Auchinleck Talbot F.C.

Auchinleck Talbot
Full name Auchinleck Talbot Football Club
Nickname(s) The Bot
Founded 1909
Ground Beechwood Park
Beechwood Avenue
Auchinleck
Capacity 4,000
President Morton Wright
Manager Tommy Sloan
League West of Scotland Super League Premier Division
2013–14 West of Scotland Super League Premier Division, 1st

Auchinleck Talbot Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Auchinleck, near Cumnock, Ayrshire. Members of the Scottish Junior Football Association, they currently compete in the SJFA West Super League Premier Division, of which they are defending champions.

They play in a local derby against near neighbours and biggest rivals Cumnock Juniors[1].

The club colours are gold and black, as is their badge, which denotes their achievement of winning the Scottish Junior Cup ten times with as many gold stars.

History

Auchinleck Talbot was formed in 1909 and are named after Lord Talbot de Maldahide, the man who gave them their Beechwood Park home.

Beechwood Park opened in 1909 with a charity match between The Old Players and The Merchants. Talbot made their team debut the same year when they defeat the juvenile side Highhouse Rangers 4–0. Weeks later they lost their first competitive game at Cronberry Eglinton in the league. Their first win came in September 1909 when they defeat Patna Doon Athletic in their first Scottish Junior Cup tie.

Talbot folded in 1916 due to financial problems and the First World War but made a comeback four years later, winning the Ayrshire Cup by defeating Irvine Meadow 3–0 at Rugby Park. That same year they set a club goalscoring record in the Scottish Junior Cup, defeating Craigbank 11–0 at Beechwood, a scoreline surpassed in 2008 when Talbot beat Nairn St. Ninian 13–1.

The club won the Scottish Junior Cup ten times since 1920. They have won the league championship on 14 occasions (eleven Ayrshire League, three West of Scotland Super League Premier Division). They are the only club to have won the Scottish Junior Cup three times in a row. They won the West of Scotland Cup nine years out of ten between 1979 and 1989 under Willie Knox.[2] They won it again in 2013–14.

The club opened a new stand with a friendly match against local Scottish league side Ayr United on 9 October 2005 (the senior side winning 6–2).

2009–10 Scottish Cup

Round Opposition Score
First Round Fort William (h) 7–0
Second Round Huntly (a) 1–1
Second Round
Replay
Huntly (h) 4–3
Third Round Stirling Albion (a) 1–2

As holders of the Scottish Junior Cup, Talbot qualified to play in the 2009–10 senior Scottish Cup. The club was drawn at home to Highland League side Fort William.[3] On 26 September 2009, at a capacity Beechwood Park, Talbot recorded a 7–0 victory in the club's debut Scottish Cup match.[4] The goals were scored by David Gillies, Danny McKelvie, Stevie Mallan and doubles from John Boyle and Sean McIlroy. The match also saw three players sent off, Graham Bamber and Andy Martin for Fort William and Mallan for Talbot.[5][6]

Two matches were required to separate Talbot and their second-round opponents Huntly. On 24 October the sides drew 1–1 at Christie Park. Goals from Bryan Slavin and a last-minute equaliser for Huntly from Michele Lombardi earned the Highland team a replay.[7][8] A week later, on Halloween, Talbot beat Huntly 4–3 at Beechwood Park. Goals from Slavin, John Boyle and Steven White gave Talbot a 3–0 half-time lead, but Huntly clawed the score back to 3–2 with seven minutes to go. Danny McKelvie then struck after 86 minutes to make it 4–2 and Huntly netted an injury-time goal, but Talbot held on for the victory.[9][10]

The third-round tie was contested against senior opponents in the form of Second Division side Stirling Albion. Talbot lost 2–1 away, with McIlroy scoring a penalty.[11][12]

2011–12 Scottish Cup

Round Opposition Score
First Round Lossiemouth (a) 2–1
Second Round Threave Rovers (h) 8–1
Third Round Vale of Leithen (h) 3–1
Fourth Round Heart of Midlothian (a) 0–1

Talbot started their cup campaign against Highland League club Lossiemouth with a narrow win.

On 22 November 2011, in the round, Talbot were paired with Scottish Premier League side, and eventual winners, Heart of Midlothian, with the tie to be played at Tynecastle on 7 January 2012. They were narrowly defeated 1–0, with a goal from Gordon Smith in the 84th minute. Around 2,000 Talbot fans made the journey to Edinburgh.[13]

2013–14 Scottish Cup

2014–15 Scottish Cup

Current squad

As of 5 December 2014[14]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Scotland GK Andy Leishman
Scotland GK Robert Kerr
Scotland DF Willie Lyle
Scotland DF Gordon Pope
Scotland DF Mark Campbell
Scotland DF Craig McCracken
Scotland MF Steven White
Scotland MF Kenny Connolly
Scotland DF Martin McGoldrick
Scotland DF Ally Park
Scotland MF James Latta
No. Position Player
Scotland MF Chic Connelly
Scotland MF Willie Boyd
Scotland MF Dwayne Hyslop
Scotland MF Mark Armour
Scotland MF Keir Milliken
Scotland MF Colin Spence
Scotland MF Graham Wilson
Scotland MF Bryan Young
Scotland FW David Gormley
Scotland FW Declan Lavan
Scotland FW Mark Shankland

Honours

Scottish Junior Cup

West Superleague Premier Division

Ayrshire First Division

West of Scotland Cup

Ayrshire Cup

Ayrshire League Cup

Ayrshire District Cup

Cumnock & Doon Valley Cup

East Ayrshire Cup

Ayrshire Super Cup

Evening Times League Champions Cup

References

  1. "Auchinleck & Cumnock rivalry runs deep in Ayrshire". Richard Wilson (BBC Sport). 10 November 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  2. Auchinleck Talbot on Auchinleck web
  3. "Talbot ready for Scottish Cup bow". BBC Sport. 25 September 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  4. "Fort can't keep Talbot at bay". Scotsman. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  5. "Scottish Cup: Auchinleck Talbot 7 Fort William 0". Daily Record. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  6. "Juniors prove a Scottish Cup hit". BBC Sport. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  7. "Huntly 1–1 Auchinleck Talbot". ESPN. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  8. "Scottish Cup second round". BBC Sport. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  9. "Auchinleck Talbot 4–3 Huntly". ESPN. 31 October 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  10. "Trio book Scottish Cup places". BBC Sport. 31 October 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  11. "Stirling Albion 2–1 Auchinleck Talbot". ESPN. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  12. "Stirling 2–1 Auchinleck Talbot". BBC Sport. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  13. "Hearts 1-0 Auchinleck". Clive Lindsay (BBC Sport). 7 January 2012.
  14. "Auchinleck Talbot Players & Coaches". Auchinleck Talbot Unofficial. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  15. "Auchinleck Talbot 2–1 Bathgate Th". BBC Sport. 21 May 2006.
  16. "Auchinleck secure Junior Cup win". BBC Sport. 31 May 2009.
  17. "Auchinleck Talbot 2–1 Musselburgh Athletic". BBC Sport. 29 May 2011.
  18. "Auchinleck Talbot 1–0 Linlithgow Rose". BBC Sport. 2 June 2013.
  19. "Rose win Scottish Junior Cup". BBC Sport. 19 May 2002.

External links