Spartans FC Youth
Spartans FC Youth is where North Edinburgh's kids learn to play and love football. From their first kick at age 3 through to 11-a-side football and beyond, every player follows a clear, structured pathway, coached by people who put their development first.
The Spartans Way
The welfare of the child comes first.
Our aim is to provide the opportunity for children and young people to play football in a safe environment, and to be treated as such - not as small adults.
Children should be given a fair chance to participate, compete and win. As a club we will constantly seek to stretch and challenge the abilities of the players with the aim of developing them to play football at the highest level. Players are expected to be punctual, have good standards of behaviour and be ready to listen, learn and practise.
Participation at all times is encouraged with an emphasis on skill development, athleticism and the development of the child socially as well as in a sporting context. Our aim is for players to learn life skills and strong values for later life. A win at all costs attitude is discouraged - competition is encouraged but not to the detriment of the development of skill, speed, stamina, strength and suppleness.
Player Pathway
We work in Partnership with the Scottish Youth FA to follow the Player Pathway which takes a player-centred approach to developing the football potential of a young child.
The pathway is progressive, coherent and challenging. At Spartans FC Youth we follow the pathway carefully and don’t fast forward or miss out on any of the development stages.
Our boys squads play Fun 4s at U8, Super 5s at U9, Soccer Sevens at U10 & U11 and 9-aside at U12. From U13 and up our squads move to 11-a-side games and we have teams at each age group: U13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 19.
Our girls section operates with regional teams from ages U8s to U18s, and an SFA NextGen development league at U13, U15 & U17.
Our ultimate aim is to produce players for our Adult teams and beyond.
development squad
For a small number of identified players, the Adult Section and Youth Section jointly run Development Squads. Players are nominated by their Head Coach to receive one additional professional coaching session a week at Ainslie Park, on top of normal training with their age group. Participants are reviewed regularly, and exceptional players may occasionally be invited to train or play up with the age group above their own.
Development football is an additional route for talented youth players toward the highest level of adult football, within the club and beyond. For more information, contact stuart.gray@spartansfcyouth.com.
our leaders
Our History
- 1951 — Spartans Football Club is founded by two former Edinburgh University players, Elliot Wardlaw and Jimmy Beaumont.
- 1976 — Spartans becomes a full member of the Scottish Football Association and moves into City Park, as tenants of Edinburgh City Council.
- 1996 — Flora's Soccer School kicks its first ball in Inverleith Park, led by Carlo de Angelis. What starts as a friendly kickabout - subs collected in an honesty box - grows quickly thanks to its popularity with local kids and the dedication of its volunteers.
- Late 1990s — Funding lets the club professionalise: coaches complete SFA coaching qualifications, and proper equipment and match kit are purchased. Players from schools across North Edinburgh join, and the club is renamed Inverleith Star.
- 2003 — Craig Graham proposes that Inverleith Star become the Youth Section of Spartans FC. Inverleith Star becomes The Spartans FC Youth, aiming to continue improving football opportunities for children and adults across North Edinburgh.
- 2008 — Spartans Women's section begins, as Premier League Edinburgh Ladies FC and Scottish League side Royal High Thistle join the Spartans FC Girls section — building a player pathway for women's and girls' football in North Edinburgh. The club also opens its new home at Ainslie Park, 500 yards from the original City Park ground, run under the independent Spartans Community Football Academy trust.
- 2022-2023 — Spartans FC Men's Senior team is promoted to SPL2, a historic first for the club.
- Today — Spartans Women play in the Scottish Women's Premier League 1, the Men's U20s play in the Lowland Development League, and the Connections Football Team represents the club's disability section.
Spartans Community Foundation - Here For Good
Edinburgh is generally regarded as an affluent city, but some areas — including parts of our local North Edinburgh community — face levels of multiple deprivation on par with the most deprived areas in Scotland. It's our vision to deliver positive social impact through the power of people and sport.
Established in 2008, the Spartans Community Foundation develops and delivers innovative programmes in youth work and education. Facilities at Ainslie Park and our community coaching programmes are run as a social enterprise, reinvesting profits back into the community.
The Spartans Community Football Academy's programmes include:
Support in Education — Alternative School, Youth Work in Primary Schools, Homework Clubs, School of Football, Physical Activity Programmes
Youth Work — FooTEA Clubs, Spartans AM Breakfast Club, Street Football in a Safe Playground, Street Fit-Baw, Friday Night Chill, Girls Only Club, Welcome Club, Connections Tuesday Club, Making Magic Memories, Hopscotch Holidays
Football Coaching — Sat/Sun Soccer, Mid-Week Messi, Player Development Programme, Little Miss Kickers, Holiday Hat-tricks
Visit spartanscf.com to learn more.
Child Protection
Please see the Documents section of the website for our Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy. The club's Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer is Carolyn Embleton, who can be contacted by email here.