Airdrieonians F.C.

The club was formed in 2002 as Airdrie United, following the bankruptcy of the original Airdrieonians.[3][4]

Airdrieonians had finished runners-up in the Scottish First Division in the 2001–02 season[5] but went out of business with debts approaching £3 million.[6] The collapse of "The Diamonds", as they were known due to their distinctive kits,[7] created a vacancy in the Scottish Football League (in the Scottish Third Division). Accountant and Airdrieonians fan Jim Ballantyne attempted, with the help of others, to gain entry with a club called "Airdrie United" who were essentially to be a reincarnation of Airdrieonians.[8] Their application however was rejected as the then English Northern Premier League side Gretna were preferred by league members over the new Airdrie United.[9]

Airdrie United then went on to complete a buy-out of the ailing Second Division side Clydebank[10] and with SFL approval the club was relocated to Airdrie,[11] the strips were transformed to resemble that of Airdrieonians, and the name was changed to Airdrie United. While this means that the club is therefore officially a legal continuation of Clydebank, it is almost universally accepted as a reincarnation of Airdrieonians, with Clydebank having been reformed by supporters' groups and entering into the West Region Junior League.[12]

Managed by Sandy Stewart, Airdrie United's first match took place at New Broomfield[13] against Forfar Athletic in August 2002, with captain Stephen Docherty scoring the only goal of the game with Airdrie United winning 1–0.[14] Their debut season saw the club only narrowly fail to achieve promotion by one point[15] due to a late injury-time goal from Brechin City[16] which saw them promoted instead.[15] The club reached the second round of the Challenge Cup,[17] the third round of the Scottish Cup[17] and the third round of the Scottish League Cup[18] having beaten Premier League side Kilmarnock in the second round.[19]

During the rest of Stewart's tenure the club reached the final of the Challenge Cup in 2003 (losing 2–0 to Inverness Caledonian Thistle),[20] and won the Second Division title in 2003–04 season.[21] Having started poorly Airdrie went on a run that saw them unbeaten in the last 18 games of that season,[22][23] including the final game of the league campaign which saw a crowd of over 5,700 at New Broomfield to watch Airdrie defeat Morton 2–0 and lift the League Championship trophy,[24] the club having been confirmed champions the previous week following their 1–0 victory away to Alloa Athletic at Recreation Park.[22]

In November 2006, Stewart was sacked[25] and replaced by former Airdrieonians player and Airdrie United coach Kenny Black, his first management post.[26]

Under Kenny Black the club suffered four successive play-off defeats:

• In the 2006–07 season as relegation play-off finalists (losing 5–4 on aggregate to Stirling Albion).[27]
• In the 2007–08 season as promotion play-off finalists (losing 3–0 on aggregate to Clyde).[28] However the enforced relegation of Gretna to the Third Division,[29] after being put into administration,[30] prompted a restructuring of the leagues, and Airdrie were promoted to the First Division as the losing play-off finalists.[31]
• In the 2008–09 season as relegation play-off finalists (losing 3–2 on aggregate to Second Division runners up Ayr United).[32] Again Airdrie were given a reprieve as the continued uncertainty over the future of Livingston meant that the West Lothian club were relegated to the Third division,[33] so Airdrie were reinstated to the First Division as losing play-off finalists.[34]
• In the 2009–10 season as relegation play-off semi-finalists (losing 3–1 on aggregate to Brechin City).[35] Unlike the previous two seasons there was no reprieve.[36]

The club won the Challenge Cup in 2008, defeating Ross County 3–2 on penalties after a 2–2 draw,[37] and after this success manager Kenny Black signed a long term contract (until 2012).

After big financial cutbacks saw all players released in May 2010,[38] it was announced the club would be operating on a part-time basis.[39] In June manager Kenny Black was relieved of his duties,[40] with Jimmy Boyle appointed interim manager.[40] Boyle was appointed manager on a permanent basis in September 2010,[41] with the contract running until the end of season 2011–2012,[42] and extended for 2 years from 2012. The club's decision to focus on developing youth was vindicated in January 2011, as Celtic signed teenager Tony Watt for a sum of £80,000 plus add-ons.[43]

The first league game between Airdrie United and local rivals Albion Rovers took place at New Broomfield on 10 September 2011, with Airdrie winning 4–0.[44] After another play-off defeat by 6–2 on aggregate to Dumbarton in the promotion play-off final at the end of 2011–12 season[45] Airdrie were lucky again as the liquidation of the company that operated Scottish Premier League side Rangers[46] and the decision by Scottish Football League clubs that Rangers should play in the Scottish Third Division,[47] meant that an additional team from each tier of Scottish football was promoted for the 2012–13 season.[48] As Airdrie were runners up in the previous season's Second Division promotion play-offs, they were promoted to the Scottish First Division.[48] A season in the First Division came to an end in May 2013, with the club finishing bottom of the league and relegated to Division Two.[49]

In June 2013, the club officially changed its name from Airdrie United Football Club to Airdrieonians Football Club.[4] The name change revived the name of the club it was formed to replace in 2002, following the liquidation of the original Airdrieonians.[50] The Airdrieonians all red club crest was also revived,[51][52] with an alternate black and red version used for the away kits.[53]

With a poor start to 2013–14 season and the club sitting bottom of the table, manager Jimmy Boyle was relieved of his position in October 2013 and replaced by Gary Bollan. His contract was extended until May 2016 and the club finished 2014–15 season in 5th position.

In June 2015 Jim Ballantyne sold control of the club to Tom Wotherspoon, a Lanarkshire businessman and owner of M & H Logistics (who had previously sponsored Hamilton Academical, East Fife and BSC Glasgow). Wotherspoon became Chairman and Ballantyne Vice-Chairman.[54]

The club made numerous additions to the first team squad during July and appointed former Scottish Sun newspaper Head of Sport Iain King as Chief Executive (King left the club in June 2016). At a meeting with fans Wotherspoon outlined his long term plans for the club including a commitment to youth and the return to full-time football should the club gain promotion to the SPFL Championship. In September 2015 the club appointed Eddie Wolecki Black from Edusport Academy as the new Youth Academy Director of Coaching. Manager Gary Bollan departed the club in December 2015, with Wolecki Black taking charge of the side a day later beginning a ​2 ¹⁄₂-year deal.[55]

Chairman Tom Wotherspoon announced to the media in January 2016 that the club would be returning to full-time football in the summer of 2016 (irrespective of the division they would be playing in) and would be using the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility[56] in Motherwell as a training base until at least mid-2019.

In March 2016, Airdrieonians manager Eddie Wolecki Black suffered a stroke during a match against Scottish League One opponents Cowdenbeath. In order to allow Wolecki Black time to recover from his illness, Danny Lennon was appointed as acting head coach of the club until the end of the 2015–16 season, with Kevin McBride then appointed to this role during the close season. During October 2016, former Raith Rovers and Ayr Utd manager Gordon Dalziel was appointed as a club advisor on footballing matters. McBride departed the club on 30 October 2016 and the following day, Dalziel was subsequently appointed Director of football, with Mark Wilson appointed as head coach. At the same time, the club announced that Eddie Wolecki Black would not be returning to the club, with the former coach featured in the press during November 2016 saying he was suing the club for loss of income.

In December 2016 the Airdrieonians Supporters Trust became the first fans group in the world to sponsor their team's home kit, with the strip paying tribute to Airdrie fan Mark Allison.

Despite retaining his majority shareholding Tom Wotherspoon resigned as chairman and director of Airdrieonians on 5 June 2017, with former chairman Jim Ballantyne taking Wotherspoon's place as chairman.[57]

In January 2018, it was announced that a consortium of various businessmen (including former Airdrieonians manager Bobby Watson) had taken control of Tom Wotherspoon's controlling shares, bringing to an end a tumultuous period for the club. The majority of the previous board was replaced, including Jim Ballantyne, and subsequently Director of Football Gordon Dalziel departed. With Excelsior Stadium representation on the new board the club also indicated that they would be abandoning Ravenscraig Sports Complex and returning to training at the stadium.[58]

Airdrie United inherited Airdrieonians' distinctive playing colours of a white shirt with a red diamond. The design was the basis of Airdrieonians' nickname, The Diamonds, which has also been adopted by Airdrie.

The club badge of AFC, used for 26 years by the old club and three by the revival, was declared illegal in 2015.

When Airdrie United were formed, they used a blue double-headed eagle device on a white shield for their badge, with a red scroll below the shield that read "Airdrie United F.C.", amended to bearing "Airdrie F.C." when the club rebranded in 2012.[70] The eagle recalled the Airdrie town arms.[70]

When the club inherited the Airdrieonians name in 2013, they also restored the badge worn by their predecessors:[70] the original AFC bore this emblem from 1974 until their demise in 2002, excepting the 2000–01 season.[71] This badge featured a cockerel sitting atop a shield containing two lions passant and the club's initials. The club were informed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in March 2015 that as their badge features a shield, it constitutes a heraldic device, and heraldic devices are not permitted to carry lettering.[72] On 19 June 2015, Airdrieonians unveiled a new crest, removing the shield and instead using a chevron–representing the "Airdrie Diamond"–to separate the scroll from the remainder of the badge.[73]

• Sandy Stewart (2002–2006)[75][25]
• Kenny Black (2006–2010)[76][77]
• Jimmy Boyle (2010–2013)[78]
• Gary Bollan (2013–2015)[79]
• Eddie Wolecki Black (22 December 2015 – 31 October 2016)[55][80]
• Danny Lennon (10 March 2016 – June 2016)[81]
  • Lennon was appointed Acting Head Coach from March 2016 until May 2016, whilst manager Wolecki Black recovered from an illness.[81]
• Kevin McBride (June 2016–30 October 2016)
  • McBride was originally appointed Acting Head Coach from June 2016 until such time as Eddie Wolecki Black was fit and able to return to work after suffering from a stroke (away to Cowdenbeath in March 2016).
• Mark Wilson (31 October 2016 – 17 June 2017)[80][82]
• Willie Aitchison (4 August 2017 – 20 August 2017)
• Stevie Findlay (29 September 2017[83]–8 October 2018)
• Ian Murray (19 October 2018–)

• Director of Football: Stuart Millar
• Manager: Ian Murray
• First Team Coaches: Sean Crighton and Bryan Prunty
• Goalkeeping Coach: James Low
• Kitman: Neil Johnston
• Head Physiotherapist: John McMenemy
• Physiotherapists: Scott MacKay and Adam Skinner
• Sports Scientist: Mark McMenemy
• Scouts: Niall MacLean and Bryan McDonald

• Chairman: Martin Ferguson
• Directors: Sam Greene, Paul Hetherington, Scott Hetherington, David McArthur, Scott Russell, Gordon Watson
• Honorary President: Ian McMillan

• Scottish League Second Division: Winners: 2003–04[15] Runners up: 2007–08[84]
• Scottish Challenge Cup: Winners: 2008–09[37] Runners up: 2003–04[20]
• Meldrum Cup: Winners: 2015

[88]

A Hall of Fame was established by the new club in 2002 to honour noted players of the previous entity (some of whom also played for the new club), with more entrants added each year.[89]