Ayr United F.C.

Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is The Honest Men, from a line in the Robert Burns poem "Tam o' Shanter". They play at Somerset Park.[3]

This article is about the Scottish football club. For the similarly named Isle of Man football club, see Ayre United A.F.C.
Not to be confused with Ayr F.C. or Ayr United Football Academy.
Ayr United
Full nameAyr United Football Club
Nickname(s)The Honest Men[1]
Founded1910 (1910)
GroundSomerset Park
Capacity10,185[2] (1,597 seated)
ChairmanLachlan Cameron
ManagerMark Kerr
LeagueScottish Championship
2019–20Scottish Championship, 4th of 10
WebsiteClub website

The club are currently managed by Mark Kerr, who was appointed on 22 October 2019. The club have spent 34 seasons in Scotland's top division, the last being 1977–78, and have been the champions of the second tier of Scottish football on six occasions, and of the third tier on three occasions. The club's most successful manager, Ally MacLeod, went on to manage the Scottish national football team. In 2018, Ayr United secured promotion to the Scottish Championship as champions of League One.

History
See also: List of Ayr United F.C. seasons

Ayr United were founded in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C.. Although Inverness Caledonian Thistle are also the product of a merger between two clubs, Ayr United are the only Scottish Football League club to have been formed from a merger of two existing league clubs.

The club's honours include winning six Second Division titles (as the second tier championship) and a further three titles (as the third tier championship), most recently in 2017–18. They have not won any national cup competitions, although they were runners-up in the 2001–02 Scottish League Cup, and in the Scottish Challenge Cup in the first two seasons in which the competition was held: 1990–91 and 1991–92. They have won the local competition the Ayrshire Cup on 26 occasions, most commonly facing fierce local rivals Kilmarnock in the final. The Ayrshire Cup was last played for in season 1996–97, since when the competition has been suspended.

The club's record scorer in a single season is Jimmy Smith, who scored 66 goals for Ayr in only 38 league matches in 1927–28 and currently holds the British goalscoring record for the most league goals scored in a single season.[4] The club's overall record scorer is Peter Price, who scored 213 times in competitive matches for the club between 1955 and 1962.

Former Scottish national team manager Ally MacLeod is regarded as the club's most famous and most successful manager. He led the club on three separate occasions spanning 15 years, during which his teams recorded a record 214 wins, and won two league titles. In 1973 MacLeod was voted Ayr's Citizen of the Year. More recent managers have also included the recent Scottish national team manager, George Burley, and former Scottish League Cup winner with Raith Rovers, Gordon Dalziel. Gordon Dalziel is the only manager to take Ayr to a National Cup Final on 17 March 2002 when they lost to Rangers 4–0. Their current manager is Mark Kerr.

Although the club has spent 34 seasons in Scotland's top division, they have played in the second and third tiers of Scottish senior football since the 1977–78 season. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the club established a record of defeating teams which played in higher leagues in cup competitions, including Hibernian, Dundee, Dundee United, Motherwell, Dunfermline Athletic and four consecutive wins in cup competitions against their fiercest rivals Kilmarnock.

In 1988, Ayr United fan and businessman Sir David Murray offered to buy the club but the club's shareholders rejected the bid by a vote of 60 to 56. The manager at that time, Ally MacLeod, had threatened to leave if Murray's bid had succeeded: Murray went on to become chairman of Rangers, which coincided with a period of financial growth and league success for that club. During much of the 1990s and 2000s, a period of relative success both in league and cup competitions, the Ayr United chairman was local construction magnate Bill Barr. After Barr stood down, there were occasional boardroom struggles: the club suffered significant cashflow problems in 2004 although it survived with a combination of efforts. Prestwick-based Roy Kennedy failed to take over the club in 2005, and his company Kennedy Construction went bankrupt in 2006.

On 24 May 2009, Ayr won the Scottish First Division Play-off against Airdrie United 3–2 on aggregate to win promotion to the First Division. The following season, to celebrate the club's centenary, Ayr United played in black and white hoops, the club's original black and white kit. The away kit was crimson and gold with blue shorts to reflect the original club colours. But it was not a successful season. Ayr were relegated on the last day of the season after losing 2–1 to Morton. The club bounced back the following season, winning promotion after defeating Forfar Athletic and Brechin City in the play-offs. That same season, they knocked out Hibernian in the Scottish Cup, winning 1–0 at Somerset Park in a replay.

In the 2011–12 season, Ayr enjoyed success in the 2011–12 Scottish League Cup, beating SPL sides Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Heart of Midlothian and St Mirren on their way to the semi-finals. Ayr United played Ayrshire derby rivals Kilmarnock in the semi-finals, the first time the two clubs had met at this stage. Kilmarnock won one-nil. But the league campaign was less successful, as United were relegated to the Second Division following a play-off defeat to Airdrie United.[5]

Following relegation, United announced that Brian Reid's contract would not be renewed. The club appointed Mark Roberts, top scorer in the previous three seasons, manager, with head of youth development, Davie White, as his assistant.[6] In January 2015, Ian McCall was appointed Ayr's new manager, taking over from Roberts. After saving the club from relegation on the final day of the 2014–15 season, McCall led Ayr back to the Championship with a penalty shoot-out victory over Stranraer in the play-offs.[7] Following their relegation in 2017, Ayr competed in League One but finished the season as Champions, regaining their Championship status at the first time of asking and winning their first league title in over twenty years in the process.

Ayr United enjoyed a good start to the Championship during the 2018–19 season, and found themselves leading the division for part of the season. However, injuries to key players resulted in a dip of form that saw them eventually finish in fourth place. This ensured a place in the playoffs for promotion to the Scottish Premiership, but they were beaten on aggregate by Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Ayr knocked out of the Scottish cup by junior club Auchinleck Talbot.

Key players Lawrence Shankland, Robbie Crawford and Liam Smith departed at the end of 2018–19 and signed for other clubs. Despite these losses, Ayr started the 2019–20 season well and found themselves in 2nd place in September. However, manager Ian McCall departed the club to return to Partick Thistle, ending his 4-and-a-half year tenure. After a recruitment process lasting four weeks, midfielder Mark Kerr was appointed as manager on an 18-month contract.

Crest and colours

Crests

From 1948 to 2016, Ayr United used a crest which is a shield containing a Scottish saltire, with a scroll beneath stating the club's name.[8] In 2015, the club became subject to a legal action which claimed that the crest was an unregistered coat of arms.[8] After it had emerged that the club's badge was in jeopardy, a petition was started by fans and gained 700 signatures in 24 hours.[9] The campaign gained support and many political, footballing figures and fans alike lent support to keep the Ayr badge intact. Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson stated "If archaic rules are forcing the team to change the badge, then I think we need to look at those rules again. When John Scott brought this issue to my attention, I was happy to take it all the way to the UK Government."[10] Another prominent name to join the campaign was former Ayr United and Bayern Munich striker and now a Sky Sports pundit on Soccer Saturday, Alan McInally, who said "Badges are so important to football supporters and are treasured by everyone. They are worn with pride by grandfathers, dads and sons as they represent the club that they support. New stadiums get built and re-named but the club badge always stays the same”.[11]

In 2016, after a fan competition to design a new club badge, a design incorporating most of the old features of the old badge was introduced.

  • The crest of Ayrshire between 1890 and 1931, similar to the Ayr United crest.
  • The crest worn between 1938 and 1948.
  • The Centenary logo used on the Playing kit between 2009 and 2011.
  • The runner up in the 2017 vote to find a replacement crest.

Colours

The club's original jerseys were red and gold, inherited from Ayr,[12] with navy blue shorts and socks. In 1914, Ayr adopted black and white hoops, which were worn, with several modifications, up to 1930, when The Honest Men switched to a plain white jersey, with navy blue shorts and socks, worn until the outbreak of World War II. After the war, the club retained the white jersey, and switched back to the black shorts that had originally complemented the hooped shirts, kits similar to these were worn up to 1958, when Ayr had changed the black and white look for a white with a blue trim, used until 1963, when they once again reverted to the black and white hoops, that were kept until 1968 and not used again until the 2009–10 centenary season. From then until 1994, Ayr maintained white jerseys trimmed with black with either black or white shorts and socks, then switching to a striped shirt for a single season. The following season, Ayr wore an all-black jersey for the first and only time. Ayr went back to keeping an all-white jersey with either white or black shorts and socks until the centenary season. For the 2011–12 season, a half-black-half-white shirt was worn for the first time, however, Ayr FC had previously wore a similar jersey between 1899 and 1903. The 2013–14 season saw Ayr return to the white jersey, black shorts and socks for the first time since 1973.

Home Kits
1910–1914
1914–1938
1938–1940
1945–1958
1973–1978
2011–12
2014–15

Away Kits
1970's
1990's
1995–96
2001–02
2003–04
2009–10
2012–13

Sponsorship
Period Sportswear Home sponsor Away sponsor
1977–1981 Umbro none
1981–1987 Barr Construction
1987–1988 Ayr Advertiser
1988–1990 Bukta Centrum
1990–1991 Riberio
1991–1993 Arrow
1993–1994 Sports Division
1994–1995 Core What everyone Wants
1995–1996 The Ayr United Collection
1996–1997 Ayrshire Post
1997–1998 Premier Marketing UK
1998–1999 Barr Construction
1999–2000 TFG Sports Strachans Motors Barr Construction
2000–2001 Leader Newspaper Barr Steel
2001–2002 Aurigin
2002–2004 Kerr & Smith Iveco Daily
2004–2005 Kennedy Construction Simply Purchasing
2005–2006 The Home Bakery Honest Men Trust
2006–2007 The Events Company Greig Lucas
2007–2008 Lotto Sports Rodie Carrick Bathrooms
2008–2010 Surridge Sports Paligap
2010–2011 Nike
2011–2014 Bodog
2014–2018 Adidas
2018– Bitcoin BCH

Stadium
Main article: Somerset Park

Ayr play their football at Somerset Park in Ayr's New Town. One of the few surviving traditional stadium designs, it consists of one stand, two covered terraces, and one open terrace. It has a capacity of 10,185.[2] The first match to take place at Somerset Park was between the former Ayr and Aston Villa in a 3–0 victory for Ayr.

During the 1990s the club's chairman Bill Barr, who owned and managed a company which built modern-style stadiums and stands for several other clubs around the UK sought — and obtained — planning permission from South Ayrshire Council for a new 10,200 all-seated stadium at Heathfield in Ayr with an associated retail development. The Scottish Executive then "called in" the application and reversed the decision in respect of the retail development. Since the club considered this aspect of the proposal necessary to fund the construction, the development did not proceed.[13]

In November 2006, United signed a contract with Barratt Homes for the sale of Somerset Park, having secured a 20-acre (81,000 m2) site in the Heathfield area of Ayr. The site would house a new £18 million stadium seating 7,650 as part of a "sports and business campus".[14] The project ultimately did not proceed.

First-team squad
As of 1 June 2020[15]

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

No. Position Player
2 DF Aaron Muirhead
3 DF Daniel Harvie
4 MF Mark Kerr
5 DF Sam Roscoe
6 MF Andy Geggan
7 FW Michael Moffat
9 FW Craig Moore
11 FW Luke McCowan
14 DF Jordan Houston
No. Position Player
15 DF Steven Bell
18 MF Andy Murdoch
20 DF Michael Hewitt
21 DF Finn Ecrepont
22 FW Mark McKenzie
24 MF Leon Murphy
25 DF Nathan Baird
26 GK Daniel Graham
28 MF Grant Gillespie

Coaching staff
Role Name
Manager Mark Kerr
Assistant Manager Michael McArdle
Goalkeeping Coach Derek Stillie
Physiotherapist Steven Maguire
Kitman Graham Steel
Head of Youth David White

Managers
Dates[16] Name
1910–1914 Committee
1914–1915 Herbert Dainty (Ayr United's first manager)
1915–1918 Lawrence Gemson
1918–1919 John Cameron
1919–1923 James McDonald
1923–1924 Jimmy Richardson
1924–1926 Jimmy Hay
1926–1931 Archie Buchanan
1931–1935 Alex Gibson
1935–1940 Frank Thompson
1945–1948 Bob Ferrier
1949–1953 Archie Anderson
1953–1955 Reuben Bennett
1955–1956 Neil McBain
1956–1961 Jackie Cox
1961 Bobby Flavell
1961–1962 Gerry Mays
1962–1963 Neil McBain
1963–1964 Bobby Flavell
1964–1966 Tom McCreath
1966–1975 Ally MacLeod
1975–1978 Alex Stuart
1978 Ally MacLeod
1979–1983 Willie McLean
1983–1985 George Caldwell
1985–1990 Ally MacLeod
1991–1993 George Burley
1993–1995 Simon Stainrod
1995–2002 Gordon Dalziel
2002–2004 Campbell Money
2004–2005 Mark Shanks
2005–2007 Bobby Connor
2007 Neil Watt
2007–2012 Brian Reid
2012–2014 Mark Roberts[6]
2015–2019 Ian McCall
2019– Mark Kerr

Honours

Domestic

League

Cups

Regional
  • Ayrshire Cup
    • Winners (26): 1911–12, 1925–26, 1928–29, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1949–50, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1994–95, 1996–97
  • Ayr Charity Cup
    • Winners (17): 1911–12, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1915–16, 1918–19, 1920–21, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1951–52
  • Kilmarnock Charity Cup
    • Winners (4): 1930–31, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37

Records

Club


Individual

All players are from Scotland unless otherwise stated.

Hall of Fame
Year Inducted Name Years at Ayr Utd. Role(s) at Ayr Utd.
2006
 Ally MacLeod[21] 1964–1965, 1966–1975*, 1978*, 1986–1989* Player and Manager
Ian McAllister[21] 1977–1992 Player
Peter Price[21] 1955–1962 Player
2007
 Sam McMillan[21] 1952–1968 Player and coach
John 'Spud' Murphy[21] 1963–1978 Player
Henry Templeton[21] 1987–1991 Player
2008
 Alex 'Dixie' Ingram[21] 1966–1970, 1970–1977, 2008–[22]** Player and vice-chairman
Alex 'Sanny' McAnespie[21] 1964–1978 Player
Davie Stewart[21] 1967–1974 Player
2010
 Rikki Fleming[21] 1968–1978 Player
Dick Malone[21] 1964–1971 Player
2013
 The 1987–88 Squad 1987–88 Team

* years involved as a manager
** years involved as vice-chairman

Scottish Football Hall of Fame
Year Inducted Player Years at Ayr United
2004[23]
 Sir Alex Ferguson CBE
1973–1974
2009[24]
 Steve Archibald
1991–1992
2013
 Alan Rough
1989–1990
2015
 Ally MacLeod
1964–1965

1966–1975*
1978*

1986–1989*

* years involved as manager

English Football Hall of Fame
year Inducted Player Years at Ayr United
2002[25]
 Sir Alex Ferguson CBE
1973–1974

International players

Only includes caps won while playing for Ayr United.

References
  1. "Ayr United FC". Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  2. "Ayr United Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  3. "Club History". Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  4. "Club Honours – Ayr United Football Club". www.ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  5. "Ayr United 1–3 Airdrie United". Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  6. "Change in Manager". Ayr United F.C. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  7. "Ayr United 0–0 Stranraer (agg 1–1, 3–1 pens)". 15 May 2016 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  8. Mair, Findlay (19 November 2015). "Ayr United face legal action over team badge". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  9. "Ayr United badge: Almost 700 signatures raised in 24 hours after The Ayrshire Post launch petition to save historic crest". Daily Record. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  10. "Save The Badge: Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson pledges to "defend the proud history" of Ayr United". Daily Record. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  11. "Sky Sports pundit Alan McInally supports Ayr United's bid to save the badge" of Ayr United". Daily Record. 19 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  12. "Ayr FC kit history". HistoricalKits.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  13. "Ayr United Football Club — Official Website". Ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 May 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  14. "Ayr poised to sell Somerset Park". BBC Sport. 28 November 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  15. "2019–20 Ayr United FC squad". Ayr United FC. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "Scottish League One: Ayr United pip Raith Rovers to title and automatic promotion". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  18. Carmichael, Duncan. Walking Down the Somerset Road. Fort Publishing Ltd ISBN 1-905769-05-9.
  19. "Youngest Ever Player to play for Ayr United". ayrunitedfc.co.uk/. Ayr United F.C. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  20. "Scottish players with over 400 appearances". London Hearts. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  21. "Hall of Fame". Ayr United F.C. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  22. "BREAKING NEWS: Ayr United chairman resigns". Troon Times. 12 March 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  23. "2004 inductees". Scottish Football Museum. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  24. "Steve Archibald". Scottish Football Museum. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  25. "2002". National Football Museum. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  26. Phil H Jones & David Potter. Encyclopaedia of Scottish Football. ISBN 9-781909-626294.
  27. "Føroyar – Estland 0 – 2". www.faroesoccer.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  28. "Føroyar – Litava 0 – 1". www.faroesoccer.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  29. "Kekkia – Føroyar 2 – 0". www.faroesoccer.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  30. "Finnland – Føroyar 1 – 0". www.faroesoccer.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  31. "Ísland – Føroyar 3 – 2". www.faroesoccer.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

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