| Full name | Aberdeen Football Club Reserve Squad | |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | Various, primarily Balmoral Stadium, Cove Bay | |
| Chairman | Dave Cormack | |
| Head Coach | Scott Anderson | |
| League | SPFL Reserve League (withdrew) | |
| Website | http://www.afc.co.uk | |
In addition to their first team competing in the Scottish Premiership, Aberdeen Football Club also maintain further teams for younger age groups playing in competitions such as the Scottish Challenge Cup and the Scottish Youth Cup within the club's academy.
In the early 1950s, reserve teams were incorporated into the third tier of the senior Scottish Football League, with Aberdeen 'A' taking part for six seasons of the arrangement. [1] [2] [3] Aberdeen fielded a team for many years in various separate reserve competitions culminating in the Scottish Premier Reserve League, which was abandoned in 2009.
In July 2018, it was reported that reserve leagues would be reintroduced in lieu of the development leagues that had been in place since 2009 (below). The top tier of the new SPFL Reserve League featured 18 clubs, whilst a second-tier reserve League comprised nine clubs. Other than a minimum age of 16, no age restrictions applied to the leagues. [4] Aberdeen intimated at the end of its first season (2018–19) that they would withdraw from the Reserve League to play a variety of challenge matches, [5] several others did likewise. [6] They later entered a small league (under-21 plus three overage) along with three other Scottish clubs and Brentford and Huddersfield Town from the English leagues. [7]
Prior to the introduction of the Scottish Premier League in 1998, the Under-20s previously competed in the youth league administered by the Scottish Football League. An under-20 side then took part in the SPFL Development League until it was disbanded in 2018. They won the last edition of the SFL competition and the first under the SPL, but they only won it once more (in 2014–15).
From 2015 onwards, it has been possible for the Aberdeen Academy to participate in the UEFA Youth League by the under-17/under-18 side winning the previous season's league at that age group; however this has not yet been achieved.
For the 2016-17 edition of the Scottish Challenge Cup, under-20 teams (later under-21) of clubs in the Premiership were granted entry to compete against adult teams for the first time in the modern era. Aberdeen U20 won their opening round against Formartine United of the Highland League but lost in the next round to Forfar Athletic of the fourth tier.
As of 2019, the reserves do not have a constant home ground. Their fixtures are normally played at lower league stadia outwith Aberdeen, either at Glebe Park in Brechin, Balmoor Stadium in Peterhead or Station Park in Forfar – although occasionally matches are played at Pittodrie Stadium. In the 2018–19 season, their nominated ground was the recently completed Balmoral Stadium, home of Cove Rangers. [8]
In the event that the long-awaited New Aberdeen Stadium is completed, the youth training facilities would certainly move to that location and some of the Reserve League fixtures may also take place there.
Aberdeen's geographical isolation from much of Scotland's population is an advantage to the Dons' player recruitment to some extent, as they are the only major club in a region of over 500,000 people so generally have the pick of the promising youngsters in the city and shire. The relative economic power of the club also means that players from the Central Belt are frequently persuaded to move north, and over the decades many of Aberdeen's successful youth products (not least Willie Miller, McLeish, Black, Leighton, McMaster and later Joe Miller, Phil McGuire, Diamond and Chris Maguire) have moved from the west of Scotland to begin their professional careers. [9] In the 21st century Aberdeen have also looked further afield to the English lower leagues for academy recruits as well as senior players.
In 2017, the Aberdeen academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of Project Brave, an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case. [10] [11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Reserves
Youth
This list focuses on the players who have graduated through Aberdeen's academy since the inception of the SPL in 1998 (many other of Aberdeen's earlier notable players, including most of the highly successful Alex Ferguson era, also came through the youth system).
Players currently at Aberdeen in bold
The Scottish Football League (SFL) is a defunct league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland. From its foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League (SPL) was formed in 1998, the SFL was the top level of football in Scotland. After 1998, the SFL represented levels 2 to 4 of the Scottish football league system. In June 2013, the SFL merged with the SPL to form the Scottish Professional Football League.
The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. It was replaced by the Scottish Championship.
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The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Scottish League Challenge Cup or Scottish Challenge Cup, and currently known as the SPFL Trust Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an association football knock-out cup competition run by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). It is recognised as the third most prestigious knockout trophy in Scottish football, after the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.
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The Scottish Premier Reserve League was the top reserve team league for Scottish football teams. The competition started at the same time as the inauguration of the Scottish Premier League in the 1998–99 season. It was initially an under-21 league, with a quota of five players over the age limit allowed per team in any match. The league was discontinued after the 2008–09 season. Since then, alternative structures have been mooted, such as allowing the bigger clubs to field reserve teams in the lower divisions of the Scottish Football League.
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The SPFL Development League was the top level of youth football in Scotland, which was contested in various formats between 1998 and 2018.
The 2009–10 Scottish League Cup was the 64th season of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-operative Insurance Cup. Rangers won the cup beating St Mirren 1–0 thanks to a goal from Kenny Miller.
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The 2010–11 Scottish League Cup is the 65th season of Scotland's second-most prestigious football knockout competition, the Scottish League Cup, also known as the Co-operative Insurance Cup for sponsorship reasons. The competition started in July 2010 with the First Round and ended in Spring 2011 with the Final. Rangers are the current title holder, having beaten Celtic in the 2011 final.
The 2011–12 Scottish Cup was the 127th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The tournament began on 24 September 2011 and ended on 19 May 2012. It was sponsored by William Hill in the first season of a three-year partnership, known as the William Hill Scottish Cup. The winner of the competition qualified for the play-off round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. Heart of Midlothian won 5–1 against city rivals Hibernian at Hampden Park.
In addition to the Motherwell F.C. first team, competing in the Scottish Premiership, the club also has a reserve team who play in the SPFL Reserve League as well as younger age group teams in their youth system. They fielded a reserve team in defunct competitions for many years.
The 2012–13 Scottish Cup was the 128th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The tournament began on 4 August 2012 and ended on 26 May 2013. It was sponsored by bookmaker William Hill in the second season of a three-year partnership and is known as the William Hill Scottish Cup. The winner of the competition qualified for the third qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League. The holders Hearts were knocked out by their Edinburgh rivals Hibernian in the fourth round, in a repeat of the previous season's final.
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As well as operating its league competition, which consists of the top four levels of the Scottish football league system, the SPFL also operates two domestic cup competitions, the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Challenge Cup. While the Scottish Cup includes all the teams within the SPFL, the competition is run and organised by the Scottish Football Association.
In addition to their first team competing in the Scottish Premiership, Hibernian F.C. also maintain further teams for younger age groups playing in competitions such as the Scottish Challenge Cup and the Scottish Youth Cup within the club's academy.
In addition to their first team competing in the Scottish League One, Hamilton Academical F.C. also maintain a reserve team competing in the SPFL Reserve League, as well as further teams for younger age groups playing in competitions such as the Scottish Challenge Cup and the Scottish Youth Cup within the club's academy.
