An intriguing season opener as Alloa travel to Rosewell to face Bonnyrigg Rose
New Dundas Park is still being left to bed in so the East Lothian side have moved into Ferguson Park just down the road from their home haunt.
It’ll be a new ground for many Alloa fans of the newer vintages as we visit the home of Whitehill Welfare, but Alloa have had history here. The then East of Scotland league side held Alloa in January 2000 when Terry Christie’s men stumbled twice from leading positions. Willie Irvine’s first half strike was cancelled out by John Bird’s direct goal from a corner, and Gregor McKechnie was denied a winner by Dougie Samuel’s late equaliser. Alloa recovered in the replay to win 2-0 but it’ll not be a visit fondly remembered.
THE BOSS
Long serving players stepping up to management positions? It’ll never catch on. Jonny Stewart is Andy Graham’s opposite number. He cemented himself as a Bonnyrigg Rose legend during his 10 year playing career before leaving to manage Tranent. He couldn’t resist the draw of managing here after former Alloa striker Calum Eliot departed the hotseat in March 2025 with the club facing a relegation scrap.
“It’s no secret my love for the club and I hope to install that passion into the squad,”
— Jonny Stewart, on his appointment via the club website
Though Rose ultimately dropped into the Lowland League after a Pyramid Play-off loss to East Kilbride, they’ll be looking to rekindle an impressive Lowland League record that has never seen the Rosey Posey finish worse than 3rd.
PLAYER TO WATCH – KALLUM HIGGINBOTHAM
No stranger as an Alloa opponent, Kallum Higginbotham has now racked up over 580 games of professional football with notable stints at Dunfermline, Kelty and Partick Thistle. The Englishman has turned out in every division in the top 5 leagues in Scotland — but does the 36-year-old still have the legs to produce the magic of earlier in career?
STAR MAN – BILLY KING
The brother of former Alloa player Adam King, Billy King’s career started brightly with the midfielder breaking into the Hearts team at just the tender age of 18. He was a Scotland youth international up to U21 level but has become a bit of a journeyman after his Hearts career ended, playing for 9 clubs in as many years across Scotland, England, Ireland, and the U.S.
Last year’s endeavors at Arbroath did see him join in the title celebration as the Angus side won League 1 — but Billy made just 7 appearances after signing in January and scored just the single goal in a 5-1 defeat to eventually relegated Annan.
His last three clubs have seen him pick up:
- 🏆 the USL League One with Northern Colorado
- 🏆 the FAI Cup with St Patrick’s Athletic
- 🏆 and most recently, League 1 with Arbroath
Will he make it 4 titles in 4 years with Bonnyrigg?
Previous meetings
The Rose’s 2021–22 Scottish Cup run hit a brick wall — more like a speeding train — in the third round with a bruising 5-0 loss to Alloa Athletic.
Things started brightly, with hundreds of noisy traveling fans and a golden chance in the opening 20 seconds… which George Hunter and Ross Gray politely left for each other.
That generosity didn’t last long.
Alloa struck first with what can only be described as a FIFA Street backheel flick from Mouhamed Niang. That was just the start.
Hearts loanee Euan Henderson decided to ruin the Rose’s day with a clinical hat-trick, showing pace, power, and no mercy.
‘Sena’ Niang would bag his brace in closing after Conor Sammon played him through — it marked a day to forget for the Lowland League leaders who had started out with high hopes of a 14th consecutive win.
Alloa will be looking to emulate that dominant performance.
