Alloa Athletic
Formed 1878
Elected to Scottish Division Two 1921
Kit History
1878-1890 a e
1890-1895 m
1895-1897 a
1897-1898 a
1898-1908 a m
1908-1914 m
1920-1927 m
1927-1929 m
1930-1931 m
1933-1939 b m
1939-1940 m
1947-1955 b l m
1955-1956 m
1956-1958 m
1958-1960 m
1960-1962 m
1962-1965 m
1965-1968 m
1968-1972 m
1972-1975 m
1975-1976 m
1976-1977 m
early 1977-1978 m
mid 1997-1978 m
1982-1985 f k
1985-1986 b
1986-1988 l
1991-1992 g h
1992-1993 i
1993-1994 b
circa 1995 n
1997-1998 k
1998-1999 k
1999-2001 c k
2001-2002 j k
2002-2003 k
2003-2004 d
2004-2006 a k
2006-2008 a
Background
Originally formed as Clackmannan County, the club became Alloa AFC in 1879. There is some confusion over their name: recently information has come to light through the scottishleague.net forum that the press misinterpreted this as Alloa Athletic FC (they were in fact Alloa Association Football Club) and the name stuck. However, Alick Milne's research suggests that the club was registered as Alloa Athletic between 1883 and 1921, when they joined the Scottish Football League and registered as "Alloa". In 1997 that the club applied to the Scottish Football League to formally adopt "Alloa Athletic".
Alloa competed in the Central League prior to World War One, when the competition was suspended. After the war ended the Scottish Football League refused to reinstate the old Second Division and some of the member clubs joined the reformed Central League instead. Since this competition was independent, members could attract players by paying higher wages than those allowed under the maximum wage rules that applied to Scottish League clubs, a threat to their interests that could not be ignored. In 1921 the Central League, with Alloa among them, was incorporated as the new Scottish Second Division.
Between the Wars, Alloa played in orange and black but since 1947 they have generally played in black and gold hoops, although the older tradition has been revived on several occasions. They are inevitably known as "The Wasps."
They took the Second Division by storm, winning the championship by 13 clear points. This was the first season of automatic promotion and relegation so the Wasps immediately took their place in the Scottish First Division but they went down again the following season. In 1939, Alloa won promotion for the second time and were doing well before competition was suspended due to the outbreak of World War Two. When the League resumed in 1946, the league was restructured into three divisions and Alloa were unfortunate to find themselves placed in Division B (the second tier). From then on Alloa rarely finished above mid-table and when the League was again restructured with the introduction of the Premier Division in 1975, they went into the third tier (still called Scottish Division Two).
In the late 1990s Alloa reached the First Division (now the second tier) but they could not sustain themselves at this level and are currently playing in the Second Division (third tier). They have, however, won their first major trophy, beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle on penalties after a 4-4 draw in the Challenge Cup final of 2000.
Sources
(a) Alloa Athletic Official Site : (b) e-bay : (c) no.net : (d) Colours of Football : (e) Brian McColl : (f)Pete's Picture Palace : (g) Cowdenbeath.net : (h) blue-brazil.co.uk : (i) Classic Football Shirts : (j) Airdrieonians FC - Images of Sport (Brian Bollen 2002) : (k) SNSpix : (l) Ralph Pomeroy : (m) Alick Milne : (n) jumpers4goalposts.com