As the season draws to a close, we would like to provide an update on the status of our first-team squad. It’s always a bittersweet time of year when we look forward to new faces and say goodbye to old friends.

Retained Players

The following players are signed for 2024-25

Discussions are still taking place with:

• Quinn Coulson
• Tochukwu Ogayi

Released Players

We regret to announce that the following players will be leaving the club upon the expiration of their contracts.

• Jon Robertson
• Euan Deveney (has been offered physio support and training facilities to help with his rehab)
• Paul McLaren
• Nathan Cannon
• Keir Burt

In particular I’d like to thank Jon Robertson on behalf of the Alloa board and management team for his efforts over the last 8 seasons. From his iconic play off volley against Airdrie to his winner against Hamilton this season, Robbo has been nothing but a fantastic servant to Alloa making over 250 appearances for the club. He has been a top professional and a great example to any players around him. ‘Robbo’ will be a great asset to any team and I wish him all the best.

Andy Graham

We can also confirm goalkeeping coach, Robert Glen, who joined Brian Rice’s backroom staff as Alloa narrowly missed out on the playoffs in 2022 will be leaving this summer.

I’d personally like to thank Robert for the support he’s given me since I took the job in November and I wish him all the best for the future.

Andy Graham

We thank them for their contributions and wish them the best in their future endeavours:

Loan

Our loan players have also made an unforgettable impact this season and we wish them all the best as they return to their parent clubs:

• Ethan Sutherland – St Mirren
• Taylor Steven – St Johnstone
• Bobby Wales – Kilmarnock
• Alistair Roy – East Kilbride

Again I’d like thank all the players for the contribution they made over the season and wish them all the best in the future.

Andy Graham

Goalkeeping Coach

An individual that needs no introduction to Alloa fans, despite an almost three year absence, we’re pleased to welcome Neil Parry’s return as goalkeeping coach.

On Saturday after the Falkirk game the fans recognised the achievements of the players this season with awards handed out at the Tillicoultry Golf Course after an open fan vote for Goal of the Season, and Player of the Season. The Alloa Advertiser also gave out their award for Advertiser Sport POTY

The Alloa Director’s had previously presented Kurtis Roberts with the club’s Player of the Season award and Bobby Wales was recognised as the Young Player of the Season.

The fans were much in agreement and Bobby Wales picked up the Fan’s Player of the Season award after a goal every other game in his 25 appearances for the club while on loan from Kilmarnock, narrowly pipping Kurtis Roberts to the title.

The Goal of the Season was no surprise either as Kurtis Roberts magnificent double turn and rifle-shot at Hamilton voted as the Goal of the Season. Kit Manager Pat Dunne also picked up an award for his long service at Alloa Athletic.

Andy Graham said on the night:

It’s really important as a club that we get everyone together and that includes the fanbase.

We need to get support for everybody and I told the players when I got the job that if we were going to achieve anything in life or in football, you’ve got to be in it together.

We need to try and get that back and get everyone together. I thank the guys that have stepped up to the plate and organised the night, it’s been fantastic.

It’s important to me that, moving forward, we get more and more fans to these events because the turn out from the players speaks volumes.

It’s a fantastic turn out from them especially when we’ve got a game on Tuesday but I thought it was good that as many of them came as they could and you saw that tonight.

It speaks volumes about the squad and about their attitude towards Alloa, they’re all here and they’re all in it together.

Bobby said in his speech that he feels we can achieve something if we’re all in it together and that’s the mantra I’m trying to get over.

Nights like this are hopefully the start of doing that and getting everybody together and everyone on board on the same level at the club.

Thanks to Scott Barron at https://www.sbeventphotography.co.uk/ for his captures of a great night. You can follow Scott on instagram at @sbsportsandeventsphotography

7 May 2024 7:45 pm Preview

⚠️Roadworks

Please note if driving the A907 main road into Alloa has major resurfacing works going on. If driving from Hamilton it may be wiser to use the alternative route from Stirling.

Tickets

Pay at the gate will be available on the day (Cash Only) but tickets can be bought in advance here:

Season Tickets

Season tickets are valid for the playoff games.

Pay Bar

The pay bar will be open for home fans before the game.

Programme

Streaming

PPV will be available with no broadcast restrictions on Tuesday night’s tie while Saturday will be blocked only those within Scotland. In the event we reach the final both fixtures are televised on BBC Alba on Wednesday and Saturday evening in the UK but WaspTV will stream to those outside the UK.

| Alloa Athletic Supporter’s Player of the Year Awards Night.

Voting is now open for supporter’s to vote for their Player of the Year and Goal of the Season.

Tickets available now, includes an evening with the team, buffet, and raffle.

Tributes have this week been paid to a heroic Polish Auschwitz survivor and former Alloa Athletic and Stirling Albion star who has passed away at the age of 101. Before the game against Stirling on Saturday both teams will be doing a minutes applause.

Jan Szpula passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his family, at Randolph Hill Nursing Home in Dunblane on Wednesday 20th March 2024. Beloved husband of the late Jean. Loving father to John and Angela, grandfather to Christopher, Alexander, Blair, Isla and great- grandfather to Hannah, Isaac and Imogen. His grandson Blair McLennan still plays football at the Indodrill Stadium with the over 35’s group on Sunday evenings.

Born in the Polish village of Lasiska Górne, a mining town in the south of the country, close to the Czech border, he grew up in a family of five, with father Augustyn and mother Maria as well as older sister and older brother – also named Maria and Augustyn.

At the tender age of 16, brave Jan joined the Army at the outbreak of the Second World War broke out – walking with his brother and father more than 125 miles over three days to enlist.

He spent time during the war in forced labour in Germany and Auschwitz and also with the Polish Army in Poland, Russia, Belgium and France. His grieving family this week paid tribute, saying: “He lived a great life and he adored his family, especially his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

“He will be sadly missed by all who knew him as he was a tremendous character who always had an interesting story to tell. Much-loved Jan has been described as a “tremendous character who always had an interesting story to tell”. “He could keep you entertained for hours about his childhood, wartime Europe, football, golf and Rossleigh garages. He led a very eventful life and we are all glad to have spent so much time with him.” A keen footballer, Jan played for the Polish Army, who toured Scotland at the time. He was eventually offered a room at the house of Frank Robertson, in Wallace Gardens, Causewayhead.

He later starred for Ayrshire junior side, Beith. While playing for the North Ayrshire outfit, Jan stayed in Causewayhead, where he met his future wife Jean – Frank’s third eldest daughter. The happy couple tied the knot in 1956 and had two children, John and Angela, who are both now in their 60s.

After exiting Beith, Jan then signed for Alloa Athletic and made 27 appearances for “The Wasps,” scoring ten goals in 1947/48, before finally signing for his adopted hometown team, Stirling Albion. During the 1949/50 season, Jan contracted tuberculosis – believed to have been the result of the war – and ultimately, he had to retire from football amidst a flurry of interest from clubs both north and south of the border.

During his spell with Stirling Albion – from September 1948 to May 1950 – he played in the promotion-winning team of 1948-49 and part of the 1949-50 season in Scotland’s top flight. Jan played 38 games for the Albion, scoring eight goals. When his football career was cut short, a testimonial match was arranged to raise funds for him. The match took place in September 1952, with a Stirling Albion side losing 5-1 to a Stirlingshire Select side.

When he moved to the Stirling area, Jan worked at Rossleigh garages, which were initially at Allan Park and then at Wallace Street, as a chauffeur and valet with the firm. While working there, he often drove luxury cars, including a Rolls Royce for royalty in Edinburgh. It was at Rossleigh that Jan learned to play golf, and this was a great passion during his retirement years, and he went on to become a member of Dollar Golf Club. Jan celebrated his 100th birthday on 6th January 2023.

A funeral service was held yesterday at Logie Kirk before Jan was buried in Logie cemetery.