There’s a familiarity to Iain McLean’s photographs of Albion Rovers that can only come from spending years around a football club.
For more than two decades, the Glasgow-based photographer has followed the Wee Rovers at Cliftonhill and on the road, documenting not simply what happens on the pitch, but the people, places and small moments that give a club its identity.
His latest work, photographed between 2023 and 2026, begins during a difficult period in Albion Rovers’ history. Relegation from the SPFL in 2023 changed the grounds, journeys and opposition, but much of what drew Iain to the club in the first place remains: community, character and a committed core of supporters.
Photographed in Iain’s distinctive black-and-white style, the series is a personal record of a local club and a side of Scottish football far removed from the scale and polish of the modern elite game.
Below, Iain tells the story in his own words.
“I’m a recently retired Glasgow based photographer and have been photographing Albion Rovers’ ‘journey’, as they say these days, for too long to remember.
In May 2023 Rovers catastrophically lost their place in the Scottish League 2 and fell through the trapdoor into the grim reality of the Scottish ‘Lowland League’ (now morphed into the Lowland League West), where we sit 13th out of 17 as I write.
To say this has been a disaster is an understatement, but on the up-side I get to photograph lots of new grounds and new fans. Where once we went to Hampden Stadium (Queens Park), Dumbarton Football Stadium or Forthbank (Stirling Albion), we now have trips to Newton Stewart, Renfrew and Dalbeattie Star, but while not exotic these new journeys offer new opportunities. However we are still, more or less, the same club. The core support is still there and importantly we still have our own stadium in Coatbridge. We have a strong Community Trust and Supporters Trust too and are a really valuable community asset.
And talking of support, our new league has some big hitters. Celtic B brought a welcome large crowd when they visited and teams like Pollok, Auchinleck Talbot and Clydebank can have bigger crowds than many Scottish League 2 clubs, plus they usually have thriving licensed social clubs which obviously need visiting too.
On retirement from commercial photography, I now have more time to look at my personal projects and recently removed my older football archive from my website and replaced it with work from 2023 – 2026. I kicked off retirement with an exhibition called ‘Rover’s People’ which involved vertical panels of paper on which were printed portraits of some of our fans. I somehow got permission to paste these onto the 6 main turnstile doors which face out from the front of the stadium and the idea seems to have gone down well. ‘Rover’s People’ exhibition →
Looking ahead I see we are off to play Preston (no, not that one!) Athletic at the magnificently alliterative Pennypitt Park in Prestonpans this coming Saturday in the South Region Challenge Cup.
How things have changed… but look on the bright side – Concessions Admission for us oldies is £6!“
You can view Iain’s full gallery from Albion Rovers 2023-26 here →
A selection of Iain McLean’s football photography is also available as archival prints through Lower Block.
Selected Scottish Ground Prints
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Pyro, CliftonhillPrice range: £50.00 through £100.00 -
NetherdalePrice range: £75.00 through £125.00 -
Pie & BovrilPrice range: £50.00 through £100.00 -
Dens ParkPrice range: £100.00 through £150.00 -
East End ParkPrice range: £100.00 through £150.00 -
Hibs, Spirit of ScotlandPrice range: £100.00 through £150.00 -
Almondvale OutsidersPrice range: £130.00 through £175.00 -
Up in the AyrPrice range: £100.00 through £150.00 -
Cliftonhill terracePrice range: £75.00 through £125.00 -
Laundry dayPrice range: £50.00 through £100.00 -
Peeping Albion ladsPrice range: £50.00 through £100.00 -
Floodlights, East End ParkPrice range: £40.00 through £50.00
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