Chris Aitken

Last updated

Chris Aitken
Personal information
Full name Christopher Aitken
Date of birth (1979-09-21) 21 September 1979 (age 43)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Kilwinning Rangers (manager)
Youth career
0000–1998 Erskine B.C.
1998–2000 Greenock Morton
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2000 Greenock Morton 2 (0)
2000–2001 Clyde 23 (2)
2001–2003 Greenock Morton 19 (1)
2003–2005 Hamilton Academical 54 (8)
2005–2008 Stirling Albion 101 (37)
2008–2010 Ayr United 42 (6)
2010–2011 Stirling Albion 31 (9)
2011–2016 Stranraer 117 (24)
Total389(87)
Managerial career
2016–2017 Stranraer (assistant)
2017 Stranraer (interim manager)
2017–2020 Stranraer (assistant)
2020–2021 East Kilbride (assistant)
2021–2023 East Kilbride
2023- Kilwinning Rangers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:31, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Christopher Aitken (born 21 September 1979) is a Scottish retired footballer and current manager of Kilwinning Rangers.

Contents

He moved into management at East Kilbride after his elder brother Stephen resigned from his position on 10 August 2021. [1]

Stephen is also a former footballer. [2] [3]

Playing career

Morton, Clyde & Morton again

Aitken started his professional career at Greenock Morton making his debut against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 1 April 2000. Aitken was with the Greenock club for only two games before being signed by Clyde on 14 June 2000. [4]

He made his first team debut for Clyde on 5 August 2000 against Falkirk [5] and went on to make a further 23 appearances for Clyde. Aitken scored his first goal of his professional career against Airdrie on 22 November 2000. [6] Aitken stayed with Clyde for just over a season before returning to play for Greenock Morton on 10 November 2001.

He made his second debut for Morton on 10 November 2001 against Forfar Athletic. Aitken remained with Greenock Morton for two seasons making 19 appearances for the club, before signing for Hamilton Academical in June 2003.

Hamilton

Aitken made his debut for Hamilton and scored his first goal on 2 August 2003 against St Johnstone in the Scottish League Challenge Cup. [7] He went on to make over 50 league appearances, scoring 8 goals for the club during his time there, before he signed for Stirling Albion on 31 January 2005.

Stirling

Aitken made his debut for Stirling Albion against Dumbarton on 5 February 2005. Aitken scored his first goal for Stirling Albion against Brechin City on 26 February 2005. Since signing in 2005, Aitken went on to make over 90 league appearances, scoring over 30 goals for the Binos. Aitken was awarded the Players Player of the Year award for the 2006–07 season. He was made captain of the Stirlingshire side and at the end of the 2007–08 season, Aitken won the Stirling Albion supporters club player of the year award and the Stirling Albion supporters Trust award. Aitken was the leading goal scorer for Stirling Albion in the 2007–08 season. [8] In May 2008, after Stirling Albion were relegated to the Scottish Second Division, Aitken agreed a two-year deal with Second Division rivals Ayr United, stating that Ayr's ambition is what drew him to Somerset Park. [9]

Ayr

In May 2008, Aitken became Ayr's eighth signing since the end of the 2007–08 season. [9] Chris is widely recognised as one of the best penalty kick taker's in Scottish football, having only missed two out of 40 attempts. He played a major part in Ayr's playoff success in the 2008–09 season, scoring three goals against Brechin and captaining the side all the way to the First division. On 13 January 2010, Chris, by mutual agreement, had his contract ended, and signed for former club Stirling Albion.

Stirling (second spell)

Aitken made his second début for the Beanos in a 3–3 draw with East Fife on 23 January 2010. Three goals in his first two games back in an Albion shirt showed that Chris was just as potent a goal threat as ever. It was announced he was to be released from 15 May 2011. [10]

Stranraer

After his release he joined Stranraer for the 2011–12 season, signing a deal in May 2011. Aitken spent 5 seasons with Stranraer before retiring at the end of the 2015–16 season. [11]

Coaching career

After being involved with first-team coaching with Stranraer during the 2015–16 season, Aitken was appointed assistant manager to Brian Reid shortly after announcing his retirement. [11] After Reid left the club by mutual consent in January 2017, Aitken was made interim manager until Reid's successor could be appointed. [12] Not long after this, former Blues assistant Stephen Farrell was named the new manager of Stranraer, taking up the position following on 23 January 2017. [13] Aitken remained as interim manager for the Scottish Cup match against Aberdeen, which the side lost 4–0, [14] before returning to his previous position as assistant manager. On 10 August 2021, became caretaker manager at East Kilbride. [15]

In February 2023, Aitken took over as manager of West of Scotland Football League side Kilwinning Rangers; [16] bringing in Ian Durrant and Owen Archdeacon to form his coaching team. [17]

Managerial statistics

As of 27 January 2017
Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamFromToRecordRef
PWDLWin %
Stranraer (interim)January 2017January 20171001000.0 [18]

Related Research Articles

James Duffy is a Scottish football coach and former player, who was most recently the Director of Football at Scottish League Two club Clyde.

Kevin Rutkiewicz is a Scottish football coach and former player. He was formally the manager of Scottish League Two club Stirling Albion and of Lowland League side East Kilbride. Ruthkiewicz played as a defender for Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Dunfermline Athletic, Greenock Morton, East Fife and American club Carolina RailHawks.

Christopher Alexander Millar is a Scottish footballer who last played as a midfielder for Kilwinning Rangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Russell</span> Scottish footballer

Iain Thomas Russell is a Former Scottish professional footballer who last played as a forward for Cowdenbeath, on loan from Pollok.

Paul Di Giacomo is a Scottish footballer. He began his career at Kilmarnock, before dropping into the Scottish Football League First Division with Airdrie United to move closer to his partner at the time who had just had a boy named Thomas, then Ross County. He also had loan spells from Kilmarnock with Stirling Albion and Partick Thistle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Brighton</span> Scottish footballer

Tom Brighton is a Scottish professional footballer, who played as a centre forward.

Andrew Graham is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish League One side Alloa Athletic. Graham started his career as a youth with Glasgow Amateurs, before playing for Stirling Albion, Hamilton Academical, Greenock Morton, Dumbarton and Ayr United.

Brian Robertson Reid is a Scottish football manager and former player who most recently managed Albion Rovers.

Colin James Stewart is a Scottish former professional goalkeeper, who was co-manager at Kilwinning Rangers in the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region. He is currently goalkeeping coach at Scottish Premiership club Rangers.

Chris "Junior" Smith is a Scottish footballer who plays as a defender.

Stephen Aitken is a Scottish football player and coach who was most recently manager of East Kilbride.

Stephen Stirling is a Scottish footballer who plays for [Neilston Juniors]

Archie Campbell is a Scottish footballer who plays for Crossgates Primrose.

The 2012–13 season was Stranraer's first season back in the Scottish Second Division. Stranraer also competed in the Challenge Cup, League Cup and the Scottish Cup. They were due to play in their fourth consecutive season in the Scottish Third Division, having been relegated from the Scottish Second Division at the end of the 2008–09 season. On 16 July 2012, it was confirmed that Stranraer would be promoted to the Scottish Second Division to fill the vacancy's left by Dundee's promotion to the Scottish Premier League and Airdrie United's promotion to the Scottish First Division. This was to fill the slot vacated by Rangers, who were voted into the Scottish Third Division following their liquidation.

Season 2014–15 saw Greenock Morton compete in the Scottish League One the third tier of Scottish football, having finished bottom of the Scottish Championship in 2013-14. Morton will also compete in the Challenge Cup, Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup.

The 2014–15 season was Ayr United's 2nd season in League One and their 3rd consecutive season in the third-tier of Scottish football. Ayr also competed in the Scottish Cup, League Cup and the Challenge Cup.

The 2016–17 Scottish Cup was the 132nd season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The tournament was sponsored by bookmaker William Hill in what was the sixth season of a nine-year partnership, after contract negotiations saw the initial five-year contract extended for an additional four years in October 2015.

Season 2017–18 was Dumbarton's sixth in the second tier of Scottish football, having finished eighth in 2016–17. Dumbarton also competed in the Challenge Cup, Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup.

The 2019–20 Scottish League Cup Group stage was played from 12 to 28 July 2019. A total of 40 teams competed in the group stage. The winners of each of the eight groups, as well as the four best runners-up progressed to the second round of the 2019–20 Scottish League Cup.

The 2017–18 season was Ayr United’s 108th season of competitive football and their first season back in League One following their relegation from the Championship in the 2016–17 season. Ayr also competed in the League Cup, Scottish Cup and the Challenge Cup.

References

  1. ↑ McGilvray, Andy (10 August 2021). "Stevie Aitken leaves East Kilbride manager's job". Daily Record. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Band of Brothers at Stirling, Scottish Professional Football League, 4 March 2011
  3. ↑ Stephen Aitken’s success at Stranraer noticed, The Scotsman, 15 September 2014
  4. ↑ "Summer Signings". BBC Sport. 12 August 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  5. ↑ "Clyde 3–1 Falkirk". BBC Sport. 5 August 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  6. ↑ "Airdrieonians 1–3 Clyde". BBC Sport. 22 November 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  7. ↑ "Hamilton Accies 2–3 St Johnstone". BBC Sport. 2 August 2003. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  8. ↑ "Player of the Year Awards 2007/2008". James Stewart. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Ayr sign Aitken from Stirling". BBC Sport. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  10. ↑ "Playing staff update". Stirling Albion FC. 8 May 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Aitken Named Blues Number Two". Stranraer FC. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Chairman Q&A". Stranraer FC. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  13. ↑ Findlay, Alan (20 January 2017). "Stephen Farrell". Dumbarton FC. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  14. ↑ Davie, Scott (21 January 2017). "Aberdeen 4–0 Stranrear". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "East Kilbride caretaker not concerned by boss decision delay after beating Vale". 19 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "Chris Aitken arrives in Buffs town". Kilwinning Rangers F.C. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  17. ↑ McGowan, Eric (14 February 2023). "Rangers legend Ian Durrant unveiled as assistant manager of Scots non-league side". Daily Record. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  18. ↑ "Five For Friday: Five Firsts". Stranraer FC. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.