East Stirlingshire F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = East Stirlingshire


fullname = East Stirlingshire Football Club
nickname = The Shire
founded = 1881
ground = Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir, Scotland
capacity = 3,776 (626 seated) | chairman = flagicon|Scotland Spencer Fearn
manager = flagicon|Scotland Jim McInally
league = Scottish Third Division | season = 2007-08
position = Scottish Third Division, 9th
pattern_la1=_whiteshoulders|pattern_b1=_thinwhitesides|pattern_ra1=_whiteshoulders
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=_blackshoulders|pattern_b2=_thinblacksides|pattern_ra2=_blackshoulders
leftarm2=C82536|body2=C82536|rightarm2=C82536|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000

East Stirlingshire Football Club are a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk, although home matches are currently played in the nearby town of Stenhousemuir. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the Third Division. The club's name is often abbreviated by outsiders to "East Stirling", leading to the erroneous impression that they are based in or near the city of Stirling, 14 miles from Falkirk; fans and other locals refer to the club by their nickname, "The Shire".

Club history

Early history

In 1880, cricket club Bainsford Bluebonnets founded a football club called Bainsford Britannia [cite web
url = http://www.eaststirlingshire-mad.co.uk/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=ED21
title = East Stirlingshire Club History on East Stirlingshire Mad
accessdate = 21 August
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quote = ] .In November the following year the football club changed its name, and East Stirlingshire Football Club was born. The first match was against Falkirk Seconds, with "the Bairns" triumphing 7-0 [cite web
url = http://www.eaststirlingshire-mad.co.uk/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=ED21
title = East Stirlingshire Club History on East Stirlingshire Mad
accessdate = 21 August
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The club was a force to be reckoned with towards the end of the 19th century. In reaching the quarter-finals of the 1888-89 Scottish Cup, The Shire crushed rivals Stenhousemuir 10-1 [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history1.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
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quote = ] and Vale of Bannock 11-2 [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history1.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
accessdate = 21 August
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quote = ] . That 11-2 win is a club record, but the cup dream was ended by a closely fought 2-1 defeat at the hands of Celtic [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history1.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
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quote = ] in the quarter finals.

Two years later the goals were flying in again and the Shire were back in the last eight of the Scottish Cup. They trounced Grangemouth 8-2 [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history1.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
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quote = ] and knocked out Camelon 10-6 in a replay after an initial 3-3 draw [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history1.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
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quote = ] . Hearts, the eventual winners, ended the run with a 3-1 victory and it was to be 90 years before The Shire progressed as far again.

Welsh international Humphrey Jones was one of the club’s first heroes. He won 14 caps between 1885 and 1891 - five of them against England and Northern Ireland in 1889 and England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 1890 – while he was still player with the Shire [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history1.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
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quote = ] , and he is one of many internationals to have played for the shire.

Early twentieth century

The club’s pulling power peaked on 19 February 1921, when a record home gate of 12,000 watched a third round Scottish Cup tie against Partick Thistle [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history2.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
accessdate = 21 August
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quote = ] . Sadly for the Shire, Partick Thistle won 2-1 on the day [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history2.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
accessdate = 21 August
accessdaymonth =
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quote = ] before going on to lift the cup with a 1-0 win over Rangers.

In 1931-32 East Stirlingshire won what many consider its only senior honour, the Division Two Championship. St Johnstone matched The Shire’s points total of 55 from 38 games, but 111 goals scored meant that East Stirling had the better goal difference by six. The joy was short-lived however as the following season saw the club relegated after finishing bottom in Division One with just 17 points.

An unwanted record fell on 13 April 1936 when the club suffered its heaviest defeat, losing 12-1 to Dundee United in a Division Two match at Tannadice Park. However, a more positive record was set by Malcolm Morrison in the 1938-39 season when he became the club’s highest league scorer in one season with 36 goals [cite web
url = http://eaststirlingfc.co.uk/history/history2.html
title = Club History on the Official Website
accessdate = 21 August
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quote = ] .

1940 to 1970

In 1947-48, East Stirlingshire won the Scottish League Division ‘C’ at a canter, with 18 victories from 22 league games. But the 12-team division consisted mainly of reserve sides and as a result the title does not rank with the 1931-32 success. The Shire next won promotion as Division Two runners-up to St Johnstone in 1962-63, but as in the 1930s the club’s flirtation with the top flight was brief and relegation followed in 1963-64.

East Stirlingshire then disappeared for a season in 1964-65. Against the fans’ wishes, the club merged with Clydebank Juniors to create "ES Clydebank". The new club played at Kilbowie Park that season before East Stirlingshire regained its identity and independence after a court case brought by the club’s shareholders. Both clubs reverted to their original names the following season and East Stirling returned to Falkirk. Clydebank returned to junior football before later securing a place in Division Two in 1966-67.

It was 1966 before the Shire appointed its first manager. The board of directors had selected the team until handing the reins to Lawrence Binnie.

Alex Ferguson's shortlived era

The club is perhaps best known for an appointment made in 1974 when a 32-year-old Alex Ferguson began his managerial career at East Stirlingshire on a part-time wage of £40 a week. When he joined there were only eight registered players, and there was no registered goalkeeper. His 117-day stint at Firs Park typified a management style that he has developed to earn legendary status at Aberdeen and Manchester United, as well as a knighthood along the way. East Stirling had just finished the season 16th in Division Two when Ferguson arrived. He was given a transfer budget of £2,000 which he spent on Billy Hulston, snatching the former Shire favourite from under the nose of Stenhousemuir manager Alex Smith.

Late twentieth century

In 1980, a league cup match against Albion Rovers was goalless after ninety minutes, and East Stirling won the penalty shootout to progress to the second round; however, the referee had forgotten to play extra time. A replay was held, despite East Stirling's objections, and Albion Rovers won 4-0.

Recent years

East Stirling's form in recent years has not been good. In the 2003-04 season they got only eight points during the entire season, reaching that total on the last day of the season and narrowly avoiding setting a new record lowest points total. In the 2004-05 season they still finished bottom of the division but gained 22 points.

In 2005, football journalist Jeff Connor published the book "Pointless" which chronicled the 2004-2005 season which he spent following the club, largely because East Stirling had finished rock bottom at the end of the previous season, attaining only 8 points. The subtitle of the book is "A Season with Britain's Worst Football Team".

After a feature on the Norwegian channel TV2 program "Golden Goal", an East Stirlingshire fan club was established in Norway, currently numbering more than 6,000 members.

Unlike in the English football league system, there is no opportunity for non-league clubs to be promoted at the expense of league clubs, unless they have gone out of existence like Airdrieonians F.C. However, in 2005 the Scottish League ruled that from the start of the 2005-06 season, any club finishing bottom of Division 3 twice in succession would be reduced to the status of 'Associate Member', losing the right to vote at league meetings, and would be allowed to play in the League for two further seasons, after which the league clubs would vote on whether to allow the club to remain in the League.

East Stirlingshire finished bottom again in 2005-06, but in 2006-2007 they won their opening game of the season for the first time in 13 years. In the fourth game of the season, East Stirlingshire thrashed local rivals Stenhousemuir 5-0. This was the first time that the Shire had won by five goals for over a decade. The result was particularly special as the previous fixture on the same ground between the pair ended in a 7-0 victory for "The Warriors", just five months before. This result was followed by a 5-0 defeat at East Fife.

Despite their opening day victory over Elgin City in season 2006-2007, a 2-1 defeat at Elgin's Borough Briggs in April 2007 confirmed that for a fifth season they would occupy bottom spot in the Third Division. The Scottish League voted against reducing the club to Associate Member status immediately, instead suspending the punishment for a year. This meant that so long as East Stirlingshire did not finish bottom in the 2007-2008 season, they would carry on as full members. If they did finish bottom however, they would have been automatically be reduced to Associate Members, without the league taking a vote on the matter.

Before the 2007/2008 season began, the club announced that reserve football would return to Firs Park for the first time in 14 years. The last time the reserves played was a memorable 2-1 win over Celtic Reserves at Parkhead in 1993.

Just after the start of the 2007/2008 season, East Stirling won six games in a row for the first time since the 1968/69 season. One was a league game against Dumbarton (3-2), one a Challenge Cup match also against Dumbarton (4-2), the third a league game against Forfar (2-1), the fourth a 3-0 away league victory versus Stenhousemuir and the fifth a last gasp 3-2 win away at Albion Rovers, despite being 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go. The club sat third in the table after 6 matches. It was their highest league position for over a decade. The sixth win came against Queen's Park (1-0) in the Challenge Cup. This run came to an end on September 15 when East Stirling lost 3-2 against Stranraer, despite going 2-0 up. Shire's winning run saw them reach the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time since 2000. They were knocked out 4-0 at the hands of First Division side Morton.

In the Scottish Cup East Stirling reached the fourth round after beating Albion Rovers by 5 goals to 1 in the third round. It is the furthest the club have been in the cup in over 30 years. The reward for the achievement was a dream trip to Ibrox to play Rangers. Unfortunately for the Shire faithful, East Stirlingshire were defeated 6-0.

On 28 February, Manager Gordon Wylde resigned as manager on East Stirling. Ex manager and Coach John Brownlie Took charge of the derby day 4-3 defeat to Stenhousemuir.

In March, East Stirling had offered the managers job to Ex Celtic and West Brom Striker John Hartson who turned it down.

The job eventually went to former Greenock Morton manager Jim McInally. While results initially remained poor, Forfar Athletic weren't doing much better, however a victory over Montrose on the final day of the season was enough to finally lift East Stirling off the bottom and into 9th place, preventing their suspended punishment from coming into effect and securing their status as full League members. It was the first time they hadn't finished bottom in six years, so a major relief for their fans.

The final day was a day to celebrate not just because they didn't finish bottom but because it would be their last game at Firs Park because the club cannot afford ground improvements, mainly the size of the pitch which is too small to meet Scottish Football Association criteria.

Spencer Fearn announced that East Stirling will be sharing the artificial surface at nearby Stenhousemuir F.C.'s Ochilview Park while the team look into building a new stadium in Falkirk. They will be sharing Ochilview Park for a period of five years. East Stirling will however continue to train at Firs Park until the developers move in to build the new housing estate.

Current Squad

"As of 10 September 2008."

taff 2008-2009

Boardroom

*Chairman: Alan Mackin
*Vice Chairman: Douglas Morrison
*Chief Executive: Leslie Thomson
*Director: Spencer Fearn
*Marketing Manager: Paul Marnie

Management and coaching

*Manager: Jim McInally
*Assistant Manager: Martin Clark
*Coach: John Brownlie
*Coach: Paul McIlwraith
*Reserve Coach: Alan Upton
*Reserve Coach: Tom Loan
*Goalkeeping Coach: Barry Daniel
*Head of Youth Development: Jimmy Gordon
*Physio Iain MacIver

Maintenance

*Groundsman/Kitman: Robert Jack
*Groundsman/Kitman: James Wilson

Managers

*flagicon|Scotland Lawrence Binnie (1966)
*flagicon|Scotland Ian Crawford (1966-1970)
*flagicon|Scotland Jim Rowan (1970-1971)
*flagicon|Scotland Bob Shaw (1971-1974) (deceased)
*flagicon|Scotland Sir Alex Ferguson (1974)
*flagicon|Scotland Ian Ure (1974-1975)
*flagicon|Scotland Dan McLindon (1975-1977)
*flagicon|Scotland Billy Lamont (1977-1983)
*flagicon|Scotland John Brownlie (1983-1998)
*flagicon|Scotland Hugh McCann (1998-1999)
*flagicon|Scotland Brian Ross (2001-2002)
*flagicon|Scotland Gordon Russell (2002)
*flagicon|Scotland Danny Divers (2002-2003)
*flagicon|Scotland Steve Morrison (2003-2004)
*flagicon|Scotland Dennis Newell (2004-2006)
*flagicon|Scotland Gordon Wylde (2006-2008)
*flagicon|Scotland Jim McInally (2008-Present)

East Stirlingshire league history

Honours

*Division II: 1931/32

*Division II (second place): 1962/63

*Second Division (second place): 1979/80

*Division III (second place): 1923/24

*'C' Division: 1947/48

*Scottish Cup (Quarter Final): 1888/89, 1890/91, 1980/81

*Stirlingshire Cup: 2002

Club records

*Greatest competitive win: 11-2 vs. Vale of Bannock in 1888/10-1 vs. Stenhousemuir on 31st August 1888

*Greatest competitive loss: 1-12 vs. Dundee United on 13th April 1936

*Highest home attendance: 12,000 vs. Partick, Scottish Cup 3rd Round, 19 February 1921

*Most league goals in one season: 36 - Malcolm Morrison, 1938/39 & Henry Morris, 1947/48

*First match: 0-7 vs. Falkirk Seconds (friendly match), November 1881

*Record appearances: Gordon Russell - 415, 1983-2001

*Record transfer fee received: £35,000 for Jim Docherty to Chelsea, 1978

*Record transfer fee paid: £6,000 for Colin McKinnon from Falkirk, 1991

Average home attendance

2007-2008: 377 (Division Three)

2006-2007: 270 (Division Three)

2005-2006: 302 (Division Three)

2004-2005: 293 (Division Three)

2003-2004: 278 (Division Three)

2002-2003: 239 (Division Three)

2001-2002: 247 (Division Three)

Source: [http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/res/documents/SFL/LeagueInsider/The%20League%20Insider%20Issue%2023.pdf The League Insider]

References

External links

* [http://www.eaststirlingfc.co.uk/ Official site]
* [http://shiretrust.netfirms.com/ Shire Trust]
* [http://www.norwayshire.no/eng/ Norwayshire]