Spartans F.C.

infobox football club


caption = The club badge
fullname = Spartans Football Club
manager = Sam Lynch and Micky Lawson
founded = 1951
pattern_b1 =
leftarm1 = white
body1 = white
rightarm1 = white
shorts1 = red
socks1 = white

The Spartans Football Club are a Scottish football (soccer) club from Edinburgh. They are managed by Sam Lynch (who used to play for the club) and Mike Lawson. They were formed in 1951 by ex-players of Edinburgh University F.C. and the original intention was to field a team of graduates of the University, however they have players from elsewhere as well. They currently play at City Park, on Ferry Road, Edinburgh (although they will be moving into a new ground) and wear white shirts, red shorts and white socks.

Their first team plays in the East of Scotland Football League, becoming one of its most successful clubs from the 1970s onwards. They have been allowed to play in the qualifying rounds of the Scottish Cup since 1978 and have qualified for the Cup proper on several occasions. Their most successful run was in 2003-2004 season when they defeated Buckie Thistle F.C. 6-1 in front of a crowd of 450 in Edinburgh in the first round, before defeating Alloa Athletic 5-3 in a replay (the first game had been drawn 3-3) in Edinburgh in the second round. They then defeated Arbroath F.C. (who had been in the Scottish Football League first division only the year before) 4-1 at their Gayfield Park in the third round, before being beaten 4-0 at home by Scottish Premier League team Livingston F.C. in front of a full house of 3,000 fans at City Park. Two seasons later Spartans defeated Berwick Rangers, Lossiemouth and Queen's Park in the first three rounds of the Scottish Cup. They drew 0-0 with First Division side St Mirren in the last sixteen in front of 3,326 fans at City Park, earning a replay at Love Street where they lost 3-0.

Their second team was started in the 1970s and plays in the "Central Scottish Amateur Football League", while their third team (started in the mid-1980s) play in a local Edinburgh based amateur league.

The former Scotland international Eamonn Bannon had a spell playing for them in the 1990s.

Spartans, along with four other clubs, submitted an application for entry into the Scottish Football League following Gretna relinquishing their league status on 3 June 2008. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gretna/7433470.stm Gretna relinquish league status] , "BBC Sports". Retrieved on 3 June 2008] Spartans lost out to Annan Athletic F.C.

From 2008/09 Spartans will have a ladies teams in the Scottish Women's Premier League.

In November 2008, Spartans will to move to a new purpose-built home at Ainslie Park, situated 500 yards from City Park in the Crewe Toll district of Edinburgh. The new facility includes a 504-seater stand and floodlights surrounding the main stadium pitch and an adjacent, full size artificial pitch, also with floodlights. The new Spartans Community Football Academy is expected to be ready by late November 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.spartansfc.com Club website]