While much of the attention is paid to Scottish football in Glasgow, people often forget the football teams in Edinburgh.
For football fans who consider themselves ground-hopping enthusiasts, Edinburgh is one of the most historic cities in which to watch football.
Edinburgh is not only the home of Scottish Premiership giants such as Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian, but it also has plenty of lower-league stadiums and clubs with rich histories to visit.
Read on to find out more about the football teams in Edinburgh, including Hearts and Hibernian, ostensibly two of the most successful teams in the city.
A map of football teams in Edinburgh
Contents
The map below shows all the football teams in Edinburg.
A guide to football teams in Edinburgh
The following is a comprehensive guide for each of the football teams in Edinburg, Scotland below.
1. Hearts
- Location: Gorgie, Edinburgh
- Stadium: Tynecastle Park
- Capacity: 19,852
Dating back to the 19th century, this is the oldest stadium out of all the football teams in Edinburgh and is one of the most recognisable venues in Scottish football. With a capacity of nearly 20,000, Tynecastle Park is located in the west of Edinburgh and is renowned for its hostile atmosphere in big games against city rivals Hibernian and the two Glasgow clubs.
Hearts have been extremely successful on the pitch historically, sitting only behind Celtic, Rangers, and Aberdeen in terms of major trophies. In their 150-year history, Hearts have won four Scottish League titles, eight Scottish Cups, and four Scottish League Cups. This includes the 1960 League and Cup double under the guidance of legendary manager Tommy Walker.
On the occasions that Hearts reach the group stages of a European competition, Tynecastle Park is a special place to visit. Their most recent European campaign was last year’s Europa Conference League, where they played Fiorentina, İstanbul Başakşehir, and FK RFS.
The combination of history, atmosphere, domestic success, and a modern stadium means that Tynecastle Park is a must for groundhoppers visiting Edinburgh.
2. Hibernian
- Location: 12 Albion Place, Edinburgh EH7 5QG
- Stadium: Easter Road
- Capacity: 20,421
Located in the north-east of the Scottish capital, Easter Road has been the home of Hibernian since 1893. Not only does Easter Park host every Hibernian match, but it has also hosted Scottish League Cup semi-finals and rugby matches in the past.
Hibernian’s most successful period was in the late 1940s and early 1950s when they won the Scottish League title on three occasions.
Legendary players such as Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull, and Willie Ormond spearheaded the club to three titles in five seasons. These five have been dubbed ‘The Famous Five’, and the North Stand was renamed after these five players in 1955 during its rebuild.
As well as this, Hibernian reached the semi-finals of the first European Cup in the 1955/56 campaign, becoming the first British team to achieve this feat.
Hibernian are an iconic football club with a rich history. Ester Road, which is their home ground, boast a capacity of over 20,000, making it the biggest stadium out of all the football teams in Edinburgh. If you visit the Scottish capital, then make a trip to either Tynecastle Park or Easter Road a priority.
3. Edinburgh City F.C.
- Location: 94 Pilton Drive, Edinburgh EH5 2HF
- Stadium: Meadowbank Stadium
- Capacity: 3,000 (Seats 504)
Edinburgh City originally dissolved in the 1950s and reformed officially as Edinburgh City F.C. back in 1986. Since then, they have found some stability and currently occupy the third division of Scottish football.
Between 2017 and 2022, the club groundshared with Spartans at Ainslie Park, while redevelopment work was completed at their home ground, Meadowbank Stadium. Eventually, in July 2022, Edinburgh City F.C. returned to their home stadium, which now has a 500-seater stand and a 4G pitch, a popular playing surface for teams in the lower leagues of Scottish football.
4. Spartans F.C.
Location: Pilton Drive, Edinburgh
Stadium: Ainslie Park Stadium
Capacity: 3,612 (Seats 534)
Ainslie Park has been the home of Scottish League Two side Spartans F.C. since 2008. In addition, it is the home stadium for the Spartans Women’s team, who play in the top tier of Scottish football. Ainslie Park has been the home stadium of Hibernian Women in the past and, as mentioned above, was Edinburgh City F.C.’s ground for five years.
Today's @spfl 2 match v @ElginCityFC saw both sides show their support for the @SRtRCScotland awareness campaign that is running across the weekend. pic.twitter.com/uWuMXIv47l
— The Spartans FC (@SpartansFC) October 19, 2024
The record attendance is 3,127, which was in July 2011 when Manchester United played a pre-season friendly against Spartans.
The surface is also artificial, like Meadowbank Stadium, with a single stand that accommodates over 500 spectators. It is also worth noting that the ground is less than 5 kilometres from the two main train stations (Waverley and Haymarket), so it is easily accessible for first-time supporters looking to sample one of the football teams in Edinburgh.
5. Edinburgh United
- Location: Katesmill Road, Edinburgh
- Stadium: Paties Road Stadium
- Capacity: 2,500 (Seats 200)
Paties Road Stadium is located southwest of Edinburgh and can hold 2,500 spectators, including a 200-seater stand. Edinburgh United are the primary tenant on this ground, and it plays in the East of Scotland League Second Division.
The Edinburgh club moved from Scotland's ‘junior leagues’ in 2018. Although it may sound like a reference to age, the junior leagues in Scotland can be equated to non-league football in England. For Edinburgh United matches, the average attendance ranges from 100 to 300. If you're looking for Edinburgh football teams to watch and you’re a fan of the lower leagues, you should visit Paties Road Stadium.
A huge week for South as we welcome Kirkcaldy & Dysart to Saughton Enclosure for the Alex Jack Cup Semi Final!
An exciting opportunity to progress to our first ever cup final where the winner will face either Oakley or Whitburn.
We’ll also be welcoming our 2014s as mascots! pic.twitter.com/w5q1tu7dE7
— Edinburgh South FC (@Edinsouthfc) October 22, 2024