Ayr United's relegation (their 10th overall) to the third level of Scottish football comes as
the celebrate their centenary year and relegates them to that level for the fourth period and will
spend only their tenth season there next year.
The early history of football in Ayr is one filled with many teams, many mergers and a finished
with a team who can justifiably call themselves United, given the route to United went something
like:
- Ayr Thistle formed in 1872
- Ayr Academy formed in 1872
- Ayr Eglinton formed in 1875
- Ayr Academicals formed in 1876 as a merger of Ayr Academy and Ayr Eglinton
- Ayr formed in 1879 as a merger of Ayr Thistle and Ayr Academicals
- Ayr Parkhouse formed in 1886
- Ayr United formed in 1910 as a merger of Ayr and Ayr Parkhouse
Ayr United have spent 35 seasons in the top flight although haven't been there for 33 years
(since the 1977-78 season) - they've won the second level championship twice (old Division Two) and
the third level championship twice (new Division Two), made one domestic final (2001-02 League Cup
final) and have made the semi-finals of both domestic cups three times each.
Ayr United's relegation (their 10th overall) to the third level of Scottish football comes as
the celebrate their centenary year and relegates them to that level for the fourth period and will
spend only their tenth season there next year.
The early history of football in Ayr is one filled with many teams, many mergers and a finished
with a team who can justifiably call themselves United, given the route to United went something
like:
- Ayr Thistle formed in 1872
- Ayr Academy formed in 1872
- Ayr Eglinton formed in 1875
- Ayr Academicals formed in 1876 as a merger of Ayr Academy and Ayr Eglinton
- Ayr formed in 1879 as a merger of Ayr Thistle and Ayr Academicals
- Ayr Parkhouse formed in 1886
- Ayr United formed in 1910 as a merger of Ayr and Ayr Parkhouse
Ayr United have spent 35 seasons in the top flight although haven't been there for 33 years
(since the 1977-78 season) - they've won the second level championship twice (old Division Two) and
the third level championship twice (new Division Two), made one domestic final (2001-02 League Cup
final) and have made the semi-finals of both domestic cups three times each.
At the end of last season, we did a quick blog post about Scottish Fourth level champions
which stated no team had ever won the Third Division twice in it's 15 year history.
Livingston's 0-0 draw with Berwick Rangers and their crowning as champions has obviously changed
this fact, since Livingston also won the league in the 1995-96 season.
At the end of last season, we did a quick blog post about Scottish Fourth level champions
which stated no team had ever won the Third Division twice in it's 15 year history.
Livingston's 0-0 draw with Berwick Rangers and their crowning as champions has obviously changed
this fact, since Livingston also won the league in the 1995-96 season.
A few years ago I visited Cathkin Park and took some photos but then thought I'd lost them;
although recently when changing computers I found these so thought I'd post.
As it's Wikipedia article states "The park contains the site of the first Hampden Park (now the
Hampden Bowling Club), whilst the second Hampden Park (New Cathkin Park) is just across the
Cathcart Road" Queen's Park played here for 19 seasons (when it was called Hampden Park) before
they moved (to what we now know as Hampden Park) and Third Lanark moved in in 1903.
A few years ago I visited Cathkin Park and took some photos but then thought I'd lost them;
although recently when changing computers I found these so thought I'd post.
As it's Wikipedia article states "The park contains the site of the first Hampden Park (now the
Hampden Bowling Club), whilst the second Hampden Park (New Cathkin Park) is just across the
Cathcart Road" Queen's Park played here for 19 seasons (when it was called Hampden Park) before
they moved (to what we now know as Hampden Park) and Third Lanark moved in in 1903.
After today's earlier post on reconstruction the follow up post is about attendances and how
reconstruction over the years has affected team's attendances.
Some of the data I have gathered on attendances used below has come from David Ross' excellent
book The Roar of the Crowd, so to protect the information in the book, I will only be referring to
rough figures rather than the exact figures in the book.
After today's earlier post on reconstruction the follow up post is about attendances and how
reconstruction over the years has affected team's attendances.
Some of the data I have gathered on attendances used below has come from David Ross' excellent
book The Roar of the Crowd, so to protect the information in the book, I will only be referring to
rough figures rather than the exact figures in the book.
A blog post entitled 'The trouble with Scottish football...' by Inside Left called for people
to blog about the issues raised in the post, so having already started a series of posts on
attendances in Scottish Football, we thought we'd post on the subject of top division
reconstruction.
First to get out the way some facts about the Old Firm dominance:
- the Old Firm have won 83% of league championships (94 of 113)
- if the Old Firm win this year's championship, it will be the 25th in a row
- the longest period of domination was 27 years, between 1904-05 and 1930-31
During the last period of domination, the league was reconstructed 6 times, although it wasn't
reconstruction that ended the dominance, it was stability in the league format
that possibly contributed - 1931-32 was the 10th year of a 20 team format, the longest stretch
since the league started in 1890 - Motherwell's championship came after 5 successive years in the
top 3, with two runners-up spots and three third place finishes.
A blog post entitled 'The trouble with Scottish football...' by Inside Left called for people
to blog about the issues raised in the post, so having already started a series of posts on
attendances in Scottish Football, we thought we'd post on the subject of top division
reconstruction.
First to get out the way some facts about the Old Firm dominance:
- the Old Firm have won 83% of league championships (94 of 113)
- if the Old Firm win this year's championship, it will be the 25th in a row
- the longest period of domination was 27 years, between 1904-05 and 1930-31
During the last period of domination, the league was reconstructed 6 times, although it wasn't
reconstruction that ended the dominance, it was stability in the league format
that possibly contributed - 1931-32 was the 10th year of a 20 team format, the longest stretch
since the league started in 1890 - Motherwell's championship came after 5 successive years in the
top 3, with two runners-up spots and three third place finishes.
The following book review was originally published in the excellent Scotzine fanzine The
12th Man Issue 11, available from their website.
Graham Roberts' autobiography is 244 pages long, has two different covers and two forewords -
one for Tottenham Hotspur and one for Rangers - the team he played for that made him famous both
sides of the border.
The following book review was originally published in the excellent Scotzine fanzine The
12th Man Issue 11, available from their website.
Graham Roberts' autobiography is 244 pages long, has two different covers and two forewords -
one for Tottenham Hotspur and one for Rangers - the team he played for that made him famous both
sides of the border.
The following book review was originally published in the excellent Scotzine fanzine The
12th Man Issue 8, available from their website.
Willie Miller is the most successful club captain outside of the Old Firm, has played more times
for Aberdeen than anyone else and retired from Scotland as the third most capped player of all time
(as of current writing he is seventh equal).
The following book review was originally published in the excellent Scotzine fanzine The
12th Man Issue 8, available from their website.
Willie Miller is the most successful club captain outside of the Old Firm, has played more times
for Aberdeen than anyone else and retired from Scotland as the third most capped player of all time
(as of current writing he is seventh equal).
The following book review was originally published in the excellent Scotzine fanzine The
12th Man& Issue 6, available from their website.
Archie Gemmill will always be remembered for ‘that goal' - there is no getting away from it.
However, with a senior career of over 650 league games, 43 International caps for Scotland -
over half as captain - and three English league titles, it could be said he should be remembered
for more than just ‘that goal' - however what a goal it was, but there is (a lot) more on that
later.
