Goals—and plenty of them—are what the supporters want, and that is exactly what they received in the 1999-2000 Bell’s Challenge Cup Final. It’s hard to believe that these events took place 25 years ago, on Sunday, November 21, 1999, at the Shyberry Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie, in a match between two teams from different divisions, where each side was simply trying to score one more goal than the other. “The Wasps” took the game to Inverness Caledonian Thistle from the kickoff and never once fell behind, even extending their dominance into the penalty shootout.
First Division Inverness Caledonian Thistle were the favorites to win the trophy. On their way to the final, Alloa Athletic had won all their ties away from home—against Cowdenbeath, Airdrie, Ross County, and local rivals Stirling Albion in the semi-final. This was Alloa Athletic’s first national cup final in 121 years at that time.
As an Alloa Athletic fan, it was a dream to see “The Wasps” in a national cup final, which was held on a rain-soaked pitch. The high-energy game captivated fans, with Alloa taking the lead four times, only for the game to be ultimately decided by a penalty shootout that would bring one final twist.
With the penalty shootout tied at 4-4, it entered sudden death. Alloa Athletic goalkeeper Mark Cairns took control of the match ball and walked confidently to the penalty spot. Alloa manager Terry Christie, along with the supporters, watched in disbelief as Cairns confidently slotted his penalty past Les Fridge, putting “The Wasps” up 5-4. Cairns then returned to the goal and saved Mike Teasdale’s penalty, winning the Bell’s Challenge Cup for Alloa Athletic.
Alloa Athletic fans in the stands embraced each other, with many shedding tears as they processed what they had just witnessed. A part-time football club had won the cup, defeating four full-time clubs, all away from home. Inverness Caledonian Thistle had equalized four times, but Alloa’s players showed tremendous resilience, holding on and winning the trophy on merit. It was a great result for the club and for Clackmannanshire, and the game itself was a fantastic advert for football.
John Glencross
Alloa Athletic FC Club Historian
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alloa Athletic FC winning the Bell’s Challenge Cup in an epic final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on November 21, 1999, I have produced a book to commemorate the occasion. For those who have spent their lives following the “wee team” from Alloa across the country, November 21, 1999, will always be remembered as a pinnacle moment. The book, in full color and 60 pages long, is now available for purchase at the club shop today or at the Alloa Athletic Football Memorabilia Exhibition, Glasstown House, Castle Street, Alloa, FK10 1EU. The exhibition is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or the book can be ordered directly from John Glencross via email at jgxalloafc@aol.com. The cost is £5 plus postage for delivery. Relive the memories of the game and what it meant for Clackmannanshire—Alloa will always be Alloa.
