|  | ||
| Full name | Edinburgh Academical Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Union | Scottish Rugby Union | |
| Nickname(s) | Accies, Acads | |
| Founded | 1857 | |
| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland | |
| Region | Edinburgh | |
| Ground(s) | Raeburn Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh (Capacity: 5,000) | |
| Coach(es) | Iain Berthinussen | |
| Captain(s) | Jamie Loomes | |
| League(s) | Scottish Premiership | |
| 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership, 4th of 10 | |
| 
 | ||
| Official website | ||
| www | ||
Edinburgh Academical Football Club, also known as Edinburgh Accies, is a rugby union club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club is currently a member of the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of Scottish club rugby. Its home ground is Raeburn Place, in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. The team is coached by Iain Berthinussen.
The club regularly fields three teams and is also involved with Broughton and Trinity Accies in the Edinburgh BATs initiative, a community amateur sports club providing youth rugby across northern Edinburgh.
History
The club was formed in 1857 and is the oldest surviving football club of any code in Scotland,[1] and the second oldest rugby union club in continuous existence in the world, behind Dublin University Football Club (founded 1854). They were one of the founding members of the Scottish Rugby Union.

In the 1873–74 season, they played ten matches, and won all of them.[2]
In season 2007–08, the club's 1st XV finished second in Premiership Division 2, thereby securing promotion to the Premiership Division 1. That same season they experienced a successful Scottish Cup run, reaching the final with victories over Premiership 1 teams Currie, Hawick and Boroughmuir. The team lost the final 24–13 to the Glasgow Hawks. The club played a match against the Barbarians in April 2008 to mark the club's 150th anniversary.[3] A book was also published that had been commissioned to celebrate the club's 150th anniversary, The Accies: The Cradle of Scottish Rugby.[4]
In season 2009–10 the club's 1st XV was relegated to Scottish Premier Division 2 after they lost to Heriot's FP in the last game of the season and on the same day Watsonian's beat Melrose.
In season 2010–11 the club were Premier 2 League champions and returned to the top level of Scottish club rugby, the Premier 1 League, for the 2011–12 season. They remained in the Scottish Premiership after the restructure of the Scottish league system.
Ground

The Accies' home ground, Raeburn Place, is the location of the first rugby international. Seven players of the original Scotland side were Academicals, including the captain, FJ Moncrieff.[2]
Honours
Men
- Scottish Unofficial Championship
- Champions (16 + 4 shared): 1865–66, 1866–67, 1867–68, 1868–69, 1870–71, 1874–75, 1876–77 (with Glasgow Academicals), 1877–78, 1878–79 (with Glasgow Academicals), 1879–80 (with Glasgow Academicals), 1885–86, 1886–87, 1887–88, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1899–1900 (with Edinburgh University and Hawick), 1905–06, 1929–30, 1955–56
 
- Scottish National League Division One
- Champions (3): 1996–97, 2010–11, 2017–18
- Runners–Up (2): 2007–08, 2016–17
 
- Scottish National League Division Two
- Champions (2): 1999–00, 2003–04
 
- Scottish Cup
- Runners–Up (1): 2006–07
 
- Langholm Sevens
- Champions (1): 1929
 
- Melrose Sevens
- Champions (3): 1928, 1930, 1949
 
- Hawick Sevens
- Champions (3): 1929, 1936, 1946 (jointly fielded team with Edinburgh Wanderers)
 
- Gala Sevens
- Champions (1): 2019
 
- Peebles Sevens
- Champions (3): 1947 (jointly fielded team with Edinburgh Wanderers), 1984, 1989
 
- Edinburgh Charity Sevens[5]
- Champions (5): 1929, 1932, 1933, 1942 (jointly fielded team with Edinburgh Wanderers), 1945 (jointly fielded team with Edinburgh Wanderers)
 
- Highland Sevens[6]
- Champions (9): 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1998
 
- Edinburgh Borderers Sevens[7]
- Champions (1): 1966
 
- Broughton Sevens[8]
- Champions (1): 2007
 
- Lismore Sevens[9]
- Champions (4): 1975, 1982, 1986, 1991
 
- Haddington Sevens[10]
- Champions (1): 1989
 
- Edinburgh Northern Sevens[11]
- Champions (1): 2015
 
- Musselburgh Sevens[12]
- Champions (2): 1979, 1992
 
- Berwick Sevens
- Champions (1): 2023
 
Women
- Mull Sevens
- Champions (4): 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997
 
- Edinburgh Northern Sevens[13]
- Champions (1): 2001
 
Notable players
British and Irish Lions
The following former Edinburgh Academical players have represented the British and Irish Lions.
Scotland internationalists
The following (not previously listed above) former Edinburgh Academical players have represented Scotland at full international level in rugby union.
 John Allan John Allan
 Lewis Bell Lewis Bell
 Dave Callam Dave Callam
 Alexander Clay Alexander Clay
 Jack Crabbie Jack Crabbie
 George Crabbie George Crabbie
 David Denton David Denton
 Francis Dods Francis Dods
 John Dods John Dods
 Cornell du Preez Cornell du Preez
 Douglas Elliot Douglas Elliot
 Arthur Finlay Arthur Finlay
 James Finlay James Finlay
 Ninian Finlay Ninian Finlay
 George Gallie George Gallie
 John Gordon John Gordon
 Ian Graham Ian Graham
 Gussie Graham Gussie Graham
 Chris Gray Chris Gray
 Ian Henderson Ian Henderson
 Mac Henderson Mac Henderson
 Hamish Inglis Hamish Inglis
 Bulldog Irvine Bulldog Irvine
 Duncan Irvine Duncan Irvine
 Walter Irvine Walter Irvine
 William Lyall William Lyall
 Donnie Macfadyen Donnie Macfadyen
 John Macphail John Macphail
 George Macleod George Macleod
 Arthur Marshall Arthur Marshall
 William Marshall William Marshall
 Hugh Martin Hugh Martin
 George Maxwell George Maxwell
 Tommy McClung Tommy McClung
 John McCrow John McCrow
 Bill McEwan Bill McEwan
 Saxon McEwan Saxon McEwan
 Dave McIvor Dave McIvor
 James Mein James Mein
 Stuart Moffat Stuart Moffat
 Alex Moore Alex Moore
 William Morrison William Morrison
 Scott Murray Scott Murray
 Brian Neill Brian Neill
 George Paterson George Paterson
 Tom Philip Tom Philip
 Charles Reid Charles Reid
 James Reid James Reid
 Jeremy Richardson Jeremy Richardson
 Alec Robertson Alec Robertson
 Duncan Robertson Duncan Robertson
 Ernest Roland Ernest Roland
 Graham Ross Graham Ross
 William Roughead William Roughead
 James Sanderson James Sanderson
 Jock Scott Jock Scott
 Hamish Shaw Hamish Shaw
 Allen Sloan Allen Sloan
 Donald Sloan Donald Sloan
 Pat Smeaton Pat Smeaton
 Errol Smith Errol Smith
 Archibald Stewart Archibald Stewart
 Barry Stewart Barry Stewart
 Jock Stewart Jock Stewart
 John Guthrie Tait John Guthrie Tait
 Thomas Torrie Thomas Torrie
 Phipps Turnbull Phipps Turnbull
 Alexander Watt Alexander Watt
 Tom White Tom White
 Francis Wright Francis Wright
 Arthur Young Arthur Young
Other internationalists
The following former Edinburgh Academical players have represented their nations at full international level.
 Bill McEwan Bill McEwan
 Alastair Reed Alastair Reed
Cross-Sporting internationalists
Cricket
The following former Edinburgh Academical players have represented both the Scotland rugby union team and the Scotland cricket team.[14]
Rugby league
The following have represented Scotland at full international level.
References
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997, ISBN 1-86200-013-1).
- Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6).
- ↑ Edinburgh Accies Club History, "Edinburgh Academical Football Club History". Edinburgh Academical Football Club. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- 1 2 Bath, p86
- ↑ "Barbarians: A club in touch with history". The Scotsman. 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ↑ Morrison, Ian (24 January 2009). "Book review: The Accies: The Cradle of Scottish Rugby". Scotland on Sunday. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ↑ "Edinburgh Charity Sevens". 22 June 2019. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Highland Sevens". 10 June 2019. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Edinburgh Borderers Sevens". 9 June 2019. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Broughton Sevens". 7 June 2019. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Lismore Sevens". 7 June 2019. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Haddington Sevens". 7 June 2019. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Edinburgh Northern Sevens". 7 June 2019. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Musselburgh Sevens". 7 June 2019. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Edinburgh Northern Sevens". 7 June 2019. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6), pp 104, 105; note list shows initials not full names
External links
- Official website  
- 'The Accies – The Cradle of Scottish Rugby' – Club history written by David Barnes







