Scottish club managed by former Hearts and Rangers star on brink of collapse as urgent cash plea sent

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The Lowland League club managed by former Hearts and Rangers striker Sandy Clark have issued a plea for support as their 143-year existence is under severe threat.

The 68-year-old has been in charge of Albion Rovers since March 2023 and was unable to keep them in League Two after they suffered a 2-1 aggregate defeat against The Spartans in the pyramid play-off. Relegation into the Lowland League followed and Clark’s side ended their first season sat in ninth place and are currently in sixth in the table following Saturday’s 3-1 win at Edusport Academy.

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However, the ‘steady decline’ suffered by Albion and a lack of investment have left the club on the brink and difficulties in securing new financial backing have led the board of directors to deliver a heartfelt open letter laying out just how precarious the situation has now become. In the letter, they claim there were advised to ‘sell the family silver’ to stave of the threat of extinction - but stress they are committed to doing all they can to remain alive and to keep playing at the Reigart Stadium. They also reveal moves to improve their situation have been blocked and set out plans to assist with possible budgets for next season after consulting with Clark and his players.

In an open letter released over the weekend, the Coatbridge club said: “For many years the club has been on a steady decline. This decline – and lack of action to change that course of direction – culminated in the loss of our SPFL status at the end of the 2022-23 season. Very little by the way of new investment was identified previously to try and avert this decline.

“At the two previous General Meeting of members, two new members to the board were proposed and subsequently were unsuccessful in being elected. The individuals proposed for election, in the opinion of the board, would have brought the company much-needed financial support and business expertise. The rejection of these by five individual shareholders, one holding the most pivotal influence, has in the opinion of the board led to difficulties in securing new financial backing by parties who may have otherwise been willing and able to introduce much-needed capital.

“Some of those raising objections served the company as directors during the aforementioned decline and offer little or no reasoning for their objections, and offer no thoughts or strategy for the club’s future success. The only tangible strategic view offered by one such party was to ‘sell the family silver’. This current board does not see this as an acceptable solution to the current position – we are fully committed to playing in Coatbridge and at the Reigart Stadium. We will work tirelessly to achieve this.”

Rovers continued: “Acquiring such shares by the board would make it more attractive to potential new backers investing in the company, as shares may subsequently be available to secure their investment against. In our opinion the inaction, lack of response, and obstruction of progress by those who are few in numbers, but heavy of influence, is having a detrimental impact upon the operation of the company, and limiting us from securing new investment.

“In line with the above and because of being unable to secure new financial capital, it is with regret that we must inform all interested parties that all budgets, including that of the playing and management staff, will be severely restricted, as we move into the 2025-26 playing season. Everyone at the club acknowledges that this will have a detrimental impact upon the quality of the playing squad, and the football results. Our core objective for the next season will be to remain as competitive as possible within the Parks Motor Group Lowland League, but realistically the only objective will be to remain within it.”

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