East Stirlingshire has won the second tier of Scottish football once and finished runners-up once, earning promotion to the top-flight on both occasions.

[6] East Stirlingshire's official date of formation was in 1881,[7] but its origins can be traced to the previous year when a local cricket club called Bainsford Bluebonnets formed a football team under the name Britannia.

[10] East Stirlingshire dominated the tournament in its early years, winning it for a record four consecutive seasons 91885 and 18890,[10] including an emphatic 9–0 victory against Falkirk in the 1888 final.

Three other players, David Alexander, Archibald Ritchie, and James McKee made appearances for the Scotland national team from 1891 to 1898.

In the same year, a record home attendance of 12,000 was set when the club played eventual champions, Partick Thistle, in the Scottish Cup in February 1921.

En route to promotion, the club spent 32 weeks at the top of Division Two, ending the season equal on 55 points with St Johnstone, with East Stirlingshire winning the championship on a superior goal average.

[21] East Stirlingshire spent one season in its first spell in the top flight, ending the year bottom of the league in 20th with seventeen points.

[26][27] The money earned from the transfer helped attract new players and in the 1962–63 season, the club won promotion to the top flight for a second time, as runners-up in Division Two behind St Johnstone.

[28][29] However, the merge lasted only one season, with East Stirlingshire shareholders winning several court cases against it and thus the club reverted to its original legal status and moved back to Falkirk.

[36][37] The clubs shared the top two spots in the league for most of the season and entered the final match equal on points, with East Stirlingshire required to better Falkirk's result to win the championship due to an inferior goal difference.

[40][41][42] From the 2005–06 season, it was determined if a club finished bottom of the Third Division twice in successive years, it would face the risk of being reduced to associate member status, meaning the loss of voting rights.

[43] In East Stirlingshire's case, a league vote was held and concluded in favour of the club retaining full member status with the condition that it did not finish last the following season in 2008.

[45] The following season, retaining full member status, the club moved to Ochilview Park in a ground-share agreement with neighbours Stenhousemuir.

[46] In October 2015, on loan Raith Rovers forward Jonny Court scored the SPFL's 5000th goal (across all four divisions, but not including play-offs), in a 2–0 home win over Elgin City.

[31] For the 1998–99 season, the club signed a deal with French kit supplier Le Coq Sportif who failed to deliver the kits in time for the start of the season so sent a set of Queen's Park strips with East Stirlingshire's crest and sponsors ironed on top of the original.

In the club's early existence as Britannia, it played one of its first known matches at Burnhouse[9] against a Falkirk 2nd XI, which ended in a 7–0 defeat for the team.

[8] Merchiston Park was a football ground located in the village of Bainsford, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Falkirk.

The ground hosted East Stirlingshire's first Scottish Football League match in 1900–01 which ended in a 3–2 defeat to Airdrieonians.

The decision was taken by the club to close Firs Park due to the prohibitive costs of potential refurbishing to meet new Scottish Football Association stadium criteria.

After leaving Firs Park in 2008 they played their home matches at Ochilview Park the home of local rivals Stenhousemuir; the club entered a groundshare agreement with Stenhousemuir, originally intended to be for a period of five years, during which the club planned to develop a new stadium in Falkirk.

East Stirlingshire was elected to the bottom tier of the Scottish Football League in 1900, closely followed by Falkirk two seasons later in 1902–03.

As of 31 October 2024[67] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

The first person to do so was Humphrey Jones, who captained the Wales national team four times out of the five caps he earned whilst at East Stirlingshire.

[70][71] The three other players to make an appearance for their country are Archibald Ritchie, David Alexander and James McKee, all for the Scotland national team at the British Championship.

Archibald Ritchie's one and only Scotland cap came in March 1891 against Wales,[72] who were captained by former East Stirlingshire player Humphrey Jones.

[73] David Alexander made two appearances, one against Ireland and scoring against Wales at the 1894 British Home Championship which Scotland won.

Murray Brown was a steadfast defender during the late 90s having performed to a high standard at West Bromwich Albion during his teenage years.

[20] East Stirlingshire's record home attendance is 12,000 for a third round Scottish Cup match against Partick Thistle on 19 February 1921 at Firs Park.

Humphrey Jones holds the record number of international caps earned as an East Stirlingshire player with 5 for the Wales national football team between 1889 and 1890.