Preston Athletic
Full namePreston Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)The Panners
Founded1945 (1945)
GroundPennypit Park, Prestonpans
Capacity1,500 (313 seated)
ChairmanDonald Reid
ManagerPaul Currie
LeagueEast of Scotland League First Division
2022–23East of Scotland League First Division, 9th of 16
WebsiteClub website

Preston Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Prestonpans, East Lothian. The club are nicknamed the Panners and play their home matches at Pennypit Park. The team play in dark blue.[1]

They were founding members of the Lowland Football League in 2013, but after being relegated in 2017 now play in the East of Scotland League First Division.[2]

History

Founded in 1945, they were originally a junior club and only entered the senior ranks in 1994 when they joined the East of Scotland Football League. As a full member of the Scottish Football Association, Preston are automatically eligible to enter the Scottish Cup. They first qualified for the competition proper in 2002–03, losing 1–0 at home to Hamilton Academical in the first round.[3]

The club applied unsuccessfully to join the Scottish Football League in 2000 and 2002. In 2008 Preston Athletic were one of five clubs to prepare an application for entry into the Scottish Football League following Gretna relinquishing their league status, however they were again unsuccessful after losing out to Annan Athletic.[4]

At the end of the 2016–17 season Preston Athletic were relegated to the East of Scotland League, having spent four seasons in the Lowland League.[5]

Honours

East of Scotland Football League First Division[3]

  • Winners: 2001–02
  • Runners-up (2): 1994–95, 2011–12

King Cup

  • Runners-up: 2017–18

Alex Jack Cup

  • Winners: 1994–95

Notable players and coaches

The first professional coach of Preston Athletic was Paddy Buckley,[3] a former Aberdeen and Scotland striker[6] whose son, Paddy Junior went on from Preston Athletic to play for Third Lanark, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rotherham United and Sheffield United.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Preston Athletic". Non League Scotland. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "East of Scotland Football Association & League". East of Scotland Football Association & League. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "History". Preston Athletic. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Annan voted into Scottish league". BBC News. 3 July 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  5. ↑ Cameron Ritchie (29 April 2017). "New Preston Athletic bosses ready to get team on the up after difficult season". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Paddy Buckley". Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "Buckley, Patrick McCabe". Wolves Complete History. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
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