Trust hopeful on Stirling Albion input

Dec 25 2009 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Friday

THE organisers of the Buy Stirling Albion campaign remain hopeful of having a major role in the club’s future.

Members of the campaign team met Albion chairman Peter McKenzie and Gordon Mackay – the sports surgeon interested in taking over the club – on Saturday.

Follow-up talks with Mr Mackay are scheduled, with the trust hoping to clarify where its members stand in his plans.

Campaign spokesperson Paul Goodwin said: “It’s great news that Gordon Mackay is interested in taking over at Stirling Albion.

“Peter McKenzie has been trying to sell his shares and retire for years. Now it looks as though he might achieve that goal so we’re delighted for him.

“The trust’s main aim in setting up the Buy Stirling Albion campaign was to secure a long-term future for this football club. We therefore welcome Mr Mackay’s interest.”

However Mr Goodwin also emphasised: “Mr Mackay has said that he sees the trust playing a major role in the running of this club. What we need to know now is what form this role will take.

“It would be a severe disappointment, both to the trust and to our supporters, if a deal could not be struck with Mr Mackay which would allow our members a key role in the running of the club.”

Mr Goodwin said that one option that the trust will consider is whether or not to offer to go into partnership with Mr Mackay. Mr Mackay would be the majority shareholder, with the trust using the money it has gathered from the campaign to buy a smaller portion of Mr McKenzie’s shares.

Mr Goodwin said, however, that members of the trust had concerns about this plan.

“Our members joined the campaign hoping that we would take 100 percent control of the club,” he said.

“We would need to seek their agreement before we could offer to go into partnership with another party.

“Obviously that’ll take time so we need to know if Mr Mackay would be willing to wait for us.”

Mr Goodwin added: “One of the main issues that we’ve tried to address through the campaign is how to get the community more involved.

“We’ve now gathered around 2000 followers, people who genuinely want to feel involved in Stirling Albion. It would be a tragedy if a deal wasn’t struck which would allow this to happen.”

Mr Mackay’s interest in taking over the club was revealed last week. If his bid is successful he hopes to set up a sports medicine facility at Stirling Sports Village. The plans would see some of the world’s top athletes come to Stirling to recuperate from injury.

Mr Goodwin said: “We’re certainly impressed by what we’ve heard so far. If it happens it would certainly put the sports village and Stirling Albion on the map, both at home and abroad.

“So far we’re giving a tentative thumbs-up to the takeover proposals and we hope that Mr Mackay will find a big role for the trust’s members in his vision for the future of the club.”