Leith Athletic Football Club is a football club based in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a member of the East of Scotland Football League. It plays most of its home games at Leith Links. The club was originally formed in 1887 and played in the Scottish Football League in four different spells between 1897 and 1953, but went out of business in 1955. A new club of the same name was formed in 1996, primarily for youth teams. In 2008, it took the place of Edinburgh Athletic in the East of Scotland Football League.
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Leith Athletic FC was founded in 1887 in the Port of Leith. In 1891, Leith replaced Glasgow side Cowlairs in the Scottish Football League. After a reasonable start (fourth out of 12 in 1892), Leith had to apply for re-election in 1894 and 1895. They received only three votes in the latter year and were relegated to the Second Division. Leith fared rather better in the second flight, finishing second in 1896, 1897 and 1899, but they could not muster enough votes to be elected back into the First Division. In 1905, having failed once again in the end season voting, Leith Athletic was wound up and a new limited company formed to take over the old club's assets.
Now playing as Leith FC, the team comfortably won the Scottish Second Division championship in 1906.[1] Despite this triumph, they failed to be elected to the First Division,[1] as runners-up Clyde and fourth placed Hamilton were preferred. Leith and Raith Rovers finished level on points and were declared joint champions in 1910.[1] Raith were promoted, but it appears that Leith did not contest the elections. Three years later, Leith finished in last position and won re-election to stay in the league. They survived until the competition was suspended in 1915, when they joined the Eastern League.
Leith closed down for the duration of the First World War in 1916. When the club was reformed in 1919, the old name of Leith Athletic was revived and the club joined the Western League. After playing for one season in the Scottish Alliance (1923–24), Leith were admitted to the Third Division in 1924. Leith won the Third Division championship in 1926, but failed to win election to the Second Division.[1] The club was eliminated on the chairman’s casting vote in the third ballot. It was becoming apparent that the two most prominent Edinburgh clubs, Hearts and Hibs, were blocking attempts by Leith to progress.[1]
The abolition of the Third Division meant that Leith had to rejoin the Scottish Alliance, but in 1927 they were admitted into the Scottish League, replacing Nithsdale Wanderers. The club's fortunes improved and they won the Second Division championship in 1930 and promotion to the First Division. Leith survived in the top division in 1931, but were relegated in 1932.[1] The club were a middle ranking Second Division side until the league was suspended in 1939–40.
An attempt in 1945 to revive St Bernard's F.C., who had lost their ground in 1943, through a merger with Leith Athletic came to nothing.[2] In 1946, Leith became founder members of the new Division C (third tier). The Second Division was expanded from 14 to 16 clubs in 1947 and Leith were elected to one of the vacancies. They were relegated in 1948, however, and when the third tier was split, Leith joined Division C (North & East).
The C Divisions were made up largely of reserve teams and Leith campaigned for the non-reserve teams to be included in the Second Division. They were not successful and were expelled in August 1953 when they refused to play any more fixtures in Division C.[1] It was too late for the club to join another competition and the club went out of business in 1955. In a supreme irony, the two C Divisions were abandoned that summer and, just as Leith had wanted, the non-reserve sides were admitted to the Second Division.[1]
A new Leith Athletic was formed in 1996, primarily as a club for boys football, with teams at various age groups between 5 and 21, whilst the club's adult side joined the Central Scottish Amateur Football League. In 2005 they attained their first Scottish amateur international, when Paul Lee played in a 2–1 win against Leinster. In the same year Shaun Woodburn, Danny Swanson and Douglas Thom were capped for the Scottish Youth Football Association under-19 team, playing against Mid Ulster and Wales.
Leith Athletic amalgamated with Edinburgh Athletic in 2008 and took its place in the East of Scotland Football League.[3] Leith were promoted to the East of Scotland Premier Division in 2011.[4]
The original club played at various grounds, before settling into the old Logie Green park in 1904.[1] Between 1919 and 1954, the club had eight different home grounds, including the old Meadowbank Stadium,[1] then known as the Leith Athletic ground.
The club’s early colours were sometimes described as “chocolate and cream” but, according to SFA and SFL records researched by Alick Milne, they were in fact maroon and white. By the time the club was in the SFL, they wore black and white.
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