BARRY FERGUSON certainly talked the talk.

At his unveiling as Alloa Athletic’s new manager, back in May 2021, the former Clyde and Kelty Hearts manager insisted he wanted his team to immediately bounce back to the Championship as league winners.

In the weeks that followed a host of new faces arrived at the Indodrill stadium while others departed or saw their roles reduced to warming the bench most weekends.

After a somewhat inspiring League Cup run ended, Alloa lost their first match of the season. They would win their next game. Lose the one after that. Then draw the following game. That lack of consistency summed up Alloa’s season. Perhaps the most consistent thing in Ferguson’s Alloa tenure was his team’s lack of consistency, summarised by a recent dismal run of one win in 13 league games, a run which ultimately led Ferguson to resign, presumably before he was forced.

He leaves the club eighth in the league, one point above Peterhead – who have two games in hand over Alloa – and one point behind Dumbarton, Saturday’s opponent.

He said he wanted to win the league with Alloa. Whoever takes over is now tasked with avoiding relegation.

TO SAY Ferguson’s appointment was met with enthusiasm would be something of a stretch. His success with Kelty Hearts was clear however his tenure as manager of Clyde had not been forgotten and Alloa fans were rightly skeptical of the appointment.

Any favour Ferguson had in the bank with fans was decimated – or at best badly damaged – by his treatment of long time Alloa goalkeeper Neil Parry.

Parry started the season as Alloa’s number one, however a mistake in the first competitive match of the season saw the goalkeeper dropped from the team. Parry would not feature again and, when the club signed David Hutton, Parry only found out when he wasn’t on the team sheet for the final League Cup game against Raith Rovers. Around a month later Parry’s Alloa career was officially ended as he joined Clyde.

Other decisions made by Ferguson angered the fans and there was little or more often than not no explanation. Andy Graham lost his place to Fernandy Mendy and then struggled to get back into the team, despite Mendy’s sometimes erratic performances. Graham, who will be 39 this year, is still one of the most professional players at the club and it was telling that even when he wasn’t included in the match day squad, he could still be seen on the side of the pitch before games, encouraging his team mates in any way he could.

Most recently, Ferguson dropped Kevin Cawley, the club’s record appearance maker, on what would have been his 400th appearance for the club. Of course, managers are there to do what is best for the team, however in the game before, Cawley had started and Alloa defeated Peterhead 1-0, their first league win for more than three months. Any tactical or injury reasoning behind the decision wasn’t explained, and instead it was another decision that left a sour taste in the mouths of Alloa fans.

FERGUSON'S relationship with Alloa fans was virtually non existent. In one of the most bizarre incidents of the season, after a 1-1 draw with Dumbarton, Ferguson sprinted across the pitch at full time to engage in a shouting match with the travelling Alloa fans. Ferguson would later explain how he and his players had become aware of negative comments from the stands in the weeks before, adding: “when it becomes personal I don’t like it so that’s plain and simple, I’ve had enough of it.”

Video footage shows Ferguson, separated from the fans by a steward’s arm, in a heated discussion with the supporters. Bob Malcolm entered the conversation at one point, before Graham eventually would come over and the pair would walk away.

On three separate occasions Ferguson dodged the post match interviews. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, there could be a number of reasons why, however as so often the case with Ferguson, there was never an explanation given.

What became clear was the pattern of these absences: the 4-2 defeat at home to Peterhead, the 2-1 home defeat to Dumbarton and, in his last game as manager of Alloa, the 3-1 home defeat to East Fife. Ferguson’s duties were handled, in the first two instances, by Paddy Connolly. Malcolm spoke to the press in Ferguson’s last match in charge.

Alloa fans on the Pie and Bovril forum stated that in the aftermath of the Dumbarton spat, Ferguson told them that his door was open and invited them to the stadium to have a more civilised discussion. Whether any fans took him up on that offer or whether he truly meant it remains to be seen.

AND SO, at 3.15pm on Valentine’s Day, a break up was announced. Alloa Athletic took to Twitter to announce that Ferguson would be resigning. A short statement said: “Barry believes that the team needs a change in direction over the rest of the season and he therefore wishes to step aside to allow someone else time to give the players that fresh impetus.”

Mike Mulraney, Alloa chairman, added: “I have huge respect for Barry and appreciate the effort he has given the club this season, whilst I share Barry’s disappointment in our performances over the last few weeks I have nothing but praise for his endeavour and commitment to the club in his time with us.

“His professionalism and dedication has been a credit to him and he leaves with our best wishes and thanks.”

There was no quotes from Ferguson. However, 22 minutes later the Go Radio Football Show – Ferguson’s other employer – tweeted that they would have an exclusive interview with Ferguson on his departure.

Ferguson said: “I made the decision. I had a long, hard think on Saturday night and all day Sunday and I came to the decision to resign. I just felt, if I’m being honest, results weren’t good enough.

“I think there’s good enough players there, I just think they need maybe a new kick and a new manager coming in.

“It’s the right decision for me [and] the right decision for Alloa.”

At the beginning Ferguson certainly talked the talk.

In the end, he didn’t walk the walk. He just walked.