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| Full name | Bonnyrigg Rose Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Rose | |||
| Founded | 1881 | |||
| Ground | New Dundas Park Bonnyrigg | |||
| Capacity | 3,000 | |||
| Chairperson | Marie Arthur | |||
| Manager | Jonny Stewart | |||
| League | Lowland League | |||
| 2024–25 | Scottish League Two, 10th of 10 (relegated) | |||
| Website | https://www.bonnyriggrosefc.co.uk | |||
Bonnyrigg Rose Football Club is a Scottishfootball club from the town ofBonnyrigg. Formed in 1881 and nicknamedthe Rose, the team plays in theLowland League, having been relegated in2024–25.
Their home ground isNew Dundas Park, and they have traditionally played in red and white hoops. They have won theScottish Junior Cup twice, in 1966 and in 1978, as well as finishing runners-up in 1972. Their 6–1 defeat ofWhitburn in 1966 holds a joint record for the margin of victory in a Scottish Junior Cup final.[1] Bonnyrigg won theEast Region Super League championship four times during their membership, making them the league's most successful side.
At a special general meeting held in March 2018, the club's members voted in favour of applying to join the seniorEast of Scotland Football League.[2] Bonnyrigg were part of a larger movement of eastern junior clubs to the East of Scotland League that year.[3] In 2019, they won promotion to the Lowland League and successfully applied forScottish Football Association membership. In 2022, they won promotion toScottish League Two, thus entering theScottish Professional Football League for the first time, and after doing so, changed their name fromBonnyrigg Rose Athletic to the more streamlinedBonnyrigg Rose.
Prior to becoming an SFA member in 2019, Bonnyrigg qualified to enter the seniorScottish Cup by winning theEast Superleague on four occasions.
In their first campaign in2009–10, Bonnyrigg lost in their opening tie toHighland League clubFraserburgh. Better results were achieved in2012–13, losing toSFL Second Division sideBrechin City in a third round replay after wins overGirvan andStirling University.
The third Scottish Cup adventure in2016–17 was their most successful. The Rose easily saw offGlasgow University and then defeatedBurntisland Shipyard 14–0, the biggest win in the competition since 1984.[4] This was followed by wins over Highland sidesTurriff United andCove Rangers. In an upset, Bonnyrigg then eliminatedDumbarton of theScottish Championship after a replay to progress to the Fourth Round. They were drawn at home against the cup holdersHibernian, with the match moved toTynecastle Stadium in Edinburgh to accommodate the expected number of spectators and the basic facilities at New Dundas Park.[5] The result, an 8–1 defeat, was a disappointing end to the run for the team and the 5,000 fans who had travelled fromMidlothian to give their support.[6]
The club qualified again for the Scottish Cup in2018–19, having won theEast Superleague for a record fourth time. Now playing in the senior pyramid, this campaign ultimately ended in disappointment for the club, losing 2–1 toDeveronvale in the first round. 2018 also saw them take part in the inaugural Shaun Woodburn Memorial Cup, established in memory of former player Woodburn, who had been killed on the previousHogmanay.[7]
In June 2019, the club announced it had been accepted as a member of theScottish Football Association, which would allow them to automatically qualify for the Scottish Cup annually.[8] In their first Scottish Cup as a licensed team, Bonnyrigg would once again go on an impressive run, defeatingHighland League sidesFraserburgh[9] andBuckie Thistle[10] before dispatchingScottish League One sideMontrose 2–1 at New Dundas Park, despite being a man down.[11] In the Fourth round, Bonnyrigg would again valiantly fight against a League One team, but could not repeat their heroics and lost 0–1 late on toClyde.[12]
Entering in the Second round in2020–21, Bonnyrigg would defeat fellow Lowland LeaguersBo'ness United 5–2, with Lee Currie scoring a hat-trick of penalties within 10 minutes of each other.[13] In the next round, theRosey Posey would nearly have a cup upset for the ages, with another Currie penalty and a strong performance from keeper Mark Weir nearly knocking outScottish Championship sideDundee before a late equaliser sent the game to extra time. Currie again put Bonnyrigg ahead from the spot, but two goals by Dundee in the second half of extra time ended the club's dream.[14][15]
Rose were promoted to theLowland League in 2019 after winning theEast of Scotland Football League and gainingSFA membership.[16][17] They took the place of relegatedWhitehill Welfare, based only two miles from Bonnyrigg in the village ofRosewell, Midlothian. After finishing second and third in their first two seasons, both curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the following season they went on to win the league title in2021–22.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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The team was managed from June 2015 until August 2017 by formerBerwick Rangers player and assistant manager,Robbie Horn.[19] Horn resigned in August 2017 to take over the vacant managerial position at Berwick.[20] He later returned as manager in November 2018.[21]
| Season | Division | Tier | Pos. | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Challenge Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | East of Scotland League Conference B | 6 | 1st | 24 | 22 | 1 | 1 | +88 | 67 | First round | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Lowland League | 5 | 2nd† | 24 | 20 | 2 | 2 | +48 | 62 | Fourth round | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Lowland League | 5 | 3rd† | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | +23 | 29 | Second round | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Lowland League | 5 | 1st | 34 | 28 | 3 | 3 | +64 | 87 | Third round | — | First round |
| 2022–23 | Scottish League Two | 4 | 8th | 36 | 11 | 9 | 16 | –11 | 42 | Second round | Group stage | First round |
| 2023–24 | Scottish League Two | 4 | 8th | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | −1 | 39 | Fifth round | Group stage | First round |
| 2024–25 | Scottish League Two | 4 | 10th | 36 | 12 | 6 | 18 | −22 | 36 | Second round | Group stage | Second round |
† Season curtailed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
55°52′29″N3°06′12″W / 55.8747°N 3.1034°W /55.8747; -3.1034
