Category: News

Bonnyrigg 0-1 Alloa
0 – 1
Full Time
KO KO 2 15 65 65 65 75 75 75 82 90 FT

Highlights

Reaction

Bonnyrigg Rose
1Ross Connelly Goalkeeper
2Joshua Laing 19 Defender
3Neil Martynuik Defender
4Kerr Young Defender
5Kieran Somerville Defender 15′
8Kallum Higginbotham Forward
11Billy King 14 Midfielder
12Max Dowling Midfielder
17Kian Speirs 6 Midfielder
20Rudi Bryce 15 Forward
22Callum Connolly Midfielder
25Marc Anderson Goalkeeper
6Josh Beveridge 17
7Ben Scarborough
14Harry Waldman 11
15Callum Hogg 20
18Brodie Armstrong
19Cameron Forbes 2

Alloa Athletic
31Liam McFarlane Goalkeeper
3Calum Waters Defender
15David McKay Defender
23David Devine Defender
2Scott Taggart Defender
12Stefan Scougall Midfielder
14Lewis Bruin 8 Midfielder
20Cameron Oโ€™Donnell Midfielder
11Kalvin Orsi Midfielder
10Luke Rankin 18 Midfielder 2′
19Steven Buchanan 4 Forward
1Tochukwu Ogayi Goalkeeper
4Steven Hetherington 19 Midfielder 90′
5Andy Graham Defender
6Luke Watkins Midfielder
8Kurtis Roberts 14 Midfielder
16Daniel Church Defender
17Owen Foster Defender
18Conor Sammon 10 Forward
22Reece Mullen Goalkeeper

Past Meetings
5 – 0
Scottish Cup

Alloa Athletic v Bonnyrigg Rose

Attendance: 513

Ground

Ferguson Park
Marker
Leaflet Map data ยฉ OpenStreetMap contributors
Rosewell, Midlothian, Scotland, EH24 9AA, United Kingdom

The Opposition Report: Bonnyrigg

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.

โ€œItโ€™s no secret my love for the club and I hope to install that passion into the squad,โ€
โ€” 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 โ€“ KALLUM HIGGINBOTHAM

PICTURED: Higginbotham chases Iain Flannigan

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 โ€” 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.

PICTURED: Billy King attempting to block Michael Duffy

Last year’s endeavors at Arbroath did see him join in the title celebration as the Angus side won League 1 โ€” 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:

  • ๐Ÿ† the USL League One with Northern Colorado
  • ๐Ÿ† the FAI Cup with St Patrickโ€™s Athletic
  • ๐Ÿ† and most recently, League 1 with Arbroath

Will he make it 4 titles in 4 years with Bonnyrigg?

Previous meetings

The Roseโ€™s 2021โ€“22 Scottish Cup run hit a brick wall โ€” more like a speeding train โ€” 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 didnโ€™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 Roseโ€™s day with a clinical hat-trick, showing pace, power, and no mercy.

โ€˜Senaโ€™ Niang would bag his brace in closing after Conor Sammon played him through โ€” 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.

Bonnyrigg Rose Tickets

Buy Tickets โ€“ Bonnyrigg Rose

Adult: ยฃ11 (20โ€“65 yrs)
Concession: ยฃ8 (17โ€“19 yrs, 65+, disabled & carers)
Youth: ยฃ5 (12โ€“16 yrs)
You will be redirected to Fanbase

Continue to Fanbase
Wasp TV One Month Pass

Wasp TV โ€“ One Month Pass

Watch Alloa matches live from outside the UK

Subscribe Now

Owen Foster joins the Wasps

We’re pleased to welcome the signature of Owen Foster after the expiry of his contract with St Mirren in the summer.

Owen, 19, earned plaudits during his loan spell with Cumbernauld Colts in the Lowland League last season after his significant impactโ€”earned him both the Management Player of the Year and Committee Player of the Year awards at the club.

โ€œOwen is a promising young player who we believe will bring healthy competition to the defensive area of the pitch. Heโ€™s very composed on the ball, and his versatility could prove vital for us.โ€
โ€” Andy Graham

Welcome to the club, Owen!

ย†

Church returns to the fold

We’re pleased to welcome the return of Daniel Church to Alloa Athletic.

During his first spell at the club, Daniel made 66 appearances for the Wasps, establishing himself as a dynamic and influential presence down the left flank. Feared for his whipped deliveries and attacking intent from full back, he not only contributed creatively but also netted his first professional goals in black and gold.

After a period away in full time football with Queen of the South, it was fitting to see him back on the scoresheet on Saturday against Civil Service, rounding off a busy pre-season with a reminder of the quality he brings. Daniel adds versatility and depth to our squad โ€” capable of playing as a full back, wing back or even stepping into a centre back role when needed. Whether he reclaims the team DJ duties remains to be seen โ€” but we know he can hit the right notes when it matters most.

“Churchy is a player who has had a tough time of it in the last few years since leaving Alloa to pursue a full time opportunity. This is an opportunity for Churchy to get his career back on track and he will provide good competition at left back as well as being able to cover central defence and wingback as well.”
โ€” Andy Graham

Liam McFarlane joins on loan

Alloa Athletic are delighted to confirm the loan signing of 20-year-old goalkeeper Liam McFarlane from Heart of Midlothian for the duration of the 2025/26 season, subject to Scottish FA approval.

Last season, the Hearts Academy product was a standout performer for East Fife as they secured promotion to League 1. After making 39 appearances and keeping 14 clean sheets for the Methil side, McFarlane was named East Fifeโ€™s Young Player of the Year and was voted into the PFA Scotland Team of the Season by his fellow professionals as the best goalkeeper in League 2.

Welcome to the Wasps!

Martin Ross Appointed Chairman of Alloa Athletic FC

Alloa Athletic FC is pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Ross as the new Chairman of the Club, succeeding Andy Allan, who while he has stepped down to take on the role of Vice-Chairman and Managing Director remains fully committed to Alloa Athletic FC.

Martin Ross brings with him a deep-rooted passion for sport and a longstanding connection to the local community. Having joined the Board in 2005, Mr. Ross has served the Club with dedication for nearly two decades, most recently as Vice-Chairman.

โ€œMy first love was always Rugby,โ€ said Mr. Ross. โ€œI played for Alloa Rugby Club from the early 1960s until I retired in 1995, and also as I lived locally in Tillicoultry for Hillfoots Rugby Club. While I supported Dundee FC, our company, Sterling Precast, had always sponsored Alloa and taken hospitality here.โ€

โ€œIn 2005, my good friend Ewen Cameron, the Club Secretary, approached me about joining the Board. That invitation came shortly after Mike Mulraney had also become involved with the Club.โ€

Ross became Vice-Chairman in 2010, coinciding with Mike Mulraneyโ€™s appointment as Chairman. Reflecting on his unique sporting journey, he added, โ€œIโ€™m honoured to now serve as Chairman of Alloa FC. Having previously been President of both Alloa Rugby Club and Hillfoots Rugby Club, I believe this is a fairly rare and proud achievement.โ€

โ€œMy goal is always to see Alloa FC promoted to the Championship and to be recognised as the best part-time side in the SPFL. I also want to see the Ladies Team, the Academy, Youths, and Community Teams thrive โ€” and for the whole Club to continue moving forward.โ€

He also emphasized the importance of community engagement and modernization: โ€œWe must raise the Clubโ€™s profile within the community and step confidently into the social and digital age. Iโ€™m confident that others, far more competent in those areas, will help us achieve that.โ€

A key part of the new Chairman’s vision: โ€œIโ€™d love to see the Club become a focal point for the area once again โ€” especially through the Hive project โ€” to grow the next generation of support but also reconnect with the older fans who may have drifted away.โ€

Reflecting on the recent past, Mr. Ross celebrated the Clubโ€™s achievements: โ€œThe last 15 years have been incredibly exciting โ€” with promotions, relegations, cup finals, and several enjoyable seasons in the Championship. We’ve also seen some excellent managers develop their careers with us.โ€

As the Club enters a new chapter, Mr. Ross concluded with optimism: โ€œWe are all looking forward to a very enjoyable and successful season.โ€

Kalvin Orsi joins Alloa

Alloa Athletic Football Club are delighted to announce the signing of winger Kalvin Orsi, aged 28, from Dumbarton, pending approval from the SFA.

Orsi developed through the youth systems at Aberdeen, and St Mirren, before turning professional. His senior career includes spells at Queenโ€™s Park, Brechin City, Greenock Morton, and most recently Dumbarton, where he made over 150 appearances across four seasons.

โ€œHeโ€™s quick, strong, skillful โ€ฆ Kalvin in full tilt is great fun to watch.โ€

In addition to his exciting playing style, Orsi is known for his work-rate and versatilityโ€”capable of operating on either flank or as a central forward when required.

Tochukwu Ogayi signs

We’re pleased to officially welcome Tochukwu Ogayi back to the Wasps for the 2025/26 season.

‘Tochi’ or ‘Big Phil’ as he’s sometimes known in the Alloa support has been a fan favourite after his unlikely signature in 23/24. He’s had strong competition in the goalkeeping department pushing PJ Morrison for his place in the team and he will again add that depth in the goalkeeping department.

New surface to be installed at Alloa

Alloa Athletic FC are delighted to announce a ยฃ400,000 improvement package at the Indodrill Stadium over the coming season. This will include an upgrade to the playing surface, with a new Vertex Core Prime pitch to be installed. The new surface meets FIFA Quality Pro criteria and is used globally at elite performance levels and in top-tier competitive play.

Unfortunately, the installation of the new surface will cause some disruption to fixtures and bookings at the start of the season, and the Club is working hard to put contingency arrangements in place.

The pitch installation is scheduled to take place from Monday, 21st July to Friday, 22nd August.

All fixtures in the Premier Sports Cup will go ahead as scheduled. However, the home league game against Stenhousemuir on 2nd August has been reversed and will now be played away. In addition, while awaiting the draw for the KDM Evolution Trophy, the Club has requested an away fixture, if possible, for the match currently scheduled on Tuesday, 12th August. The reverse fixture against Stenhousemuir on the 25th October will now be at home in Alloa.

Fixtures 2025-26

The SPFL has released the fixtures for William Hill League 1. We’ve added it to our full fixture list below:

2025-26

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayCompetitionMatch Info Attendance
-
-
-
-
Premier Sports Cup 348
Premier Sports Cup 258
Premier Sports Cup 786
Premier Sports Cup 860
William Hill League 1 541
William Hill League 1 763
KDM Evolution Trophy 324
Premier Sports Cup 33959
William Hill League 1 713
KDM Evolution Trophy 191
William Hill League 1 2160
KDM Evolution Trophy 309
William Hill League 1 516
William Hill League 1 513
KDM Evolution Trophy 125
William Hill League 1 567
William Hill League 1 531
William Hill League 1 331
KDM Evolution Trophy 189
William Hill League 1 708
William Hill League 1 664
William Hill League 1 527
William Hill League 1 466
KDM Evolution Trophy 216
William Hill League 1 467
William Hill League 1 581
Scottish Cup 1426
William Hill League 1 516
KDM Evolution Trophy 319
William Hill League 1 565
William Hill League 1 -
William Hill League 1 707
William Hill League 1 405
William Hill League 1 401
William Hill League 1 2259
William Hill League 1 509
William Hill League 1 1,099
William Hill League 1 654
William Hill League 1 602
William Hill League 1 545
William Hill League 1 479
William Hill League 1 467
William Hill League 1 809
William Hill League 1 -
William Hill League 1 -
William Hill League 1 -
William Hill League 1 -
William Hill League 1 -
William Hill League 1 -