We’re pleased to announce that Luke Watkins, 19, has signed his first professional contract with the club.
The talented youngster has featured regularly throughout our pre-season campaign, making appearances against Falkirk, East Stirlingshire, Livingston, and Raith Rovers and providing a torrid time to defenders cutting in from the wing.
His inclusion in the first team squad takes our academy produced players to six. We look forward now to seeing him progress at Alloa.
Promotion Glory – But a Difficult Start in League One
Dick Campbell once again showcased his famed Midas touch last season, guiding East Fife to promotion via the William Hill League One Playoff. They bounced back impressively after narrowly missing out on the title in a head-to-head clash with Peterhead on the penultimate day. Winning the play-offs was no small feat — but just weeks into the new campaign, it’s already clear that the Methil side are facing a stern test at the higher level.
Summer Departures & Slim Recruitment
The summer exodus hit East Fife hard. Kallum Higginbotham, Stewart Murdoch, Scott Shepherd, Gordon Walker, Allan Fleming, and Jack Healy all departed, leaving behind a skeleton squad. In response, the Fifers managed just three summer additions in what’s proved a difficult market:
Lewis Latona (loan, Livingston)
Ewan McLeod (loan, Dunfermline)
Tommy Goss (loan, Annan)
East Fife missed out on re-signing last season’s first-choice goalkeeper — and League 2’s standout stopper — as Liam McFarlane instead joined the Wasps on loan. He’s already shown impressive performances in goals for Alloa picking up the goalkeeping spot for last week’s SPFL Team of the Week. Although the giant 19-year-old Matty Rollo has stepped up as East Fife’s starting keeper, the lack of depth meant they were forced to name a trialist in the sticks for their opening league game at Peterhead.
Opening Day Setback
That opener at Balmoor was one to forget. Despite taking the lead through Lewis Latona, East Fife collapsed to a 4–1 defeat, conceding four unanswered goals as Peterhead romped to the day’s biggest scoreline. Missing six players through injury, including key attackers Adam Laaref and Michael McKenna, the Fifers worries over the paper thin squad again rang true as Peterhead enjoyed a very comfortable flag day with a table topping finish.
Premier Sports Cup Recap
East Fife’s League Cup group stage campaign yielded no major shocks, but there were positive signs:
1–0 win over League 1 rivals Kelty Hearts
Comfortable victory against Brora Rangers
The inevitable name of the scoresheet? Alan Trouten, the former Alloa talisman, who continues to roll back the years. After a remarkable 22-goal campaign last season, Trouten swept up the League 2 Top Goalscorer, League 2 Player of the Season, and the the PFA League 2 Player of the Season awards.
As he approaches his 40th birthday, question whether he can carry East Fife’s attacking burden in League One at your peril.
Trouten will be joined by a reinvigorated Nathan Austin, who had returned to looking like the player of old that saw him step up to full time football. While injury plagued his previous stint in League One with Kelty, Austin has bagged 13 goals in each of his last two League 2 campaigns.
And just this week the addition of Tommy Goss gives another potent attacking option – if he can keep fit. The towering striker managed just under a goal every three games as Annan avoided the drop in 2023-24 but an injury laden season saw him score just two goals in nine appearances in the entirety of last season. He’s an imposing target to hit aerially and ticks all the boxes that a more explosive and technical Austin might not which gives East Fife a full range of attacking options if they need a plan B.
Familiar Faces to watch out for
There are a few names in East Fife’s squad that will be familiar to the Alloa fans:
Reis Peggie, who featured in the 2019–20 season
Connor McManus, who made his senior debut for Alloa while on loan from Celtic in 2015–16 under Danny Lennon
Last Time Out at Methil
The last meeting between the sides at Bayview saw Alloa secure their biggest winning margin of the 2021-22 league season in a commanding performance.
Kevin Cawley broke the deadlock with his 71st goal for the club, finishing off a slick move involving MacIver, Henderson, and Boyd.
Stefan Scougall then dazzled with a winding run into the box, drawing a foul and calmly dispatching the resulting penalty.
Steven Boyd was involved again as Henderson’s strike deflected off him to wrongfoot goalkeeper Jude Smith and wrap up a 3–0 win.
Alloa Athletic Football Club is proud to unveil the brand-new home kit for our Women’s team ahead of the 2025/26 season – and we are delighted to confirm that Affinity Sterling Mills will once again be front and centre as our principal sponsor.
The renewed partnership with Affinity Sterling Mills marks the second consecutive year of support from the local shopping centre, which has continued to champion the growth and development of women’s football in Alloa.
Women’s Team Manager Allan Milne shared his appreciation for the ongoing support:
“Delighted that Affinity Sterling Mills are back on board again showing their support. It’s fantastic that the club have such a prestigious shopping centre, in the heart of Alloa, sponsoring the team and helping grow the women’s game.
It allows us to help build professionalism and culture for the players that is as close to SWPL 1 and 2 as we can.”
Nicola Martin, Centre Manager at Affinity Sterling Mills, echoed the enthusiasm:
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Alloa Athletic Women’s Team for a second year! Their hard work, team spirit and commitment to the game make them a real inspiration. It means a lot to us to be part of their journey and to help grow women’s football right here in our community.”
With support from key local partners like Affinity Sterling Mills, Alloa Athletic Women are striving to build a sustainable, competitive, and professional football environment for Women’s football to thrive.
The new kit will be debuted at the first competitive game for the team on Sunday, August 10 (2pm KO), against Cumbernauld United at Guys Meadows in the League Cup.
We’re pleased to announce that Lewis Bruin, 18, has signed his first professional contract.
The youngster made his first appearance against Queen of the South in January but this summer has been a regular in pre-season friendlies and the Stirlingshire Cup culminating in a first competitive start against Bonnyrigg Rose and sub appearances against Montrose & Dundee as we successfully qualified from the Premier Sports Cup group stages.
We look forward to watching his development with the Wasps in the coming years.
As the new League One season approaches, Stenhousemuir FC are a side still very much in transition – and arguably in survival mode – struck by injuries, key departures, and a threadbare squad stretched to the limit.
Administration averted
A new board assumed control of Stenhousemuir in November 2024, and by the end of the season, the current leadership revealed that it had taken significant effort to satisfy auditors, avoid administration and ensure the club could be signed off as a going concern, highlighting the seriousness of the situation behind the scenes.
With those financial worries as a backdrop manager Gary Naysmith has described the last few weeks as the toughest challenge of his managerial career, and few could argue with that assessment. After a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Morton and with just nine fit players available in the days leading up to their League Cup clash with Premiership side Motherwell, the Warriors were left scrambling to assemble a starting XI, signing five players on amateur deals just to fulfill the fixture as well as naming two trialists. Naysmith admitted the club even considered requesting toforfeit the match, such was the extent of their injury crisis.
Yet somehow, the patched-up side managed to hold out for a narrow 1-0 defeat to Jens Berthel Askou’s top-tier outfit. The Warriors battled bravely, and could even have snatched an unlikely draw when Gregor Buchanan had a chance in stoppage time. They saw out the group with a draw at Clyde and in the final game won against last season’s League 2 champions Peterhead, courtesy of Ross Taylor’s effort. After that result, Naysmith said he hopes to have two or three players back from injuryto ease concerns for the league opener at Ochilview.
Goals win games
Stenny remain light in the forward areas. Last season’s top scorer Matty Yates departed in the summer, although his rumoured signing at Broadwood has been kyboshed by Hamilton’s year-long transfer embargo. If he doesn’t make a late return it leaves a hole in Stenhousemuir’s frontline. Stenny’s other option Matty Aitken went off through injury against Morton after just 25 minutes and they have had to turn to short-term signings like Peter Mendy and Max Guthrie – neither of whom had trained with the team before arriving for the Motherwell match.
Finlay Gray’s Broken Collarbone
One man Alloa won’t face thanks to injury is summer signing Finlay Gray. He was one of the league’s standout midfielders despite being at relegated Dumbarton last season. Gray brought energy, pressing, and the ability to drive forward with the ball. Former Dundee United prospect Finn Robson has since been signed following a solid showing as a trialist but there’s big boots to fill as Gray faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Stenny had said goodbye to SPFL stalwarts Nat Wedderburn, Kyle Jacobs and Blair Alston in the summer leaving Mikey Anderson, former Hearts youngster Ryan Duncan and possibly soon-to-be-fit Scott Mcgill as the other central midfield options in a sparse roster.
Alloa’s last visit to Stenhousemuir
In their last meeting, Alloa Athletic earned a dominant 4-1 victory over Stenhousemuir. Luke Donnelly fired the Wasps into the lead just before half-time, but the visitors asserted their control after the break. A brace from Stefan Scougall and a goal from Rangers loanee Josh Gentles sealed the comprehensive win, with Matty Yates grabbing a late consolation header for Stenny. It made the tally for last season three wins for the Wasps to just one for the Warriors.
Alloa Athletic FC is stepping up its efforts to connect with supporters in a more dynamic, timely, and interactive way. As part of a broader digital strategy backed by the Board and management, the Club will be increasing its use of social media and digital marketing channels. A new dedicated Social Media Officer will join us to lead this work across the Club, including the Wasp Community Club and the Hive Youth Club.
Supporters can expect a fresh and more responsive online presence, with exciting new developments in how we communicate and engage rolling out in the coming weeks.
Young Supporters at the Heart of the Club
A key part of this new approach is building stronger links with our younger fans. We’ve launched a Young Supporters Panel, with the first meeting already held. This panel brings together young people – including those from the Hive Youth Club – to shape a more complete and meaningful match day experience.
Following valuable input from that meeting, the Club is making the following changes:
Season Tickets for Under-18s now available for £60 (previously only for U16s)
League GamesMatch day entry for Under-18s set at £6
Hive Youth Club members can enter for just £4
Regular meetings with young supporters are planned in the coming weeks, with discussions around match day improvements and long-term ground developments already underway.
The Club will be looking to extend this type of approach, involving supporter interaction, over the coming months, starting with Season Ticket holders.
The draw for the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup was made in Paisley after the St Mirren vs Ayr game and resulted as follows…
Rangers v Alloa Athletic Celtic v Falkirk Kilmarnock v Dundee United Livingston v Hibernian St Johnstone v Motherwell Greenock Morton v Aberdeen Partick Thistle v Ayr United St Mirren v Heart of Midlothian
Ties are due to be played on the weekend of August 16/17 meaning our fixture against Kelty Hearts will need to be rescheduled.
The full fixture list and TV selections will be confirmed at the end of the week following the UEFA second-round qualifying matches.
Airdrieonians are undergoing a summer rebuild. Ben Wilson, last season’s top scorer with 17 goals in 46 appearances, was snapped up in a reported £200,000 deal by The New Saints. Adding to the turnover, club captain Adam Frizzell also opted to end his stay at the Penny Cars Stadium after four years and 169 appearances for the Diamonds. Those are two significant departures – without even considering the exits of Lewis McGregor, Mason Hancock, and Craig Watson.
To fill those voids, the club has turned to some familiar Championship names. Euan Henderson is a forward with proven experience across the Scottish leagues, known for his pace, movement, and goal threat. He made 39 appearances during his six years at Hearts but failed to establish himself in the first team. Notably, he spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Alloa Athletic, where he delivered an impressive return of 14 goals in 28 appearances as Alloa made a late charge for the playoffs. After leaving Tynecastle in 2023, Henderson joined Hamilton Academical, where he featured 80 times and scored 13 goals. Although Alloa expressed interest in re-signing him, Henderson chose to remain in full-time Championship football, completing his move to Airdrieonians in June.
Fellow Hamilton teammates Jamie Barjonas – who also racked up over 80 appearances for Accies – and veteran defender Sean McGinty have also made the switch across Lanarkshire to join Rhys McCabe’s side. Alex King returned to Scottish football as well, with the former Greenock Morton midfielder ending a short six-month stint at Crusaders in Northern Ireland.
It hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Alloa in Airdrie in recent years. You’d have to go back to 2020 for their last win at the, then named, Excelsior Stadium, when Alan Trouten and Robert Thomson scored in a routine 2-0 victory under Peter Grant. Since then, the home side has dominated this fixture. In their promotion-winning season, the Diamonds swept aside Alloa 4-0 and 2-0, with the Wasps struggling to cope with McCabe’s free-flowing style.
Has this team rediscovered that exciting brand of football? On recent evidence, the answer looks like yes. Airdrie confidently claimed a 3-1 win over Bonnyrigg Rose, earned a statement victory away to Dundee at Dens Park, and saw off Montrose 2-1 on Wednesday night to return to the top of the table. That sets up a decisive showdown with Alloa on Saturday. The winner – whether in normal time or via penalties – will progress as Group C champions. As for the runner-up, nine points will almost certainly not be enough for Alloa to sneak through as one of the best second-placed sides, though Airdrie could still have an outside chance of advancing via the three “lucky loser” spots.
