Ayr Parkhouse F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ayr Parkhouse Football Club was a football (soccer) club from the town of Ayr in Scotland. They were formed in 1886 and took their name from the Parkhouse farmhouse where the club's players trained.

They initially played their home games at Ballantyne Drive, before moving to the Ayr Racecourse ground. In 1888 Ayr F.C. vacated the better developed Beresford Park, and Ayr Parkhouse moved in, where they played for the remainder of their existence. In 1891 they joined the Ayrshire Football League, but moved onto the Ayrshire Football Combination in 1893, of which they were founder members along with Ayr F.C. with whom they would develop a healthy rivalry.

Around this time the Scottish Football Association sanctioned the advent of professionalism. However, Ayr Parkhouse took the decision to remain a faithfully amateur club, only turning professional in 1905. Despite the clubs amateur status they were competing well in their league and starting to perform well in Scottish Cup competition, reaching the quarter finals of the competition in season 1894-95 where they fell to that year's runners-up Renton F.C..

Local success continued, but the rivalry that was built up with Ayr F.C. ceased to have a regular outlet when that club were admitted to membership of the Scottish Football League in 1897. Ayr Parkhouse's ambitions were beginning to outgrow their local successes and the club's early amateur fuelled hostility to membership of the Scottish Football League was waning. In 1901 they unsuccessfully applied for membership, but after finishing second in the Scottish Amateur Football League the following year they managed to get elected to full league status just ahead of St Johnstone F.C..

Their initial season in the league was a disaster. They finished bottom of the second division and had to reapply for membership which they were refused at the expense of Aberdeen F.C.. However, after the event it came to be known after that Ayr F.C. had lobbied all the member clubs of the league to vote against Ayr Parkhouse's application to remain league members. Relations between the clubs was poor after this incident.

After a season outwith the league playing in the Scottish Football Combination the club was accepted back into the Second Division in time for season 1906-07. The club performed without much distinction in the following seasons, with Ayr F.C. doing only marginally better. Pressure was being applied by many for the two clubs to amalgamate and at the end of season 1909-10 when Ayr F.C. finished 7th out of 12 in the Second Division, and Ayr Parkhouse finished 12th the clubs took the decision to merge as Ayr United F.C. who remain a member of the Scottish Football League to this day.

Formed 1886. Defunct 1910.

Grounds: 1886 Ballantyne Drive, 1886-1888 Racecourse (Old). 1888-1910 Beresford Park.

Colours: 1886-? Royal blue shirts, royal blue shorts. ?-1910 Royal blue & white hooped shirts, royal blue shorts.