| Aberdeen | | | | | | Web site: http://www.afc.co.uk Founded: 1903 Nickname: The Dons Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium Stadium Address: Pittodrie Street, Aberdeen AB24 5QH League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League)
History: The current Aberdeen FC was born out of the merger of three city clubs; Aberdeen, Victoria United and Orion. A public meeting on March 20, 1903 was attended by more than 1,600 citizens, and on that date the amalgamation issue was discussed and given the go-ahead. On April 14 that same year the merger was made official and Aberdeen Football Club was born.
The merger allowed Aberdeen (wearing an all-white kit) to seriously entertain thoughts of joining the Scottish football league, but had to settle with spending its inaugural season in the Northern League having narrowly failed to gain admission to the First Division.
| | | | Celtic | | | | | | Web site: http://www.celticfc.net Founded: 1888 Nickname: The Bhoys Stadium: Celtic Park Stadium Address: Glasgow G40 3RE League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League) Winner of cup(s):
History: Celtic Football Club was formally constituted at a meeting in St. Mary's church hall in East Rose Street (now Forbes Street), Calton, Glasgow, by Marist Brother Walfrid on November 6, 1887 with the purpose stated in the official club records as "being to alleviate poverty in Glasgow's East End parishes". The charity established by Brother Walfrid was named 'The Poor Children's Dinner Table'. Walfrid's move to establish the club as a means of fund raising was largely inspired by the example of Hibernian F.C. who were formed out of the immigrant Irish population a few years earlier in Edinburgh. Walfrid's own suggestion of the name 'Celtic' (pronounced Seltic), was intended to reflect the club's Irish and Scottish roots, and was adopted at the same meeting.
On May 28, 1888 Celtic played their first official match against Rangers and won 5-2 in what was described as a "friendly encounter".
| | | | Dundee United | | | | | | Web site: http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk Founded: 1909 Nickname: The Terrors or The Arabs Stadium: Tannadice Park Stadium Address: Tannadice Street, Dundee DD3 7JW League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League)
History: The Irish community in Dundee formed a new football club in 1909, following the demise of Dundee Harp. Originally called Dundee Hibernian, taking over Clepington Park (renamed Tannadice Park) from Dundee Wanderers. Dundee Hibernian played their innaugural game on 18th August, 1909 against Edinburgh Hibernian, the match ending in a 1-1 draw. The Club was saved from going out of business in October of 1923, being saved by a group of Dundee businessmen, they decided to change the club's name to Dundee United in order to attract a wider appeal. The name Dundee City was considered but was protested by city rivals Dundee F.C.
| | | | Falkirk | | | | | | Web site: http://www.falkirkfc.co.uk Founded: 1876 Nickname: The Bairns Stadium: Falkirk Stadium Stadium Address: Westfield Street, Falkirk FK2 9DX League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League)
History: The club's date of formation is a point of much contention, although most accounts point to the year 1876 as the probable starting point. The club quickly developed the nickname "The Bairns", a Scots word meaning child, son or daughter. This was in homage to an ancient Falkirk Burgh motto, "Better meddle wi' the deil [devil] than the Bairns O' Falkirk."
| | | | Hamilton Academical | | | | | | | | | | Heart of Midlothian | | | | | | Web site: http://www.heartsfc.co.uk Founded: 1874 Nickname: The Jam Tarts or The Jambos Stadium: Tynecastle Stadium Stadium Address: Gorgie Road, Edinburgh EH11 2NL League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League)
History: Hearts (the common abbreviation) were founded in 1874 and are named after a dance hall which in turn took its name from the novel The Heart of Midlothian by Sir Walter Scott. They initially played at the Meadows, Powburn and Powderhall before moving to the Gorgie area in 1881. They moved to their current Tynecastle site in 1886.
Hearts were one of the founding members of the Scottish league in 1890 and the only club from the East of Scotland.
| | | | Hibernian | | | | | | Web site: http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk Founded: 1875 Nickname: Hi-bees' Stadium: Easter Road Stadium Stadium Address: Albion Place, Edinburgh EH7 5QG League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League)
History: The club was founded in 1875 by Irish born football enthusiasts, and currently plays at the Easter Road ground in Leith. Hibernian originally played at a ground near the Meadows, in the south of Edinburgh's Old Town but moved to Easter Road in the 1880s. They were the first major club in Scotland formed out of the immigrant Irish Catholic population (hence the name, from Hibernia, the Latin name for Ireland). As the first such team, their example led to the creation of Dundee Hibernian (now Dundee United) and Celtic, who when they were formed were nearly called Glasgow Hibernian. Their position as the principal Catholic football club in the country was usurped in 1888 by the growth of Celtic. The club is seen as being less of a Catholic institution now than it was in the past, and geography rather than religion is the primary reason that association fans support the team (Hibernian being the club for East Edinburgh).
| | | | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | | | | | | | | | | Kilmarnock | | | | | | | | | | Motherwell | | | | | | Web site: http://www.motherwellfc.co.uk Founded: 1886 Nickname: The Steelmen or The Well Stadium: Fir Park Stadium Address: Firpark Street, Motherwell ML1 2QN League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League)
History: Motherwell were founded in 1886 from an amalgamation of two factory based teams, Glencairn and Alpha. In 1893, the club turned professional and joined the newly formed Scottish Second Division and in their first game, Motherwell defeated Hamilton Academical 4-1. In 1895 Motherwell moved to their Fir Park stadium.
| | | | Rangers | | | | | | Web site: http://www.rangers.co.uk Founded: 1872 Nickname: The Gers or Light Blues or Teddy Bears Stadium: Ibrox Stadium Stadium Address: 150 Edminston Drive, Glasgow G51 2XD League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League) Winner of cup(s):
History: In 1872, Moses McNeil, Tom Vallance and Peter Campbell saw a group of men playing football on Glasgow Green's Flesher's Haugh and decided to form a team of their own. Three of McNeil's six brothers (Peter, William and Harry) joined him in this new pastime and together they formed the core of the early Rangers sides. The team's first game was in May of 1872 against Callander F.C. on Flesher's Haugh, which resulted in a 0-0 draw. At first they played under the name Argyle. Moses McNeil suggested the name Rangers after seeing the name in a book about English Rugby.
| | | | St. Mirren | | | | | | Web site: http://www.saintmirren.net Founded: 1877 Nickname: The Buddies Stadium: St. Mirren Park Stadium Address: Love Street, Paisley PA3 2EJ League: Scottish Premier League (Clydesdale Bank Premier League)
History: Saint Mirren Football Club (usually referred to simply as St. Mirren, The Buddies or The Saints) is named after the Irish monk Saint Mirin who is said to have founded the town's Abbey.
St. Mirren started off as a gentlemen's club in the late 19th century which included amongst other sports, cricket and rugby, but by 1877 solely concentrated on playing in the football league. They have won the Scottish FA Cup in 1926, 1959 and 1987.
Notes: Many fans still call the stadium Love Street.
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