Edinburgh City F.C.

The original Edinburgh City was founded in 1928. The club adopted amateur status, with the aim of becoming the Edinburgh equivalent of Queen's Park. Edinburgh City joined the Scottish Football League in 1931.[2] The club played in the Lothian Amateur League during the Second World War and were only admitted to the C Division in 1946.[3][4] After three more years of struggle, the club left the Scottish Football League in 1949.[3][4] It switched to junior status and played in the Edinburgh & District Junior League.[3][4] The club ceased activity completely in 1955,[3] when the local council refused to renew its lease on its home ground, City Park.[4]

A club called Postal United was founded in 1966 and joined the East of Scotland League. Their best league finish was third in 1985–86, having won the Qualifying Cup in 1982–83 and King Cup in 1984–85.

The Edinburgh City Football Club Ltd.,[5] which had continued trading as a social club since the football club stopped playing, gave their approval in 1986 for Postal United to use the Edinburgh City name.[4] The club has participated in the Scottish Cup since the mid-1990s, when it became a full member of the Scottish Football Association.[4] In the 1997–98 Scottish Cup they defeated SFL club, East Stirlingshire, before losing 7–2 to Dunfermline Athletic, then of the Premier Division.

The club applied to join the Scottish Football League in 2002,[6] after Airdrieonians had gone bankrupt, but Gretna won the vote instead. Edinburgh City applied again following Gretna's liquidation in 2008,[7] but this time lost out to Annan Athletic.[8]

Edinburgh City won the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division title for the first time in the 2005–06 season and became members of the new Lowland League in 2013.[9] The club won the Lowland League title in 2014–15 and 2015–16. They then gained promotion to the Scottish Professional Football League by defeating East Stirlingshire in a play-off with a penalty four minutes from time by Dougie Gair.[10] The victory also meant that it was the first time that a non-league club had been promoted to the professional league. The club has remained within Scottish League Two since their promotion, finishing in seventh place during their first season of 2016-17.[11] They avoided the League Two play-offs in 2018, finishing 8 points ahead of bottom placed Cowdenbeath.[12] The club fared better in 2018–19, finishing third and qualifying for the League One play-offs.[13] However, they were knocked out by Clyde in the play-off semi-finals, losing 4–0 over two legs.[14] Edinburgh City sat second in the table after 27 games when the truncated 2019–20 season was brought to an early finish in April 2020.[15]

The club began preparations for Season 2020–21 by announcing the signing of a pre-contract with former striker Ouzy See in June 2020.[16] This was followed up by the signing of defender Lee Hamilton from Stranraer and goalkeeper Kelby Mason in July.[17][18] The club also confirmed that sporting director Jim Jefferies had departed to return to Hearts.[19]

The club colours are white and black.[4] Postal United F.C. played in all-red, but switched to the traditional colours when it adopted the Edinburgh City identity in 1986.[4]

Meadowbank Stadium, the club's home which is currently undergoing renovation

Ainslie Park, where the club currently ground share with Spartans

The original club played its home matches at Powderhall Stadium and City Park during its time in the Scottish Football League.

The present club initially played their home fixtures at the Saughton Enclosure, which is now home to Lothian Thistle, before switching to Paties Road, where Edinburgh United currently play. Edinburgh City then moved to City Park and then Fernieside. Edinburgh City moved to Meadowbank Stadium in 1996, which had been vacated by the move of Meadowbank Thistle to Livingston.[4]

In February 2013, the City of Edinburgh Council started a new consultation process about the future of Meadowbank Stadium.[20] Three options for redeveloping Meadowbank were put forward for consideration by Edinburgh Council in December 2013.[21] A planned design was made public in November 2016[22] and work began after the 2016–17 season ended.[23] Edinburgh City reached an agreement with Spartans to use their Ainslie Park ground for three seasons while Meadowbank is redeveloped.[24]

As of 1 February 2021[25]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  WAL Calum Antell 2 DF  SCO Craig Thomson (captain) 3 DF  SCO Robbie McIntyre 4 MF  SCO Andrew Black 5 DF  ENG Conrad Balatoni 6 MF  SCO Marc Laird 8 MF  SCO Liam Brown 9 FW  SCO Blair Henderson 10 FW  SCO Danny Handling 11 MF  SCO Danny Jardine 12 FW  SCO Cameron Quate 14 DF  SCO Callum Crane

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF  SCO Lee Hamilton 16 MF  SCO Josh Campbell (on loan from Hibernian) 18 MF  SCO Zac Butterworth (on loan from Rangers) 19 FW  GAM Ouzy See 20 MF  SCO Sam Newman 22 DF  SCO Liam Henderson 26 MF  ITA Raffaele De Vita (on loan from Livingston) 33 MF  SCO Alex Harris — GK  SCO Ryan Goodfellow — GK  SCO Kelby Mason — FW  SCO Allan Smith

Lowland Football League

• Winners (2): 2014–15, 2015–16

East of Scotland Football League

• Winners: 2005–06
• Runners-up: 2003–04

East of Scotland Football League First Division

• Winners: 1995–96
• Runners-up: 1989–90

SFA South Region Challenge Cup

• Runners-up (3): 2007–08, 2010–11, 2015–16

East of Scotland League Cup

• Winners (3): 1992–93, 2001–02, 2012–13[28]
• Runners-up (4): 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2011–12

King Cup

• Winners (2): 1998–99, 1999–00
• Runners-up: 2004–05

Sources

• Bob Crampsey (1990). The First 100 Years. Scottish Football League. ISBN 0-9516433-0-4.

• Official website