HAMILTON ACADEMICAL F.C.

'Hamilton Academical' is a football club from Hamilton, Scotland. They were established in 1874 from Hamilton Academy. More commonly known as "Hamilton Accies" the team won promotion from SFL Division 2 to SFL Division 1 in the 2003-04 season. The club have played at New Douglas Park from 2001, having previously played at Douglas Park.

Contents

Club History

Current squad

2007/08 transfers

Honours

Club Records

Managers since 1924

Famous players

Scottish Player of the Year Awards

Local Derbies

Famous Fans

Books

External links

Club History

Hamilton Academical FC were formed in late 1874 by the Rector and pupils of the local school, Hamilton Academy. Membership of the Scottish Football League came in November 1897 when Renton were forced to resign.
The club has reached the Scottish Cup Final twice in their history, losing to Celtic and Rangers in 1911 and 1935, respectively.
In 1971 Accies became the first football club in the United Kingdom to recruit players from behind the Iron Curtain when three Polish players were signed to the club amid great publicity.
Success came in the late 1980s when Hamilton was promoted to the Premier League twice (in 1986 and 1988), but both spells in the top division lasted for one season only. In 1991 and 1992 the club won the B & Q Cup (now known as the Scottish League Challenge Cup.)
In 1994 new ground regulations saw the club vacate Douglas Park, their home since 1888, and sell the land to make way for a retail park. The club shared ground with Albion Rovers and Partick Thistle (2 spells) for the next seven years. Hamilton also endured a much publicised forced relegation to the Third at the end of the 1999-2000 season. The club's fortunes have since turned: in the 2001-02 season the club finally returned to Hamilton to a stadium just yards from the old site, and also secured a place in Division One for the 2004-05 season.

Current squad

2007/08 transfers

'In:'

'Date'	'Player'	'Position'	'From'
July 2007	Kevin Davison	MF	Gretna
August 2007	Tomas Cerny	GK	SK Sigma Olomouc (Czech Republic)
August 2007	Nicky Wroe	MF	Barnsley (England)

'Out:'

'Date'	'Player'	'Position'	'To'	'Debut'	'Appearances (as sub)'	'Goals (clean sheets)'
July 2007	Raymond Jellema	GK	Alloa Athletic	October 2003	26 (3)	0 (11)
July 2007	Nathan Taylor	FW	Released	January 2007	0 (1)	0
August 2007	David Dimilta	MF	Albion Rovers	December 2006	0 (1)	0
August 2007	Nicky Wroe	MF	York City (England)	August 2007	1 (0)	0

'Sources:' acciesfc.co.uk and soccerbase.com

Honours

★ 'Division One:' Champions 1985-86, 1987-88

★ 'Division Two:' Champions 1903-04 Runners-up 1952-53, 1964-65, 1996-97, 2003-04

★ 'Division Three:' Champions 2000-01

★ 'Scottish Cup:' Runners-up 1910-11, 1934-35

★ 'Scottish Challenge Cup:' Winners 1991-92, 1992-93 Runners-Up: 2005-06

★ 'Reserve League Cup:' Winners 1983-84 Runners-Up: 1992-93

★ 'Second XI Cup:' Winners 1933-34

★ 'Reserve League West:' Champions 1997-98

★ 'Lanarkshire Cup:' Winners 11 times

Club Records

★ 'Record Attendances:' 28,690 v Heart of Midlothian, 1937 (Douglas Park) and 4,975 v St. Johnstone, 28th April 2007 (New Douglas Park)

★ 'Record Victory:' 11-1 v Chryston, 1885

★ 'Record Defeat': 1-11 v Hibernian, 1965

★ 'Most League Goals in a Season:' 35, David Wilson, 1936-37

★ 'Most International Caps:' 29, Colin Miller, (Canada)

Managers since 1924

★ Willie McAndrew, 1924 - 1946 ★ Jimmy McStay, 1946 - 1951 ★ Andrew Wylie, 1951 - 1953 ★ Jacky Cox, 1953 - 1956 ★ John Lowe, 1956 - 1958 ★ Andy Paton, 1959 - 1968 ★ John Crines, 1968 - 1969 ★ Billy Lamont, 1969 (Player/Manager) ★ Tommy Ewing, 1969 - 1970 ★ Bobby Shearer, 1970-1971 ★ Ronnie Simpson, 1971 - 1972 ★ Billy Lamont, 1972 (Caretaker) ★ Eric Smith, 1972 - 1978 ★ Davie McParland, 1978 - 1982 ★ John Blackley, 1982 - 1983

★ Bertie Auld, 1983 - 1984 ★ John Lambie, 1984 - 1988 ★ Jim Dempsey, 1988 - 1989 ★ George Miller, 1989 (Caretaker) ★ John Lambie, 1989 - 1990 ★ George Miller, 1990 (Caretaker) ★ Billy McLaren, 1990 - 1992 ★ Iain Munro, 1992 - 1996 ★ Sandy Clark, 1996 - 1998 ★ Colin Miller, 1998 - 1999 (Player/Manager) ★ Ally Dawson, 1999 - 2002 ★ Chris Hillcoat, 2002 - 2003 ★ Allan Maitland, 2003 - 2005 ★ Billy Reid, 2005 - present

★ Hamilton Academical manager biographies

Famous players

★ Robert Howe

★ James King

★ Colin Miller

★ Other notable Hamilton Academical players

Scottish Player of the Year Awards

★ '1985-86 First Division Player of the Year:' John Brogan

★ '1987-88 First Division Player of the Year:' Alex Taylor

★ '1996-97 Second Division Player of the Year:' Paul Ritchie

Local Derbies

Below is a list of the club's main local rivals:

★ Airdrie United

★ Albion Rovers

★ Clyde

★ Motherwell

Famous Fans

★ Craig Brown

★ Jock Brown

★ Jamie Burnett

★ Jimmy Greaves

★ Alison Walker

Books

★ Hamilton Academical Who's Who: 1946/47-1996/97, Peter McLeish, , , Soccerdata, 1997, ISBN 1-899468-80-3

External links

'Official'

★ Hamilton Academical official website

★ Hamilton Academical Youth Initiative website
'Unofficial'

★ Hoops Apocalypse

★ Net Natter
'Other'

★ BBC Sport page

★ Scotsman page

★ icLanarkshire - Hamilton Accies Football Club News

★ Statistics from Football365

★ soccerbase

★ Hamilton Accies Saver

★ Football Transfer League

★ Hamilton Academical - Historical Football Kits