
The supporters' trust has tallied the income from the dog racing event and it comes to a impressive £806, thanks to all who turned up and to those who sponsored dogs and races as well as put up raffle prizes etc. The club also made a tidy sum from profits at the bar.

Although the trust AGM date is yet to be set any member who wishes to see the accounts for the year ended 31st December may do so by arrangement.

The Trust committee wish to thank the club for the gesture of allowing friends and neighbours of it's members in for free on Saturday.

5th March 2006

Dog Racing
Friday 3rd March saw the trust hold a greyhound racing evening at Cliftonhill inaugurating the newly purchased plasma TV. The capacity crowd in the lounge were served at the bar by club chairman Frank Meade aided by director Chic Young and head-coach Jim Chapman.

Several trust committee members were on hand to take bets, pay out winnings, sell raffle tickets, announce winners and hand out the prizes etc. Club commercial manager Patrick Rolink who is also a stand-up comedian did a short routine at the interval which went down well with the assembled audience.

Overall the night was a great success on a social level as well as raising a large amount of cash for the trust and the bar takings for the club.

25th January 2006

5000th Goal Competition
Today sees the launch of the Albion Rovers Supporters' Trust 5000th goal competition. As you may know Albion Rovers are fast approaching their 5000th goal in the Scottish Football League since joining in 1903. At the time of writing they've scored 4987. The prize is 50% of the cash taken in with a guaranteed minimum of £150 and a £50 bonus if the winning prediction is placed 14 days or more before the match in which the goal is scored.

Click here to see the full details and rules and see how to enter!

14th January 2006

Your webmaster fully intends to defend his teams title - lets show them what we can do (again)!

11th January 2006

The Dogs Return To Cliftonhill

Friday 3rd of March sees the dogs make a comeback at Cliftonhill, not however running around the track this time. The trust shall be holding a race night at the ground that evening at which bets shall be taken on dog races which attendees shall be able to watch on the (soon to be) newly purchased large screen TV in the lounge.

The bar shall of course be open for business and food shall be laid on. Tickets shall be on sale soon at a cost of £2 which you'll be able to use for £2 worth of bets! Prior to the night we shall be looking for people to "buy" dogs and races at a cost of £3 per dog and £10 per race. Owners shall have the honour of naming their canines which should raise a few eyebrows! There shall be prizes for winners and no doubt some other goodies too.

PayPal

Primarily to facilitate ex-pats to pay money to the trust we are now able to accept funds via www.paypal.com . If using this please bear in mind that the trust is charged 3.5% of all monies paid to us and a 20p fee on top of that for each payment, whereas standing orders, cheques and cash handed to us don't cost anything to bank. The all important email address to pay the money to is artrust @ albionrovers.com which is not our standard email address.

End Of Year

The trust's financial year ended on December 31st and all memberships expired on that date. The accounts are being prepared and a trust A.G.M. is expected around mid-February. Membership renewals have been steady thus far, if anybody hasn't received a renewal form a cheque with your name and address or standing order (page 2 on the downloadable form at the top of this page) shall suffice!

New membership cards shall be in the post shortly!

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