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Caledonian F.C. (Aberdeen)

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Not to be confused with Caledonian F.C. or Caledonian F.C. (Glasgow).

Caledonian
Full nameCaledonian F.C.
Nickname(s)the Caley, the Stripes[1]
Founded1886
Dissolved1891
GroundHolburn Grounds
Match SecretaryAlex. Love, Joseph Ross
CaptainJoseph Ross

Caledonian F.C. was an association football club from Aberdeen, Scotland, which played in the Scottish Cup, and reached the Aberdeenshire Cup final, in 1890–91.

History

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1890–91 Scottish Cup 1st Round, Victoria United 1–2 Caledonian (Aberdeen), Aberdeen Journal, 8 September 1890

The Caledonian football club was formed by the Caledonian Cricket Club, at a meeting in The Café in Aberdeen on 3 September 1886, Joseph Ross being chosen as first football captain.[2] The club did not finish the cricket season until October, so its first association match did not take place until 23 October 1886, a 3–2 defeat to an Aberdeen scratch side.[3]

Caledonian was one of the founder members of the Aberdeenshire Football Association in August 1887.[4] The organization set up the Aberdeenshire Cup to be played from that season, which allowed the Caledonian its first taste of competitive football, although it lost its first ties in its first three entries.[5] The 1889–90 tie with Orion - the fourth round of the competition, thanks to a run of byes - originally ended a remarkable 8–6 to Orion,[6] but a Caledonian protest on the basis that the game finished in the dark was upheld.[7] The protest was to no avail as Orion won the replay 8–4.[8]

Caledonian joined the Scottish Football Association in August 1890.[9] It made its national debut at Victoria United in the 1890–91 Scottish Cup and withstood a siege in the first half, to turn around only 1–0 down; the siege continued in the second half, but Caledonian unexpectedly scored two breakaway goals to pull off a shock.[10] There was no shock in the second round, as Aberdeen put 8 past Caledonian without reply.[11]

Caledonian enjoyed a belated, if controversial, revenge in the Aberdeenshire Cup. Held to a draw by Inverurie at its "rough ground", Caledonian brushed the country club aside in the replay with an 8–0 win.[12] Caledonian drew Aberdeen at home in the quarter-final, and, in front of a big crowd, Aberdeen won 6–4.[13] However the Caley had complained about two of the goals being offside, as well as having a goal from a free-kick disallowed, and made a formal protest to the Aberdeenshire association; notably, the referee, Mr Curran, was a late replacement for the engaged official,[14] and he had some recent history with the Caledonian, which had protested about his expenses claims for the Inverurie tie.[15] The Aberdeenshire FA upheld the protest, and ordered a replay of the tie on Boxing Day. The Caley turned up, but Aberdeen had already resolved not to turn up on the basis that the protest was not merely improper, but was not heard under the Association rules;[16] and the Caley was awarded the tie.[17] Despite there being no opposition, one of the Caledonian players was ordered off the field, having turned up wearing his "tacketed" (i.e. nailed) work boots, assuming there would be no game; referee Harper, noting that the footwear was illegal, told him to change.[18] In the aftermath, Aberdeen withdrew from the Aberdeen Association, but there was enough bonhomie between the two clubs for a friendly to take place in February, Aberdeen winning thanks to a late goal.[19]

Caledonian hammered Stonehaven 11–0 in the semi-final,[20] Stonehaven's desperate protest about frost on the Holburn ground not being entertained.[21] In the final against Orion at Victoria Bridge, Annand gave Caledonian the lead after 8 minutes, but by half-time Orion was 2–1 to the good, and "one of the dullest- and, at times, even depressing - exhibitions of football" ended 4–1 to the favourites.[22] The match was overshadowed by Aberdeen arranging a home friendly with Arbroath as a direct snub to the local association, and which drew a 25% bigger gate.[23]

Despite what appeared to be a promising start to a senior football career, the Caledonian did not survive to the 1891–92 season, scratching to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup that season[24] and not entering the Aberdeen Cup; players had already decamped elsewhere for the season, such as Annand and Fraser joining Orion[25] and Forsyth joining Bon Accord.[26] The club's final appearances had been a 3–1 defeat to Victoria United in the first round of the Charity Cup[27] and an 8–0 defeat to Orion in a friendly.[28] The club was formally removed from the register in August 1892.[29]

Colours

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The club wore vertical blue and black striped shirts.[30]

Ground

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The club played at the Holburn Grounds,[31] which were owned by the Aberdeenshire Cricket Club, although at times the relationship between the A.C.C. and football was somewhat testy.[32] For 1891–92 the ground was taken over by Bon Accord.[33]

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References

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  1. ^ "Aberdeenshire Cup tie - Fourth Round". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 15 December 1890.
  2. ^ "Caledonian F.C. (Association)". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 3. 6 September 1886.
  3. ^ "Caledonian v Aberdeen (Association)". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 3. 25 October 1886.
  4. ^ "Aberdeenshire Football Association". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 6. 23 August 1887.
  5. ^ "Aberdeenshire Football Association". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 6. 12 December 1887.
  6. ^ "Association Cup ties - 4th round". Aberdeen Free Press: 6. 9 December 1889.
  7. ^ "The Cup Ties quiet". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 12 December 1889.
  8. ^ "Saturday's football". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 3. 16 December 1889.
  9. ^ Scottish FA Minutes 1889–90. Scottish Football Association. 19 August 1890. p. 273.
  10. ^ "Victoria United v Caledonian". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 3. 8 September 1890.
  11. ^ "Aberdeen v Caledonian". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 29 September 1890.
  12. ^ "Inverurie v Caledonian (Aberdeenshire Cup tie)". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 24 November 1890.
  13. ^ "Aberdeenshire Cup tie - Fourth Round". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 15 December 1890.
  14. ^ "A Caledonian point of view". Aberdeen Evening Express: 4. 31 December 1890.
  15. ^ "The Aberdeen's dispute with the Association". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 29 December 1890.
  16. ^ "The Aberdeen v Caledonian Protested Cup tie". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 3. 27 December 1890.
  17. ^ "Aberdeen v Caledonian - Protested Tie". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 29 December 1890.
  18. ^ "The Caledonian gets the tie". Aberdeen Evening Express: 4. 31 December 1890.
  19. ^ "The subject of the day". Aberdeen Evening Express: 4. 25 February 1891.
  20. ^ "Aberdeenshire Cup ties - Semi-Final". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 19 January 1891.
  21. ^ "Stonehaven, 22 January 1891". Stonehaven Journal: 2. 22 January 1891.
  22. ^ "Argus on the final". Aberdeen Evening Express: 4. 18 February 1891.
  23. ^ ""Look at this picture and on that"". Aberdeen Evening Express: 4. 18 February 1891.
  24. ^ "Scottish Cup scratchings". Aberdeen Evening Express: 4. 7 September 1891.
  25. ^ "Aberdeen v Orion". Aberdeen Free Press: 3. 31 August 1891.
  26. ^ "Aberdeen v Bon Accord". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 18 April 1891.
  27. ^ "Victoria United v Caledonian". Aberdeen Press & Journal: 7. 30 March 1891.
  28. ^ "Orion v Caledonian". Aberdeen Evening Gazette: 3. 20 April 1891.
  29. ^ "Scottish Football Association". Linlithgowshire Gazette: 8. 27 August 1892.
  30. ^ McDowall, John (1890). Scottish Football Annual 1890–91. Hay Nisbet. p. 100.
  31. ^ McDowall, John (1890). Scottish Football Annual 1890–91. Hay Nisbet. p. 100.
  32. ^ "Footballers and the Holburn Grounds". Aberdeen Evening Express: 3. 26 September 1888.
  33. ^ "Scottish Cup tie - second round". Aberdeen Press and Journal: 7. 28 September 1891.
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