Airdrieonians

Owen Coyle came through at Airdrie before Bolton and a management career made his name elsewhere, one line in a roster of players the club produced rather than kept: Hughie Gallacher went on to lead the line for Newcastle and Chelsea and to win caps for Scotland in the 1920s, Tam McManus made his name at Hibernian. The one who stayed longest, John Martin, played 769 games in Airdrieonians colours, a club record that says more about the place than any transfer fee moving the other way.

The name traces to 1878, when the club was founded as Excelsior; it became Airdrieonians three years later. That version of the club won the Scottish Cup once, in 1924, and lost three further finals, in 1975, 1992 and 1995. On 1 May 2002 it was wound up owing around £3 million. Jim Ballantine rebuilt it that year on the shell of a bought-out Clydebank, and the reborn side played as Airdrie United until June 2013, when it reclaimed the Airdrieonians name.

The red diamond on the shirt, the source of the nickname The Diamonds, dates to 1912 and survived the liquidation along with the name. Home colours stayed white with the diamond, away kit black. The club plays at the Excelsior Stadium, 10,101 seats, all covered, its sponsored name having changed more than once over the years. The closest rivalry runs through Coatbridge against Albion Rovers, the Monklands derby, with Motherwell and Hamilton Academical completing the wider Lanarkshire picture.

Recent seasons have moved in both directions: relegation in 2013, promotion back to the Championship via play-off in 2023 with a penalty win over Hamilton Academical, survival there in 2025 after beating Cove Rangers in another play-off, then relegation again in 2026, this time losing out to Alloa Athletic. A second Scottish Cup remains the one thing the reborn club has not managed to add to the four League One and Division Two titles already on the shelf.