Kilwinning Rangers F.C.
| Full name | Kilwinning Rangers Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Buffs | ||
| Founded | 1899 | ||
| Ground |
Abbey Park, Dovecot Lane Kilwinning | ||
| Capacity | 2,500 | ||
| Manager | Chris Strain | ||
| League | SJFA West Premiership | ||
| 2017–18 | SJFA West Premier Division, 4th of 12 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Kilwinning Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club from Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Formed in 1899 they became the first Ayrshire club to win the Scottish Junior Cup in 1908-09 with a 1-0 victory over Strathclyde A second appearance in the final followed in 1909-10, however Kilwinning were defeated 3-0 by Ashfield. Almost a century later, Kilwinning regained the Scottish Junior Cup with a 1-0 victory over Kelty Hearts, in a season which saw them win six out of the seven trophies available to them.
Kilwinning became the first Ayrshire side to win the West Super League in 2003–04 however financial issues resulted in the team finishing bottom of the league the following season and subsequently relegated. Most of the following decade was spent in the Ayrshire District League with a promotion to the Super First Division achieved in 2012-13. A promising campaign the following season almost resulted in Kilwinning avoiding relegation, however it was later revealed that the club had fielded an ineligible player for 12 matches and the resulting 19 point deduction relegated the side to the bottom division once again. [1]
A change in management occurred in February 2014 with the appointment of Chris Strain and Colin Stewart, although Stewart left to take up a coaching role at Rangers in 2015 and Strain has assumed the role of sole manager since then.[2][3]
Kilwinning achieved successive promotions in 2014-15 and 2016-17, courtesy of a play-off victory against Shettleston[4] and maintained their top flight status the following season by defeating Kilsyth Rangers in another play-off.[5]
They play their home games at Abbey Park and compete in the SJFA West Region Premiership. They play in blue and white hoops.
History
Kilwinning Rangers were originally formed as a Juvenile football club in 1899, sharing Blacklands Park with the local senior club - the now defunct Kilwinning Eglinton. In 1902 the club joined the Junior grade however it was three years before the club won their first honour, emerging as winners of the Ayrshire Junior Challenge Cup in 1904-05.
Several grounds were used by the club in the early years of it's existence. Initially Kilwinning moved to a ground named Woodwynd Park which was located on Woodwynd itself, between Hamilton Street and Kilrig Avenue. Several years later the club began playing at Claremont Park, near to the now demolished Kilwinning East railway station. The Buffs moved to Abbey Park (near Kilwinning Abbey) in 1929 and have remained there ever since.
Several theories exists as to the origin of the nickname "Buffs." Historic maps of Kilwinning show the site of the present day Abbey Park to have been within an area known as "The Butts," a misspelling of which may have led to the synonym.[6]
The name Buffs was first recorded on 21 September 1900 when a local paper, the Irvine Herald, recorded that Kilwinning had claimed an emphatic victory over the now-defunct Kilmarnock Belgrove. It was said at the time that Kilwinning played in a pale yellow, or "buff" strip.
Another theory is that one of the players around that time was a member of the East Kent Regiment of the British Army, who were nicknamed The Buffs.[7]
Current squad
- As of 21 September 2018
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours
Scottish Junior Cup
- Winners: 1908–09, 1998–99
- Runners-up: 1909–10, 1921–22
West Superleague Premier Division
- Winners: 2003–04
Ayrshire District League
- Winners 2012–13
Other honours
- West of Scotland Cup: 1993–94, 1998–99
- Ayrshire First Division winners: 1920–21, 1922–23, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1965–66, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01
- Ayrshire Second Division winners: 1980–81, 1988–89, 1990–91
- Ayrshire Cup: 1904–05, 1908–09, 1934–35, 1976–77, 1985–86, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2017–18[8]
- Ayrshire League Cup: 1929–30, 1998–99
- Ayrshire District Cup: 1905–06, 1920–21, 1931–32, 1958–59, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02
- North Ayrshire Cup: 1995–96, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01
- Western Intermediate League Cup: 1929–30
- Irvine & District League: 1907–08, 1908–09, 1913–14
Coaching staff
- Manager: Chris Strain
- Assistant Manager: Barry Fleeting
- Goalkeeping Coach: David Wilson
- Coach: Stuart Wilson
- Physio: David McCallum
Notable players
1. Players that have played/managed in the Scottish Championship or any foreign equivalent or higher than this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.
References
- ↑ McGowan, Eric (2014-05-22). "Kilwinning Rangers boss insists relegation won't alter his plans for the club". dailyrecord. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
- ↑ Wilson, Fraser (27 February 2014). "Kilwinning appoint Strain and Stewart". Daily Record. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ↑ http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/breaking-kilwinning-rangers-sack-chris-8173278#D3aIhvtwxWbrskWG.97
- ↑ McGowan, Eric (2016-06-11). "Buffs shoot down Shettleston to win promotion back to the top flight". dailyrecord. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
- ↑ "Buffs preserve Premier place with playoff victory". Irvine Times. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
- ↑ (http://www.klokantech.com/), Klokan Technologies GmbH. "Ayrshire, Sheet 016.04 - 25 Inch Map". www.oldmapsonline.org. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
- ↑ "Steady the Buffs « The Word Detective". www.word-detective.com. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
- ↑ Laing, Paul (10 June 2018). "Largs Thistle 0-1 Kilwinning Rangers - Ayrshire Cup FINAL, 9th June 2018". YouTube. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
External links
Coordinates: 55°39′10″N 4°41′42″W / 55.65273°N 4.695110°W