Leith Athletic F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Leith Athletic Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Leithers | ||
| Founded | 1887; reformed 1996 | ||
| Ground | Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh | ||
| Capacity | 500 | ||
| Chairman | Leighton Jones | ||
| Manager | John Robertson | ||
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Leith Athletic Football Club is a football team. They are based in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The club plays in the First Division of the East of Scotland Football League. Their main matches are held at Meadowbank Stadium.
The club today sees itself as a continuation of the original Leith Athletic F.C. That team started in 1887. The original club played in the Scottish Football League at different times between 1897 and 1953. It stopped playing in 1955. The name was brought back for youth teams in 1996. In 2008, Leith Athletic joined with Edinburgh Athletic. They took Edinburgh Athletic's spot in the East of Scotland League. This marked their return to senior football.
Contents
History of Leith Athletic Football Club
The Original Leith Athletic Team
Leith Athletic began in 1887 in the Port of Leith. In 1891, Leith joined the Scottish Football League. They replaced Glasgow team Cowlairs. Leith had a good start, finishing fourth in 1892. However, they struggled in later years. They were moved down to the Second Division in 1895.
In the Second Division, Leith did much better. They finished second in 1896, 1897, and 1899. But they could not get enough votes to return to the top division. In 1905, the original Leith Athletic club closed down. A new company was formed to take over its assets.
Some Leith Athletic players also played for their country. In 1891, Robert Clements and Matt McQueen played for Scotland. They played against Ireland. McQueen had also played against Wales a year earlier. Other players like Geordie Anderson, James Blessington, and Robert Laing played for the Scottish Football League XI. Blessington later moved to Celtic in 1893. He played for Scotland four times.
The team then played as Leith F.C. They won the Scottish Second Division championship easily in 1906. Despite this win, they were not chosen to move up to the First Division. Other teams like Clyde and Hamilton Academical were picked instead. In 1910, Leith and Raith Rovers finished with the same points. They were named joint champions. Raith Rovers were promoted, but Leith did not try to move up.
In the 1912–13 season, Leith finished last. They managed to stay in the league. They continued until the league stopped in 1915. Then they joined the Eastern League. Leith closed down during the First World War in 1916. When the club started again in 1919, they used the old name, Leith Athletic. They joined the Western League.
After playing one season in the Scottish Football Alliance (1923–24), Leith joined the Third Division in 1924. Leith won the Third Division championship in 1926. But they could not get elected to the Second Division. It seemed that the two big Edinburgh clubs, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian, were making it hard for Leith to move up.
The Third Division was later removed. Leith had to rejoin the Scottish Alliance. But in 1927, they were allowed back into the Scottish League. They replaced Nithsdale Wanderers. The club's luck improved. They won the Second Division championship in 1930. This meant they were promoted to the First Division. Leith stayed in the top division in 1931. However, they were moved down again in 1932. The club was a mid-level Second Division team until the league stopped in 1939–40.
In 1945, there was an attempt to bring back St Bernard's. This club had lost its ground in 1943 after joining with Leith Athletic. But it did not happen. In 1946, Leith became a founding member of the new Division C. This was the third level of football. The Second Division grew from 14 to 16 clubs in 1947. Leith was chosen to fill one of the new spots. But they were moved down again in 1948. When the third level was split, Leith joined Division C (North & East).
The C Divisions mostly had reserve teams. Leith argued that non-reserve teams should be in the Second Division. They were not successful. In August 1953, they were removed from the league. This happened because they refused to play more games in Division C. It was too late for the club to join another competition. The club closed down in 1955. The two C Divisions were stopped that summer. Just as Leith had wanted, the non-reserve teams were allowed into the Second Division.
The Modern Leith Athletic Club
A new Leith Athletic club started in 1996. It was mainly for boys' football. They had teams for different age groups, from 5 to 21 years old. The club's adult team joined the Central Scottish Amateur Football League. In 2005, Paul Lee became their first amateur player to play for Scotland. He played in a 2–1 win against Leinster. In the same year, Danny Swanson, Douglas Thom, and Shaun Woodburn played for the Scottish Youth Football Association under-19 team.
Leith Athletic joined with Edinburgh Athletic in 2008. They took Edinburgh Athletic's spot in the East of Scotland Football League. Leith moved up to the East of Scotland Premier Division in 2011. But they were moved down after one season. They got their Premier Division spot back in 2013. They later won the league in 2015–16 when it became a single division.
Home Stadiums
When Leith joined the Scottish Football League in 1891, they played at Bank Park. This ground was renamed Beechwood Park in 1895. After the 1898–99 season, the club moved to St Bernard's' New Logie Green. They played two league matches there. Then they moved to Hawkhill for the rest of the 1899–1900 season.
Between 1900 and 1904, Leith played at Chancelot Park. After that, they moved to Old Logie Green. When the Scottish Football League stopped during World War I, the club played some games at Chancelot Park and Wardie Park. When the club returned to the SFL in 1924, they went back to Old Logie Green. At the end of the 1925–26 season, the club moved again. This time they went to New Powderhall.
After only one season at New Powderhall, the club moved to Marine Gardens. They stayed there until 1936, when they moved to Meadowbank. After World War II, the ground needed to be rebuilt. Leith played the 1946–47 season at the nearby New Meadowbank. When the original Meadowbank reopened, it was called Old Meadowbank. In the early 1950s, an experimental floodlit match was played there.
The reformed club played at Leith Links and Muirhouse Playing Fields. In 2013, they moved to the Meadowbank 3G pitch. This pitch is next to Meadowbank Stadium. Meadowbank closed for rebuilding in December 2017. Matches were then moved to Peffermill 3G.
Famous Former Players
Two players from the original Leith Athletic team played for Scotland. These were Matt McQueen, who played twice in 1890 and 1891. The other was Robert Clements, who played once in 1891.
Club Records
- Record attendance: 18,079 fans watched a match against East Fife. This was a Division Two game on March 29, 1930. It took place at Marine Gardens.
Club Honours and Trophies
East of Scotland Football League
- Winners: 2015–16
East of Scotland Qualifying Cup
- Runners-up: 2014–15
East of Scotland League Cup
- Winners: 2014–15, 2016–17
- Runners-up: 2015–16, 2017–18
King Cup
- Winners: 2015–16, 2016–17
Alex Jack Cup
- Winners: 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Runners-up: 2017–18
Original Club Honours
Scottish Football League Division Two
- Winners: 1905–06, 1909–10, 1929–30
- Runners-up: 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1914–15
Scottish Football League Division Three
- Runners-up: 1925–26, 1948–49
Scottish Qualifying Cup
- Winners: 1905, 1909, 1925, 1948, 1949
East of Scotland Shield
- Winners: 1900–01
- Winners: 1890–91, 1898–99, 1931–32, 1938–39
King Cup
- Winners: 1922–23
See also
In Spanish: Leith Athletic Football Club para niños
