This is a list of Hamilton Academical F.C. seasons in Scottish football, from their foundation in 1874 onwards. It details the club's achievements in senior league and cup competitions and the top scorers for each season. The list of top scorers also chronicles how the club's scoring records have progressed throughout the club's history.
Hamilton Academical were formed in late 1874 by the rector and pupils of Hamilton Academy. The club soon became members of the Scottish Football Association and initially began competing in the Scottish Cup and Qualifying Cup, before joining the Scottish Football League in November 1897 following the resignation of Renton. [1]
They have twice been runners up in the Scottish Cup, in 1910–11 (losing to Celtic after a replay) [2] and in 1934–35 (losing to Rangers). [3] The 1920s and 30s was the most successful period in the history of the Accies, when they achieved a highest finish of 4th in the top tier of Scottish football (also in 1935) and reached the semi-final of the Scottish Cup on three further occasions in 1925, 1930 and 1932. [4]
They maintained their place in the highest division for 33 consecutive seasons from 1906 until the interruption of World War II in 1939; in the first season after the end of conflict, 1946–47, the club was unable to field a competitive side and finished bottom of the table with only 11 points, bringing the long run to an end. [5]
The Scottish Football League was founded in 1890 and, other than during seven years of hiatus during World War II, [lower-alpha 1] the national top division has been played every season since. [lower-alpha 2] The following is a summary of Hamilton's divisional status:
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Accies, or The Accies, is a Scottish football club from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire who currently compete in Scottish League One, having been relegated from the 2022–23 Scottish Championship. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy and remain the only professional club in British football to have originated from a school team. Hamilton have won the Scottish Challenge Cup three times and have finished runners-up in the Scottish Cup twice. The club currently play their home games at New Douglas Park.
Clyde Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football club who play in Scottish League Two. Formed in 1877 at the River Clyde in Glasgow, the club host their home matches at New Douglas Park, having played at Broadwood Stadium from 1994 until 2022. Their biggest accomplishments were winning the Scottish Cup on three occasions: 1939, 1955 and 1958; they reached the final a further three times, all during a long period based at Shawfield. They have not played in the top division of Scottish football since 1975.
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New Douglas Park, currently known as the ZLX Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, which serves as the home of Scottish Championship side Hamilton Academical and Scottish League One side Clyde. It takes its name from Douglas Park, the club's former stadium which was located immediately to the south of the current site.
John Gerald Brogan is a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played for several Scottish clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, scoring 273 goals in all competitions during his career. He remains St Johnstone's record goalscorer.
The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008. Due to the death of Phil O'Donnell and extremely poor weather causing the postponement of fixtures during the winter, as well as a backlog of Rangers fixtures and their progression to the UEFA Cup Final, the SPL decided to move the final round of fixtures back four days to 22 May 2008. It was the first season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank.
Alexander Francis Neil is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently the manager of EFL Championship club Stoke City.
David Wilson was an English footballer who played for Hamilton Academical and Stranraer as a centre forward.
Brian Neil Easton is a Scottish footballer who plays for East Fife as a defender. Easton started his career with Hamilton Academical, winning the Scottish First Division championship in 2008. He was sold to English club Burnley in 2009 but was mainly a backup squad member, being loaned back to Hamilton in 2010 and leaving at the end of his contract in 2012; he then signed for Dundee.
Robert Reid was a Scottish footballer who played at both professional and international levels as an outside left. His best remembered for his time in the Football League with Brentford, for whom he made 110 appearances. Reid earned the nickname 'The Flying Scotsman' for his performances down the wing for Hamilton Academical early in his career.
Greig Spence is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Stirling Albion.
James Keatings is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Tranent Juniors. He has previously played for Celtic, Heart of Midlothian, St Johnstone, Hibernian and Dundee United plus a loan and two permanent spells at Hamilton Academical. In May 2019, he agreed to play for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the following season. He most recently played for Raith Rovers, Montrose and Forfar Athletic.
The 2013–14 Scottish Premiership was the first season of the Scottish Premiership, the highest division of Scottish football. The season began on 2 August 2013 and concluded on 11 May 2014. This was the first season of the competition being part of the newly formed Scottish Professional Football League after the merger of the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. This season also featured the introduction of an end of season play-off between the 11th-placed team in the top flight and the teams placed 2nd–4th in the Scottish Championship, to determine whether a second team will be relegated from the league.
Gerald Padua McAloon was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He later played for Celtic and in Northern Ireland.
In addition to their first team competing in the Scottish Championship, 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.
Alexander Forrest Hunter was a Scottish footballer who played as a full back for Hamilton Academical, Motherwell and Bo'ness.