In terms of football Edinburgh can be a funny place and likewise perceptions of it as a football city.
Essentially there are two teams – Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian.
Both these clubs pre-date the Glasgow giants in terms of foundation and in the case of Hibernian they were an Irish immigrant Catholic club that played in green and white hoops long before Celtic ever thought of it.
Still however there are some outsiders who seem to think Edinburgh prefers the sport of Rugby but the perceptions are false.
Edinburgh in truth is a very big football city with grassroots support for both of the major clubs running into the thousands. Like anywhere its a generational thing with loyalties to maroon or green running deep through families and friend groups.
What is less known is that Edinburgh has a tradition of ‘other’ teams one of them being Meadowbank Thistle.
Meadowbank Thistle
As the welcome gates were opened Tynecastle Park in celebration of the new Hearts stand, so the shutters finally came down on another Edinburgh footballing institution.
Football had been played on the site of Meadowbank since the 1930’s.
Old Meadowbank was a multi-purpose sports facility located in the Meadowbank area of Edinburgh and had been used as a football stadium by another local side Leith Athletic since the 1930’s.
The end for ‘Old Meadowbank’ came in 1966 when Edinburgh was named as host city for the 1970 Commonwealth Games. Plans were then put in place to create a suitable venue for the international sporting extravaganza.
Work began on the new Meadowbank Stadium in 1967 and this was completed three years later at a total cost of £2.8 m. It was officially opened on May 2nd, 1970 – just over a month before that year’s Commonwealth games kicked off.
With the demise of Leith Athletic another football club appeared at Meadowbank Stadium in 1974 although this largely came thanks to the demise of another club Third Lanark FC.
After beating off competition from Hawick Royal Albert, a number of Highland League clubs and Gateshead United, Ferranti Thistle were accepted into the Scottish league system by a vote of 21–16 over nearest challengers Inverness Thistle.
The club initially faced a number of obstacles before they could join the third tier Scottish Division.
The club name did not meet stringent Scottish Football league rules on the sponsorship of teams given its affiliation to Ferranti. Meanwhile, the City Ground stadium they used and located in the North of the city was not up to the standard of league football.
To resolve these issues Edinburgh City Council offered the club use of Meadowbank Stadium. Then after the local newspaper campaigned to find a name for the club, the name Meadowbank Thistle was chosen and approved.
Meadowbank Thistle quickly forged a competitive squad for a number of years only to eventually struggle by the time the late 1980’s arrived. Despite running close several times to promotion to the top tier the club never managed to reach the pinnacle of the Scottish Premier League.
The 1980’s turned out to be the pivotal time for the club.
League reconstruction was in planning and by 1995 Meadowbank Thistle found themselves at their lowest ever position in the league when they were relegated to the Third Tier with huge debts.
Eventually Meadowbank Thistle disappeared and the club name was changed to Livingston. The club were relocated to the West Lothian town of the same name.
However, the demise of Meadowbank Thistle would not be the last football was played at the stadium.
Non-league side Edinburgh City moved in a year later on a pathway that would eventually see them win a place in League Two while still playing at Meadowbank Stadium.
Built for around £3m between 1967 and 1970 the ageing Meadowbank Stadium is set to be replaced by a £41 m complex which is due to open in 2020.
The site will be a multi-sport arena hosting both indoor and outdoor sports. Although crowds remain sparse football watchers in the city remain hopeful that Edinburgh City will be able to play football at the new Meadowbank Arena site come 2020.
The sad day came in late November 2017 when the old venue closed its doors for the last time.
Boasting a seating capacity of 5,000 with uncovered and somewhat crumbling terracing to the east and west, it had long since past its suitability for football. Other local clubs meanwhile was in dire need of a more modern community sports venue given the demand on other venues across the city.
Despite attracting rock bands, festivals and yearly marathon events, Meadowbank Stadium was simply a relic in need of renovation.
This photo set is dedicated to Meadowbank Stadium, one of Edinburgh’s most iconic football and sporting venues which will soon disappear.
*A new stadium was opened in 2021 and is currently used for SPFL League 1 football.
