Aberdeen F.C. Reserves and Academy

In addition to their first team competing in the Scottish Premiership, Aberdeen F.C. also maintain further teams for younger age groups playing in competitions such as the Scottish Challenge Cup and the Scottish Youth Cup within the club's academy.

Aberdeen Reserves
Full nameAberdeen Football Club Reserve Squad
GroundVarious, primarily
Balmoral Stadium, Cove Bay
ChairmanDave Cormack
Head CoachPaul Sheerin
LeagueSPFL Reserve League (withdrew)
2018–199th
WebsiteClub website

Competitions

Reserves

In the early 1950s, reserve teams were incorporated into the third tier of the senior Scottish Football League, with Aberdeen 'A' taking part for six seasons of the arrangement.[1][2][3] Aberdeen fielded a team for many years in various separate reserve competitions culminating in the Scottish Premier Reserve League, which was abandoned in 2009.

In July 2018, it was reported that reserve leagues would be reintroduced in lieu of the development leagues that had been in place since 2009 (below). The top tier of the new SPFL Reserve League featured 18 clubs, whilst a second-tier reserve League comprised nine clubs. Other than a minimum age of 16, no age restrictions applied to the leagues.[4] Aberdeen intimated at the end of its first season (2018–19) that they would withdraw from the Reserve League to play a variety of challenge matches,[5] several others did likewise.[6] They later entered a small league (under-21 plus three overage) along with three other Scottish clubs and Brentford and Huddersfield Town from the English leagues.[7]

Youths

Prior to the introduction of the Scottish Premier League in 1998, the Under-20s previously competed in the youth league administered by the Scottish Football League. An under-20 side then took part in the SPFL Development League until it was disbanded in 2018. They won the last edition of the SFL competition and the first under the SPL, but they only won it once more (in 2014–15).

From 2015 onwards it has been possible for the Aberdeen Academy to participate in the UEFA Youth League by the under-17/under-18 side winning the previous season's league at that age group; however this has not yet been achieved.

For the 2016-17 edition of the Scottish Challenge Cup, under-20 teams (later under-21) of clubs in the Premiership were granted entry to compete against adult teams for the first time in the modern era. Aberdeen U20 won their opening round against Formartine United of the Highland League but lost in the next round to Forfar Athletic of the fourth tier.

Facilities

As of 2019, the reserves do not have a constant home ground. Their fixtures are normally played at lower league stadia outwith Aberdeen, either at Glebe Park in Brechin, Balmoor Stadium in Peterhead or Station Park in Forfar – although occasionally matches are played at Pittodrie Stadium. In the 2018–19 season, their nominated ground was the recently completed Balmoral Stadium, home of Cove Rangers.[8]

In the event that the long-awaited New Aberdeen Stadium is completed, the youth training facilities would certainly move to that location and some of the Reserve League fixtures may also take place there.

Academy background

Aberdeen's geographical isolation from much of Scotland's population is an advantage to the Dons' player recruitment to some extent, as they are the only major club in a region of over 500,000 people so generally have the pick of the promising youngsters in the city and shire. The relative economic power of the club also means that players from the Central Belt are frequently persuaded to move north, and over the decades many of Aberdeen's successful youth products (not least Willie Miller, McLeish, Black, Leighton, McMaster and later Joe Miller, Phil McGuire, Diamond and Chris Maguire) have moved from the west of Scotland to begin their professional careers.[9] In the 21st century Aberdeen have also looked further afield to the English lower leagues for academy recruits as well as senior players.

In 2017, the Aberdeen academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of Project Brave, an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case.[10][11]

The Reserves head coach is Paul Sheerin, and the head of the youth academy is Neil Simpson.

U20 Development squad
As of 10 June 2020[12][13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
21 FW  SCO Bruce Anderson
23 MF  SCO Ethan Ross
24 MF  SCO Dean Campbell
26 MF  FIN Miko Virtanen
27 MF  SCO Mark Gallagher
28 FW  SCO Michael Ruth
29 DF  SCO Jack MacKenzie
30 GK  SCO Tom Ritchie
31 MF  SCO Connor Barron
No. Pos. Nation Player
34 MF  SCO Kevin Hanratty
38 DF  IRL Luke Turner
42 FW  NGA Michael Dangana
44 DF  SCO Calvin Ramsay
— GK  SCO Kyle Leiper
— DF  SCO Lyall Booth
— DF  IRL Connor Power
— MF  SCO Max Berry
— MF  SCO Tyler Mykyta

Honours

Reserves

Youth

Notes
  1. Includes the Scottish Reserve League 1945–1949, the Scottish (Reserve) League 1955–1975, the Scottish Reserve League 1975–1998 and the Scottish Premier Reserve League 2004–2009. Any wins in the Scottish Football Alliance (1918–1939) or the SFL Division C (1949–1955) are listed separately. Any wins in the SPL Under-21 league (1998–2004) are listed in the Youth section.
  2. Since 1998; previously known as the Scottish Premier Under-18/Under-19/Under-20 League and SPFL Under-20 League.
  3. 1993–2003. Became competition for lower division clubs after introduction of Scottish Premier League in 1998.

Former reserve/youth team players

This list focuses on the players who have graduated through Aberdeen's academy since the inception of the SPL in 1998. many other of Aberdeen's earlier notable players, including most of the highly successful Alex Ferguson era also came through the youth system. Players currently at Aberdeen in bold

References
  1. Scottish Football League C Division overview, Scottish Football Historical Archive
  2. Scotland - Final Tables Third Level 1924-2004, RSSSF
  3. Aberdeen Reserves, Football Club History Database
  4. "SPFL reintroduces reserve leagues after nine-year absence". BBC Sport. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  5. Aberdeen become third club to quit SPFL Reserve League in fresh blow to competition, Daily Record, 12 June 2019
  6. Jack, Christopher (1 May 2019). "Rangers and Celtic set to quit SPFL Reserve League in a bid to boost Academy teams". The Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  7. Celtic and Rangers join new cross-border reserve competition along with Aberdeen and Hibs, Daily Record, 16 September 2019
  8. "SPFL Reserve League fixtures" (PDF). SPFL. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  9. Clark, Graham (30 July 1987). "One that got away". Evening Times. p. 2. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  10. "Project Brave: Scottish FA confirms eight-club academy elite". BBC Sport. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  11. "SFA confirms Project Brave academy placings". The Scotsman. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  12. "The Official Website of Aberdeen Football Club - U20s Squad 17-18". Archived from the original on 2016-12-18. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
  13. AFC Heritage - 2020-21 Youth Squad
  14. Senior competition winners, Scottish Football Historical Archive
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