📉 Their first NON LEAGUE season in 120 YEARS!!!

I recently made this video and I titled it is this football's biggest fo From Grace I maybe jumped the gun a little bit too early with the title as I think I may have found a new Contender now I want to preface this video by saying that in no way shape or form do I want it to come across as negative um in my coverage of these kind of stories um but I just find it really interesting and it's obviously engaging to the people of YouTube because I've made many videos about teams who have like had bad plights and fallen down the divisions down the years and they seem to do really well that East sterlingshire video and East sterlingshire vaki Junior's video sitting at nearly a quarter of a million views which is just insane for that level of football so a huge thank you for all the support on this type of video but when I saw that Alby and Rovers were playing I was like it's a story that I need to cover because they were invited into the football league of Scotland in 1903 so they were a league club from 1903 up until 2023 they got relegated last season and this is their first season in the Lan League which which is non- League of Scottish Football in 120 years they were a league team for 120 years and now they're Lan League their first non- League season and I thought I have to check it out when I spoke about East sterlingshire with this type of video just recently a few weeks ago like I already showed you the thumbnail for I said it was football's biggest fo From Grace they' gone from the top League to the non- league they'd never really come back or even look like coming back to the Football League or specifically the top league but Albi and Rovers they've been to the top league and they've achieved more footballing wise than East sterlingshire had so Albi and Rovers actually have won the fourth tier of Scottish Football that was in 2015 they've won the third tier of Scottish Football that was in 1989 and they've been Runners up of the second tier three times and they've even won the second tier in 1934 so they have actually achieved a lot have Albi and Rens not only that but one of the biggest Legends in Scottish football history the man who won the European Cup as a manager for the first time for a British team played some of his uh football at Alban Rovers actually played the majority of his football at albian Rovers jock Steen not only have they had Legends be there not only have they won um almost all the divisions in Scotland except from obviously the top one um they've been Runners up in the Scottish Cup in 1920 where they lost to kill manuk um they knocked Rangers out in the semifinal on the way to that final um but look I'm going to show you this look this is the 1934 Scottish division 2 so this is what the championship is now look at albian Rover top of the league to go into the top League after this obviously as you can see they got promoted after gaining 45 points look who they finished above um teams in there even East Sterling here look who I've already spoken about in this video and um really good League teams look at D United who are second bottom aloa montro East F uh Morton Don Barton AR bro stenny dun ferland some really good teams in there who um they actually finished above Albi and rers and then if we look at the next season they finished above Queen of the South air United St mirin and foler in what is now the Scottish Premiership that was Scottish division one in 36 they came 16th above hibs Clyde adri and air United so yeah we're going to find out today how life is for them in their first ever season in the non- leagues since obviously getting relegated and being in the top tier for a number of years being second in the second tier winning the second tier winning the third tier winning the fourth tier being in a Scottish Cup Final they've achieved a lot and so for them to be where they are now is a sad story um but hopefully we can see them bounce back in a few years and also why am i setting the back of the car not the front well I'm going to do some editing I always like to edit in the back of my car when I get a spare 30 minutes just a little bit more spacious but yeah I shall see you at Albi and Rover Stadium which is over 100 years old in just a second here we are a former top tier Stadium but not today [Music] [Applause] [Music] if my memory serves me correctly I don't think this stand behind me is actually used anymore um I think it's condemned which looking at it maybe isn't safe for public to use not going in there but I did get some clips of it I love these old grounds honestly they are so much better than the modern ones although the facility better at the modern ones I do much prefer these old grounds and this one is like I say 102 or 3 years old I've made a few videos here I made a video during Co I saw them play Edinburgh city um when they were a leag club obviously um with no fans and I had to sit on a numbered seat over there in the stand and wear my mask I couldn't get up unless it was like going to the toilet as in the proper depths of coid um and then I also made a video here I think maybe during CO as well um where I did like a a talk about the history of the club and did like a little sort of stadium tour kind of thing um but yeah when I was here that time I think it was 101 years old and that was a few years ago now but look at that this is a proper Scottish ground we're so lucky to have so many grounds like this all around the [Music] UK I'm Gordon Lind the vice president of Albi overse and how long have you been coming to games here at Clifton Hill well since 1954 I was 7 the r at the time and my grandpa brought me here and how have things changed at the club especially in the last year or two because we were just chatting there about the Scottish Cup Final in 1920 you've obviously been a top tier team You've Won many of the divisions um below the top tier but now you find yourself in the lonan league well it was just we lost 12 games won nothing which obviously contributed to that and um if we had one more Point we'd have sted up because we a much Superior goal difference the second and third botom teams however it's happened now and we' just got to get on with it um it's been strange going to a lot of grounds like this um another peculiar seems to be our factor of this is our a support has at least doubled for some reason whether it's people wanting to go and see new grounds or not I was going to say that actually I mean for example Armadale on Saturday which is just a village not very far from here um going towards Edinburgh was over 500 at the match and normally they get nothing like that and I think about 2ir of the CR was Alin over supporters so it's a bit strange um I just hope Noy doesn't wear off but certainly our way support has been really good places like gron and so on as well yeah I was going to ask cuz obviously the the leagues above you obviously in League 2 league one and the championship only 10 teams aren't they so you end up playing the same teams quite often um but you're currently in the Lan League which is 18 team so it must be like you say a bit of a novelty to go to new grounds we're not quite sure what's happening with the fixtures because we've already played Sterling about three weeks ago in the cup no in the league oh in the league as well right before that and we were two nothing up the 10 didn't you play them in the cup as well on the BBC that I saw so this is your third time playing time and then we won't see them again unless we draw them in another cup right okay um the other thing they seem to have done is um if you play East Cup right twice over Christmas and New Year and I think the idea is to try and arrange a local Derby atmosphere bigger crowds because um we're playing them just before Christmas and in again at New Year um so I'm not quite sure who mix up the fixtures but it's certainly been quite interesting and um obviously there's a lot of talk all the time about the pyramid system in Scotland what should be done with the leagues and reconstruction what are your thoughts on some of the leagues the sizes the promotion the relegation that kind of stuff in a lot of different ideas now obviously we're speaking to people you know who are involved with the L league and also teams that are junior um we're having quite a lot of interest because we're down uh they want to know what you think about it and um the main concern seems to be this business of the B Teams playing um Rangers obviously withdrew for this season and then there's a lot of antipathy in the lowand league among the teams that are currently in the lowand league um about the way things are going and of course there was supposed to be a vote and what was basically going to be a league five before the and thef SF withdrew it at the last they knew they were going to lose the vote so the big question is will this come back up again this summer Mike mourin is now the president and I think he was quite Keen in the idea so there's every chance this will be introduced again and the main um argument from the lower clubs is there's not enough promotion I mean there's only one you know for example when we go down um the high League plays theand league and then they play us and I think uh further down their argument is the bottom team just be relegated straight away now obviously if League five is formed I think that's the sort of thing that will happen okay maybe the second bottom team would play off against the second top team between low and Highland so there are potential changes to come we just don't know I think so but it's very much up in here at the moment so I've taken you through their incredible past and their massive achievements in football but let's have a look at where they are in the table this season this is the lowland League table look they find themselves in and amongst all these great non- League teams who um who have been uh down the divisions for a number of years whereas albian Roes East Sterling sh look who we've me mentioned now a few times in this video um they used to obviously be up in the leagues of Scotland as greter they're a Phoenix Club of the old greter calden beef as well there's some good big teams in here um who have yet to come back berck Rangers as well they used to be an spfl Club too but the Lan league for this season Albi and rovers are currently in 15th look only one place above Sterling uni or university of Sterling um but they have played only seven games compared to some teams look at that East above and played 13 games six more than albian Rovers who if they do win a few games I'll be right back up the table but yeah look at that from Scottish Cup Final in 1920 and uh beating Rangers in the semi-final and being in the top division to being 15th in the Lan League here in 2023 um let's hope they can start picking up some points rise back up the table and maybe they will become the first Club to have ever been relegated and then promoted back to the Scottish Football League I've worked for the club I joined last year kind of doing the match Day program cool and I got fully involved with the media team in this summer and yeah been pretty much every game barck and what about for you then you've been an Albi and Rovers fan your whole life as well I've been on and off okay usually used to come the games when I was younger but and what do you guys think of how the last season's gone obviously you're now in the Lan League yeah it's a lot more exciting like a lot of the grounds are kind of different it's obviously we used to be in the league to but it's quite an enjoyable experience there's only 10 teams in League 2 so you're going to play the same teams over and over again whereas now you're actually going to places you've probably never been for decades as a club you know um but you're a very old club and it's been 120 years since um you've became a league club and this is your first season in non League do you give yourselves a chance to get back up into the spfl maybe not this season but with the next five years I think that season I think maybe in like two seasons maybe back J is just a bit of a shock for the club then to be way well right now but then eventually you you'll get back say there's a lot more sense of unity from The Boardroom to like myself and the media and all the other volunteers from sanday and then down to the plan after there's all this kind of big United feeling Keith we've just been talking off camera there for a while I saw your son Jake play a few times last season but in one of the games I saw him he scored a hattrick he's a Defender right for University of Sterling that's correct Y what has his football Journey been like to get him to this level today from Jake was a young age 5year old Jake Jake just loved football so he did from school he played the little school teams he played for G with fle he played for S reserves youth club and que of the South and basically Jake just loves getting onto the park playing football so it is and so he's now studying at Sterling un stud St un and he gets to play in the team that then in the L leag he must be proud then to see him playing at grounds like this prop old school grounds like I'm proud of Jake forever he plays H Jake just Jake watch Jake at tanise he's done the United they played in The Cup last season didn't they yeah Jake just blew me away Jake blew me away watch him at talise and so proud so proud of him anything Jake does at football I'm so proud of him I know he has the ability to go on and do things y he's got the right attitude he's got the right concentation so for everybody watching Jake service is a name and we to look out for him in a couple of years we I I Jake could make it at a good level Jake pitches mind yeah like I say when I've seen him play he's played really well and obviously he'll be playing here tonight at Clifton Hill coat Bridge Al and Rover what do you make of Albi and Rover over the last couple years obviously they were a league club for 120 years and now they're playing their first non- League season for like say 120 years what' you reckon I think I think Al it's it's a good setup when I watched them up against the staling recently in the cup and I've seen the setup and how they put theel out for the game their setups for training and movement and stuff like that they've got a lot of cracking players in there and there's two or three individuals in the Alin R's team which I think could go on to a good level as kid Josh and you all Albi Rover supporters do you support a bigger Club as well or you just R Celtic Celtic and Celtic and so who would you rather won the League this season Celtic or albian Rover oh not Alan Rover Celtic team but not a favorite team how do you think the lads getting on this season then H we've not been bad we give away a few cheap goals that might set us back but still adjusting to life in this league I suppose and it's all new new teams you know uh most of these players have played in the division before and what the score going to be today then dra uh hopefully like 40 Rovers I'd say Rovers 3il Rovers I 31 3-1 31 is who's the best player who am I looking out for what players am I looking out for JO [Music] [Applause] [Music] numbery and you having a drink I have a coffee please that's right yeah thank you anything else for you that's all thanks I've missed a goal but I feel like it's worth it to get the pie thank you Sterling night I'll be up behind already yeah Alfie H Alfredo hello Alfie does he come to a lot of games uh this is a thought what other ground Braves okay we went to arm on [Applause] Saturday oh what a miss it is Hal time what have you thought so far shocking shocking right so the second half is about to commence behind me it's Hal time half time is just about to finish um but it's been a strange game not a lot has happened I don't know how much actual footage I've shown you but after everything I've told you about the club Scottish Cup Final beating Rangers in the semi-final to get there being top tier for a number of years winning the second tier winning the third tier winning the fourth tier achieved some great stuff had some great players they're currently losing against a University team in the fifth tier non- league lonan league come on that [Applause] all [Music] that they found it oh my oh c off line M say what you want I feel like you deserve to swear after the performance challeng and then just [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] thatu Jake we spoke to your dad earlier on the video um how are you finding life uh in the loading League this year H it's a bit different to last year obviously we lost a few what I meain players but the boys that have came in have done really well um I'm just getting used to the league cuz it is different to what they've came from a lot of young boys from the 30s but we're getting getting some results now so good result today against you know former big league club who are now in the Lan league but how is it as a student playing against teams like Albi and Rovers and other big teams east killbride in this league obviously L go as big traditional football teams but you're obviously a team of students like how's that for you it's really good um you see these teams spend lots of money and bring lots of X Pros in um and playing against time is really good just works on you makes you a better player so y exactly and last question for you then I love these old grounds like I much prefer them to some of the newer ones um how's it for you playing in places like this it's really good fans there's loads of fans here tonight so it's was good see all them as ever a really good overall experience going to watch another game in the Lan league but that genuinely is probably the worst game of football I've actually seen for a long time I'm struggling to think of a game that was as bad as that the goal went in after about a minute or two as you saw when I was bying my pie and then I could didn't tell you any real clear-cut chances for either side that came and that almost proves my point about Alby and Rover down the years how where they've been as a club 1920 Scottish Cup Final they've won the second tier they've been Runners up at the second tier and they've played a number of seasons in the top tier they would have played against teams like Celtic obviously in the top tier in heart of Midlothian this season they'll be playing against their B teams in the Lan league but um it just shows where they are footballing wise you only are where you are due to results I suppose and they find themselves in the low League this season they are still a cool Club run by great people um so do and go give them a follow on social media maybe go and check out their ground for a match day if you've never been before because it is a proper classic old ground that you'll love to watch football and if you're like a groundhopper like me um but not just that you're going to be witnessing history as it's their first non- League season in 120 years so yeah a really cool story interesting story um bit of a sad one I guess if you're an albn Rovers fan but I love to chart the um the histories of these clubs um let me know where you'd want me to go next I will leave one or two videos on screen one of them will be the East sterlingshire video If you haven't seen that then here it is and the one that is next to it is what YouTube thinks you are most likely to click on thank you so much for watching and goodbye

Channel: Footy Adventures

Views: 153,484

Keywords: football, soccer, sport, sports, footy, footy adventures, glasgow, lowland league, coatbridge, albion rovers, non league, non league football, grassroots, grassroots football, uk, united kingdom, scotland, scottish, scottish football, celtic, rangers, spl, spfl, scottish cup

Id: Yssa0fKiXNQ

Length: 18min 41sec (1121 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 18 2023