Steins Thistle F.C.
Steins Thistle Football Club is a football club from Allandale near Bonnybridge in Scotland. They were formed as the works team of the G.R. Stein Brickworks in Allandale, hence the name Steins Thistle in January, 1972. The brickworks provided a pitch for the team, and upon the firm's closure ownership of the ground was transferred to the football club in 1987, which they retain to this day. Since then they have improved their ground, in 1989 they took a portable cabin from the BP plant at Grangemouth and upgraded it on the site of their ground to replace the ageing pavilion that previously stood there. This has since been replaced with a new modern building with changing rooms, meeting room, equipment room and referees room.
Upon formation, Steins Thistle played in the Stirling and District Football League. The Adult Amateur Team currently compete in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League.
In 1999 Steins established a youth structure with teams competing at under 10s and 11s. This has grown significantly over the years and the Club now has provision for children from 6 years of age up to 21 with a large number of age groups covered (but not all of them - yet!).
In 2006 the Club took a conscious decision to follow the Scottish Football Association's Quality Mark accreditation scheme and has been successful in attaining Community Status in March 2009 through a Partnership with Falkirk in the Community.
The Club achieved Charitable status in 2007 in the name of Steins Thistle Club and a revised Constitution covers the HMRC requirements under this name.
In 2011 a state of the art training area was constructed funded in the main by a Grant under the Cash Back for Communities Fund via the Scottish Government. This Scheme was funded by proceeds from crime and used to improve facilities at grassroots level in a wide variety of communities across Scotland. Steins status and achievements acknowledged by the SFA was sufficient to gain them recognition and support in this venture. The Club also contributed significantly to the overall cost of the astroturf, surrounding ground works and security fencing.