Everything about Ayr United F C totally explained
Donald Cameron |
manager =
Brian Reid |
league =
Scottish Second Division |
season =
2006-07 |
position = Scottish Second Division, 5th |
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Ayr United F.C. is a
Scottish Association football team currently playing in the
Scottish Football League. They are based in
Ayr,
South Ayrshire.
Their nickname is "The Honest Men", taken from the poem "
Tam o' Shanter" by
Robert Burns.
They were founded in 1910 after
Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and
Ayr F.C. amalgamated to become the present day Ayr United. They are currently in the
Scottish Second Division, in the third tier of Scottish Football League.
Somerset Park
They play their football at
Somerset Park, Ayr, one of the few surviving 'archaic' stadium designs. It consists of one stand, two covered terraces, and one open terrace. It has a capacity of 12,128.
The first match to take place at Somerset Park was the then Ayr FC against
Aston Villa F.C. in a 3-0 victory for Ayr.
In November 2006, Ayr United was in talks with
Barratt Homes regarding the sale of
Somerset Park having secured a twenty acre site in the
Heathfield area of the town. The site would be home to a new £18 million stadium seating 7650 as part of a "sports and business campus"
(External Link
).
Current Squad
» As of
15 May, 2008Recent managers (Post War)
Club honours
| Competition |
lacing |
ear(s) |
| *Scottish First Division |
2nd |
2000/01 |
| *Scottish Second Division (Before War) |
1st |
1911/12, 1912/13, 1927/28, 1936/37 |
| *Scottish Second Division (Post War) |
1st |
1958/59, 1965/66, 1987/88, 1996/97 |
| *Scottish Second Division (Before War) |
2nd |
1910/11 |
| *Scottish Second Division (Post War) |
2nd |
1955/56, 1968/69 |
| *Scottish League Cup |
Runners Up |
2002 |
| *Scottish Challenge Cup |
Runners Up |
1990/91, 1991/92 |
Records
Their biggest win to date came against
Dumbarton F.C. in the
Scottish League Cup on
13 August 1952. They won 11-1. Their biggest defeat came against
Heart of Midlothian F.C. in the 1st Division on
28 February 1931. They lost 0-9. Their highest attendance of 25,225 came against
Rangers F.C. on
13 September 1969.
Notable players
Recent history
After winning promotion from the Second Division they did quite well in their first season in the First Division. On the final day of the season Ayr had to avoid defeat to
Partick Thistle at Firhill to avoid relegation. They won 3-1, sending Partick down instead. The 1998/99 season saw a marked improvement as the team played
exciting football admired by fans and critics, particularly involving the strikers Andy Walker and Glynn Hurst and winger
Gary Teale (now playing in the Premiership with Derby and a Scotland international), which included six consecutive away wins and a 7-1 defeat of
Stranraer. However, ultimately the team finished in third place behind
Hibs and
Falkirk. The 1999/00 season was another disappointing one as they sank to a lowly 7th. Their yo-yo like league standings changed again in season 2000/01 as they came a close second behind
Livingston.
In November 1998, Ayr United applied for planning permission for a new 10,200 all seater stadium at Heathfield. The application was passed by the local government, but was 'called in' by the
Scottish Executive, which vetoed the decision
(External Link). This meant that even if they won the league they couldn't attain promotion, hence rendering their promotion push ultimately futile.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s period the team established something of a reputation in
cup competitions, claiming the scalps of higher league clubs
Hibs,
Dundee,
Dundee United,
Motherwell,
Dunfermline and, sweetest of all for the fans, four consecutive wins over local rivals
Kilmarnock.
They broke their less happy trend in the league 2001/02 as they went on to come third in the
Scottish First Division, reaching the
Scottish Cup semi-final and the
Scottish League Cup final (of which they lost to
Celtic and
Rangers respectively). This was considered by most to be their best season to date. Several former
SPL players played for the team, including
John Hughes, Pat McGinlay,
James Grady and Eddie Annand, and their League Cup semi-final victory over
Hibs is remembered by many fans with great affection.
Franck Sauzée, the Hibs manager, was sacked shortly afterwards.
Following this season a mediocre season followed, and the next season brought relegation to the
Scottish Second Division as they came 9th in the league. This was a crippling blow for the club financially, especially with so much movement and uncertainty in the upper levels of the club with chairman Bill Barr leaving the club.
The beginning of the 2004 season saw the club change managers for the second time in two seasons as
Campbell Money left the club after refusal to accept a part-time contract, and former player Mark Shanks took over the reigns. These same cashflow problems meant they'd to offload several players and other coaching staff as well. The supporters rallied together however and formed the Honest Men Trust and effectively saved the club for the short term.
This was soon to end as more controversy was to arise at the club in March 2005 when the turmoil in the boardroom regarding a failed takeover bid from
Prestwick-based Roy Kennedy caused manager Mark Shanks to leave citing self-pride as his reasons. This was ultimately to be a good decision, as Kennedy Construction were to go bankrupt in early 2006.
Ayr narrowly avoided relegation in the 2004/2005 season from the Second Division, and prepared for the start of the next season by releasing most of their players and signing in new players, a majority of which were from Junior division clubs.
In season 2006/7 a promising opening day victory away at fellow contenders Stirling Albion was followed by a season of mediocrity whereby United won only a handful of games and quickly slipped to 8th position in the division. On
26 February 2007, following a string of poor results, Ayr United manager Robert Connor and his assistant Robert Reilly resigned from their posts.
Former Stranraer manager Neil Watt was named as the new manager of Ayr on
22 March 2007. Immediate loan signings were made such as Paul Shields and Fraser McLaren and the club went on to finish 5th in the
Second Division, losing only one fixture in their final nine games. New boss Neil Watt renewed the contracts of no less than 7 players and also added Michael Moore, BJ Corr, Murray Henderson, Craig Higgins, David Hamilton and Steven Swift who all spent time under Watt when he managed Stranraer. However following an indifferent start to the
2007-08 season, Watt resigned as manager in
October 2007 and was quickly replaced by
Brian Reid.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ayr United F C'.
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