Today is the 60th league fixture between the Clubs from a journey beginning in the East of Scotland League to the Lowland League and via the Pyramid system into SPFL 2.
The tale of the tape currently sees Spartans with 30 wins, City on 15 with the spoils being shared no fewer than 14 times. As any local derby fixtures would offer, there have been some humdingers and classic clashes along the way.
The first time the sides locked horns in League duty was back on 2nd September 1986 when they drew 2-2, whilst Spartans were to edge out City with the odd goal in five in the return fixture.
Both clubs were tenants at City Park and it was perhaps fitting that the two clubs met on the 16th May 2009, Spartans last outing at the decidedly dilapidated ground. Omar Kader netting the opener before Jordan Hall’s long-range strike levelled proceedings after the break. City were reduced to 10 men after their keeper was shown red however the replacement done well to save the resultant penalty. Spartans weren’t to be denied and a brace from David Etale saw him score the final goal at City Park before the padlocks were put on the gates for good.
Other memorable clashes between Edinburgh newest kids on the SPFL block include an emphatic 7-0 win for Spartans in their first year at the newly built Ainslie Park. Played on an early December afternoon in front of some 176 spectators, Ross Archibald’s goal before half-time separated the sides at the break. Six unanswered goals from Sean McAuley, Omar Kader, Chris Smith, Jorge Vitelli, Keith McLeod and a second from Archibald earned three points in a title winning campaign.
Many attending today may well recall the mayhem of the New Year derby in January 2016 when Blair Carswell pulled off a sensational hat-trick haul of penalty saves in a breathtaking game that saw the Spartans finish the game with eight players in front of over 530 first footers at Ainslie Park.
The sides of course met in the first round of fixtures in the newly formed Lowland League in August 2014 at the old Meadowbank Stadium with Jack Beesley’s lobbed effort enough the separate the sides.
A local rivalry of almost four decades picked up where it had left off in 2024 following Spartans promotion to the SPFL. Those results have a flip-flop feel about them, with a Loss, Win, Loss, Win, Loss – we hope that trading of outcomes continues come full time this evening.
