Andy Aitken (footballer born 1978)

Infobox Football biography


playername = Andy Aitken
fullname = Andrew Robert Aitken
height = height|ft=6|in=1
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|2|2
cityofbirth = Dumfries
countryofbirth = Scotland
currentclub = Queen of the South
position = Defender
years =
1996-2004
2004-2006
2006-
clubs = Annan Athletic
Queen of the South
Gretna
Queen of the South
caps(goals) =
206 (4)
41 (2)
41 (0)
pcupdate = 11 May 2008

Andrew "Andy" Robert Aitken (born 2 February 1978, in Dumfries) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays his trade with Scottish First Division side Queen of the South. A left sided central defender, he has also previously played for Annan Athletic and Gretna.

Andy Aitken joined a Queen of the South in 1996 with new chairman Norman Blount getting the wheels moving on the club's revival. In 1997 Queen of the South reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the first time. Second Division Queens lost 1-0 to 1st Division Falkirk despite a rousing Queens display at Motherwell's Fir Park; a performance that included the man of the match award going to Queens veteran central midfield playmaker Tommy Bryce and an early career apearance for Jamie McAllister. A late chance for a Derek Townsley equaliser went agonisingly over for Queens.

Aitken returned to the Queens following two seasons at Gretna, and immediately brought some pace to the defence and helped make a back three work for the side for the first time in a number of years of trying. In combination with Stuart Lovell and Jim Thomson the Annan native managed to secure one of the tightest defences in the league over the last three months of last season.

In pre-season 2006, Aitken sustained a knee ligament injury in a friendly match 3-0 victory away against Coleraine on 22nd July that meant a lengthy spell on the treatment table. [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=212427&campaign=rsssrch&source=paul%20mccall&&cc=5739]

Andy Aitken was a mainstay of the Queens side that made it to final of the 2008 Scottish Cup Final, where they faced Rangers. "The Doonhamers" lost 3–2.

His appearances for Queens already place him comfortably within the Queens all time top twenty appearances list.

* Along with Jim Thomson they are the only Queens players to earn four senior Scottish football medals while playing for the club - (winners of the 2001/02 Second Division and 2002/03 Scottish Challenge Cup; runners up in the 1997/98 Scottish Challenge Cup and 2007/08 Scottish Cup).

* Andy Aitken is among only 18 players to have made more than 300 appearances for Queen of the South

External links

*soccerbase|id=11675|name=Andy Aitken