Hamilton Accies netted Scottish Parliament recognition in honour of the club’s special birthday.
The New Douglas Park outfit is marking its 150th anniversary this season, with the first competition game taking place on December 12, 1874, and the club’s inaugural AGM on February 1, 1875.
Its long history was celebrated at Holyrood as Monica Lennon, the Central Scotland MSP, lodged a motion honouring its “significant milestone”.
She highlighted “that the club was founded by the pupils of Hamilton Academy and their rector, James Blacklock, in 1874” and recognised “the charitable work that it and its supporters do for the people of Hamilton, including the running of the Hamilton Accies community foodbank and the provision of a community garden at New Douglas Park for Hamilton Men’s Shed”.
It has been supported by a host of MSPs including Lanarkshire neighbours Clare Adamson and Mark Griffin.
Accies marked the anniversary of their first-ever game – a 2-1 defeat to Hamilton FC’s second team – by sharing a short history of the club, which is “the only professional club in British football to have originated from a school team”.
Club secretary and historian Scott Struthers wrote : “The early players [and] committee were formed from some of the teachers but essentially the senior pupils of the local school, Hamilton Academy, in particular pupils (and dux medallists) David Cross and William Haley. The school rector, James Blackstock, became the club’s patron.
“We first entered the Scottish Cup in 1876, losing to Barrhead in our first-ever competitive match. Uddingston defeated us in the Scottish Cup the following season [and] the Lanarkshire Cup soon started. We joined the Scottish Alliance League in 1894. but in November 1897 a vacancy arose and we joined the Scottish Football League.”
Accies have won both the First Division title and the Scottish Challenge Cup three times, as well as twice reaching the Scottish Cup final and enjoying some famous recent play-off successes, including their 2024 promotion to the Championship and their penalty shootout win against Hibs to clinch a top-flight place a decade earlier.
Scott added: “Did the senior pupils in 1874 envisage what we have now? For our fans there have been countless ups and downs, highs and lows, but that’s football, and that’s Accies!”
The club’s anniversary was also honoured by South Lanarkshire Council, with members unanimously noting its 150-year history and range of achievements, and calling the club “an asset to the community”.
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