Albion Claim Rout of the Century

Scott McLean takes a look back at that remarkable match

Not many people would have thought at the time, that a miserable dull December day in 1984 was about to become the arguably the most historical day in Stirling Albion's existence. Yet on that winters day Stirling Albion produced the biggest scoreliine this century in British Senior football. I still remember going upstairs into the members bar at Annfield and watching the classified scores read out on the television, and when it came up to our result the presenter said "Please Note - This is not a Rugby Score -Stirling Albion 20, Selkirk 0" and he then went on to repeat the score again.

The team who had to endure such embarrasment was Non League Borders team Selkirk, who had qualified for the first round of the Scottish Cup. Stirling Albion manager at the time was Alex Smith, a well known figure within Scottish Football and after the match Smith admitted that he was worried about the opposition before hand, all the goals had an effect on Smith as at the end of the match he thought the scoreline was only 19 - 0.

The Binos team that day on December 8th 1984 was Andy Graham, Robert Dawson, Tam Spence, Jimmy Sinclair, Gerry McTeague, Scott Maxwell, Davie Thompson, Keith Walker, Willie Irvine, Brian Grant, Jimmy Ormand and the subs were Neil Watt and Charlie McNeil. - The team that made history.

The match was sheer entertainment with the Binos scoring only five goals in the first half and then a remarkable fifteen after the break. The star of the show was Davie Thompson who rattled in seven goals, with his strike partner Willie Irvine scoring five.

Each time the ball hit the back of the net the fans demanded more with the shout of "we want ten" quickly rising to "we want 20". Fortunatley the amatuer Border outfit happily obliged and the dream was soon a reality.

The problems the Binos have attracting reasonable crowds nowadays is nothing new as only 250 fans witnessed this historical moment.

A memory that lives with me today is, when the score line reached 18-0 all the Selkirk men emerged from their dug-out with subsitute boards aloft indicating surrender and defeat. The Selkirk goalkepper that day was Richard Taylor, and incase the unlikely happened and he forgot what the match ball looked like after picking it out the net 20 times, he was presented with it after the game.

Goal Number One was scored by Willie Irvine after just six minutes, Number Two in 12 minutes came from Scott Maxwell who hit a well struck effort low into the net from inside the box. Three - Was by Jimmy Ormand who made up for two previous missed chances when his shot rebounded into the net after hiting the post in 26 minutes. Four - Davie Thompson got his first of seven goals when he headed past the keeper 11 minutes before half time. Five - On 36 minutes Rab Dawson got on the scoreline after a shot from inside the box. 5-0 up at half time and the best was yet to come.

It took onlt three minute after the interval for the Binos to get back on target and that was the start of a spree what produced three goals in three minutes. Number Six - Big Keith Walker shot into the net and that was quickly followed by Willie irvine who notched Albion's seventh and his second of the game. Davie Thompson also got his brace to make it 8-0 to the Binos.

It took another ten minutes for the Binos to get back on target and it was Thompson who notched his hat-trick and on the hour mark. Thompson grabbed another to put Albion on double figures. Ormond and Sinclair were removed from the action and replaced by Watt and McNeil. Defender Gerry McTeague got his second goal for the the club when with twenty minutes remaining he hammered home from close range.

Goal number twelve was scored by Davie Thompson before number thirteen proved to be even more unluckier for Selkirk keeper Taylor, if he thought he was having a bad day he then decided to contribute to the matters himself, when a Keith Walker Lob was saved by Taylor but he fell back into the net with the ball on 73 minutes.

Wiilie Irvine bagged his hat-trick on 76 minutes before Thompson made it fifteen. Thompson kept his best to last when he ran half the park, outstripping the bewildered Selkirk defence, to fire past Taylor for his seventh goal of the game. Wiilie Irvine got his fourth and Albion's seventeenth, Neil Watt got a double to make it nineteen before Willie Irvine grapped his fifth and Albins had now met the fans earlier demands to produce that magical figure of twenty.

As ballboy and mascot that day that game will always go done as the proudest moment I have had following the Binos in my twenty one years supporting the club. Also that match will always be one of my treasured memories from Annfield, the ground so many supporters miss and I was happy that the old ground witnessed the most historical match in the Binos History.

Scott McLean

 

Back Row ( L - R ), Peter Caproni (physio), Robert Philliben, Jim Crawford, John Cousin, Robert Dawson, Neil Watt, Andy Graham, Craig Anderson, Gerry Harvey, Keith Walker, Alan Carson, John MacKay, Scott Maxwell, Denis McDaid.

Front Row ( L - R ), Charlie McNeil, Tom Ferguson, George Alliasin, Wiilie Irvine, Alex Smith (manager), George Peebles (coach), Paul Cavanagh, Jimmy Sinclair, Jim McSherry, Jimmy Ormand

 

Newpaper Reports on the Albion's Victory