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A taste of the history!
Stenhousemuir Football Club, a team with a longer history than Scottish European trophy winners like Celtic and Aberdeen, are, in relative terms, one of the most progressive clubs in Scotland. Formed in 1884, the most successful periods, on the park, came around the turn of the twentieth century, and the last five years. For much of the club's lifetime, survival has been the name of the game, but the club has been involved in many footballing milestones.
1884: Peter Hutton took a hand in the formation of Stenhousemuir FC, becoming the President over the first 20 years.
1890: Warriors move to Ochilview.
1900-1: Winners, Scottish Qualifying Cup.
1901-2: Winners of four trophies.
1902-3: Reached Scottish Cup semi-final.
1921-2: First season in senior league football.
1925-6: Goalkeeper Joe Shortt offered £50 bribe to throw a match Vs. Broxburn. A Bainsford bookie was jailed for attempted match fixing.
1926-7: Greyhound racing introduced, in a revenue raising attempt.
1928-9: New Grandstand opened (demolished in 1999), although the staircases had to be added later!
1936-7: Drew with Celtic in the Scottish Cup, and recorded club record victory (9-2, against Dundee United).
1949-50: Record crowd of 12,500, for a Scottish Cup tie against East Fife.
1951-2: The first ever floodlit game between two Scottish senior teams was at Ochilview, versus Hibernian.
1955-6: Stanley Matthews plays for the Warriors against Falkirk, in a special fund raiser. Also, the Warriors take part in the first ever floodlit Scottish Cup tie, at Bayview, against East Fife.
1958-9: Third in the league, just missing out on promotion.
1960-1: Third in the league (rumour had it that rivals Stirling Albion hosed down their pitch in a vital end of the season match, to slow down the small Warriors forwards).
1964: Summer……Rangers reveal a plan to remove the Warriors from the league, along with four other clubs.
1968: Stenhousemuir FC (along with Albion Rovers, Berwick Rangers, Brechin City and Stranraer) win perhaps their greatest ever victory, with the help of local solicitor Robert Turpie, and guile of long serving secretary Jim Weir, finally defeating the Rangers plan after four hard years.
1969-70: Alex Smith appointed as first ever manager.
1972-3: Warriors defeat Rangers at Ibrox in the league Cup, the first second division club ever to do so (Rangers, at the time, were Euro CWC holders).
1984: Centenary Year.
1991-2: Striker Billy McLafferty banned for eight and a half months for allegedly head butting a referee.
1992-3: Warriors allow Stirling Albion to ground share Ochilview. Terry Christie appointed manager.
1993-4: Warriors move out of the bottom league for the first time ever, partly due to reconstruction of the leagues.
1994-5: Beating St. Johnstone and Aberdeen on the way, the Warriors reach the Scottish Cup quarter final stage.
1995-6: Victory in the Challenge Cup Final, by penalties Vs. Dundee United at Perth. Also, a great away cup win at then Premier League Falkirk (0-2).
1996-7: New stand opened.
1997-8: Relegation….for the first time ever!
1998-9: Promotion….entirely on merit, for the first time ever! Graeme Armstrong sets the British outfield appearances record, and is soon after appointed manager.
1999-2001: Graeme Armstrong is sacked as the Warriors battle against relegation, and local man Brian Fairley is appointed. Relegation avoided, a mass clear out of players in preparation for 2000-2001 season takes place. However, a similar scenario is experienced at the tail end of season 2000-1, following a roller coaster season where the Warriors also challenge for a promotion place.
2001-2: Brian Fairley departs early in the season with Jimmy Bone taking over. However, the Warriors experience great difficulties as the season progresses, and Bone departs with the Warriors second bottom and relegated. However, Airdrieonians go out of business, leading to a reprieve for 'Muir, and John McVeigh takes over a club which remained in Division Two for season 2002-3. Flirting with both promotion and relegation in the fial weeks of season 2002-3, the Warriors once again remain in SFL league two for 2003-4.
2003-4: Falkirk come ground sharing, while the Warriors plan extensive redevelopments independent of our tenants.
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