Greig Spence Explained

Greig Spence
Birth Date:6 July 1992
Birth Place:Dunfermline, Scotland
Position:Striker
Currentclub:Stirling Albion
Youthclubs1:Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts
Youthclubs2:Rangers
Youthclubs3:Alloa Athletic
Youthyears4:2009–2011
Youthclubs4:Celtic
Years1:2008–2009
Clubs1:Alloa Athletic
Caps1:19
Goals1:4
Years2:2011–2012
Clubs2:Celtic
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Years3:2011–2012
Clubs3:Hamilton Academical (loan)
Caps3:29
Goals3:5
Years4:2012–2014
Clubs4:Raith Rovers
Caps4:59
Goals4:20
Years5:2014–2015
Clubs5:Alloa Athletic
Caps5:28
Goals5:4
Years6:2015–2016
Clubs6:Cowdenbeath
Caps6:36
Goals6:17
Years7:2016–2017
Clubs7:Alloa Athletic
Caps7:35
Goals7:16
Years8:2017–2018
Clubs8:Raith Rovers
Caps8:32
Goals8:11
Years9:2018–2019
Clubs9:Alloa Athletic
Caps9:13
Goals9:0
Years10:2019–2020
Caps10:19
Goals10:0
Years11:2020–2021
Clubs11:Stenhousemuir
Caps11:20
Goals11:7
Years12:2021
Clubs12:East Fife (loan)
Caps12:9
Goals12:0
Years13:2021–2023
Clubs13:Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts
Years14:2023–
Clubs14:Stirling Albion
Caps14:24
Goals14:4
Club-Update:18:38, 31 January 2024 (UTC)

Greig Spence (born 6 July 1992) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Stirling Albion.

Born in Dunfermline, he started his career at Alloa Athletic, breaking into their first-team at the age of 16. He was then signed by Scottish Premier League club Celtic in 2009. He was loaned to First Division club Hamilton Academical for the 2011–12 season. In July 2012, he signed a one-year contract with Raith Rovers. In June 2014, he returned to Alloa before signing for Cowdenbeath the following season, before once again resigning for Alloa in 2016. After a year with Alloa, Spence moved back to Raith for his second spell, spending a further year in Kirkcaldy. Spence signed on for his fourth spell with Alloa in June 2018. He has since played for Arbroath, Stenhousemuir, East Fife (on loan) and Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts.

Career

Spence spent 10 years at Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts.[1]

Spence played for Rangers youth team as a schoolboy. He then moved on to Alloa Athletic where he broke into the first-team at the age of 16.[2]

His first start came against Queens Park on 16 February, he scored Alloa's equaliser in a 2–1 win.[3] On 4 May, Spence scored Alloa's equaliser against Ayr United, drawing the match ensured that Alloa would not be relegated.[4] After the match manager Allan Maitland praised Spence for how well he took his goal.[5] Overall, Spence scored four goals in nineteen appearances for Second Division Alloa during the 2008–09 season.[6] Spence only played three times for Alloa during the 2009–10 season as he left the club in August. His only goal came in a 3–2 defeat against Ross County in the Scottish Challenge Cup.[7]

Scottish Premier League club Celtic signed Spence in August 2009 for a six-figure fee.[8] [9] Spence missed the first half of the 2010–11 season through injury but came back to score in the 2011 Scottish Youth Cup Final.[10] [11] On 16 July 2011, Spence scored for Celtic's development squad in a 2–1 loss to Partick Thistle.[12]

In August 2011, Spence moved on loan to Scottish First Division side Hamilton Academical. He scored his first goal for Hamilton in a 2–1 Scottish Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Morton on 4 September.[13] Two weeks later he scored in Hamilton's 2–2 draw against Raith Rovers.[14] On 3 November, he scored a 'superb' header in Hamilton's 3–2 loss against Ayr United.[15] On 13 January, Spence scored the winner in Hamilton's 1–0 victory over Partick Thistle.[16] The next week he scored in Hamilton's 2–2 draw with Ayr United.[17] On 24 March, Spence scored the first goal in Hamilton's 3–0 win over Queen of the South.[18]

Spence announced on his Twitter account in May 2012 that he was leaving Celtic,[19] subsequently training with Raith Rovers in an attempt to win a permanent contract.[20] He signed for the club on 18 July 2012.[21] He was part of the Raith Rovers team that won 1–0 against Rangers in the 2014 Scottish Challenge Cup Final.

On 24 June 2014, Spence signed for Alloa Athletic for a second time.[22] [23] He scored a hat-trick on his first appearance on 26 July 2014, in a Challenge Cup match against Arbroath as Alloa won 4–1.[24] On 3 December 2014, Spence scored twice as Alloa came from 2–0 behind to defeat Rangers 3–2 in the semi-final of the Challenge Cup, the club's first ever win against Rangers.[25] After one season with The Wasps, Spence signed for Scottish League One side Cowdenbeath. Although Cowdenbeath were relegated to Scottish League Two Spence had a particularly successful season with the club, finishing third top scorer in the league with 17 goals, as well as being nominated for PFA Scotland's League One player of the year award[26] and being included in the PFA Scotland League One team of the year.[27]

In May 2016, Spence returned for his third spell with Alloa Athletic.[28] In February 2017, Spence scored the SPFL's 8000th goal (across all four divisions, but not including play-offs), in a 2–0 win at Queen's Park.[29] [30]

Spence returned to the east of Scotland in June 2017, signing with his former club Raith Rovers, now in Scottish League One.[31] After the club failed to win promotion back to the Scottish Championship, Spence was released by the club in May 2018.[32] Spence re-signed for Alloa for his fourth spell in June 2018.[33]

Spence spent just six months with Alloa, before signing an eighteen-month contract with League One leaders Arbroath in January 2019.[34] He then moved to Stenhousemuir in January 2020.[35] Spence was loaned to East Fife in April 2021.[36]

In July 2021 he returned to boyhood club Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts.[1] [37] [38]

On 6 January 2023, Spence returned to the SPFL with Scottish League Two club Stirling Albion on an 18-month deal.[39]

Career statistics

[40] [6]

ClubSeasonLeagueScottish CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Alloa Athletic2008–09[41] Scottish Second Division184001000194
2009–10Scottish Second Division1000101[42] 131
Total194002011225
Celtic2009–10Scottish Premier League0000000000
2010–11Scottish Premier League0000000000
2011–12Scottish Premier League0000000000
Total0000000000
Hamilton Academical (loan)2011–12Scottish First Division295200031346
Raith Rovers2012–13Scottish First Division32114231214115
2013–14Scottish Championship2794011523712
Total59208242737827
Alloa Athletic2014–15Scottish Championship28410227[43] 73813
Cowdenbeath2015–16Scottish League One361731103[44] 14319
Alloa Athletic2016–17Scottish League One351621637[45] 65026
Raith Rovers2017–18Scottish League One321110416[46] 14313
Alloa Athletic2018–19Scottish Championship130114220203
Arbroath2018–19Scottish League One110000000110
2019–20Scottish Championship80004220142
Total190004220212
Career total2707718527123820353114

Honours

Raith Rovers

2013–14[47]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-courier-advertiser-perth-and-perthshire-edition/20210729/282235193694979. Press Reader.
  2. News: Spence, 16, has debut to remember . https://archive.today/20130421033401/http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1079246 . dead . 21 April 2013 . DC Thomson. Press and Journal . 16 February 2009 . 24 March 2012.
  3. News: Dream Day Out Is Still Playing on Our Minds . Media Scotland. Daily Record . 16 February 2009 . 24 March 2012.
  4. News: Division 2: Ayr United 1 Alloa Athletic 1 . Media Scotland. Daily Record . 4 May 2009 . 24 March 2012.
  5. News: Jellema pulls out all the stops . https://archive.today/20130421050347/http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1199205 . dead . 21 April 2013 . DC Thomson. Press and Journal . 4 May 2009 . 24 March 2012.
  6. Web site: Greig Spence . Scottish Football League . 12 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120830021500/http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/player/greig-spence/411079/ . 30 August 2012 .
  7. News: Ross County 3–2 Alloa Athletic . BBC Sport . 25 July 2009 . 24 March 2012.
  8. News: Alloa hitkid Greig Spence on verge of dream move to Celtic . 12 August 2009 . Daily Record . 12 September 2011. Media Scotland.
  9. News: Celtic sign Alloa striker Spence . 15 August 2009 . BBC Sport . 11 September 2011.
  10. Web site: Greig Spence . Celtic FC . 12 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120422093324/http://celticfc.net/player.php?id=77 . 22 April 2012 .
  11. News: Celtic U19 2–1 Rangers U19 (aet) . 27 April 2011 . BBC Sport . 12 September 2011.
  12. Web site: Celtic XI go down to Partick Thistle . Celtic FC . 16 July 2011 . 11 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719213157/http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=1276 . 19 July 2011 .
  13. News: On loan Accies star Spence hopes to get in more goals . 8 September 2011 . Andrew . McGilvray . Hamilton Advertiser . Media Scotland . 12 September 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120330092548/http://www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk/hamilton-lanarkshire-sport/hamiltonaccies/2011/09/08/on-loan-accies-star-spence-hopes-to-get-in-more-goals-51525-29382263/ . 30 March 2012 . dead .
  14. News: Hamilton 2–2 Raith Rovers . BBC Sport . 17 September 2011 . 24 March 2012.
  15. News: Striker Greig Spence says boss Billy Reid was right to blast them. . Media Scotland . Hamilton Advertiser . 3 November 2011 . 24 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055008/http://www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk/hamilton-lanarkshire-sport/hamiltonaccies/2011/11/03/striker-greig-spence-says-boss-billy-reid-was-right-to-blast-them-51525-29709134/ . 21 September 2013 . dead .
  16. News: Hamilton Accies 1–0 Partick Thistle . BBC Sport . 13 January 2012 . 24 March 2012.
  17. News: Ayr United 2–2 Hamilton Academical . BBC Sport . 21 January 2012 . 24 March 2012.
  18. News: Hamilton Accies 3–0 Queen of the South . BBC Sport . 24 March 2012 . 24 March 2012.
  19. Web site: Twitter – Greig Spence . @greigspence. Twitter.
  20. Web site: Raith Rovers v Ross County: new boss Murray keen to get up and running . DC Thomson. The Courier . 10 July 2012 . 14 July 2012 .
  21. News: Rovers Make Important Addition to Squad . Raith Rovers FC . 18 July 2012 . 18 July 2012.
  22. News: Greig Spence signs . Alloa Athletic FC . 24 June 2014 . 24 June 2014.
  23. Web site: Alloa goal hero Greig Spence is over the moon with his form after derby win. Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser. 6 August 2014 .
  24. Web site: Arbroath 1–4 Alloa . BBC Sport . 26 July 2014 . 26 July 2014.
  25. Web site: Alloa 3–2 Rangers . BBC Sport . Moffat . Colin . 3 December 2014 . 3 December 2014.
  26. News: Rangers pair & Hibs duo vie for Scottish Championship award . BBC Sport . 21 April 2016 . 30 May 2016.
  27. News: Only two Celtic players in Scottish Premiership team of season . BBC Sport . 29 April 2016 . 30 May 2016.
  28. Web site: Spence returns to Alloa . Scottish Professional Football League . 31 May 2016 . 31 May 2016.
  29. Web site: Four for Livi, Spence nets landmark goal. SPFL . 18 February 2017 . 10 April 2017.
  30. Web site: Weekend in numbers . SPFL . 20 February 2017 . 10 April 2017.
  31. Web site: Triple Signing Coup for Smith . Raith Rovers FC . 9 June 2017 . 9 June 2017.
  32. Web site: RRFC retained/released list . Raith Rovers FC . 15 May 2018 . 15 May 2018.
  33. Web site: Manager adds to squad . Alloa Athletic FC . 4 June 2018 . 4 June 2018 .
  34. Web site: Spence joins Abroath . Scottish Professional Football League . 18 January 2019 . 19 January 2019.
  35. Web site: Dundee United sign Dillon Powers from Orlando City and Kieran Freeman from Southampton . BBC Sport . 10 January 2020 . 11 January 2020.
  36. Web site: Greig Spence Joins on Loan From Stenhousemuir. eastfifefc.info.
  37. Web site: Greig celebrates new deal with last-gasp Swifts leveller. Dunfermline Press. 23 December 2021 .
  38. Web site: Swifts stun Rose as Oakley snatch last-gasp win at title favourites. Dunfermline Press. 24 February 2022 .
  39. Web site: Admin . Site . 6 January 2023 . Signing News . 9 January 2023 . SAFC . en-GB.
  40. Book: Rollin . Glenda . Rollin . Jack . Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2010–2011 . Headline . 2010 . 675 . 978-0-7553-6107-6 . amp .
  41. Web site: Alloa 3 2 Ayr. BBC Sport. 7 February 2009. 27 August 2019.
  42. Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
  43. Five appearances and seven goals in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the Scottish Championship play-offs
  44. One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the Scottish League One play-offs
  45. Three appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup and four appearances and three goals in tue Scottish Championship play-offs
  46. Two appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup and four appearances and one goal in the Scottish Championship play-offs
  47. Web site: Ramsden Cup: Raith Rovers 1-0 Rangers (aet). 6 April 2014. BBC Sport.