Hamilton Academical
Formed 1874
Replaced Renton in Scottish Division Two 1897
Kit History
1876-1889 a b
1889-1892 a
1892-circa 1900 a
circa 1900 a
1903-1904 r s
1907-1908 o
1908-1913 a r s
1913-1918 a
1918-1921 a
1921-1927 a c d
1927-1935 a r s
1927-1929 away a
1935-1939 a e
1945-1946 a
1946-1947 a
1947-1949 Jan a
Feb1949-1954 a c d
1954-1955 m
1955-1959 a
Aug-Sept 1959 a
Oct 1959-Nov 1961 a
Dec'61- Sept'65 a
1962-1965 alt a
Oct 1965-1969 a
1971-1972 a
1972-1973 a
Aug 1973-Feb '74 a
Mar-May 1974 a
Aug-Dec 1974 a
Jan-May 1975 a
1975-1976 a
1976-1977 j p
1977-Nov 1979 a
Nov 1979-1982 i k p
1982-1983 i
1983-1984 i
1984-1985 p
1984-1985 alt p
1985-1986 i p
1985-1986 alt p
1986-1987 n
1987-1988 c d i r
1988-1989 i l n
1989-1990 f n
1991-1993 i k n
1993-1995 i n p q
1995-1997 i n p
1997-1998 i n p
1998-2001 i n p
2001-2003 g i n
2003-2004 g i n
2004-2005 g i n
2005-2006 g h n
2006-2007 c n
2007-2008 p
2008-2009 c p
2009-2011 c
2011-2012 c
Background
The "Accies" (or "Acas"
as they were known in their formative years) were formed by the rector
of Hamilton Academy, James Blacklock and played their first ever match
against Hamilton FC's second XI on 12 December 1874, losing 1-2. It
is worth noting that "Academical" was their original title
but over time they became known as "Hamilton Academicals."
In 1965 the club officially dropped the "s" from their name and returned
to their original title. One might expect that the club would have adopted
the blue and white of the Hamilton Academy but these were the colours
of the older Hamilton FC so it appears that the new club chose red and
white instead. Hamilton closed down in 1878 leaving Academical as the town's premier team.
In 1893 the Acas became founder members of the Lanarkshire League. Three years later the club was co-opted into the Scottish Second Division when Renton resigned with four matches played. Hamilton finished second last in their first season but were re-elected. In 1904 the club won their divisional championship but failed to be elected to the First Division. Their frustration was alleviated when they applied again in 1906, having finished in fourth place, and were this time elected to the top level. Between 1908 and 1913 the team played in cerise and french grey shirts, the racing colours of the Duke of Hamilton. They would remain in the Scottish First Division for the next 40 years albeit with a pretty poor record. They generally finished below half way although they did have a flush of success in the mid 1930s, finishing fourth in 1934 and in 1935 they reached the final of the Scottish FA Cup, where they lost 1-2 to Rangers.
After the Second World War the Accies (as they were now known) were placed in the new 16 team Division A (top level) but finished last and were relegated to Division B. Apparently unable to obtain a set of hooped shirts (a problem several clubs faced due to clothes rationing), they turned out briefly in plain red before tradition was restored in 1946. In 1953 they won promotion but dropped back the following season. History repeated itself in 1965 with promotion to the Scottish First Division followed by immediate relegation. At the start of the 1970-71 season the club almost closed down: faced with an acute financial crisis the team failed to fulfil a fixture and tendered their resignation from the Scottish League. In a dramatic turn of events a new board of directors then took control and was allowed to rescind the letter of resignation. Hard times followed, Academical finishing 19th, 18th and 19th in a 19 team league over the next three seasons, a period during which the traditional hoops were replaced by vertical stripes. It was fortunate that re-election rules no longer applied. Performances then improved and when the league was restructured for the 1975-76 season, Hamilton were placed in the new Division One (now the second tier) and shortly afterwards reinstated their hooped shirts.
Between 1986 and 1989 the Accies were twice promoted to the Premier Division only to drop back again immediately. In June 1994 Hamilton played their last game at Douglas Park: until a new home could be built, the club would play at Partick Thistle's Firhill (1994-96), Albion Rovers' Cliftonhill (1996-98) and then back to Firhill (1998-2001). In 1996 they dropped briefly into the Second Division (third tier) and were promoted the following season. In 1999 they were relegated back into the Second Division (tier three) and the following season, disaster struck. In July the club failed to pay the players' wages on time, which the Chief Executive brushed off as "a temporary shortage of funds." On 1 April 2000 wages again failed to appear on time, which led to a players' strike and the fixture with Stenhousemuir was postponed. The club was subsequently docked 15 points consigning them to relegation to the Third Division (fourth level).
Their revival began the following season when they pipped Cowdenbeath for the Third Division title on goal difference but only 951 fans turned out to watch their final crucial match at Montrose - all of them apparently traveling fans. Grounds for optimism arrived when work began on the construction of their new ground in June 2000 and thirteen months later, the Accies were back in Hamilton playing in their New Douglas Park stadium.
In 2004 Hamilton were promoted back into the Scottish First Division, their sights set firmly on returning to the top tier, a feat achieved in 2008 when they finished as First Division champions.
Sources
- (a) Alick Milne
- (b) Brian McColl
- (c) Accies Official Site
- (d) Riccardo Bertani
- (e) London Hearts
- (f) Ayr United FC - Images of Sport (Duncan Carmichael 2002)
- (g) Colours of Football
- (h) BBC News
- (i) SNS Pix
- (j) Classic Kits
- (k) Raith Rovers FC 1991/92 - 1995/96 Images of Sport (Tony Finister 2002)
- (k) Ralph Pomeroy
- (l) jumpers4goalposts.com
- (m) My photo library
- (n) oldfootballshirts.com
- (o) Neil Morris
- (p) Scott Harrison
- (q) Steve Leatherbarrow
- (r) Keith Ellis
- (s) Acciestrust