Arbroath F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Arbroath Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Red Lichties, The Smokies | |||
| Founded | 1 July 1878 | |||
| Ground | Gayfield Park, Arbroath | |||
| Capacity | 6,600 (861 Seated) | |||
| Chairman | Ewen West | |||
| Co-managers | David Gold Colin Hamilton |
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| League | Scottish League Two | |||
| 2015–16 | Scottish League Two, 9th | |||
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Arbroath Football Club is a semi-professional Scottish football team. They are based in the town of Arbroath, Angus. The club was started in 1878. They play their home games at Gayfield Park.
Arbroath FC is known as "The Red Lichties". This nickname comes from the red light that used to guide fishing boats. It helped them find their way back to the harbour from the North Sea. The team wears maroon (dark red) uniforms. They have a big rivalry with their local neighbours, Montrose. They also have rivalries with Forfar Athletic and Brechin City. Currently, Arbroath plays in Scottish League One.
Contents
Club History
A World Record Victory
Arbroath FC holds a world record! On 12 September 1885, they won a Scottish Cup match 36–0 against Bon Accord. This is the biggest win ever in senior football around the world. In that amazing game, a player named Jocky Petrie scored 13 goals. This is also a record for the most goals by one player in a British senior match.
Recent Seasons
Arbroath has had many ups and downs in recent years. In the 1996–97 season, they finished last in the Third Division. But the very next season, they were promoted! They moved up to the Second Division. After three years there, they earned another promotion to the First Division.
They did well in their first season in the First Division, finishing 7th. However, in the 2002–03 season, they struggled and finished last. This meant they were relegated (moved down a league). In 2003–04, they just managed to avoid another relegation. But in 2004–05, they were relegated back to the Third Division.
Under manager John McGlashan, the team started to improve. They reached the play-offs for promotion in 2005–06 and 2006–07. In 2007–08, they finally won the play-offs and were promoted to Division 2!
The team stayed in Division 2 for a while. In 2009–10, manager John McGlashan left. Jim Weir took over, but the team lost in the play-off final. Paul Sheerin became the new manager in May 2010.
On 23 April 2011, Arbroath won the Third Division title by beating Montrose 4–1. This was the club's first major trophy in 133 years! They moved back up to the Second Division.
The next few seasons were mixed. In 2012–13, they had a memorable Scottish Cup game at Celtic Park, drawing 1–1. But the 2013–14 season was tough. They went 14 games without a win and were relegated again. This was their fourth relegation in 11 years.
In March 2016, Dick Campbell became manager. He helped the team avoid another relegation. The 2016–17 season was a huge success under Campbell. They won the League Two title in the very last game of the season!
The 2018–19 season was also fantastic. Arbroath won the League One title, earning their second promotion in three years. They led the league from the very first day!
After being promoted, Arbroath played in the second tier for the first time since 2003. They did very well, finishing 5th in the season. They even beat Dundee United, who were the champions that season.
Their good form continued into the 2021–22 season. They were near the top of the Championship, hoping to get promoted to the top league for the first time since 1974–75. However, on 13 April 2024, Arbroath was relegated back to League One after losing 5–0 to Ayr United.
Gayfield Park Stadium
Arbroath's home ground is Gayfield Park. It's not the first stadium the club used, but it's very special. Gayfield Park is the closest football stadium to the sea in Britain! On stormy winter days, waves can crash against the walls around the ground. It's a traditional stadium with standing areas on three sides and covered stands all around.
Club Rivalries
Arbroath's biggest rivalry is with Montrose. Their first game against each other was in 1888, and Arbroath won 6–2. They also have smaller rivalries with other local teams in Angus: Brechin City and Forfar Athletic. In the 2018–2019 season, all four of these Angus teams played in the same league, Scottish League One!
First-team Squad
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On Loan
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Club Officials
Coaching Staff
- Co-managers: David Gold and Colin Hamilton
- Assistant manager: Jimmy Boyle
- Goalkeeping coach: Gary Maley
- Club doctor: Callum Innes
- Physiotherapist: Mark Dryden
- Analyst: Ryan Beattie
Executive Team
- Chairman: Ewen West
- Vice-chairman: Brian Cargill
- Chief executive officer: Paul Reid
- Secretary: Gary Callon
- Directors: Douglas Bain, Scott Milne, Gary Moir, Bill Ogilvie, Barclay Scott
- Finance director: Robert Sim
- Club ambassador: Bobby Linn
Club Honours (Trophies)
League Achievements
- Second Tier (Level 2) (like Scottish Championship):
- Runners-up: 1934–35, 1958–59, 1967–68, 1971–72, 2021–22
- Third Tier (Level 3) (like Scottish League One):
- Winners: 2018–19
- Runners-up: 2000–01, 2011–12
- Fourth Tier (Level 4) (like Scottish League Two):
- Winners: 2010–11, 2016–17
- Runners-up: 1997–98, 2006–07
- Play-off winners: 2007–08
National Cup Competitions
- Scottish Cup Semi-finalists: 1946–47
- Scottish League Cup Semi-finalists: 1959–60
- Scottish Youth Cup Semi-finalists: 2001–02
- Scottish Challenge Cup Semi-finalists: 2012–13
- Scottish Qualifying Cup: Winners 1903
Other Achievements
- Arbroath was the first team to win the Forfarshire Cup in 1883. They have won this trophy 17 times!
Club Records
- Biggest win: 36–0 vs Bon Accord, 12 September 1885, Scottish Cup (This is a World record!)
- Biggest defeat: 1–9 vs Celtic, 25 August 1993, League Cup
- Highest home attendance: 13,510 vs Rangers, 23 February 1952, Scottish Cup
- Highest average home attendance: 4,780, 1959–60 season
- Most capped player: Ned Doig, 5 times for Scotland (2 while playing for Arbroath)
- Most league appearances: 426 games by Tom Cargill, 1966–80
- Most league goals in a season by a player: 45 goals by David Easson, 1958–59
See Also
In Spanish: Arbroath Football Club para niños
