Airdrieonians F.C. facts for kids
 |
||||
| Full name | Airdrieonians Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Diamonds | |||
| Founded | 2002 (as Airdrie United FC) | |||
| Ground | Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie | |||
| Capacity | 10,101 | |||
| Chairman | Paul Hetherington | |||
| Manager | Rhys McCabe | |||
| League | Scottish League One | |||
| 2015–16 | Scottish League One, 5th | |||
|
||||
Airdrieonians Football Club is a professional football team from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. They are part of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). The team is often called "Airdrie" for short.
The club started in 2002 as Airdrie United Football Club. This happened after the original Airdrieonians club, which began in 1878, closed down. In 2013, the club officially changed its name back to the traditional Airdrieonians.
Airdrieonians has won three major trophies. They won the Scottish Second Division in 2003–04. They also won the Challenge Cup twice, in 2008–09 and 2023–24. The club has sometimes moved up in leagues because other teams faced problems.
Contents
Club History
How Airdrie United Started
The club was formed in 2002 as Airdrie United. This happened because the first Airdrieonians club went out of business. The original Airdrieonians, known as "The Diamonds" for their unique kits, had finished second in their league in 2001–02. But they had big debts and had to close.
This left an empty spot in the Scottish Football League. A fan named Jim Ballantyne tried to start a new club, Airdrie United. He wanted it to be like the old Airdrieonians. However, another team was chosen for the league instead.
So, Airdrie United bought Clydebank, another team that was having problems. With the league's permission, the club moved to Airdrie. They changed their kits to look like the old Airdrieonians. They also changed their name to Airdrie United. Even though it was officially a continuation of Clydebank, most people saw it as the return of Airdrieonians.
Early Years: Winning a Title (2002–2006)
Sandy Stewart was the first manager of Airdrie United. Their first game was in August 2002 at New Broomfield. They won 1–0 against Forfar Athletic. In their first season, they almost got promoted but missed out by just one point. They also did well in cup competitions.
In 2003, the club reached the final of the Challenge Cup. They lost 2–0 to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. But in the 2003–04 season, they won the Second Division title! They had a great run, staying unbeaten in their last 18 games. Over 5,700 fans watched them beat Morton 2–0 to lift the trophy.
In November 2006, Sandy Stewart was replaced by Kenny Black. He was a former player for the original Airdrieonians.
Ups and Downs: Play-offs and a Cup Win (2006–2013)
Under Kenny Black, Airdrie had a mix of good and tough times. They lost in the play-offs several times.
- In 2006–07, they lost a play-off to stay in their league.
- In 2007–08, they lost a play-off for promotion. But they still moved up! This happened because another team, Gretna, had financial problems and was moved down.
- In 2008–09, they lost another play-off to avoid relegation. Again, they were saved! This time, Livingston had problems and was moved down, so Airdrie stayed up.
- In 2009–10, they lost a play-off and were relegated. There was no lucky break this time.
Despite these play-off losses, the club won the Challenge Cup in 2008. They beat Ross County in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw.
In 2011–12, they lost another promotion play-off. But once more, they got lucky! The company running Rangers closed down. The Scottish Football League decided Rangers should play in the lowest division. This meant extra teams were promoted, and Airdrie moved up to the First Division. However, they finished last in that league in May 2013 and were relegated.
The Airdrieonians Name Returns (2013–2015)
In June 2013, the club officially changed its name. It went from Airdrie United Football Club to Airdrieonians Football Club. This brought back the name of the original club that closed in 2002. They also brought back the old Airdrieonians club badge, which was all red.
In 2015, the club was told their badge was not allowed because it had a shield and letters. So, they created a new badge. It kept the "Airdrie Diamond" shape but removed the shield and letters.
New Owners and Play-off Challenges (2015–2022)
In June 2015, Jim Ballantyne sold control of the club to Tom Wotherspoon. Tom Wotherspoon later resigned in June 2017, and Jim Ballantyne became chairman again.
In January 2018, a group of business people took over the club. This ended a difficult time for Airdrieonians.
Manager Ian Murray led the team to good finishes in Scottish League One. They finished fifth, third, and then second twice. In 2020, they missed play-off games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, they reached the play-off finals but lost both times. After the 2022 defeat, Ian Murray left the club.
Play-off and Cup Success (2022–Present)
Rhys McCabe became the new player-manager. In the 2022–23 season, Airdrie finished third. They won their play-off semi-final against Falkirk with a big 7–2 score. Then, in the Championship play-off final, they beat Hamilton Academical in a penalty shootout. This win meant Airdrie earned a spot in the Scottish Championship.
At the start of the 2023–24 season, Airdrie won all their group games in the Scottish League Cup. They even beat top-flight team Dundee 1–0. They also reached the fifth round of the Scottish Cup for the first time in over 10 years.
In March 2024, Airdrie reached the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup. They played against Welsh team The New Saints and won 2–1. This was their first Challenge Cup win since 2008!
The club finished fourth in the league that season, earning a play-off spot. However, they lost to Partick Thistle in the quarter-finals. So, they stayed in the Championship for another season.
At the end of the 2024–25 season, Hamilton Accies had points taken away by the league. This meant Airdrie avoided being automatically relegated. They entered the Championship relegation play-offs instead. After winning their semi-final, Airdrie faced Cove Rangers in the final. They won 2–1 over two games, keeping their place in the Championship for the 2025–26 season.
Club Stadium
Airdrieonians plays its home games at Excelsior Stadium. It is also sometimes called New Broomfield. The stadium has had different names due to sponsorship, like The Penny Cars Stadium and The Albert Bartlett Stadium.
The stadium was built after the original Airdrieonians' old home, Broomfield Park, was sold. The old ground was knocked down before the new stadium was ready. For a few years, the club had to share Broadwood Stadium with Clyde.
Excelsior Stadium has seats for all fans. It has a capacity of 10,101. In 2010, a new artificial grass pitch was put in. This was replaced again in 2022. The main pitch and smaller training areas can be used by the local community.
Other teams have also used the stadium. Queen of the South played a European game there in 2008. Motherwell also used it in 2009. Queen's Park played their home games there from December 2013 to May 2014. This was because their own stadium, Hampden Park, was being prepared for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The main stand of the stadium is named the Jack Dalziel Stand. This is in memory of a former chairman of the original Airdrieonians. In May 2025, the club announced that the East Stand would be named the Ian McMillan Stand. This honors a famous player and manager from the old Airdrieonians.
Team Colours and Crest
Team Colours
Airdrie United took on the special playing colours of the original Airdrieonians. These are a white shirt with a red diamond shape. This design gave Airdrieonians their nickname, The Diamonds. The new Airdrieonians club also uses this nickname.
Club Crest
When Airdrie United was first formed, their badge had a blue double-headed eagle on a white shield. Below it was a red scroll with "Airdrie United F.C." written on it. This eagle was a symbol from the town of Airdrie.
When the club became Airdrieonians again in 2013, they brought back the old badge. This badge had a rooster on top of a shield with two lions and the club's initials. However, in 2015, the club was told this badge was not allowed. This was because it was a heraldic symbol (like a coat of arms) and these are not allowed to have letters on them. So, on June 19, 2015, Airdrieonians showed a new badge. It removed the shield and used a chevron (a V-shape) to represent the "Airdrie Diamond."
Current Players
|
|
Club Staff
Managers
Sandy Stewart (2002–2006)- Kenny Black (2006–2010)
- Jimmy Boyle (2010–2013)
- Gary Bollan (2013–2015)
- Eddie Wolecki Black (2015 – 2016)
Danny Lennon (March 2016 – June 2016)
- Lennon was acting coach while manager Wolecki Black was recovering from illness.
- Kevin McBride (June 2016–October 2016)
- McBride was acting coach while Eddie Wolecki Black was recovering.
- Mark Wilson (2016 – 2017)
- Willie Aitchison (August 2017)
- Stevie Findlay (2017–2018)
- Ian Murray (2018 – 2022)
- Rhys McCabe (2022–present)
Coaching Team
- Manager: Rhys McCabe
- Assistant manager: Aaron Taylor-Sinclair
- First team coach: Bryan Prunty
- Goalkeeping coach: David Hutton
- Physiotherapist: Stewart Duff
- Sports scientists: Pete Byrne, Dan Jefferson
- Head of academy: Alan Gow
Board Members
- Chairman: Paul Hetherington
- Managing director: Scott Russell
- Commercial director: Gordon Watson
- Director/Head of facilities: Mark Sneddon
- Associate directors: Iain Allison, Craig Campbell, Stuart Mathie, Neil Pardoe, Brian Smith
- Club ambassadors: Brian McPhee, Willie McGuire, Bobby Watson
Club Achievements and Records
Trophies Won
- Scottish Championship Play-off Final
- Winners: 2022–23, 2024–25
- Scottish League Second Division
- Winners: 2003–04
- Runners up: 2007–08
- Scottish Challenge Cup
- Winners: 2008–09, 2023–24
- Runners up: 2003–04
Smaller Trophies
- North Lanarkshire Cup
- Winners: 2022, 2023
- Meldrum Cup
- Winners: 2015
Club Records
| Record type | Record | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Most league points in a season | 72 | in League One 2021–22 |
| Most league goals by a player in a season | 23, Andy Ryan | in League One 2016–17 |
| Most league games played | 159, Stephen McKeown | |
| Most total goals scored | 71, Calum Gallagher | including 59 league goals |
| Record home attendance | 9,044 | against Rangers on August 23, 2013, in League One |
| Record cup wins | 11–0 & 8–0 | 11-0 vs Gala Fairydean on November 19, 2011, in the Scottish Cup 3rd Round & 8–0 vs East Kilbride on July 16, 2024, in the Scottish League Cup Group Stage. |
| Record league win | 7–0 | vs Peterhead on March 18, 2023, in League One & vs Dundee on March 11, 2006, in Division One |
| Record loss | 0–7 | vs Partick Thistle on October 20, 2012, in Division One |
International Players
This section lists players who played for their country while playing for Airdrieonians.
|
The original Airdrieonians club had 18 players who played for Scotland. They earned 47 caps in total.
Club Awards
On May 18, 2024, the club announced that the Player of the Year award would be renamed the Ian McMillan Player of the Year award. This was done after his passing earlier that year.
Player of the Year Awards
| Season | Ian McMillan Player of the Year | Young Player of the Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Adam Frizzell | Gavin Gallagher |
| 2023–24 | Charlie Telfer | Mason Hancock |
| 2022–23 | Calum Gallagher | Gabby McGill |
| 2021–22 | Dylan Easton | Callum Smith |
| 2020–21 | Callum Fordyce | Leon McCann |
| 2019–20 | Callum Fordyce | Leon McCann |
| 2018–19 | David Hutton | Josh Edwards |
| 2017–18 | Scott Stewart | Dean Cairns |
| 2016–17 | Andy Ryan | Scott Stewart |
| 2015–16 | David Cox | Nicky Cadden |
| 2014–15 | Paddy Boyle | Luca Gasparotto |
| 2013–14 | Jim Lister | Liam Watt |
| 2012–13 | John Boyle | Chris O'Neil |
| 2011–12 | Ryan Donnelly | Nathan Blockley |
| 2010–11 | Ryan McCord | Jamie Bain |
| 2009–10 | No Award | No Award |
| 2008–09 | Stephen Robertson | Bobby Donnelly |
| 2007–08 | Allan Russell | Kevin Watt |
| 2006–07 | Neil McGowan | Stephen McKenna |
| 2005–06 | Bryan Prunty | Steven McDougall |
| 2004–05 | Marvyn Wilson | Stephen McKenna |
| 2003–04 | David Dunn | Willie McLaren |
| 2002–03 | Jérôme Vareille | Stephen McKeown |
Hall of Fame
The club started a Hall of Fame in 2002. It honors important players from the original club. Some of these players also played for the new club. New members are added each year.
|
|
|
See also
In Spanish: Airdrieonians Football Club para niños
