Caledonian Braves F.C.
{{Short description|Scottish semi-professional football club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Caledonian Braves
| image = Caledonian_Braves_F.C.png
| image_size = 200px
| fullname = Caledonian Braves Football Club
| nickname = The Braves
| founded = 2011, as Edusport Academy
| ground = Alliance Park,
Strathclyde Country Park,
Motherwell
| capacity = 500 (100 seated)
| chrtitle = Managing Director
| chairman = Chris Ewing
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = Ricky Waddell
| league = {{Scottish football updater|CaledonB}}
| position = {{Scottish football updater|CaledonB3}}
| website = https://www.caledonianbraves.com/
| season = {{Scottish football updater|CaledonB2}}
| current = 2024–25 Caledonian Braves F.C. season
| kit_alt1 = White shirts, navy shorts, navy socks
| pattern_la1 =
| pattern_b1 = _vnecknavy
| pattern_ra1 = _calbraves2425h
| pattern_sh1 =
| pattern_so1 =
| pattern_so2 =
| leftarm1 = FFFFFF
| body1 = FFFFFF
| rightarm1 = FFFFFF
| shorts1 = 191E4B
| socks1 = FFFFFF
| pattern_la2 = _navyborder
| pattern_b2 = _vnecknavy
| pattern_ra2 = _navyborder
| pattern_sh2 = _navy_bottom
| leftarm2 = E3001B
| body2 = E3001B
| rightarm2 = E3001B
| shorts2 = E3001B
| socks2 = 191E4B
| body3 =
| leftarm3 =
| rightarm3 =
| shorts3 =
| socks3 =
| pattern_b3 =
| pattern_la3 =
| pattern_ra3 =
}}
Caledonian Braves Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football club based in North Lanarkshire. They are members of the Lowland Football League, in the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system.
The club originated from Edusport Academy, a residential youth academy for French footballers founded in 2011 and initially based at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, before relocating to Lesser Hampden in Glasgow in 2015. A second centre based in Edinburgh opened in 2014. From the 2014–15 season onwards, they fielded a team under the Edusport Academy name in Scottish senior football, the only private academy to do so in a recognised senior league. They initially played in the South of Scotland League before winning promotion to the Lowland League in 2017. As Edusport, the senior team played at the Hamilton Palace Sports Ground in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire (2014–2015) and Galabank in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway (2015–2019).
From 2018 onwards, the senior team began to operate separately from the academy after launching a membership scheme, Our Football Club. In 2019 they were rebranded as Caledonian Braves and opened their own Alliance Park ground within Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire.
History
=Academy=
The Edusport Academy was founded in 2011 by Chris Ewing with the aim of helping talented young French footballers to develop their skills in football and the English language, and gain opportunities with British professional clubs.{{cite news|last1=Mitchell|first1=Robert|title=Edusport academy hopes to make footballing stars in Ravenscraig|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/edusport-academy-hopes-make-footballing-2560608|accessdate=21 September 2015|work=Daily Record|date=9 November 2011}} Initially, the main training venues were the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, and the Hamilton Palace Sports Ground in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire,{{cite web|title=Football|url=http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/football.html|website=Edusport Academy|accessdate=21 September 2015}} with English classes taking place at New College Lanarkshire.{{cite web|title=Education|url=http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/education.html|website=Edusport Academy|accessdate=21 September 2015}} Edusport expanded in 2014, opening an Edinburgh centre with training at Ainslie Park and education at Edinburgh College.{{cite web|title=Edinburgh|url=http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/edinburgh.html|website=Edusport Academy|accessdate=21 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619001332/http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/edinburgh.html|archive-date=19 June 2015|url-status=dead}} In 2015, they decided to relocate from Motherwell to a new Glasgow base; the Academy now trains at Lesser Hampden with educational classes at City of Glasgow College.{{cite web|title=Edusport Academy evolves|url=http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/news/2015/07/academy.html|website=Edusport Academy|accessdate=21 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040432/http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/news/2015/07/academy.html|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
Four women were added to the Edusport Academy programme in 2015. They are based at the Edinburgh centre and will gain senior experience through a partnership with Spartans of the Scottish Women's Premier League.{{cite news|title=Spartans welcome French quartet to Ainslie Park|url=http://www.spartansfcwomen.com/spartans-welcome-french-quartet-to-ainslie-park/|accessdate=12 November 2015|publisher=Spartans F.C. Women|date=8 September 2015}}
=Senior football=
In June 2014, Edusport Academy successfully applied for membership of the semi-professional South of Scotland League in the sixth tier of the Scottish football league system,{{cite news|last1=Gillespie|first1=Stuart|title=St Cuthbert Wanderers boss welcomes new sides|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/st-cuthbert-wanderers-boss-welcomes-3649233|accessdate=21 September 2015|work=Daily Record|date=6 June 2014}} becoming the first private football academy in the world to operate a team in a FIFA-recognised senior league.{{cite web|title=South of Scotland League|url=http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/southofscotlandleague.html|website=Edusport Academy|accessdate=21 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511183052/http://www.edusportacademy.com/en/southofscotlandleague.html|archive-date=11 May 2015|url-status=dead}} They made further Scottish football history in a league match against Creetown in September 2014, when they first fielded a team composed entirely of French nationals. The senior team won two trophies in their first season, the South of Scotland League Cup and the Cree Lodge Cup.{{cite news|title=Wigtown unlucky in Cree Lodge cup final|url=http://www.gallowaygazette.co.uk/sport/local-sport/wigtown-unlucky-in-cree-lodge-cup-final-1-3790092|accessdate=21 September 2015|work=The Galloway Gazette|date=2 June 2015|location=Newton Stewart}} They applied to move up a level to the Lowland League in 2015, but their application was rejected.{{cite news|last1=Thomson|first1=Paul|title=Lowland League welcome Cumbernauld Colts for next season|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/lowland-league-welcome-cumbernauld-colts-5816197|accessdate=21 September 2015|work=Daily Record|date=3 June 2015}}
Edusport Academy won the 2016–17 South of Scotland League title to gain promotion to the Lowland League, the fifth tier of Scottish football. In February 2018, Ewing announced plans to separate the senior team from the academy and attract a fanbase by launching a new online membership scheme, Our Football Club. Members will have voting and decision-making powers, including a say on choosing a new name, crest and colours for the team. They will be able to recommend potential signings, but will have no say on team selection. Ewing stated at the launch of the project that his aim was to reach the Scottish Premiership by 2025.{{cite news|title=Edusport Academy eyes Premiership place by 2025 under web-based fan membership|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42958694|accessdate=7 February 2018|work=BBC Sport|date=7 February 2018}}
At the start of the 2019–20 season Edusport Academy rebranded the club as the Caledonian Braves following a vote online by members of the Our Football Club.com project.{{Cite web|title=Caledonian Braves – NLL Latest News – NL Leisure|url=https://www.nlleisure.co.uk/news/caledonian-braves|last=Marketing|website=www.nlleisure.co.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-07-27}} {{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://ourfootballclub.com/|website=Our Football Club|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-07-27}}
In the first few seasons as a senior club, the Braves found moderate success in the Lowland League, finishing between 8th and 12th place from the curtailed 2019-20 season up until the 2022-23 season.
Despite mid-table finishes, the team twice held the record for biggest home wins in the league, defeating Vale of Leithen 9-0 in the 2020-21 season, and defeating Dalbeattie Star 10-0 in the 2022-23 season.
The club won the Southern Counties Challenge Cup in 2023, defeating Dalbeattie Star 3-1 in the final held at Galabank. They reached the final the previous year but were defeated 3-2 by the same opposition.
The Braves also proved to be a force in the South Challenge Cup, reaching the Round of 16 of the 2021-22 competition, where they were defeated 3-1 by eventual champions Auchinleck Talbot, and reaching the semi-finals in 2022-23, losing 2-1 to eventual champions The Spartans.
Stadium
File:Galabank - geograph.org.uk - 1221445.jpg
For the first season, South of Scotland League home matches were played at the Hamilton Palace Sports Ground in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. From 2015 onwards, the team groundshared with Annan Athletic at their Galabank stadium in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway.{{cite news|last1=Rutherford|first1=Nichola|last2=Rinaldi|first2=Giancarlo|title=South of Scotland Live|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-south-scotland-33694828|accessdate=20 September 2015|work=BBC News|date=29 July 2015}} From the start of the 2019–20 Lowland League season, the team play at Alliance Park, their own purpose-built facility at Bothwellhaugh in Strathclyde Country Park near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballgroundmap.com/ground/alliance-park/edusport|title=Alliance Park, home to Edusport Academy – Football Ground Map|website=www.footballgroundmap.com|access-date=2019-06-29}} The name of the ground, which was voted for by more than 90% of Our Football Club members, was chosen to reflect the unity between the French and Scottish elements of the club.{{cite news |title=Our new home! |url=https://ourfootballclub.com/2019/05/ |accessdate=30 June 2019 |work=Our Football Club |date=29 May 2019}}
Current squad
As of 14 March 2025{{Cite news|url=https://www.caledonianbraves.com/squads/first-team|title=The Team|work=Caledonian Braves|access-date=2020-07-25|language=en-GB}}
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|nat=USA|pos=GK|name=Bernie White|other=|no=1}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Jack Brown|other=|no=2}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Robbie Stewart|other=|no=3}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Greig Stewart|other=|no=4}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=John Guthrie|other=team captain|no=5}}
{{Fs player|nat=NGA|pos=DF|name=Daniel Martins|other=|no=6}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Zac Butterworth|other=|no=7}}
{{Fs player|nat=GRE|pos=MF|name=Kristian Gkegka|other=|no=8}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=Ross McNeil|other=club captain|no=9}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Connor McLaren|other=|no=10}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Cameron Breadner|other=|no=11}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Jack McDowall|other=|no=12}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Ryan Murray|other=|no=14}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Aiden Clocherty|other=|no=15}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Leo McCartney|other=|no=16}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=Reg McLaren|other=|no=17}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=Josh Gemmell|other=|no=18}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Kian Speirs|other=|no=19}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Lennon Walker|other=|no=20}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Enzo Wright|other=|no=21}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Martin McArthur|other=|no=22}}
{{Fs player|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=Kyle King|other=|no=75}}
{{Fs end}}
Club Staff
As of 10 August 2024{{Cite news|title=Staff {{!}} Caledonian Braves|language=en|work=Caledonian Braves Football Club|url=https://www.caledonianbraves.com/squads/staff|access-date=2020-08-02}}
| class="wikitable" | |
| Position
! Name | |
|---|---|
| Managing Director | Chris Ewing |
| Head Coach | Ricky Waddell |
| Assistant Coaches | Dorian Ogunro, Cole Starrs |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Ross Paterson |
| Head Physio | Leanne Glately |
Season-by-season records
| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2"|Season !rowspan="2"|Division !rowspan="2"|Tier !colspan="7"|League !rowspan="2"|Scottish Cup |
| Finish
! Played ! Wins ! Draws ! Losses ! GD ! Points |
|---|
| colspan="12" align="center" bgcolor="navy" | Edusport Academy |
| style="text-align:center;" |2014–15
| style="text-align:center;" |South of Scotland League | style="text-align:center;" |6 | style="text-align:center;" |5th | style="text-align:center;" |26 | style="text-align:center;" |15 | style="text-align:center;" |2 | style="text-align:center;" |9 | style="text-align:center;" | +42 | style="text-align:center;" |47 | style="text-align:center;" |Did not compete |
| style="text-align:center;" |2015–16
| style="text-align:center;" |South of Scotland League | style="text-align:center;" |6 | style="text-align:center;" |2nd | style="text-align:center;" |26 | style="text-align:center;" |20 | style="text-align:center;" |3 | style="text-align:center;" |3 | style="text-align:center;" | +74 | style="text-align:center;" |63 | style="text-align:center;" |Did not compete |
| style="text-align:center;" |2016–17
| style="text-align:center;" |South of Scotland League | style="text-align:center;" |6 | style="text-align:center;background-color:gold" |1st | style="text-align:center;" |26 | style="text-align:center;" |22 | style="text-align:center;" |2 | style="text-align:center;" |2 | style="text-align:center;" | +60 | style="text-align:center;" |68 | style="text-align:center;" |Preliminary Round 1, losing to Colville Park |
| style="text-align:center;"|2017–18
|style="text-align:center;"|Lowland League |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|10th |style="text-align:center;"|30 |style="text-align:center;"|9 |style="text-align:center;"|7 |style="text-align:center;"|14 |style="text-align:center;" |
| 3
|style="text-align:center;"|34 |style="text-align:center;"|2nd Round, losing to Elgin City |
| style="text-align:center;"|2018–19
|style="text-align:center;"|Lowland League |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|9th |style="text-align:center;"|28 |style="text-align:center;"|9 |style="text-align:center;"|6 |style="text-align:center;"|13 |style="text-align:center;" |
| 9
|style="text-align:center;"|33 |style="text-align:center;"|2nd Round, losing to Fraserburgh |
| colspan="12" align="center" bgcolor="navy" | Caledonian Braves |
| style="text-align:center;"|2019–20
|style="text-align:center;"|Lowland League |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|8th† |style="text-align:center;"|26 |style="text-align:center;"|11 |style="text-align:center;"|3 |style="text-align:center;"|12 |style="text-align:center;"|+2 |style="text-align:center;"|36 |
| style="text-align:center;"|2020–21
|style="text-align:center;"|Lowland League |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|12th† |style="text-align:center;"|14 |style="text-align:center;"|4 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|9 |style="text-align:center;" |
| 6
|style="text-align:center;"|13 |style="text-align:center;"|1st Round, losing to Edinburgh City |
| style="text-align:center;"|2021–22
|style="text-align:center;"|Lowland League |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|9th |style="text-align:center;"|34 |style="text-align:center;"|15 |style="text-align:center;"|8 |style="text-align:center;"|11 |style="text-align:center;"|+19 |style="text-align:center;"|53 |style="text-align:center;"|1st Round, losing to University of Stirling |
| style="text-align:center;"|2022–23
|style="text-align:center;"|Lowland League |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|10th |style="text-align:center;"|36 |style="text-align:center;"|15 |style="text-align:center;"|6 |style="text-align:center;"|15 |style="text-align:center;"|+12 |style="text-align:center;"|51 |style="text-align:center;"|2nd Round, losing to East Kilbride |
| style="text-align:center;"|2023–24
|style="text-align:center;"|Lowland League |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|12th |style="text-align:center;"|34 |style="text-align:center;"|12 |style="text-align:center;"|9 |style="text-align:center;"|13 |style="text-align:center;"|+4 |style="text-align:center;"|45 |style="text-align:center;"|1st Round, losing to Fraserburgh |
† Season curtailed due to coronavirus pandemic
Honours
- Southern Counties Challenge Cup:
- Winners: 2022–23, 2023–24
- Finalists: 2021–22
- South of Scotland League
- Winners: 2016–17
- South of Scotland League Cup
- Winners (2): 2014–15, 2015–16
- Cree Lodge Cup
- Winners: 2014–15
- Haig Gordon Cup
- Winners: 2018–19
- Tweedie Cup
- Winners: 2015–16
Affiliated club(s)
- {{flagicon|IND}} Travancore Royals FC (2021– )
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.caledonianbraves.com}}
- [http://www.edusportacademy.com Edusport Academy website]
{{coord|55.800431|-4.048498|region:GB|display=title}}
{{Lowland League}}
Category:South of Scotland Football League teams
Category:Football clubs in Dumfries and Galloway
Category:Football in North Lanarkshire
Category:2011 establishments in Scotland