New deal for Albion boss

May 13 2009

STIRLING Albion manager Allan Moore has already started planning for next season after committing his future to the club for the next two years.

Moore, player/assistant manager John O'Neill and coach Roddy Grant have all agreed contracts until the summer of 2011 and the formalities are expected to be concluded with Albion chairman Peter McKenzie in the near future, writes David Ogilvie.

Moore is already the club's longest-serving boss since Alex Smith, who was in charge for 12 years from 1974 until departing for St Mirren in December 1986. Since then, George Peebles, Jim Fleeting, John Brogan, Kevin Drinkell, John Philliben and Ray Stewart have all had spells at the helm, with Moore appointed initially as player/manager in the summer of 2002.

He said: "I'm happy here and I'm delighted to be staying. There is a bit less money around at the moment but I had no problem taking a cut because we are asking the players to do the same. Some will obviously be leaving and there are others who we have offered deals to."

Some players have already been told they will not be at Forthbank next season including striker Jonny Boyle, defenders Andy Lawrie and David Lowing, former St Mirren midfielder Mark Docherty and winger Chris Hamilton.

Lawrie, who arrived from St Johnstone and Lowing, a left-back recruited from Ayr, were regulars for the first half of the season but lost their places and their release was probably expected, with Moore keen to bring in new defenders for next season.

Striker David McKenna has already agreed to stay on and popular defender Andy Graham will do the same. Goalkeeper Scott Christie and frontman Michael Mullen - a January signing from Stranraer - were already under contract for 2009/10, which is set to begin with the first round of the Challenge Cup on Saturday July 25.

Also staying are Stewart Devine, Paul Murphy, Sean Roycroft, Myles Hogarth and Liam Corr.

Martin Grehan hasn’t signed yet and is thought to have attracted interest from elsewhere after an impressive campaign and Moore could face a fight to keep the former Dundonald Bluebell and Motherwell forward.

Stirling should have brought down the curtain on the 2008/09 campaign against Queen's Park on Saturday but the match was postponed at 2pm due to a waterlogged pitch. With the play-offs due to start this week, including Queen's Park's visit to Stenhousemuir, the Scottish League had little option but to reschedule the fixture for Monday.

Martin Grehan and Andy Graham were the big winners when the end of season awards were dished out on Saturday following the postponement of the Queen's Park match. Grehan topped the polls run by the Supporters Trust and the Young Reds while Graham got the nod from the Supporters Club and the stirlingalbion.com website. David McKenna landed the top scorer prize with a 13-goal haul.