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.
Despite steering Dundee to a top‑half finish in his first season and helping them avoid relegation in 2024–25, Tony Docherty was relieved of his managerial duties ahead of the new campaign. Former Coventry City and Falkirk boss Steven Pressley took the reins. On taking the job one sentence made headlines:
If you’re looking for a manager with a history of winning titles I’m not your man
Perhaps that rather uninspiring quote didn’t come out as intended as certainly the early review from Dens has been that Pressley has been a breath of fresh air around the place with the players and staff. However, Pressley’s competitive debut ended in disappointment, as the Premiership side suffered a 1–0 defeat at home to Championship outfit Airdrieonians. A first‑half goal from Chris Mochrie proved decisive, leaving Dundee, Group C’s highest ranked team, stuck on the bottom of the section with no points. With both Airdrieonians and Alloa making perfect starts, Dundee face increasing pressure to avoid further slip‑ups in the League Cup group stage.
Dundee struggled in the final third against Airdrieonians, highlighting the importance of captain Simon Murray reproducing his stellar form from last year. The 33‑year‑old forward was instrumental in the Dee’s survival last season, scoring 16 times in 38 Premiership appearances. He’ll need to contribute another monumental season in what is a new look Dark Blues side with 14 player departures from the previous campaign.
Reinforcements and probably the one to watch have arrived though through summer signing Tony Yogane, a dynamic winger on loan from Brentford. Yogane not only brings pace and flair in wide areas, but also has a proven knack for putting defences on the back foot – his winning strike in the 2024–25 Professional Development League final secured Brentford’s U21 title against Bournemouth, firing them to a 3‑2 victory.
— Brentford Academy (@BrentfordFCPDP) May 21, 2025
In defence, Bulgarian centre-back Plamen Galabov joined on a free transfer from Israeli side Maccabi Petah Tikva. In midfield, Paul Digby, a seasoned defensive midfielder, arrived from Cambridge United, while Drey Wright, a versatile right-sided player, made the move from St. Johnstone following their relegation to the Championship.
Callum Jones, a central midfielder, was signed from Hull City. Up front, Dundee recruited two forwards: Ashley Hay, a 21-year-old centre-forward from Brentford B, and Emile Acquah, a physically imposing striker signed from Barrow, with his fee undisclosed.
There’s no breathing room now for the visitors as anything but a win will all but ensure their exit from the Premier Sports Cup while Alloa will be desperate to set up a final day shootout with Airdrieonians.