Ayr United F.C.
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| Ayr United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ayr United Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Honest Men | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1910 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Somerset Park, Ayr, Scotland |
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| Capacity | 12,128 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Donald Cameron |
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| Manager | Neil Watt |
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| League | Scottish Second Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Scottish Second Division, 6th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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[edit] 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 rather modest 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.
Currently (Nov. 2006) Ayr United is in talks with Barratt Homes regarding the sale of Somerset Park having secured a 20 acre site in the Heathfield area of the town. The site will be home to a new £18million stadium as part of a "sports and business campus", the stadium will seat 7,650 and include an indoor training facility.
[edit] Contact details
Somerset Park, Ayr
Tryfield Place
Ayr
South Ayrshire
KA8 9NB
01292 263435
[edit] Recent Managers (Post War)
 Neil Watt |
2007- |
| Robert Connor |
2005-07 |
| Mark Shanks |
2004-05 |
| Campbell Money |
2002-04 |
| Gordon Dalziel |
1995-02 |
 Simon Stainrod |
1993-95 |
| George Burley |
1991-93 |
| Ally MacLeod |
1985-90 |
| George Caldwell |
1983-85 |
| Willie McLean |
1979-83 |
| Ally MacLeod |
Sep-Dec 1978 |
| Alex Stuart |
1975-78 |
| Ally MacLeod |
1966-75 |
| Tom McCreath |
1964-66 |
| Bobby Flavell |
1963-64 |
| Neil McBain |
1962-63 |
| Gerry Mays |
1961-62 |
| Bobby Flavell |
Oct-Nov 1961 |
| Jacky Cox |
1956-61 |
| Neil McBain |
1955-56 |
| Reuben Bennet |
1953-55 |
| Archie Anderson |
1949-53 |
[edit] Club Honours
| Competition | Placing | Year(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 |
| *Bells Cup | Runners Up | 1990/91, 1991/92 |
[edit] Records
Their biggest win to date came against Dumbarton F.C. in the Scottish League Cup on the 13th August 1952. They won 11-1. Their biggest defeat came against Heart of Midlothian F.C. in the 1st Division, on the 28th February 1931. They lost 0-9. Their highest attendance came against Rangers F.C. in 1969 with 25,225 people cramming into Somerset Park on the 13th of September 1969.
[edit] Notable players
[edit] 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 Championship 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 many hoped they would build on their good results and get promoted, but once again 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.
Many believe they would have gone on to claim promotion from the First Division if they were granted planning permission to build a new 10,200 all seater stadium at Heathfield. The plans were passed by the local government, but it was 'called in' by the Scottish Executive, which vetoed the decision. 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 for being a fiercely difficult team to play 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 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. It is also believed to have been the game that signalled the fate of Franck Sauzee as Hibs manager, who 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 seen 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 had 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.
Season 2005/2006 was a rather uneventful one, with the club, despite a promising start, ending up in mid-table obscurity.
Season 2006/7 promised to be one of the greatest in United's history with the club confidently aiming for a top four finish in the Scottish Second Division. A promising opening day victory away at fellow contenders Stirling Albion prompted the fans to quickly forget about 05/06's non-event and start dreaming of league success. However, a season of mediocrity was to follow whereby (at the time of writing) United would win only handful of games and quickly slip to 8th position in the division. On Monday 26th February 2007, following a string of poor results, Ayr United manager Robert Connor and his legendary assistant Robert Reilly resigned from their posts.
Former Stranraer manager Neil Watt was named as the new manager of Ayr on 22nd March 2007. So Far he had already made quick new signings such as Paul Shield's and there is rumors saying he is interested in Kris Boyd's little brother, lee Boyd.
[edit] External links
- Aerial photo of Ayr United F.C.. Other map and aerial photo sources.
- The Official Club Website
- Ayr United Archive Website
- The Honest Men Trust Website
- The Somerset News
- The Honest Page
- The Aberdeen Branch Ayr Utd Supporters Club
