"Edmonton Caledonians" redirects here. For the affiliated women's team, see Edmonton Angels.
Football club
Edmonton Scottish SC
Full name
Edmonton Scottish Soccer Club
Nickname(s)
Ellerslie Boot Boys Tartans
Short name
SCO
Founded
List
11 April 1907; 117 years ago (11 April 1907), as Edmonton Caledonians Athletic Club 23 May 1937; 87 years ago (23 May 1937), as Edmonton Scottish Soccer Club
In 2016, Edmonton Scottish completed the amateurdomestic treble, capping off an undefeated season by winning the Challenge Trophy to become Canada Soccer national champions for the first time — having previously finished as runners-up in 1992, 2012, and 2015.[5][6][7] They are eight-time AMSL league winners and thirteen-time provincial champions, capturing the Bennett Shield in 1913 and the Alberta Soccer Challenge Cup a total of twelve times since 1972.[8][9] The club was recognized by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019 as an Organisation of Distinction, and in 2021 it was announced that they have formed a semi-professional team and would begin seeking entry to an interprovincial league – eventually joining the League1 Canadapyramid in 2023.[10][11][12]
The club was founded in 1909 by Scottish immigrants who settled in the Edmonton area.[14] The senior men participate in the Alberta Major Soccer League (AMSL), where they have won multiple league titles.[14]
In 1972, they participated in the Challenge Trophy, the Canadian national amateur championship, reaching the quarter-finals.[15] In 1987, they won the bronze medal in the Challenge Trophy, followed by silver medal performances in 1992, 2012, and 2015.[15] In 2016, following an undefeated outdoor season in the AMSL, they were able to capture their first title as Canadian amateur champions.[14][15]
The Angels Scottish women's team has won nine Jubilee Trophies as women's national amateur champions,[14] including the inaugural title in 1982, which was the first of five consecutive national titles.[16][17]
In 2021, the club announced their intention to launch semi-professional men's and women's teams with the goal of participated in a new interprovincial league in 2022.[18] In 2023 they became part of the new League1 Alberta, competing under the name Edmonton Scottish United SC.[19]
Facilities
Grant MacEwan Park
As part of a 1967 Centennial project, the Edmonton Scottish Society acquired a 20-acre parcel of ancestral land in the Ellerslie neighbourhood of Edmonton — an area that had been previously settled by Scots, dating back to as early as 1895.[20] Constructing six soccer fields and a fully fixtured soccer pavilion for its senior teams on the land, the society would officially open the park in 1970 and name it after Lieutenant GovernorGrant MacEwan.[21][22]
In 2018, the grounds were named in the United 2026 FIFA World Cup bid as a potential team base camp.[23] In 2019, plans to build a new, 2,200 m2 (24,000 sq ft) banquet hall and clubhouse (including twelve changing rooms, a bar, and a restaurant) were announced, with further plans to build a microstadium revealed in 2021.[24][25][26]
Hamish Black Field
Located within Grant MacEwan Park, Hamish Black Field is a natural grass pitch that measures 105 metres (115 yd) long by 73 metres (80 yd) wide and serves as the home field for Edmonton Scottish teams.[27] For ticketed matches such as the 2021 Summer Series, the club sets up beer gardens and brings in temporary seating, increasing the capacity to 1,612 spectators.[28][29]
In October 2018, construction was completed on the Edmonton Soccer Dome, a CA$7 millionair-supported structure that features a FieldTurf COREartificial turf playing surface.[30][31] Located in Grant MacEwan Park, the dome is the club's primary training facility and is occasionally used for matches that may have otherwise been impacted by inclement weather.[32][33]
Club culture
Rivalries
Bertie Mee says to Bill Shankly 'Have you heard of Callies from Calgary?' Shanks says 'no, I don't think so', 'but I've heard of the Ellerslie Boot Boys!'
Da da da dadadada da da da (x3), We are the Ellerslie Boot Boys!
Since 1907, the Callies, and later Edmonton Scottish, have maintained three distinct rivalries. Most prominently, the club has had a century-long rivalry with their Scottish Battle of Alberta counterparts, the Calgary Callies, and throughout the 1950s, developed a cross-city rivalry with 1st DFC Victoria following consecutive meetings in Dragoon Cup Finals.[35][36] A third rivalry with Edmonton Ital-Canadians emerged in the 1970s, with the teams often competing for league titles in EDSA, and later the first iteration of AMSL.[37][38]
Supporters
Tartan Army
Supporters of Edmonton Scottish are known collectively as the tartan army. For ticketed matches, they are joined by the Clan MacNaughton pipe band, who provide a guard of honour as teams walk onto the pitch.[39]
Highland Herd Crew
In 2023, an independent group of ultras called the Highland Herd Crew was founded by Scottish supporters to cheer on its League1 Alberta and AMSL squads.[40] Occupying the north stands of Hamish Black Field, they quickly became known for their drumming, use of smoke grenades, and tifo displays.
Team colours and crest
Edmonton Scottish SC's crest is inspired by the crest worn by Scotland's national soccer team. A roundel encloses a shield, with the words "Edmonton Scottish Soccer Club" written around the outside. In the shield's background lays a lion rampant surrounded by 11 thistle, representing the national flower of Scotland and the number of players on a soccer pitch. The club's official colours are Big Stone Blue and Polo Blue, which symbolize loyalty, strength, trust, and their connection to Scotland, as well as Maroon Flush, which pays homage to the autumn colours of the nearby Ewing Trail tree tunnel.[41][42]
Kits and sponsorship
Beginning in 2009, Edmonton Scottish have signed deals with specific kit manufacturers, with Macron currently supplying the club until at least 2024.[43] The club wore Scotlandreplica kits throughout the '80s and '90s, but have since moved back to their traditional dark blue shirts with white shorts and white socks as its home kit — reversing the colours for its change strip.
Having previously partnered with local businesses, the club has gone without shirt or sleeve sponsors since moving to Macron in 2019.[44][45]
Players training in the youth stream receive MLShomegrown player benefits and are generally eligible to play for the first team or reserve squads as youth trialists by age 16.[54][55] In recent years, Scottish United players have gone on trial with FC Edmonton, joined Whitecaps FC Academy, or have graduated from youth soccer to the senior club's AMSL or EDSA teams.[56][57][58]
Broadcasting
In order to provide programming to its members during the COVID-19 pandemic, Edmonton Scottish began its own free, in-house streaming service called Fitba.TV along with its youth affiliate, Scottish United in 2020.[59][60] While the club has since began using its Fitba.TV service to broadcast its 2021 Summer Series home matches, its AMSL matches are live-streamed by CFN Media.[61]
^Mather, John; Ostopowich, Melanie (April 26, 1992). "New league to showcase soccer stars". Edmonton Journal – via newspapers.com. Spoksmen for the five Edmonton teams, Edmonton Ital Canadian, Victoria, Edmonton Scottish, Edmonton Croatia and Edmonton Juventus, all seem pleased with the move and deny it will water down the still existing Premier league.
^"Men's Clubs". albertamsl.com. Alberta Major Soccer League. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
^"Schedules & Standings". edsa.org. Edmonton and District Soccer Association. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
^"Facility Information". scottishunited.com. Edmonton Scottish United Soccer Club. Retrieved June 10, 2021. The Edmonton Scottish Society Fields, known as Grant MacEwan Park, are located at 3105 - 101 Street SW.
^"Edmonton Scottish SC lift the Challenge Trophy for the first time". canadasoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. October 16, 2016. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Edmonton Scottish SC were 2016 Challenge Trophy champions at the Sport Chek National Championships in St. John's, Newfoundland Labrador. They won 1:0 over Royal-Sélect Beauport, with 31-year old Steven Wheeler scoring the 93rd minute winner at King George V Park.
^"AIR CANADA CHALLENGE CUP". newspapers.com. The Vancouver Sun. October 13, 1992. Championship Norvan ANAF (No. 45) 1 Edmonton Scottish 0
^Nieslen, Aaron (November 23, 2015). "Humber Hawks cap off a big year for Men's soccer in Ontario". rednationonline.ca. RedNation Online. In the 2015 Canadian Challenge Trophy, the senior men's club tournament, London Marconi beat Edmonton Scottish to win the championship.
^"Past President Quinn named to Canada Soccer Hall of Fame". canadasoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. May 4, 2019. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. In the Canada Soccer Organisations of Distinction category, a catch-up class of eight famous organisations were honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame: Vancouver St. Andrews FC of British Columbia; Calgary Callies FC and Edmonton Scottish FC of Alberta; Winnipeg United Weston FC of Manitoba; Darlington SC and Toronto Scottish FC of Ontario; Holy Cross FC and St. Lawrence Laurentians of Newfoundland Labrador.
^"Edmonton Scottish Society Announces Semi-Professional Women's & Men's Teams". allsportstoday.com (Press release). Issuewire. June 10, 2021. The Edmonton Scottish Society is extremely proud to announce that its senior women's and men's programs are launching semi-professional teams, with the goal of participating in an interprovincial league for the 2022 Season.
^"Ellerslie Neighbourhood Profile"(PDF). edmonton.ca. City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on January 24, 2011. The Ellerslie name has been used to designate this area since the turn of the 20th century. Some sources indicate that the name was derived from the Ellerslie House, believed to be the birthplace of William Wallace, a Scottish insurgent against Edward I of England.
^"MacEwan Opens Scottish Centre". Edmonton Journal. November 30, 1970 – via newspapers.com. The centre, which bears the name Grant MacEwan Park, was opened during the St. Andrew's dinner and ball.
^"History of the Edmonton Scottish Society". edmontonscottishsociety.org. Edmonton Scottish Society. Archived from the original on January 24, 2011. Our fully "fixtured" soccer pavilion with four locker rooms and the six soccer fields attract hundreds of players each month during the soccer season.
^"Canada, Mexico, and the United States United Bid to Host the 2026 FIFA World Cup"(PDF). united2026.com. United 2026. March 2018. p. 273. This exceptional facility boasts six natural grass football-specific fields that are home to the elite Edmonton Scottish Soccer Club. Alongside these fields is a football pavilion with additional facilities for use.
^"Clubhouse". edmontonscottishsociety.org. Edmonton Scottish Society. Retrieved October 9, 2021. Development will begin soon on a new state of the art facility with 12 changing rooms, bar, restaurant and banquet hall.
^"Edmonton Scottish Society Phase II Building Development". edmontonscottishsociety.org. Edmonton Scottish Society. November 28, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021. Our vision for the structure is 3 levels, 24,000 sq feet of space with a new Society Hall, Lounge, Concessions, Change rooms, flex rooms, retail space, viewing decks, Members only room, and much more.
^Van Diest, Derek (January 15, 2019). "A packed Edmonton Soccer Dome receives sponsorship boost". Edmonton Sun – via edmontonsun.com. Hopefully, we break ground this year on Phase 2 and it'll be a multi-functioning area with 12 dressing rooms, a sports science room, a new banquet hall, a new bar and a concession. A proper world-class building to support a world-class facility.
^"Facility Information". scottishunited.com. Edmonton Scottish United Soccer Club. Retrieved October 16, 2021. The facility features several pitches, with the following dimensions and details (...) Field 2 (Hamish Black Field): 115 yards long x 80 yards wide
^"On-Site Amentities & Activities". summer.caledoniacup.com. Caledonia Cup. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021. A Beer Gardens and kid-friendly bar will be run by the Edmonton Scottish Society
^"Complete Guide for Game Day at Hamish Black Field". albertasportshall.ca. Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. June 28, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021. Temporary seating is being brought in to increase the capacity of the field to 1,612.
^Van Diest, Derek (August 24, 2018). "Largest indoor soccer facility in Canada set to open in Edmonton". Edmonton Journal – via edmontonjournal.com. The Edmonton Soccer Dome, the largest facility of its kind in Canada, is set to open in a month, altering the sports landscape in the region.
^Ellerslie Boot Boys AMSL Championship. youtube.com. Alberta Soccer. August 13, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2021. 35 Years ago, Alberta Soccer Life Member Bill Gillespie handing over yet another AMSL Championship Trophy to Captain Jimmy Johnstone of the Ellerslie Boot Boys at the Edmonton Scottish Football Club
^"SIDE KICKS". Edmonton Journal. May 1, 1961 – via newspapers.com. Edmonton Scottish and Victoria F.C. continue a three-year battle Tuesday at 8 at Clarke when they tangle in the next scheduled game ... Each have won the Dragoon Cup from each other over the past two seasons, with the Scots the present holders ...
^"Old Rivals Meet Again". Edmonton Journal. May 16, 1962 – via newspapers.com. The Alberta Soccer League's second game of the season will feature Edmonton Scottish and Victoria F.C. tonight at 8 at Clarke Stadium. The two teams have met three successive years — excepting last year — in the Dragoon Cup Finals.
^"Scottish in form". Edmonton Journal. June 25, 1973 – via newspapers.com. Defending Alberta champion Edmonton Scottish buried arch-rival Ital-Canadians 7-2 Sunday at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton District Soccer Association play.
^"Itals close in on arch-rivals". Edmonton Journal. June 23, 1975 – via newspapers.com. Ital Canadians blasted defending national senior champion Calgary Springers 4-0 Sunday to move within two points of arch-rival Edmonton Scottish in the race for top spot in the Alberta Major Soccer League.
^"Clan MacNaughton". clanmacnaughton.ca. Clan MacNaughton. Archived from the original on October 22, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
^"Scottish Major League Men". scottishunited.com. Edmonton Scottish United Soccer Club. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. We are grateful for the generosity of our sponsor, Antrim Construction Ltd.
^"Edmonton Scottish Soccer Club". sponsorcircle.com. Sponsor Circle. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021. Having previously partnered with local businesses in Edmonton, we are ideally looking for a provincial or national corporation that will work hand-in-hand with us to build our brands within their target audience.
^Kornik, Slav (August 23, 2020). "Former FC Edmonton captain passes away after battle with cancer". Global News – via globalnews.ca. FC Edmonton said the first captain in its history has died. The club posted on social media Sunday that Chris Kooy lost his battle with cancer.
^"Christopher Kooy – Obituary". remembering.ca. Edmonton Journal. September 9, 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. It is with great sadness that the family of Christopher John Kooy announce his passing on August 21, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, after a courageous battle with colon cancer.
^"Men - Edmonton Scottish". amsl.albertasoccer.com. Alberta Major Soccer League. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
^"Club Profile - Scottish United Soccer Club". aysl.albertasoccer.com. Alberta Youth Soccer League. Retrieved October 17, 2021. Edmonton Scottish United Soccer Club, founded in 2004 (...).
^"Alberta Youth Soccer League". calgaryrangers.com. Calgary Rangers Soccer Club and Sports Association. Retrieved October 17, 2021. For the 2021 soccer season, the following licensed clubs will form the Alberta Youth Soccer League (AYSL) (...) Edmonton Scottish
^"Edmonton Minor Soccer Association - EMSA". facebook.com. Edmonton Minor Soccer Association. February 27, 2020. EMSA is welcoming two new members! Please join us in welcoming the Edmonton Scottish United SC, and the St. Albert Soccer Association!
^AYSL Club Profiles - Scottish United. youtube.com. Alberta Soccer. May 10, 2022. Event occurs at 1:22. Retrieved June 10, 2022. We're proud, certainly to have the largest female representation in soccer in the Greater Edmonton Area; 40% or more of the female teams playing in this area reside in this club.
^"Canada Soccer National Youth Club Licence"(PDF). canadasoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. July 2020. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2022. The Canada Soccer National Youth Club Licence recognizes the highest achieving organizations from across Canada and rewards them with the Canada Soccer Approved Youth Soccer Club endorsement and associated MLS Home Grown Player benefits.
^"EDSA Rules and Regulations"(PDF). edsa.org. Edmonton and District Soccer Association. p. 9. Retrieved October 17, 2021. Individuals must have attained the full age of 16 years to participate in the EDSA program. As per ASA rules, there is no minimum age for players participating in the Alberta Major Soccer League.
^Jacques, John (March 5, 2022). "Duarte Hoping To Turn Pro With FC Edmonton". Northern Tribune – via northerntribune.ca. There's a significant number of youngsters present at camp, ranging from local Edmonton Scottish United talent to the likes of (...) .
^Phillips, Quinn (April 28, 2020). "With no sports, is there concern for athlete development?". globalnews.ca. Global News. With the COVID-19 pandemic putting an end to all sports worldwide, local clubs are trying to keep young athletes active and engaged through online programming (...) The Edmonton Scottish Soccer Club is doing much of the same with live sessions for soccer players of all ages.
^"About Us". fitba.tv. Archived from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021. Fitba.TV is a proud partner of the Edmonton Scottish United Soccer Club, and is committed to providing live streaming of youth and adult soccer matches in Alberta.
^Salazar, Simon; Hawksworth, Jeannie (February 11, 2020). "CFN Media & Alberta Major Soccer League Collaboration". Canada Footy News Media (Press release). Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2021 – via canadafootynews.com. CFN Media has committed to provide the AMSL coverage of live matches, match highlights, player spotlights, and sponsorship support for the organization and all of the clubs within.
^"The Bennett Shield". canadiansoccerhistory.com. Canadian Soccer History. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
^"The Campbell Cup". canadiansoccerhistory.com. Canadian Soccer History. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
^"ALBERTA MAJOR SOCCER LEAGUE". Edmonton Journal. September 3, 2003 – via newspapers.com. Results from the Challenge Cup and Jubilee Shield Championships, Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 at Calgary.
^"2004 TELUS PROVINCIAL HONOUR ROLL". Edmonton Journal. September 8, 2004 – via newspapers.com. Final Standings for the Senior Soccer Provincials held in Edmonton, Sept. 3-6.
^"2006 SENIOR PROVINCIAL HONOUR ROLL". Edmonton Journal. September 7, 2006 – via newspapers.com. Results from the 2006 Senior Provincial Championships, held September 1–4 at various locations throughout Alberta.
^"SENIOR OUTDOOR PROVINCIAL SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS". Edmonton Journal. September 6, 2007 – via newspapers.com. Final standings from the 2007 Alberta Senior Outdoor Provincial Soccer Championships held Aug. 31-Sept. 3 in Edmonton.
^"Canada Soccer cancels 2021 National Championships due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic". canadasoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. July 9, 2021. Canada Soccer's Toyota National Championships, which include the U-15 Cup, U-17 Cup, Jubilee and Challenge Trophy, as well as the Eastern and Western Masters competitions, have been cancelled for 2021 in respect of the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic related to participant health and safety.
^"Edmonton Green & Gold Wins 2022 Alberta Cup Men's Provincial Championship". canadasoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022. Edmonton Green & Gold won their third men's Alberta Cup provincial championship on Monday 5 September with a 2:1 victory over Edmonton Scottish SC.