2019–20 Ayr United F.C. season
The 2019–20 season was Ayr United's 2nd season in the Scottish Championship after being promoted from league one in the 2017–18 season. Ayr also competed in the Challenge Cup, League Cup and the Scottish Cup.[1] On 13 March 2020 all SPFL leagues were indefinitely suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.[2]
| 2019–20 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Lachlan Cameron | ||
| Manager | Ian McCall (Until 23 September) Mark Kerr (from 22 October) | ||
| Stadium | Somerset Park | ||
| Scottish Championship | Fourth place | ||
| Scottish League Cup | Group stage | ||
| Scottish Challenge Cup | Third round | ||
| Scottish Cup | Fifth round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Alan Forrest (10) All: Alan Forrest (10) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 3,167 v Dundee United, Championship, 14 September 2019 | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 777 v Arbroath, Championship, 10 December 2019 | ||
| Average home league attendance | 1,778 | ||
|
| |||
Summary
Season
Ayr began the season on 3 August 2019 and was scheduled to end on 2 May 2020.[3] On 8 April 2020, the SPFL proposed to end the 2019–20 season by utilising a points per game ratio to determine the final standings.[4] The plan was approved on 15 April 2020, declaring that the season was over, with Dundee United being named as title winners and relegating Partick Thistle to League One.[5]
Results and fixtures
Win Draw Loss Postponed
Scottish Championship
| 3 August 2019 Match 1 | Ayr United | 4–2 | Greenock Morton | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Moffat  9'McCowan 55'Forrest 64'McGuffie 90+2' |
Report | Tumilty 73' Cadden 79' |
Attendance: 1,935 Referee: Gavin Duncan |
| 10 August 2019 Match 2 | Dundee | 1–0 | Ayr United | Dens Park, Dundee |
| 15:00 | Nelson 74' |
Report | Attendance: 5,520 Referee: Alan Newlands |
| 24 August 2019 Match 3 | Ayr United | 1–0 | Queen of the South | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Kelly 26' |
Report | Attendance: 2,005 Referee: Steven Kirkland |
| 31 August 2019 Match 4 | Partick Thistle | 2–3 | Ayr United | Firhill Stadium, Glasgow |
| 15:00 | Bannigan 14' (pen.)  65'Gordon 43' 44' |
Report | McCowan 24' Doolan 72'Kelly 78' |
Attendance: 3,060 Referee: Andrew Dallas |
| 14 September 2019 Match 5 | Ayr United | 2–0 | Dundee United | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Harvie 9' Forrest 75' (pen.) |
Report | Attendance: 3,167 Referee: Bobby Madden |
| 21 September 2019 Match 6 | Alloa Athletic | 1–4 | Ayr United | Recreation Park, Alloa |
| 15:00 | O'Hara 61' |
Report | Forrest 10' (pen.) Roscoe 13'McCowan 20' |
Attendance: 902 Referee: David Lowe |
| 28 September 2019 Match 7 | Arbroath | 0–3 | Ayr United | Gayfield Park, Arbroath |
| 15:00 | Report | Forrest 12', 20' Kelly 27' |
Attendance: 1,105 Referee: Grant Irvine |
| 5 October 2019 Match 8 | Ayr United | 0–2 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Report | Vincent 31' Rooney 64' |
Attendance: 1,912 Referee: Steven McLean |
| 19 October 2019 Match 9 | Dunfermline Athletic | 3–2 | Ayr United | East End Park, Dunfermline |
| 15:00 | Kiltie 28' Ashcroft 63'Ryan 84' |
Report | Ashcroft 43' (o.g.) Forrst 57' |
Attendance: 3,905 Referee: Alan Muir |
| 25 October 2019 Match 10 | Ayr United | 1–2 | Dundee | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 19:05 | McCowan 38' |
Report | McDaid 16' McGowan 32' |
Attendance: 1,627 Referee: Bobby Madden |
| 29 October 2019 Match 11 | Greenock Morton | 2–3 | Ayr United | Cappielow, Greenock |
| 19:45 | Baird 47' McHugh 61' |
Report | Moore 50' McCowan 55'McGuffie 78' |
Attendance: 1,431 Referee: Colin Steven |
| 2 November 2019 Match 12 | Ayr United | 4–1 | Partick Thistle | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Moore 11', 48' Moffat 18'Forrest 52' |
Report | Cardle 79' |
Attendance: 2,558 Referee: William Collum |
| 9 November 2019 Match 13 | Queen of the South | 3–1 | Ayr United | Palmerston Park, Dumfries |
| 15:00 | Holt 18' Murray 67'Oliver 74' |
Report | Moffat 38' McCowan 78' |
Attendance: 1,850 Referee: Don Robertson |
| 3 December 2019 Match 14 | Ayr United | 0–1 | Dunfermline Athletic | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 19:45 | Report | Nisbet 68' |
Attendance: 1,361 Referee: Euan Anderson |
| 7 December 2019 Match 15 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 2–0 | Ayr United | Caledonian Stadium, Inverness |
| 15:00 | White 20' Storey 63' |
Report | Attendance: 1,833 Referee: Gavin Ross |
| 10 December 2019 Match 16 | Ayr United | 1–1 | Arbroath | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 19:45 | Kelly 22' |
Report | McKenna 48 pen.' |
Attendance: 777 Referee: Colin Steven |
| 14 December 2019 Match 17 | Ayr United | 2–1 | Alloa Athletic | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Docherty 6' (12) |
Report | O'Hara 67' |
Attendance: 1,117 Referee: David Munro |
| 21 December 2019 Match 18 | Dundee United | 4–0 | Ayr United | Tannadice Park, Dundee |
| 15:00 | Stanton 42' Shankland 57 pen.'Clark 61'Harkes 87' |
Report | Kerr 56' |
Attendance: 7,744 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| 28 December 2019 Match 19 | Ayr United | 1–2 | Queen of the South | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Muirhead 77' (pen.) |
Report | Semple 4' Dobbie 58 pen.' |
Attendance: 2,062 Referee: David Lowe |
| 4 January 2020 Match 20 | Dunfermline Athletic | 0–1 | Ayr United | East End Park, Dunfermline |
| 15:00 | Report | Moore 38' |
Attendance: 3,915 Referee: Mike Roncone |
| 25 January 2020 Match 21 | Ayr United | 1–0 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Kelly 61' |
Report | Attendance: 1,602 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| 31 January 2020 Match 22 | Partick Thistle | 1–1 | Ayr United | Firhill Stadium, Glasgow |
| 19:05 | Graham 33' |
Report | Forrest 52' (pen.) |
Attendance: 2,416 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| 25 February 2020 Match 23 | Ayr United | 1–2 | Greenock Morton | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 19:45 | Malley 22' |
Report | Orsi 29' Cadden 72' |
Attendance: 1,336 Referee: David Lowe |
| 29 February 2020 Match 24 | Alloa Athletic | 0–2 | Ayr United | Recreation Park, Alloa |
| 15:00 | Report | Drinan 9' Forrest 82' |
Attendance: 915 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| 3 March 2020 Match 25 | Ayr United | 0–0 | Dundee United | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 19:45 | Report | Attendance: 1,674 Referee: David Munro |
| 7 March 2020 Match 26 | Ayr United | 0–0 | Dundee | Somerset Park, Ayr |
| 15:00 | Report | Attendance: 1,758 Referee: Steven McLean |
Scottish League Cup
| 13 July 2019 Match 1 | Berwick Rangers | 0–7 | Ayr United | Berwick-upon-Tweed |
| 15:00 | Report | Moffat 21', 36' McCowan 26', 70'Doolan 35', 86'McGuffie 42' |
Stadium: Shielfield Park Attendance: 603 Referee: Scott Lambie |
| 16 July 2019 Match 2 | Livingston | 2–1 | Ayr United | Livingston |
| 19:45 | Souda 25' Lamie 83' |
Report | Murdoch 51' |
Stadium: Almondvale Attendance: 1,097 Referee: William Collum |
| 20 July 2019 Match 3 | Ayr United | 2–1 | Falkirk | Ayr |
| 15:00 | McCowan 26' Geggan 75' |
Report | McManus 42' Durnan 47' |
Stadium: Somerset Park Attendance: 1,605 Referee: Barry Cook |
| 22 July 2019 Match 4 | Ayr United | 2–2 (5–6 p) | Stranraer | Ayr |
| 15:00 | Moffat 2' Kelly 44' |
Report | Cummins 42', 86' |
Stadium: Somerset Park Attendance: 1,430 Referee: Grant Irvine |
Scottish Challenge Cup
| 7 September 2019 Third round |  Wrexham | 1–1 (6–5 p) | Ayr United | Wrexham |
| 19:45 | Bickerstaff 70' |
Report | Roscoe 85' |
Stadium: Racecourse Ground Attendance: 1,697 Referee: Steven Gregg |
Scottish Cup
| 18 January 2020 Fourth round | Ayr United | 1–0 | Ross County | Ayr |
| 15:00 | Bell 37' |
Report | Stadium: Somerset Park Attendance: 1,538 Referee: Andrew Dallas |
| 8 February 2020 Fifth round | Ayr United | 1–2 | St Johnstone | Ayr |
| 15:00 | Drinan 4' Muirhead 26' |
Report | Muirhead 18 o.g.' Hendry 27' |
Stadium: Somerset Park Attendance: 2,625 Referee: Steven McLean |
Squad statistics
Appearances
- As of 10 March 2020[6]
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Championship | League Cup | Challenge Cup | Scottish Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK |  SCO |
Ross Doohan | 33 | 0 | 27+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | SCO |
Aaron Muirhead | 29 | 2 | 21+2 | 1 | 3+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | SCO |
Daniel Harvie | 33 | 1 | 27+0 | 1 | 4+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | SCO |
Mark Kerr | 22 | 0 | 12+4 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF |  ENG |
Sam Roscoe | 26 | 2 | 18+2 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | SCO |
Andy Geggan | 20 | 1 | 14+3 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | SCO |
Michael Moffat | 34 | 6 | 21+6 | 3 | 4+0 | 3 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG |
Connor Malley | 5 | 1 | 4+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SCO |
Craig Moore | 11 | 4 | 10+1 | 4 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | SCO |
Alan Forrest | 32 | 10 | 25+0 | 10 | 1+3 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | SCO |
Luke McCowan | 31 | 8 | 19+5 | 5 | 4+0 | 3 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | SCO |
Scott Tiffoney | 7 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | SCO |
Steven Bell | 22 | 1 | 16+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| 16 | FW |  IRL |
Aaron Drinan | 9 | 2 | 7+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| 18 | MF | SCO |
Andy Murdoch | 8 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 19 | GK |  NZL |
Ellis Hare-Reid | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | SCO |
Finn Ecrepont | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | SCO |
Mark McKenzie | 11 | 1 | 0+10 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | SCO |
Ross Docherty | 26 | 2 | 21+1 | 2 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 24 | DF | SCO |
Leon Murphy | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | SCO |
Paul Smith | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | SCO |
Grant Gillespie | 5 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | SCO |
Stephen Kelly | 33 | 6 | 27+0 | 5 | 4+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | SCO |
Jordan Houston | 25 | 5 | 18+5 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| Players who left the club during the 2019–20 season | |||||||||||||
| 8 | FW | SCO |
Kris Doolan | 17 | 3 | 1+10 | 1 | 3+1 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | SCO |
Craig McGuffie | 15 | 3 | 0+12 | 2 | 1+2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | SCO |
David Ferguson | 3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | SCO |
Jamie Adams | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | SCO |
Frank Ross | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
Team statistics
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Promotion, qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 27 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 39 | 32 | +7 | 45 | 1.67 | |
| 3 | Dundee | 27 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 32 | 31 | +1 | 41 | 1.52 | |
| 4 | Ayr United | 27 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 38 | 35 | +3 | 40 | 1.48 | |
| 5 | Arbroath | 26 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 26 | −2 | 36 | 1.38 | |
| 6 | Dunfermline Athletic | 28 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 37 | 1.32 |
- All play-off matches were cancelled, as clubs voted to curtail the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.[7]
League Cup table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LIV | AYR | FAL | STR | BER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Livingston | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 11 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | 2–1 | — | — | 5–0 | |
| 2 | Ayr United | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 7 | — | — | 2–1 | 2–2p | — | ||
| 3 | Falkirk | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 | 1–1p | — | — | 1–0 | — | ||
| 4 | Stranraer | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 5 | 1–2 | — | — | — | 6–0 | ||
| 5 | Berwick Rangers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21 | −21 | 0 | — | 0–7 | 0–3 | — | — |
Transfers
Transfers in
| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June 2019 | DF | Sam Roscoe | Aberdeen | Free transfer | [10] |
| 24 June 2019 | FW | Kris Doolan | Partick Thistle | [11] | |
| 23 January 2020 | DF | Jordan Houston | Rangers | [12] | |
| 24 January 2020 | MF | Grant Gillespie | Derry City | [13] |
Transfers out
| Date | Position | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2019 | DF | Chris Higgins | East Fife | Free transfer | [14] |
| MF | Robbie Crawford | Livingston | [15] | ||
| DF | Liam Smith | Dundee United | [16] | ||
| Michael Rose | Coventry City | [17] | |||
| FW | James Hilton | Stranraer | [18] | ||
| MF | Stuart Faulds | Largs Thistle | [19] | ||
| Declan McDaid | Dundee | [20] | |||
| 3 July 2019 | FW | Lawrence Shankland | Dundee United | [21] | |
| 31 August 2019 | DF | David Ferguson | Peterhead | [22] | |
| 11 January 2020 | MF | Jamie Adams | Retired | [23] | |
| 30 January 2020 | MF | Craig McGuffie | Greenock Morton | Free transfer | [24] |
| 6 February 2020 | FW | Kris Doolan | [25] |
Loans in
| Date | Position | Name | From | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 July 2019 | MF | Frank Ross | Aberdeen | 1 January 2020 | [26] |
| 10 July 2019 | Stephen Kelly | Rangers | 31 May 2020 | [27] | |
| 12 July 2019 | GK | Ross Doohan | Celtic | [28] | |
| 30 August 2019 | DF | Jordan Houston | Rangers | [29] | |
| 17 January 2020 | FW | Aaron Drinan | Ipswich Town | [30] | |
| 30 January 2020 | FW | Scott Tiffoney | Livingston | [31] | |
| 31 January 2020 | MF | Connor Malley | Middlesbrough | [32] |
Loans out
| Start date | Position | Name | To | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2019 | MF | Leon Murphy | Stranraer | 31 May 2020 | [33] |
| 4 August 2019 | DF | Michael Hewitt | Kilwinning Rangers | [34] | |
| 1 September 2019 | Nathan Baird | Cumnock Juniors | [35] |
References
- "Ladbrokes Championship League Table | SPFL". spfl.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- "Coronavirus joint response group update". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- "Key dates for 2019/20". SPFL. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- "SPFL: Clubs to vote on lower leagues; Premiership decision on hold". BBC Sport. BBC. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles & reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- "Ayr United FC Player Appearances". soccerbase.com. Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles and reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- "Summary - League Cup Group G". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- "Format". SPFL. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- commercial. "Roscoe signs from Aberdeen – Ayr United Football Club". Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- "Kris Doolan: Ayr United sign striker following release by Partick Thistle". 24 June 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- "Rangers defender Jordan Houston completes Ayr United switch". 23 January 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- "Former Candystripe Grant Gillespie joins Ayr United on a short-term deal". 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- "Higgins & Murdoch Agree Terms For Next Season". eastfifefc.info. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- "Robbie Crawford: Livingston sign midfielder from Ayr United". 15 June 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- "Ayr Utd full-back Liam Smith to join Dundee Utd on two-year deal". 16 April 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Ayr United's Michael Rose sets up Coventry move as 'around 15 clubs' chase Lawrence Shankland". 22 January 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Homecoming for Hilton". www.stranraerfc.org. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Stuart Faulds – Players – Largs Thistle Football Club". www.largsthistle.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Declan is a Dee". Dundee Football Club – Official Website. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "UNITED ANNOUNCE SHANKLAND SIGNING". Dundee United Football Club. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- Law, Callum. "Peterhead new boy hoping move is win-win". Evening Express. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- "Ayr United ace Jamie Adams is retiring". Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- "Craig McGuffie signs for Morton – Greenock Morton". Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- "Kris Doolan signs until end of season". Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- Durent, Jamie. "Aberdeen midfielder joins Ayr United on loan spell". Press and Journal. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- "Ayr United secure loan for Rangers ace Stephen Kelly". Ayr Advertiser. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- "Ross Doohan: Celtic goalkeeper rejoins Ayr Utd on loan". 13 July 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- "Rangers kid Jordan Houston joins Ayr United on loan". 30 August 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- "Aaron Drinan Signs". 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- "Livingston striker Scott Tiffoney: Ayr United old boys sold me on loan move to Somerset Park". 30 July 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- "Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate hails "great move" for Connor Malley as midfielder joins Ayr United". 31 January 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- "Leon Murphy | Football Stats | Ayr United | Age 20 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Michael Hewitt – Ayr United Football Club". Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Nathan Baird – Ayr United Football Club". Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
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