In June Stirling Albion favourite Steve Bell will leave the club having signed an agreement with Fife side Dunfermline to take his place in their roster for season 2008/09. By the time Bell’s contract expires he will have played his part in three of the most successful seasons the club has enjoyed throughout the last decade, of which the highlight would surely be the playoff victory over Airdrie last season.

Life has not always been so happy during Bell’s period at Forthbank as cries rang out for Moore to “chuck it” as Albion sank further into the relegation mire on a bleak autumnal day, leaving the Binos adrift at the bottom of the table. On the face of it a great deal may not have changed since Steven Bell made his debut for the Binos in September 2005 on an overcast day at Dumbarton however the industrious midfield’s debut proved to be one of the catalysts in turning the club from Second Division relegation-fodder to a First Division club dreaming of an unlikely reprieve from the drop.

It appeared that there was to be no way back for Moore’s career at the club following that catastrophic defeat at the Rock as his 3-5-2 system was clearly not working while the players were struggling to gel and, in some cases, simply were not good enough. Arguably there was only one positive to take from the loss; Bell’s debut was encouraging, the midfielder demonstrating his ability to get from one end of the field to the other with great speed but he also showed a less welcome side to his game as a dive in the Dumbarton box earned him a silly second yellow card prompting some supporters to appeal to him never to darken Forthbank again.

Such calls are made in the heat of the moment but, two and a half years later, it is easy to see with hindsight just how rash those shouts were. Bell, a player who paid for his own knee operation to allow him to continue his career in professional football, plays the game with great relish and clear love, covering every inch of the pitch at breakneck speed with the ball but tracking back with equal desire.

The twenty-two year old, who celebrates his twenty-third birthday next month, began his professional career at Dundee United in 2003 but failed to make any kind of impact in the Tangerines’ first-team and so elected to move to Queen of the South. His time with the Doonhamers was brief, signing in January 2005 and only playing in Dumfries until the end of the season. Even the term playing is a bit of a misnomer as it was here Bell picked up his serious knee injury just twenty six minutes into his debut. He would manage only another twenty-nine minutes all season and was deemed surplus to requirements by the management of Queens at the time.

Allan Moore wasted no time in snapping the former Scotland youth team player up, securing his signature before mid-May, although it would be another four months before Bell was fit enough to pull on the red and white jersey. Dumbarton would prove to be the nadir of the central midfielder’s Albion career as things would only improve for him after his debut.

Bell’s return to fitness, along with a move to a 4-5-1 formation, prompted a remarkable resurgence in Albion’s form that culminated in a fine run during the second half of the season which saw the club come within a whisker of making the playoffs despite a horrendous start to the year. Bell’s ability to support Paddy Connolly from midfield, weighing in with a couple of goals, was vital to the success of the system that ultimately prevented Albion making another embarrassing excursion to Scotland’s basement league.

It would be the following season that Bell’s potential would come to fruition as swiftly as one of his breaks down the field despite more-often-than-not in an unfamiliar role on the right hand side of midfield. Powerful in the air and quick with the ball Bell was a vital outlet in the Albion side that marched into the playoffs and beyond.

One particular highlight from that season was equalling Albion’s quickest ever goal. Just fourteen seconds into a home match again Brechin, Bell picked up the ball twenty-five yards from goal, advanced a pace or two, and struck a shot underneath Craig Nelson’s body.

The most telling contribution of the tireless midfield player undoubtedly came in the playoff final second leg against Airdrie. Midway through the second half, with most of the team looking as though they were about to drop dead on their feet, Bell made a characteristic lung-bursting drive down the right flank, piercing the Airdrie defence. His driven cross to Devine was perfect, the central midfielder firing high into the net from close range to spark delirium amongst the Binos’ support and score the goal that would ultimately send Stirling into the First Division.

That twenty second spell would sum up Bell’s contribution to Albion’s cause perfectly: drive, determination and enjoyment - Scott McLean brilliantly captured the midfielder peeling away to celebrate Devine’s goal, tongue out, fingers pointed in the air, a picture of sheer happiness.

Although Steven’s progress has been halted in recent weeks due to injury there can be few misgivings about his ability to play at a First Division standard on a weekly basis.

Bell’s time at Forthbank is now into its twilight as he signed a pre-contract agreement with Dunfermline on the 30th of January that will take him to East End Park in the summer, where he will once again have the opportunity to train on a full time basis.

Every stakeholder in Stirling Albion will wish the midfield player well in his future endeavours in the game and many will follow his progress, hopefully to the SPL.

The Pars have acquired a player with the potential to be the best midfield player in the league and will surely reap the benefits of having a player who possesses his love of the game in their squad.

Best of luck Stevie, just help us get our current situation first!