Elgin City F.C.

Did You Know?

• Elgin City's 18–1 win over Brora Rangers on 6 February 1960 remains a club record victory.
• On 5 January 2013, Elgin City became the first club to take a point from Rangers at Ibrox that season, drawing 1–1 in front of 46,406 fans.

History

The Elgin City club that exists today was created on August 10, 1893, when two local teams, Rovers (set up in 1887) and Vale of Lossie (started in 1888), joined forces. But the name Elgin City had been used before by two earlier sides. The first of those appeared in October 1879 but did not last long. The second came along in October 1884 and kept going until early 1887.

The current club picked up its first big trophy in the 1898–99 season, winning the North of Scotland Cup by beating Clachnacuddin 2–1. That made them the first team from outside Inverness to lift that cup. After that, they did not add any more honours except the Elgin District Cup until 1924, when they won the North of Scotland Cup for a second time. From then on, the club has collected trophies fairly often.

In 1968, Elgin City made it to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, which is the farthest any Highland League club has ever gone in that competition. The club joined the Scottish Football League in 2000, when the top division expanded to twelve teams and left two spots open. Peterhead also moved up from the Highland League into the Third Division alongside them. Since joining the SFL, Elgin have found it hard to be consistent, and they have never been promoted or relegated.

They did, however, win the North of Scotland Cup again in the 2003–04 season. In December 2005, assistant manager Kenny Black saw his attempt to buy the club fall through at the last moment. Many supporters thought his bid was the best hope for moving up the leagues, but a disputed sale of shares stopped it. David Robertson, the manager at the time, also decided to leave.

Graham Tatters, who had been in charge at Lossiemouth, then became the new chairman. Club captain Jamie McKenzie took over as caretaker manager, and a string of good results earned him the Manager of the Month award for December 2005. At that point, he was the youngest manager in the UK. Early in 2006, Brian Irvine, a former player for Aberdeen, Ross County, and Scotland, was appointed manager.

But after a very poor start to the 2006–07 season, he left the club, even though he had built a strong bond with the fans. Following a short period under interim manager Graham Tatters, during which the team lost to Highland League side Deveronvale in the Scottish Cup third round, Robbie Williamson, previously at Clachnacuddin, took over in January 2007. Williamson quit on 20 December 2008, before a game with Berwick Rangers, leaving the team bottom of the Third Division with just two wins from 15 matches.

On 23 January 2009, Ross Jack, a former player of Everton, Norwich City, Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic and Kilmarnock, was named manager on a three-and-a-half-year contract. On 5 January 2013, Elgin City became the first club to take a point from Rangers at Ibrox that season, with the game finishing 1–1. Ross Jack left on 22 January 2014 with the club second bottom. Former player and assistant manager Barry Wilson was appointed on 28 January 2014 but resigned on 17 November 2014.

Jim Weir replaced him 10 days later. On 30 April 2016, they sealed the runners-up spot in Scottish League Two and entered the promotion play-offs, but lost 5–1 on aggregate to Clyde. The club finished fifth in 2017, missing a play-off spot by one point. 2018 saw a sixth-place finish on 49 points, and in 2019 they finished eighth, 24 points clear of the playoff spot.

Ground

Elgin City have played at Borough Briggs since 1921 when it replaced Cooper Park. The ground currently has a capacity that includes 478 seated places and is the most northerly football league ground in the United Kingdom.

Honours

Highland League Champions: 1931–32, 1934–35, 1952–53, 1955–56 (After Play-off), 1959–60, 1960–61 (After Play-off), 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1989–90 (14). Elgin City had won the 1992–93 season but were stripped of the title for bringing forward their final match so two players due to serve a suspension could play. Highland League Cup Winners: 1959–60, 1966–67, 1982–83, 1990–91, 1997–98 (5). Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) Winners: 1935–36, 1937–38, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1989–90 (7). North of Scotland Cup Winners: 1898–99, 1923–24, 1936–37, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2003–04 (18).

Club records

Win: 18–1 v Brora Rangers on 6 February 1960 (North of Scotland Cup). Defeat: 1–14 v Heart of Midlothian on 4 February 1939 (1938–39 Scottish Cup). Home attendance: 12,608 v Arbroath on 17 February 1968 (1967–68 Scottish Cup). Away attendance: 46,406 v Rangers on 5 January 2013 (Scottish League, Third Division).

Most Scottish League Appearances: Brian Cameron 342 (39) (2008–). Most Individual Goals in a Scottish League Match: 4 by Craig Gunn v Berwick Rangers, 6 August 2011 at Borough Briggs (Won 4–1). Most Individual Goals in a Scottish Cup Match: 4 by Shane Sutherland v Hawick Royal Albert, 26 November 2016 at Borough Briggs (Won 8–1). Most Scottish League Goals in a Season: Craig Gunn 21 (2015–16).

Most Scottish League Goals: Craig Gunn 114 (2009–2017). Most Highland League Appearances: Neil MacLennan 438 (1979–1980, 1983–2000). Most Individual Goals in a Highland League Match: 8 by Charlie Cormack v Nairn County, 29 August 1936 at Borough Briggs (Won 12–2). Most Highland League Goals in a Season: Matt Armstrong 52 in 30 Appearances (1947–48).

Most Highland League Goals: Gerry Graham 259 in 257 Appearances (1965–1974). Most Goals in a Season: Willie Grant 66 in 40 Appearances (1960–61). Record Goalscorer: Gerry Graham (371) (1965–1974).