Brechin City F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Brechin City Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The City, The Hedgemen | ||
| Founded | 1906 | ||
| Ground | Glebe Park, Brechin | ||
| Capacity | 4,123 (1,519 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Kevin Mackie | ||
| Manager | Ray McKinnon | ||
| League | Scottish League One | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish League One, 7th | ||
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Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football team from the town of Brechin in Angus. It was started in 1906 by players and leaders from two local teams, Brechin Harp and Brechin Hearts.
The team currently plays in the Scottish League One. They faced tough times recently, being relegated three times in four seasons. This included dropping from the Championship in 2018, League One in 2019, and League Two in 2021. Their 2021 relegation happened after losing a play-off to Kelty Hearts.
Brechin City's best achievements include winning the third level of Scottish football three times. The most recent win was in 2005, when they became champions of the Second Division. The club also reached the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup once in 2002, but lost to Queen of the South.
Brechin's home ground is Glebe Park. It opened in 1919 and can hold 4,123 fans, with 1,519 seats.
Contents
Club History
How Brechin City Started
The club began in 1906. It was formed by players and officials from two successful local junior teams: Brechin Harp and Brechin Hearts. Football leaders from Forfarshire met with local representatives. They convinced them that Brechin would be stronger with one main senior club. Brechin Harp stopped playing, but Brechin Hearts continued as a junior team until World War I.
Brechin City won its first important local trophy, the Forfarshire Cup, in the 1909–10 season. Most of the players on that winning team were from the town. The club moved to their current home, Glebe Park, in 1919. This stadium is famous for the large hedge that runs along one side of the pitch.
Joining the Scottish League
The team joined the Scottish League in 1923. This happened when the first Third Division was created. However, City struggled and finished last in their first season. The club did not do well in this division and left the Scottish League at the end of the 1925–26 season. Many other teams in that division also left.
Brechin City did not stay away for long. They returned to the League for the 1929–30 season. This was after Bathgate and Arthurlie left the league. Again, the club finished at the very bottom. Brechin continued to struggle in the lower half of the Second Division throughout the 1930s. The club then paused operations during World War II. They had some very tough losses, like being beaten 10–0 by Cowdenbeath, Albion Rovers, and Airdrieonians in the 1937–38 season.
After the War
Brechin City started playing again in the 1946–47 season. They joined the C Division, which included a mix of first teams and reserve teams. This division was not a full part of the Scottish Football League. The club stayed in this setup until they won the North-East section in the 1953–54 season. This success allowed them to return to full League membership.
Their first season back saw them finish last again, but they were not relegated. Despite this shaky start, the club had a good period in the late 1950s. They finished in the top half of the league for four seasons in a row. They also reached the semi-finals of the 1957–58 Scottish League Cup.
The 1960s were difficult for the club. They finished last in the 1961–62 season and again the next season. They had two more last-place finishes before the end of the decade. This unwanted record of finishing last two years in a row happened again in 1972–73 and 1973–74. Brechin City continued to be one of the weaker teams in Scottish League football.
New League Structure
In the 1974–75 season, the club finished 17th out of 20 teams. Because of this, they were placed in the new Division Two. This was the third level of the League after it was reorganized. The new setup did not help the club much, as they stayed near the bottom.
However, a mid-table finish in the 1979–80 season brought a change in luck. The club started to aim for its first promotion as full League members. With a new stand and floodlights added to Glebe Park, the team played with new energy. They finally won their first title in the 1982–83 season. Under the leadership of David Will, who later became a vice-president of FIFA, and player-manager Ian Fleming, the club beat Meadowbank Thistle by just one point to win the title.
The 1980s and 1990s
With David Will's leadership, City settled into the First Division. They played well in the 1983–84 season, finishing in a good fifth place. However, in the 1986–87 season, the club was narrowly relegated. But they quickly bounced back, challenging at the top of the Second Division. They won the title for the second time in the 1989–90 season, again by just one point, this time ahead of Kilmarnock.
Brechin's return to the First Division was short-lived, as they were immediately relegated. However, in the 1992–93 season, they were promoted again as runners-up. But once more, they were relegated right away. Things got worse as they faced two more relegations in a row, dropping into the new Third Division, which was the fourth level of League football.
Despite this, they quickly changed their fortunes again. The club finished second in this division in the 1995–96 season, earning promotion. This meant five changes of division in five very busy seasons! The club was relegated again after two seasons and ended the 1990s back in the lowest division.
The 2000s: Ups and Downs
In the new millennium, the club saw better times under manager Dick Campbell. They won the Third Division in the 2001–02 season, after almost winning it the year before. The team continued its success the next season, finishing runners-up and getting promoted for the second time in a row. Chris Templeman scored 21 league goals for the club that season. They also reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final but lost.
However, the First Division proved too tough for the part-time team, and they were immediately relegated. But Brechin City's up-and-down journey continued. The very next season, they won the Second Division title again. This success was bittersweet because manager Dick Campbell left for Partick Thistle.
Without Campbell, the team struggled even more in the First Division. They only won two games all season and were relegated under Ian Campbell, Dick's twin brother. The club celebrated its 100th birthday, which included a friendly match against English Championship side Ipswich Town at Glebe Park, ending in a 2–2 draw.
Under manager Michael O'Neill and with goals from Iain Russell, the club finished fourth in the Second Division the following season. This meant they could enter the promotion play-offs. However, they lost badly to Airdrie United with a 6–1 score over two games, ending their hopes of immediate promotion.
The 2007–08 season was disappointing, as City missed the play-offs by finishing sixth. On January 31, 2008, they were removed from the Scottish Cup. This happened because they played two players who were not allowed to play in their 2–1 win against Hamilton Academical. Hamilton Academical took their place in the next round.
The 2008–09 season saw changes. O'Neill left in December 2008 to manage Shamrock Rovers. The experienced Jim Duffy took over in January 2009. He led the club to third place and a play-off spot. But again, the play-offs were not successful. Ayr United beat them 5–2 over two games, keeping Brechin City in the Second Division for the 2009–10 season. Under Duffy, Brechin made the play-offs again the next season. However, Duffy resigned after Brechin lost 3–0 to Cowdenbeath.
The 2010s: More Play-offs and Promotions
For the 2010–11 season, the club hired Jim Weir as manager. He left Arbroath to join Brechin. That season, Brechin reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup. They drew 2–2 with SPL team St Johnstone at Glebe Park. In the replay, City lost 1–0 after a strong effort.
On May 14, 2011, Brechin beat Cowdenbeath 4–2 over two games in the First Division play-off semi-final. This set up a final against Ayr United. The winner would play in the First Division for the 2011–12 season. The first game ended 1–1, but Ayr won the second game at Glebe Park 2–1. This meant Brechin stayed in the Second Division.
The club appointed Forfar Athletic defender Darren Dods as player/manager in June 2015. In Dods' first season, Brechin stayed at the bottom of League One for most of the 2015–16 season. They won only four of their first twenty-six matches. However, a late surge of good form saw the club win eight of their last ten games. This pushed them away from relegation and play-off spots, finishing seventh.
Dods' second season was very different. Brechin stayed in the top four for most of the 2016–17 season. They finished fourth and then won promotion to the Scottish Championship for the first time in 11 years. They beat Raith Rovers and Alloa Athletic in the Championship play-offs.
Back-to-Back Relegations
Brechin's return to the second tier was short. They did not win a single league match and had only four points. The club was relegated on March 24, 2018, after losing 2–0 to Greenock Morton.
Brechin ended their Championship season with a 1–5 loss to Queen of the South at Glebe Park. This meant the club became the first senior Scottish team in 126 years to not win a single game in a league season. Brechin finished the 2017–18 season with no wins, four draws, 32 defeats, and no away points at all.
Brechin started the 2018–2019 season as favorites for promotion. However, they ended up in another relegation battle. This resulted in the club finishing last in League One and facing back-to-back relegations.
The 2019–20 season again became a fight to avoid the bottom of the table and a play-off that could lead to relegation to the Highland League. The club was at the bottom of League Two when the league was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They avoided the play-offs because the league season was ended early.
Leaving the SPFL
On May 23, 2021, Brechin lost 3–1 over two games to Lowland League team Kelty Hearts in the relegation play-offs. This meant they dropped down to the Highland League. It was the club's first time out of the national leagues in 67 years. In June 2021, after player/manager Michael Paton left, the club appointed Andy Kirk as manager. In their first season in the Highland League, they finished in a good third place.
The next season, they won the Highland League title. They beat their closest rivals, Buckie Thistle, 2–0 on the final day of the season.
On May 6, 2023, Brechin lost 3–4 on penalties to Lowland League team The Spartans in the pyramid play-offs. They needed to overcome a 1–0 deficit from the first game. They won the second game 3–2, making the total score 3–3. However, they lost in the penalty shootout.
The 2023-24 season saw Brechin and Buckie Thistle as the main teams fighting for the title. The season came down to the final day for the second year in a row. Brechin lost the title to rivals Buckie Thistle on goal difference. Both teams had 81 points for the season. Buckie Thistle was supposed to play in the pyramid play-offs but could not due to licensing problems.
Club Rivalries
Brechin has rivalries with other clubs from Angus. These include Arbroath, Forfar Athletic, and Montrose. Games between these teams are known as Angus derbies.
Recent Managers
- Frank Sandeman (1970–1971)
- Bobby Methven (1971–1972)
- Ken Dick (1972–1974)
- Charlie Dunn (1974–1978)
- Ian Stewart (1978–1979)
- Doug Houston (1979–1982)
- Ian Fleming (1982–1987)
- John Ritchie (1987–1993)
- Ian Redford (1993–1994)
- John Young (1994–2000)
- Dick Campbell (2000–2005)
- Ian Campbell (2005–06)
- Michael O'Neill (2006–2008)
- Jim Duffy (2009–2010)
- Jim Weir (2010–2012)
- Ray McKinnon (2012–2015)
- Darren Dods (2015–2018)
- Barry Smith (2018–2019)
- Mark Wilson (2019–2020)
- Michael Paton (2020–2021)
- Andy Kirk (2021–2023)
- Gavin Price (2023–2024)
- Patrick Cregg (2024–2025)
Club Honours (Trophies)
- Second Division
- Champions: 1982–83, 1989–90, 2004–05
- Runners-Up: 1992–93, 2002–03
- Play-off winners: 2016–17
- Third Division
- Champions: 2001–02
- Runners-Up: 1995–96
- Highland League
- Champions: 2022–23
- Challenge Cup
- Runners-Up: 2002–03
- Forfarshire Cup
- Champions: 1909–10, 1952–53, 1958–59, 1996–97, 2008–09
- Scottish League Division C
- Champions: 1953–54
- Scottish Qualifying Cup
- Champions: 1950–51
- Keith Tournament
- Champions: 1982–83
Club Records
- Biggest Win: 12–1 against Thornhill F.C. on January 23, 1926
- Biggest Loss: 0–10 against Airdrieonians, Cowdenbeath, and Albion Rovers in 1937–38
- Highest Home Attendance: 8,122 against Aberdeen on February 3, 1973
- Most League Appearances: David Watt (459 games)
- Record Goal Scorer: Ian (Pink) Campbell (131 goals)
- Most Goals in One Season: Grady McGrath (29 goals) in 2022–23
Club Staff
Board of Directors
- Chairman: Kevin Mackie
- Vice-chairman: Grant Johnson
- Secretary: Gary Robertson
- Treasurer: John Littlewood
- Directors: Kevin Mackie, Grant Johnson, David Hamilton, Paul Ritchie, Peter Carmichael
- Commercial Director: Darren Taylor
Coaching Staff
- Manager: Ray McKinnon
- Assistant Manager: Paul Watson
- Goalkeeping Coach: Aaron Reid
- Physio: Anna Davidson
- Kitman: Willie Christie
Current Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Notable Players
This list includes players who have played at least 100 League games for Brechin City between the 1940s and 2010s. The numbers show league appearances and goals scored. Bold names mean the player is still with the club.
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See also
In Spanish: Brechin City Football Club para niños
