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Andy Whiteford
Signed originally on 30/11/99 from St
Johnstone on a two month loan deal. When that deal expired the Albion then
signed him on 2nd February 2000 until the end of the 1999/2000
season. The youngster started as a striker but made his first
team debut with St Johnstone on 11/11/95 as a replacement for the
injured full back, John McQuillan. The Saints were pleased with
his debut and he kept his place in the team in November when
McQuillan was injured. Andy who has come through the St Johnstone
youth team was in the Scotland Under 18 squad who played England
two seasons ago. He scored a goal against Dundee in the Challenge
Cup while playing at centre half (10/9/96) - his first goal for
Saints. He also played in the draw with the USA in the Under 19
Scotland tournament in Toulon in May 1997. Andy made his Premier
League debut against Celtic in the last game of season 97/98.
Andy can play as a striker, right back or centre half
Andy made a scoring debut for Albion against Queen of the South in December 99 - after his loan transfer from Premier Division St Johnstone. Andy comes from Glasgow, and was delighted to make the switch to Forthbank to get regular football. 22-year old Andy was originally a product of Glasgow juvenile side Possil YM and stepped up to Saints in 1994. He has found first team opportunities limited, playing only a few matches in each of 1995/6, 1996/7 and 1997/8. Last season he appeared twice as a substitute, but this season he has not featured at all in the McDiarmid Park plans. Although he joined the club as a striker, he has been used mainly as a defender - in either the full-back or a central defensive role. He scored one goal for Saints - in a 5-1 League Challenge Cup win over Dundee at Dens Park. Andy has one Scotland Under 21 cap, earned against the USA in the Toulon Tournament in 1997. We wish him well during his spell at Forthbank.
Since the Gary Paterson - Ronnie McQuilter axis was split up in the autumn of 1997, Stirling have struggled in the central defensive area. Since the likes of Kevin Bain (now Brechin), Todd Lumsden (Albion Rovers), Eddie Forrest (Airdrie) as well as Brian Martin, John Philliben and Pat Clark have attempted to fill the void with varying degrees of success.
22 year old Andy Whiteford is the latest player to try and plug the gap, alongside Graeme Donald, whose talents on the ball are arguably wasted in a central defensive slot. Whiteford was initially signed from St Johnstone on a two month loan deal, making his debut in an easy 3-0 home win over Queen of the South on December 11th.
That move became permanent, until the end of the current season at least when the loan spell expired at the end of January. Andy seems unfazed by the prospect of moving down two divisions, perhaps because he did not seem to be quoted in Sandy Clark’s plans at Perth, where the club appear to have an abundance of central defenders.
Even so, the player would be forgiven for wondering what might have been, having seen former colleagues Callum Davidson (now Blackburn) and Danny Griffin (who once turned down a move to Derby) being tracked by English Premiership sides.
Andy was signed for St Johnstone by Paul Sturrock in June 1994, the youngster having learned his trade with Possil YMCA and he made his league debut in a 2-0 home win over Hamilton on November 11th, 1995.
Most of his appearances for Saints came during the First Division Championship of 1996-97 when he featured in a total of 11 matches, including an appearance as substitute when Stirling unluckily lost 5-0 at McDiarmid Park in November 1996.
The Premier League afforded him fewer opportunities and his sole match in 1997-98 was on the day Celtic ended Rangers nine titles in a row, by beating Saints 2-0 at Parkhead. His final game for the club was in September 1998 in a defeat at Dundee Utd, a full 15 months before his first team career resumed at Forthbank.
Andy has also won a single Scotland U-21 cap which came in a 1-1 draw against the USA at the Toulon tournament in May 1996. Steven McGarry (St Mirren) scored the goal and Grant Brebner (Hibs), Craig Easton (Dundee Utd) and Gary Naysmith (Hearts) were amongst his other team-mates.