A list of nicknames for Scottish league football clubs, some are well known, other nick names are rarely used anymore and have become obsolete. Where I can I've added explanations for some of the team nicknames.
Scottish Premier Division Clubs
Football Team
Football Club Nickname
Reason for nickname
Aberdeen
The Dons
City was famous for having 2 Universities, or the river Don is one of the rivers that goes through Aberdeen
Celtic
The Bhoys, The Hoops, The Celts, The Tic
Bhoys - An Irish pronouncement of boys, (Irish roots of club). Hoops - kit
Dundee United
The Terrors, The Tangerines, or Arabs
Kit colour, The Arabs is said to have come from the 1960s when United used to heavily sand their pitch
Dunfermline Athletic
The Pars
reason unknown, several theories from the shortening of Paralytics, because they played badly to the colour of their strip resembling a Parr fish.
Falkirk
The Bairns
Heart of Midlothian
Hearts / Jam Tarts
Kit colour and rhymes
Hibernian
The Hibees, Hibs
Shortening of Hibernian which is the old roman name for Ireland
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Caley Thistle, CaleyJags
Kilmarnock
Killies
Shortening
Livingston
Livi, Lions
Abbreviation and a lion on club badge
Motherwell
The Well, The Steelmen
Steelworks beside ground
Rangers
The Gers, Light Blues, Teddy Bears
abbreviation and kit colour.
Scottish first division footy nicknames
Football Team
Football Nick name
Reason for nickname
Airdrie United
The Diamonds
Diamonds on the kit
Brechin City
The City
Clyde
The Bully Wee
Dundee
The Dark Blues, The Dee
kit colour
Hamilton Academicals
The Accies
Queen of the South
The Doonhamers
Ross County
The County
St Johnstone
The Saints
St Mirren
The Saints, The Buddies
Stranraer
The Blues
kit
Scottish second division club nick names
Team
Football Nickname
Reason
Alloa
The Wasps
Kit
Ayr United
The Honest Men
From a poem by Robert Burns "Auld Ayr, wha'm ne'er a toon surpassess, for honest men and bonnie lasses"
Dumbarton
The Sons
Forfar Athletic
The Loons
Gretna
The Black and Whites
Kit
Morton
The Ton
Partick Thistle
The Jags
Thistles have jagged edges
Peterhead
The Toons
Raith Rovers
The Rovers
Stirling Albion
The Binos
Scottish third division football nicknames
Team
Football Nickname
Reason
Albion Rovers
The Rovers
Arbroath
The Red Lichties
Berwick Rangers
The Borderers, The Wee Rangers
Based in England! Wee rangers because they are a smaller club than the team from Glasgow.
Thanks to Ross and Paul (two pub quiz help visitors) for providing all these Scottish nicknames. Please drop me an email if you know of any good explanations for why a team has become known for a particular nickname.
Thanks also to several more Pub Quiz help visitors for suggesting nickname origins.
