East Stirlingshire Football Club is a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

association football club based in the town of

Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a ...

. The club was founded in 1881 and competes in the , in the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system. The club's origins can be traced to 1880 when a local cricket club formed a football team under the name ''Britannia'', based in the village of

Bainsford Bainsford is a small village within the Falkirk (council area), Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is situated in the Forth Valley, north of the town of Falkirk. It is positioned between the River Carron (Forth), River Carron and the ...

.Shire's fans show mettle
''

Falkirk Herald ''The Falkirk Herald'' is a weekly newspaper and daily news website published by National World. It provides reportage, opinion and analysis of news, current affairs and sport in the towns of Falkirk, Grangemouth, Larbert, Stenhousemuir and ...

''. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2013. The club was elected to the

Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...

in 1900–01 and has competed in the league system for most of its existence. East Stirlingshire has won the second tier of Scottish football once and finished runners-up once, earning promotion to the top-flight on both occasions. The club's highest league ranking came during the two solitary seasons it competed in the top flight in 1932–33 and 1963–64. In 2016, East Stirlingshire became the first club ever to be relegated out of the national league system. East Stirlingshire first entered in the Scottish Cup in

1882 Events January–March * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in ...

, its best result reaching the quarter-finals on three occasions, the last in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

. The club's best result in a national cup competition was in the 2000–01 season when it reached the semi-finals of the

Scottish Challenge Cup The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

for a place in the final.Livingston 2–1 East Stirlingshire
BBC Sport. 26 September 2000. Retrieved 19 August 2011. In

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, the club left

Firs Park Firs Park was a football stadium in Falkirk, Scotland, which was the home of East Stirlingshire F.C. between 1921 and 2008. It was located on Firs Street, 0.3 miles north-east of the town centre. At the time of closing the ground had a capacity ...

and moved to Ochilview Park to ground-share with local rivals

Stenhousemuir Stenhousemuir (; gd, Featha Thaigh nan Clach) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk (council area), Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in ...

.Club history – 2000 – present Day
, East Stirlingshire F.C.. Retrieved 19 August 2011.Shire explain Firs Park departure
BBC Sport. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2011. Since the start of the 2018–19 season the club have ground-shared with their neighbour club

at the Falkirk Stadium.

History

East Stirlingshire's official date of formation was in 1881,East Stirlingshire Football Club
, ''spfl.co.uk''.

Scottish Professional Football League The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As ...

. Retrieved 16 February 2014. but its origins can be traced to the previous year when a local cricket club called Bainsford Bluebonnets formed a football team under the name Britannia.Club History – 1880–1900
, East Stirlingshire F.C.. Retrieved 28 February 2013. The team's first recorded match was a

friendly Friendly may refer to: Places * Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England * Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States * Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States * ...

against

's second eleven in December 1880 and resulted in a 7–0 defeat while its first match as East Stirlingshire was against the same opponent in August 1881.Falkirk FC Matches 1882–83
''oocities.org''. Retrieved 28 February 2013. The club's nickname is "The Shire", which refers to the Stirlingshire part of the club name. After joining the

Scottish Football Association The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the Sport governing body, governing body of association football, football in Scot ...

, the club became eligible to compete in the Scottish Cup, Scotland's main association football knock-out competition, eliminated in its first game in 1882. In December 1883, the Stirlingshire Football Association was founded, with membership open to clubs exclusively from the county of Stirlingshire. It resulted in the establishment of a new regional tournament called the Stirlingshire Cup, with the club reaching the final in its first season.Stirlingshire Cup 1883–
, Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 1 March 2013. East Stirlingshire dominated the tournament in its early years, winning it for a record four years in a row between 1885 and 1889, including an emphatic 9–0 victory against Falkirk in the 1888 final.Results – Stirlingshire Cup Final – 1888
''bettermeddle.org.uk''. Retrieved 2 March 2013. Two goals came from Lawrence McLachlan who was an influential goalscorer in the club's early successes; scoring more times than any other East Stirlingshire player with 135 known goals. The latter years of the 19th century was East Stirlingshire's most successful era in the Scottish Cup. In the 1888–89 and 1890–91 tournaments, the club reached the quarter-finals in what was to be the last time for 91 years, losing to

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

and Hearts respectively. In the 1888–89 tournament, the club recorded its highest win and equalled it in successive rounds with a 10–1 victory against local rivals

in the first round and an 11–2 win over Vale of Bannock in the second round. It was during this period that four East Stirlingshire players earned international caps for their countries. The first was the Wales national team captain,

Humphrey Jones Humphrey Percy Jones (7 December 1862 – 10 June 1946) was a Welsh footballer who played for Bangor, Swifts, East Stirlingshire, Queen's Park and the Wales national football team. Jones was born in Bangor and played football the Friars Sch ...

, who earned five caps whilst with the club. Three other players, David Alexander, Archibald Ritchie, and James McKee made appearances for the

Scotland national team The Scotland national football team gd, Sgioba Ball-coise Nàiseanta na h-Alba sco, Scotland National Fitbaa Team represents Scotland in men's international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. It competes in the thr ...

from 1891 to 1898.Scotland football record with players from East Stirlingshire
''londonhearts.com''. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 17 March 2013. Between 1891 and 1899, the club competed in regional leagues, including winning the Midland Football LeagueMidland Football League
, ''scottish-football-historical-archive.com''. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 15 March 2013. and

Central Football Combination Formed in 1897 by Camelon F.C., Dunblane F.C., East Stirlingshire F.C., Fair City Athletic F.C., Falkirk F.C., Kilsyth Wanderers F.C., King's Park F.C., St Johnstone F.C. and Stenhousemuir F.C.. This Scottish football competition was basically ...

,Central Football Combination
, ''scottish-football-historical-archive.com''. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 15 March 2013. before being elected to the second tier of Scotland's main national league competition – the

– in 1900–01, ending its first season ranked 7th from ten.Scottish Football League – Elections 1893–2008
, Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 6 March 2013.East Stirlingshire
''www.fchd.info''. Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 March 2013. In March 1905, a proposal was raised for the club to merge with neighbours Falkirk with an aim to creating a bigger and more financially stable club, which Falkirk accepted in a vote. However, East Stirlingshire's vote was not in favour and the club rejected the proposal.A Brief History – Part Three – Early Success
''bettermeddle.org.uk''. Retrieved 4 March 2013. The years following included finishing bottom of the league in

1905–06 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

, recording only one win from 22 games, contrasting with finishing as high as third in table in 1912–13, narrowly missing out on winning the championship by two points.Scottish Football League Championship Tables – Season 1912/13
,

. Retrieved 17 March 2013. The club remained in Division Two until 1914–15 when it, and the Scottish Cup, were both suspended due to World War I.Scottish Cup – The History
''scottishfa.co.uk''.

. Retrieved 4 March 2013. At the end of World War I, the club was re-elected to the old Division Two which was re-established in the 1921–22 season. The year beforehand saw the club move to

after leaving their old ground of

Merchiston Park Merchiston Park () was a football ground in Bainsford, near Falkirk, which was the home of East Stirlingshire F.C. between and 1920. It was near Main Street, just north of the Forth and Clyde Canal at Bainsford Bridge. History Early years Ea ...

in 1920. In the same year, a record home attendance of 12,000 was set when the club played eventual champions,

Partick Thistle Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908. ...

, in the Scottish Cup in February 1921. The club was relegated to the newly created, but short lived, Division Three in 1922–23, earning promotion back to Division Two after one season; setting a record of 23 home games without a loss.East Stirlingshire : Records
, ''statto.com''. Retrieved 8 February 2012. A decade later, East Stirlingshire won promotion to

Division One The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...

, Scotland's

top flight Top Flight (April 15, 1929 – 1949) was an American U.S. Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. She was the leading American filly of her generation at two and three years of age. Background Bred in Kentucky by the very prominent horseman Harry ...

, for the first time. En route to promotion, the club spent 32 weeks at the top of Division Two, ending the season equal on 55 points with

St Johnstone St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland which is a member of the Scottish Premiership for the 2022–23 season. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun ''aka'' Saint Johnstoun – an old ...

, with East Stirlingshire winning the championship on a superior goal average.East Stirlingshire 1931–1932
, ''statto.com''. Retrieved 4 March 2013. East Stirlingshire spent one season in its first spell in the top flight, ending the year bottom of the league in 20th with seventeen points.
''londonhearts.com''. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Back in Division Two in the 1935–36 season, the club's heaviest league defeat of 12–1 was inflicted by Dundee United in April 1936.Dundee United 12 – 1 East Stirlingshire
''arabarchive.co.uk''. Arab Archive. Retrieved 4 March 2013. In 1938–39, the final season before the league was suspended due to World War II, East Stirlingshire finished second-bottom of the league, ahead of only Edinburgh City, but despite finishing low, Malcolm Morrison became the club's highest league goalscorer in a single season with 36 goals.All time records
''soccerbase.com''. Retrieved 17 March 2013. The club was excluded from a wartime league in 1939 and was also denied re-entry to the Scottish Football League Division Two at the end of World War II, along with six other small league clubs.Scottish Football League – C Division
Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 6 March 2013. As a result, the clubs competed in a newly created

Division C Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics * Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military * Division (military), a formation typically consistin ...

along with the reserve teams of some of Scotland's top clubs. In the second season in Division C, East Stirlingshire won the league and was promoted back to Division Two, now renamed "Division B", but finished last after one season in 1948–49, and were relegated back to the "C Division". After another six seasons competing in "Division C" the club rejoined Division Two in 1955–56 when the " C Division" was abolished and the number of teams in the Scottish Football League was expanded. The club sold many young players to larger clubs, including defender

Eddie McCreadie Edward Graham McCreadie (born 15 April 1940) is a Scottish former footballer who played at left-back, mainly for Chelsea. He later became a football manager. Career McCreadie started his footballing career with amateur Scottish side Drumchapel b ...

to Chelsea in 1962 who earned 23 international caps for Scotland and is tenth in Chelsea's all-time appearance list with 410.Profiles – Eddie McCreadie

. Retrieved 28 March 2013.Spotlight On Chelsea Legend Eddie McCreadie
, ''firsttouchonline.com''. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2013. The money earned from the transfer helped attract new players and in the 1962–63 season, the club won promotion to the top flight for a second time, as runners-up in Division Two behind St Johnstone. Like the previous occasion in 1932–33, East Stirlingshire spent one solitary season in the top tier before being relegated. After relegation from Scotland's top flight, East Stirlingshire was controversially merged with Clydebank Juniors in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

. The new club was renamed ''East Stirlingshire Clydebank'' – often E.S. Clydebank for short – and relocated to

Kilbowie Park Kilbowie Park, also known as New Kilbowie Park, was a football stadium in Clydebank, Scotland. It was the home ground of Clydebank. New Kilbowie was built for Clydebank Juniors in 1939. In 1964, Clydebank merged with East Stirlingshire and ente ...

Clydebank Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Bowling and Milton, West Dunbartonshire, Mil ...

against fans' wishes.Club History – 1940–1970
, East Stirlingshire F.C.. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
''historicalkits.co.uk''. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 6 March 2013. However, the merge lasted only one season, with East Stirlingshire

shareholder A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of a corporation is an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the legal own ...

s winning several court cases against it and thus the club reverted to its original legal status and moved back to

.All-time Scottish Football Club Directory 1829–2009 – East Stirlingshire
, Scottish Football Historical Football Archive. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
''historicalkits.co.uk''. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 6 March 2013.Demise of the Bankies
BBC Sport. 1 July 2002. Retrieved 12 March 2013. During the single season as E.S. Clydebank, the club set a record attendance at Kilbowie Park when 14,900 spectators attended a Scottish Cup first round replay against Hibernian in February 1965.E.S. Clydebank 1964–65
''clydebankprogrammesonline.co.uk''. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
''clydebankprogrammesonline.co.uk''. Retrieved 6 March 2013. In 1966, Lawrence Binnie became the club's first official

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

, prior to his appointment the board of directors took responsibility for management roles. After de-merging with Clydebank Juniors, the club spent ten seasons in Division Two before being moved by league reconstruction to a new Second Division for the 1975–76 season, now the third tier with the creation of the

Premier Division Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of gov ...

at the top of the Scottish Football League. During this period, the club progressed past the group stage of Scottish League Cup for the first time since it was inaugurated in 1947.East Stirlingshire – League Cup Results
''londonhearts.com''. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 11 March 2013. The year beforehand saw the club appoint its most famous manager,

Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time ...

, who was at the club during 1974 before moving to St Mirren.Club History – 1970–2000
, East Stirlingshire F.C.. Retrieved 1 March 2013. In 1979–80, East Stirlingshire won promotion to the First Division, which is the last time the club was promoted in the league. Managed by

Billy Lamont Billy Lamont (12 May 1936 – October 2021) was a Scottish football player and manager. Born in Larkhall, Lamont played as a goalkeeper for Bellshill Athletic, Cheltenham Town, Hamilton Academical and Albion Rovers. He managed Hamilton du ...

, the club finished runners-up by one point to rivals

in the Second Division.Scottish Football League Championship Tables – Season 1979/80
,

. Retrieved 11 March 2013. The clubs shared the top two spots in the league for most of the season and entered the final match equal on points, with East Stirlingshire required to better Falkirk's result to win the championship due to an inferior goal difference. However, Falkirk won its match and East Stirlingshire drew and so finished second. EastStirlingvDundeeUnited-20090111

In the 1994–95 season, the Scottish Football League was again restructured and East Stirlingshire was moved to a new

Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

, now the fourth-tier. The club finished its first season in the Third Division ranked fourth from ten and repeated it again in 1997–98. With these exceptions East Stirlingshire generally finished below mid-table, including a final day victory against

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

in the 1996–97 season to avoid finishing last. In 2000–01, the club reached the semi-final of a national cup competition for the first time in its history, losing 2–1 to

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

for a place in the final of the

Scottish Challenge Cup The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,Livingston v East Stirlingshire preview
BBC Sport. 25 September 2000. Retrieved 12 March 2013. At the start of the 21st century the club struggled financially, paying players £10-a-week and manager Dennis Newall became the first unpaid manager at senior level in Scottish football.Boss for nothing at Shire
BBC Sport. 27 March 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2013. As a result, the club ranked last in the Scottish Football League for five consecutive seasons from 2002–03 to 2006–07, losing 24 consecutive league games in the 2003–04 season, recording only 8 points from two wins and two draws in 36 games.East Stirlingshire 2003–2004 : Results
, ''statto.com''. Retrieved 15 March 2013.Shire set for windfall
BBC Sport. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 12 March 2013.E Stirlingshire 2–1 Elgin
BBC Sport. 15 May 2004. Retrieved 12 March 2013. From the 2005–06 season, it was determined if a club finished bottom of the Third Division twice in successive years, it would face the risk of being reduced to associate member status, meaning the loss of voting rights.Shire facing an uncertain future
BBC Sport. 16 April 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2013. In East Stirlingshire's case, a league vote was held and concluded in favour of the club retaining full member status with the condition that it did not finish last the following season in 2008.Shire given one year to improve
BBC Sport. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2013. The club won its final game of the season to move off the bottom of the table in a 3–1 win against Montrose, which was also the last game at

.McInally looks forward for Shire
BBC Sport. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2013. The following season, retaining full member status, the club moved to Ochilview Park in a ground-share agreement with neighbours

. Under manager

Jim McInally James Edward McInally (born 19 February 1964) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He played for Dundee United for 10 seasons in which he won the 1993–94 Scottish Cup and played in the 1987 UEFA Cup Final. At United he was also ...

, the club finished third in successive years to qualify for the promotion play-offs to the Second Division. However, a second-bottom place finish in the 2010–11 season saw McInally sacked and replaced by John Coughlin. The club would subsequently post another two bottom-place finishes in the seasons to follow, which could have again put them in danger of reduction to associate member status, but due to ongoing negotiations about league restructuring for the 2013–14 season, the league opted not to enforce the rule. The negotiations ultimately saw the formation of a new governing body, the

, following the merger of the Scottish Football League and

Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...

. East Stirlingshire joined the

Scottish League Two The Scottish League Two, known as cinch League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League Two was ...

, the successor to the old Third Division.SPFL: New Scottish league brands unveiled
BBC Sport. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013. In October 2015, on loan Raith Rovers forward Jonny Court scored the SPFL's 5000th goal (across all four divisions, but not including play-offs), in a 2–0 home win over

Elgin City Elgin City Football Club (also known as City or The Black and Whites) is a professional senior football club based in Elgin, Moray. Elgin was founded in 1893 and originally played their football in the Highland Football League. The club was g ...

. Having finished bottom of 2015–16 Scottish League Two, East Stirlingshire faced a play-off against Edinburgh City for a place in 2016–17 Scottish League Two. Edinburgh City won 2–1 on aggregate, relegating East Stirlingshire to the

Lowland League The Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL, commonly known as the Lowland League) is a senior association football, football league based in central and southern Scotland. The league sits at level 5 on the Scottish football league system, actin ...

and ending their 61-year tenure in the Scottish national league set-up.

Colours and crest

East Stirlingshire's home colours have been black and white hoops for most of its existence since 1882. The club's first strip was thin blue and white hoops between 1880 and 1882, before changing to colours similar to the present day. An all-black shirt was introduced between 1960 and 1962, and again between 2008 and 2010, while the club's centenary strip in 1981 was all-white. In 1996–97, the stripes were changed from horizontal to vertical for a full season; a similar design featured for one month in August 1982 before changing back. The first company to supply kits for East Stirlingshire was Bukta between 1979 and 1987. For the 1998–99 season, the club signed a deal with French kit supplier Le Coq Sportif who failed to deliver the kits in time for the start of the season so sent a set of Queen's Park strips with East Stirlingshire's crest and sponsors ironed on top of the original. The supplier for the 2012–13 season is Jako. Past suppliers include Hummel, Umbro and Joma. The club crest is a shield with black and white stripes and a stylised football, with a banner displaying the club name at the top. It has several variations with the football and banner coloured black, white or orange in different versions.Shire Store
, East Stirlingshire F.C.. Retrieved 16 March 2013.

Sponsorship and manufacturers

Grounds

East Stirlingshire has played at several grounds over its history. In the club's early existence as ''Britannia'', it played one of its first known matches at Burnhouse against a Falkirk 2nd XI, which ended in a 7–0 defeat for the team. Burnhouse is thought to be the location that was to become Merchiston Park, where the club played many of its matches in the late 19th century. Some home matches were also played at Randyford Park in the town. Firs Park

was a football ground located in the village of

, approximately north of

. It was situated on the northern bank of the Forth and Clyde Canal near to present day Main Street in Bainsford. The ground hosted East Stirlingshire's first

match in 1900–01 which ended in a 3–2 defeat to

Airdrieonians Airdrieonians Football Club is a Scottish professional football team in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in Scottish League One. They were formed in 2002 as Airdrie United ...

.Club History – 1900–1940
, East Stirlingshire F.C.. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
''londonhearts.com''. Retrieved 28 February 2013. Merchiston Park remained the club's home until 1921 when a nearby iron works acquired the ground for expansion and the club moved to Firs Park.Easton, T. (1907)
Museum & Archives Collection
Falkirk Community Trust. Retrieved 28 February 2013.

was located to the south of the canal in the centre of Falkirk, named after the street in which it was situated, Firs Street. The club moved to the ground in 1921 and in the same year, the club's record attendance was set at a Scottish Cup match against

when 12,000 spectators attended.Scottish Football Ground Guide – East Stirlingshire
''scottishgrounds.co.uk''. Retrieved 28 February 2013. Firs Park was East Stirlingshire's home for 87 years, except a solitary season in 1964 when the club played at

after being controversially merged with Clydebank Juniors. As a result of the merger, Firs Park was closed, however, after only one season, the merger was disbanded and East Stirlingshire moved back to the ground, where it remained until the end of the 2007–08 season. The decision was taken by the club to close Firs Park due to the prohibitive costs of potential refurbishing to meet new

stadium criteria. At the time of closure, the ground had a capacity of 1,800 with 200 seated in the main stand. After leaving Firs Park in 2008 they played their home matches at Ochilview Park the home of local rivals

; the club entered a groundshare agreement with Stenhousemuir, originally intended to be for a period of five years, during which the club planned to develop a new stadium in Falkirk. Since the summer of 2018, East Stirlingshire have been playing their home matches at Falkirk Stadium which is the home ground of local rivals

. In May 2014, the club entered into a partnership with LK Galaxy Sports and others to develop a new playing facility at the former BP Club site at Little Kerse, between

Grangemouth Grangemouth ( sco, Grangemooth; gd, Inbhir Ghrainnse, ) is a town in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. Historically part of the county of Stirlingshire, the town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk ...

and Polmont. The site would also host other sports in due course. Planning was approved by Falkirk Council, but did not proceed at the time due to a lack of funds. The club trained at Little Kerse until the 2018 switch to the Falkirk Stadium, when all operations were moved to that venue.East Stirlingshire are ‘back in town’ after decade at Stenhousemuir
Falkirk Herald, 4 April 2018

Rivalries

East Stirlingshire's traditional rival is

.The Real Derby Is Back
, East Stirlingshire F.C.. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2013.Wright, Angus. "Top Teams Living Dangerously", '' The Scotsman'', 19 August 1999. The club's first match known as both ''Britannia'' and ''East Stirlingshire'' were friendly games against Falkirk in 1880 and 1881. Both clubs are based in

and have competed against each other in competitions such as Stirlingshire Cup since the late 19th century. East Stirlingshire was elected to the bottom tier of the Scottish Football League in 1900, closely followed by Falkirk two seasons later in

1902–03 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

. The first competitive league meeting between the clubs ended in a 2–0 win for Falkirk at

in August 1902.East Stirlingshire : Head-to-Head vs Falkirk
, ''statto.com''. Retrieved 13 March 2013. The two clubs' old grounds of

and

Brockville Park Brockville Park was a football stadium located on Hope Street in Falkirk, Scotland, north-west of the town centre. It was the home of Falkirk F.C. from 1885 until the end of 2002–03 Scottish football season.

were geographically close, separated by less than half a mile (0.8 km). On a regional scale, East Stirlingshire has rivalries with football clubs from the historical county of Stirlingshire, who have competed in the Stirlingshire Cup against each other since the early 1880s such as

Stenhousemuir 1 v 1 East Stirlingshire

Stenhousemuir F.C. Stenhousemuir Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish Football (soccer), football club located in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. They are a member of the Scottish Professional Football League and currently play in Scottish League ...

22 November 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2013.Derby day for Stenny and Shire
''

''. 21 April 2005. Retrieved 16 March 2013. and since 1945, Stirling AlbionDerby match in doubt
,

Stirling Albion F.C. Stirling Albion Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Stirling. The club was founded in 1945 following the demise of King's Park after World War II. The club currently competes in Scottish League Two as a member of the ...

29 November 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2013.Stirling Albion could push for the play-offs after campaign turnaround
, ''sport.stv.tv''. STV. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013. and

Alloa Athletic Alloa Athletic Football Club is a Scottish association football semi-professional club based in the town of Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; educated Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; gd, Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a ...

.Paul, Ian. "Numbers game not so healthy", '' The Herald'', Glasgow, 19 March 1996. East Stirlingshire played its home matches in a ground-share agreement with rivals Stenhousemuir at their Ochilview Park home until 2018.

Coaching staff

*Manager:

Sandy Clark Alexander "Sandy" Clark (born 28 October 1956) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who is currently manager of Lowland League side East Stirlingshire. Career Clark played for several clubs in his playing career inclu ...

*Assistant Manager: George Paterson *Coach: Andy Shirra *Goalkeeping Coach: Norrie Bremner *Physiotherapist: Shona Tait *Kitman: Tom Muirhead *Assistant Kitman: Gregor Muirhead

Current squad

As of 28 February 2023

On loan

Notable players

Gordon Russell holds the record for the most number of

appearances for East Stirlingshire with 415 between 1983 and 2002. He also went on to become the manager of the club for a short period in 2002.Gordon Russell
''neilbrown.newcastlefans.com''. Retrieved 1 March 2013.East Stirlingshire's cult heroes
BBC Sport. 14 May 2005. Retrieved 1 March 2013. East Stirlingshire players have been capped for their country at full international level 9 times by four players. The first person to do so was

, who captained the Wales national team four times out of the five caps he earned whilst at East Stirlingshire. His first came in a

British Home Championship The British Home Championship * sco, Hame Internaitional Kemp * gd, Farpais lìg eadar-nàiseanta * cy, Pencampwriaeth y Pedair Gwlad, name=lang (historically known as the British International Championship or simply the International Champio ...

match against England in

1889 Events January–March * January 1 ** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada. ** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the ...

.England v Wales, 23 February 1889
''11v11.com''. Retrieved 1 March 2013.Welsh International Matches – 23 February 1889
, ''wfda.co.uk''. Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 1 March 2013. The three other players to make an appearance for their country are Archibald Ritchie, David Alexander and James McKee, all for the

at the British Championship. Each of them made their début against Wales, although in different seasons. Archibald Ritchie's one and only Scotland cap came in March

1891 Events January–March * January 1 ** Paying of old age pensions begins in Germany. ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. **Germany takes formal possession of its new Africa ...

against Wales,Archibald Ritchie
''londonhearts.com''. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 17 September 2011. who were captained by former East Stirlingshire player Humphrey Jones.Wales v Scotland, 21 March 1891
''11v11.com''. Retrieved 1 March 2013. David Alexander made two appearances, one against Ireland and scoring against Wales at the

1894 British Home Championship Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

which Scotland won.David Alexander
''londonhearts.com''. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 1 March 2013. James McKee scored twice during his only appearance for Scotland, in a 5–2 victory over Wales in

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

. He is the last East Stirlingshire player to be capped by his country. Murray Brown was a steadfast defender during the late 90s having performed to a high standard at West Bromwich Albion during his teenage years.James McKie
''londonhearts.com''. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 17 September 2011.

Notable managers

East Stirlingshire did not officially appoint a manager until 1966. Before then, all management decisions were taken by the board of directors at the club. The first person to manage the club was Lawrence Binnie in 1966. The club's most famous manager is former

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

manager,

Sir Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time ...

, who in his first position as manager, stayed at East Stirlingshire during 1974 before moving to St Mirren. No manager has won a league title with the club, however,

managed East Stirlingshire to promotion to the

1980–81 Scottish First Division The 1980–81 Scottish First Division season was won by Hibs by six points over nearest rival Dundee. League table Promotion Hibs and Dundee finished first and second respectively and were promoted to the 1981–82 Scottish Premier Division. ...

after finishing runners-up in Division Two, one point behind rivals

. He also took East Stirlingshire to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup, the furthest stage of the tournament the club has reached since reaching the same stage 91 years beforehand in 1889–90. After five consecutive seasons finishing bottom of the

in the mid-2000s,

also changed fortunes at the club, managing East Stirlingshire to successive third-place finishes in the

between 2008 and 2010 to qualify for the promotion play-offs.Head coach Jim McInally resigns from East Stirlingshire
BBC Sport. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2013.

Honours

League *

Division Two NCL Division Two The NCL or National Conference League Division Two (known as the Kingstone Press NCL Division Two) League winners {, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" , - , colspan=4 style="text-align:center;" , NCL DIVISION TWO , ...

(before 1975) and First Division (after 1975): ** Winners (1): 1931–32 **Runners-up (1): 1962–63 * Division Three (1923 to 1926),

(1946 to 1949) and Second Division (after 1975): ** Winners (1): 1947–48 **Runners-up (2): 1923–24, 1979–80 Cup * Scottish Qualifying Cup:Scotland – List of Qualifying Cup Finals
''rsssf.com''. RSSSF. 15 December 2004. Retrieved 15 March 2013. **Winners (2): 1888–89, 1910–11 **Runners-up (3): 1895–96, 1897–98, 1900–01 * Scottish Qualifying Cup Midlands: **Runners-up (2): 1946–47, 1947–48 * Lowland League Cup ** Runners-up: 2018–19 League * Midland Football League: **Winners (1): 1893–94 *

: **Winners (1): 1897–98 **Runners-up (1): 1898–99 *Falkirk District Football League: **Winners (1): 1888–99 **Runners-up (1): 1899–1900 Cup * Stirlingshire Cup: **Winners (21): 1885–86 1886–87, 1887–88, 1888–89, 1890–91, 1892–93, 1893–94, 1896–97, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1906–07, 1913–14, 1923–24, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1931–32, 1935–36, 1961–62, 1968–69, 1984–85, 2000–01 **Runners-up (16): 1883–84, 1903–04, 1904–05, 1907–08, 1919–20, 1924–25, 1933–34, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2005–06 *Dewar Shield:Dewar Shield
''scottish-football-historical-archive.com''. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 15 March 2013. **Winners (1): 1929–30 **Runners-up (2): 1900–01, 1949–50 *Falkirk and District Charity Cup:
''scottish-football-historical-archive.com''. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 15 March 2013. **Winners (6): 1884–85, 1885–86, 1886–87, 1887–88, 1890–91, 1895–96 **Runners-up (4): 1888–89, 1889–90, 1891–92, 1913–14 *Falkirk Infirmary Shield (known as Falkirk Cottage Hospitals Shield from 1889 to 1905):
''scottish-football-historical-archive.com''. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 15 March 2013. **Winners (9): 1889–90, 1890–91, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1903–04, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1931–32 **Runners-up (16): 1891–92, 1892–93, 1893–94, 1896–97, 1901–02, 1904–05, 1911–12, 1913–14, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1923–24, 1929–30, 1935–36, 1936–37 *Victory Qualifying Cup (preliminary competition):
''scottish-football-historical-archive.com''. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 15 March 2013. **Winners (1): 1945–46 *Stirlingshire Coronation Tournament:
''scottish-football-historical-archive.com''. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 15 March 2013. **Winners (1): 1902–03

Records and statistics

The club's record Scottish Football League victory is 8–0 against

Arthurlie Arthurlie is an area of the town of Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, Scotland. History of Arthurlie The lands of Arthurlie were held in medieval times by the Stewart family, a branch of the noble Stewarts of Darnley. Later the lands became the prop ...

in August 1927 in

and its record defeat is 12–1 to Dundee United in April 1936 in the same division. In the Scottish Cup, the club's record winning margin is 9 goals which it achieved in consecutive rounds of the

1888–89 Scottish Cup The 1888–89 Scottish Cup was the 16th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. 3rd Lanark RV beat Glasgow rivals Celtic (making their Cup début) 2–1 in a replayed final. The original match was won 3–0 by 3rd Lan ...

tournament: 10–1 against

in the first round on 1 September 1888 and 11–2 against Vale of Bannock in the second round on 22 September 1888. In only its second season of competing in the cup, East Stirlingshire recorded its greatest loss: 2–10 to Renton in October 1884. East Stirlingshire's record home attendance is 12,000 for a third round Scottish Cup match against

on 19 February 1921 at

. Gordon Russell holds the record for East Stirlingshire league appearances, playing 445 first-team matches between 1983–84 and 2000–01. The record for most league goals in a single season is 41 by

Andy Rodgers Andrew Rodgers (born 18 October 1983 in Falkirk) is a Scottish footballer and coach who plays as a forward for Syngenta. Career Rodgers began his career at Falkirk, scoring nine minutes into his debut after coming on as a substitute in a 2– ...

in the

2016–17 Lowland Football League The 2016–17 Scottish Lowland Football League (known as the Ferrari Packaging Lowland League for sponsorship reasons) was the fourth season of the Lowland Football League, the fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. Edinburgh City we ...

holds the record number of international caps earned as an East Stirlingshire player with 5 for the Wales national football team between 1889 and 1890. The highest transfer fee received for an East Stirlingshire player is £35,000 from English club Chelsea for Jim Docherty in 1978, while the most paid by the club is the compensation development fee paid to Spartans for Jamie Dishington. The amount was higher than the previous record, £6,000 for the transfer of Colin McKinnon from

in 1991.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control East Stirlingshire F.C., Football clubs in Scotland Sport in Falkirk Association football clubs established in 1881 1881 establishments in Scotland Scottish Football League teams Scottish Professional Football League teams Lowland Football League teams