Stirling put their trust in ‘tight but robust’ financial set-up

Yet Scott had cited deeper issues upon exiting Forthbank. Using these pages, the former Dundee manager made direct reference to the Supporters’ Trust which purchased Stirling from the former chairman Peter MacKenzie last year. Scott’s inference was clear – that supporters should have spent more money to assist the team after gaining that control.

To his credit, Stuart Brown, the operations director of Albion, has no desire to enter into a war of words with Scott. Rather, Brown is keen to express his “total respect” for the recently departed coach.

Instead, Brown points to a wider scenario. “We don’t have an overdraft, we aren’t allowed an overdraft,” he explains.

“We will not spend what we haven’t got. That impacts on our budget, which of course impacts on the manager. Jocky makes valid points about working with constraints but I would like you to point out any manager within Scottish football who isn’t working to constraints. That’s reality.

“There is not a single club in Scotland that is not feeling the pinch.”

Stirling at least hope to avoid one costly scenario from a year ago, when 13 weeks without a home match because of weather conditions left an obvious winter income shortfall.

The Trust’s successful campaign to raise funding to aid the buy-out of the club from MacKenzie gained significant publicity. And understandably so, with £40 membership fees arriving literally from across the globe. Just short of 2,500 people contributed to the fund, but it would be wrong to believe anything like such numbers have a desire to keep funding Albion on a regular basis. The trust’s financial support, while valuable, only tells part of Stirling’s story.

Now, membership renewals are being sought in a bit to retain the Trust’s prominence which, in turn, can boost the funds handed to Brown and his fellow directors to run the club week on week.

“We actually aren’t that different, in the day-to-day running, from any other football club. There is an old-fashioned board model there,” Brown adds. “We have an executive board featuring a commercial director and a finance director. It’s a traditional set-up.”

Stirling are fortunate in one sense; that they have the backing of two local, high-profile businesses. Prudential have maintained their long-term, main sponsorship of the club whilst a local Hilton hotel has bought stadium naming rights. For a lower league club, such deals are notable.

“I applaud the likes of Alloa and Stenhousemuir, who have hospitality sold out at times even before their season starts,” explains Brown. “That’s where we need to get to and we are starting to see that now. Elsewhere there is a Trust lottery which we started from scratch and we have promised to fully support an under-19 team, just as we did in the First Division. That’s managed into our budget; it’s what you could call a tight, but robust set-up.”

As if to prove Brown’s heart can sometimes rule his head, he confidently predicts Albion will escape any relegation danger.

If the worst case scenario occurs? “We took the big hit this season with crowds, dropping from the First to the Second Division,” Brown explains. “Of course, we would have to tighten our belts again but we would still work within our means.”

The postponement of Tuesday’s game at Forfar, in the immediate wake of Scott’s removal, was however seen as a blessing in many ways. “That gave us some breathing space,” Brown says.

“The squad has been lacking in confidence. Again, that’s not a dig at Jocky, it’s just a case of what would be natural for a team who had lost seven games in a row.

“We won’t rush into an appointment. We want to get this right; and find someone who fits the model, understands our strategy and understands what constraints they will work under here.

“Jocky understood them, as well, but like any manager he would look for more. As I say, that’s the reality of Scottish football just now.”