Football Season Guide

League 2

Scotland

League 2

2020/2021

Stirling Albion

In

Aldin El-Zubaidi (Defender, Edusport Academy), Will Greenhorn (Defender, Youth), Jack Leitch (Midfielder, Peterhead), Kurtis Roberts (Midfielder, Airdrie), Scott Roberts (Midfielder, Albion Rovers), Andy Ryan (Attacker, Dunfermline Athletic), Declan Byrne (Attacker, Albion Rovers), Kieran Moore (Attacker, Queen’s Park), Martin France (Attacker, Youth), Sandy Carey (Attacker, Youth)

Out

Nicky Hogarth (r) (Goalkeeper, Rangers, Loan ended), Owen Stott (Goalkeeper, released), Craig Truesdale (sp) (Defender, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy), Jordan Lowdon (sp) (Defender, Annan Athletic), Danny Jardine (sp) (Midfielder, Edinburgh City), Fraser Scott (sp) (Midfielder, released), Kevin Nicoll (r) (Midfielder, Cumbernauld United), Max Wright (sp) (Midfielder, Annan Athletic), Paul Willis (sp) (Midfielder, Linlithgow Rose), Ronan Hughes (r) (Midfielder, Hamilton Academical, Loan ended), Darryl Duffy (sp) (Attacker, Stranraer), Dylan Eugene Bikey (Attacker, released), Josh Peters (r) (Attacker, Elgin City)

Kevin Rutkiewicz will be under pressure to deliver this season and turn Stirling Albion from pretenders to challengers. The last five seasons have seen the Binos flirt with the play-offs before finishing in mid-table. There have been many false dawns under Rutkiewicz’s predecessors and last season was yet more of the same. The side were five points adrift of the play-off places when the campaign was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The long summer has seen Rutkiewicz let several regulars leave for pastures new. The loss of winger Daniel Jardine to Edinburgh City is softened by a disappointing campaign; having failed to build on the promise show the previous season. The arrival of Sean Heaver also helps, with the winger having enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2019/20. The replacements certainly look promising on paper with midfielder Kurtis Roberts and striker Kieran Moore having previously been team-mates at Queens Park. The stand-out captures are winger Scott Roberts and striker Declan Byrne, who enjoyed productive campaigns with Albion Rovers. There is further good news in the return of goalkeepers Blair Currie and Cammy Binnie, who have missed all of 2020 so far but are fit after recovering from serious injuries. This season is likely to represent last-chance saloon for Rutkiewicz, with the Binos hungry for success.

Target

Play-offs. Expectations are high at the Forthbank Stadium but whether the play-offs are realistic remain to be seen.