Iceland chance too good to turn down

Jul 8 2011 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Friday

ALBION midfielder Scott Robertson says he could not turn down the chance to return to full-time football in Iceland.

The 23-year-old midfielder sealed a move to Fram Reykjavik after impressing on a week's trial and said the opportunity to further his career was too much to resist.

Albion boss Jocky Scott and the club's executive board were told about the offer early this week and agreed to let the Kilmarnock-born player go for the sake of his career.

Robertson said: "I'm really excited about the move. I really enjoyed my time at Stirling but to get the chance to play full-time football again was a chance I had to take.

“I've got to thank Jocky Scott and assistant manager John Blackley for all they've done for me. I can't speak highly enough about them."

Manager Jocky Scott said: "Scott is a great lad and, although I'm disappointed to lose him, I couldn't stand in his way and let this opportunity pass. I wish him all the best for the future."

The central midfielder is no stranger to footballing fairytales after playing a part in Queen of the South's memorable Scottish Cup run in 2008 before competing against Nordsjaelland in the UEFA Cup.

After leaving Palmerston he linked up with former teammate John O'Neill at Stirling and went on to play a vital part in the club's dramatic Second Division title win back in 2009-10, scoring seven goals. That total included two strikes against Clyde in the closing month of the season as Allan Moore's men pipped fierce rivals Alloa Athletic to promotion.

Like many of last season's squad, Robertson found life tough in the First Division before ending the campaign with a number of rave reviews for his performance at centre-back.

Fram Reykjavik currently play in the highest Icelandic league, the Urvalsdeild karla. They dominated the tournament in the 1990s but finished fifth last season.

The club play their home matches at Iceland's national stadium, the Laugardalsvollur, which has a capacity of 15,000.

However, they currently find themselves at the bottom of the table with just two points after nine matches. They hope an influx of British players during the mid-season transfer window will propel them up the table.

Robertson was joined by former Albion transfer target Steven Lennon for the week-long trial, which included a number of trial matches and training sessions.

The club's remaining players and trialists featured in two practice matches this week, securing a 1-1 draw against Clyde on Tuesday and a 4-2 win over a French XI on Monday.

A double from Lewis Bonar and strikes from Shaun Dillon and Josh Flood gave the Binos victory over their French opponents before a goal from trialist John Borris was enough to ensure a share of the spoils against Jim Duffy's men.

Scott was due to tell the trialists which ones he would be keeping last night (Thursday) as preparations begin for Albion's first competitive game of the season, against Deveronvale on July 23.

The team will be in action tomorrow (Saturday) with a trip to Cove Rangers. The game kicks off at 3pm.

Then on Tuesday there is an opportunity for Albion fans to pay tribute to former owner Peter McKenzie when a Rangers XI visits the Doubletree Dunblane Stadium for a testimonial match.

The match kicks off at 7.45pm and all proceeds will go to local charities and disabled facilities at the club. Gate prices are adults £10, OAPs and students £5 and under-17s £2.