More Old Firm Pish (Lisbon Lions, I guess)

HD · January 9, 2004

"Oh great", Iain sighed, slumping in his chair, "another feature on the Lisbon Lions. How exciting."

His face told the story just as well as his sarcasm, another day, another Old Firm cup final derby, and another load of drivel on his television. Whatever happened to the football? Not that he had ever known anything else. Celtic won the damned European Cup when he was a baby, and even before then there was other nonsense to pollute the lives of those in the West of Scotland. Sectarianism, and it's blatant, but not-to-be-spoken-of, use by Rangers and Celtic to make money were the root, and the success of the clubs merely perpetuated it. Of course there was an element of co-dependence - without successs the Sectairanism and glory-hunting would fade away, and without the Sectarianism the success would fade away. One perepetuated the other, and it was sickening to observe from the outside.

Of course now there was little about the club's playing staff that was local. How could the hoardes identify with no-name Norwegians and random inept Spaniards? What was there to tie the clubs to their support any more? Oh yes, Sectarianism. And trophies, or the chance of them. So sad, so inevitable, and this was the business he had chosen to make a living from? This was the environment in which he had opted to operate? How utterly, utterly desperate, how totally, completely, constant.

No. He couldn't let it be so. But then wiser and braver men had failed. Even fleeting success, such as that enjoyed by Aberdeen and to a lesser extend Dundee United in the eighties had failed to put a stop to the hatred, a stop to the vitriol. Even a European trophy had failed to do this, so how could he, as the manager of a pretty average, if predominently Scottish, First Division side, hope to even dent this inpenetrable shell of hate? It couldn't be done, at least he couldn't see how. No, this task was beyond his talents.

The same outrage burned in his eyes and in his heart fairly regularly, and each time he had to accept the same bitter truth, and each time it tore a little of his soul away. All he could do was his best in his job. He could win trophies, perhaps, maybe even achieve European success, but it would be superficial, unsatisfying. Still, this was his charge, this was his task, he had chosen his path some time ago, and there was nothing football could do about the matters that troubled him. He just had to win as many games as he could, try not to lose the others, and see where it got him.

[This message was edited by Peacemaker7 on 20 January 2004 at 16:40.]

HD · January 9, 2004

"Oh great", Iain sighed, slumping in his chair, "another feature on the Lisbon Lions. How exciting."

His face told the story just as well as his sarcasm, another day, another Old Firm cup final derby, and another load of drivel on his television. Whatever happened to the football? Not that he had ever known anything else. Celtic won the damned European Cup when he was a baby, and even before then there was other nonsense to pollute the lives of those in the West of Scotland. Sectarianism, and it's blatant, but not-to-be-spoken-of, use by Rangers and Celtic to make money were the root, and the success of the clubs merely perpetuated it. Of course there was an element of co-dependence - without successs the Sectairanism and glory-hunting would fade away, and without the Sectarianism the success would fade away. One perepetuated the other, and it was sickening to observe from the outside.

Of course now there was little about the club's playing staff that was local. How could the hoardes identify with no-name Norwegians and random inept Spaniards? What was there to tie the clubs to their support any more? Oh yes, Sectarianism. And trophies, or the chance of them. So sad, so inevitable, and this was the business he had chosen to make a living from? This was the environment in which he had opted to operate? How utterly, utterly desperate, how totally, completely, constant.

No. He couldn't let it be so. But then wiser and braver men had failed. Even fleeting success, such as that enjoyed by Aberdeen and to a lesser extend Dundee United in the eighties had failed to put a stop to the hatred, a stop to the vitriol. Even a European trophy had failed to do this, so how could he, as the manager of a pretty average, if predominently Scottish, First Division side, hope to even dent this inpenetrable shell of hate? It couldn't be done, at least he couldn't see how. No, this task was beyond his talents.

The same outrage burned in his eyes and in his heart fairly regularly, and each time he had to accept the same bitter truth, and each time it tore a little of his soul away. All he could do was his best in his job. He could win trophies, perhaps, maybe even achieve European success, but it would be superficial, unsatisfying. Still, this was his charge, this was his task, he had chosen his path some time ago, and there was nothing football could do about the matters that troubled him. He just had to win as many games as he could, try not to lose the others, and see where it got him.

[This message was edited by Peacemaker7 on 20 January 2004 at 16:40.]

Raptor · January 10, 2004

You're not taking this on with Ayr are you?

If so, you're a brave man

BobBev · January 10, 2004

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Raptor:

You're not taking this on with Ayr are you? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Now that I would like to see - c'mon HD, go for it

Educated Hick · January 10, 2004

Good luck HD. If you pull this off, you'l be a legend, that's fer sure.

Just out of curipusity, does the Celtic/Rangers fanbase break down by class or location, or just religion?

HD · January 10, 2004

Primarily "religion", but location too as there are "Catholic" and "Protestant" areas. Note the inverted commas

HD · January 10, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Season 2003/2004

First Quarter

Manager's report

I should start with the skeletal facts. We are currently working with a first team squad of 20 players, with a further seventeen on our books and available for selection should we need them, 2 of whom - Aaron Black and Iain Fulton - are on loan at Elgin City. We are, regrettably, Â£248 per week over the wage budget the board set down at the start of the season, though efforts are being made to move on players who are earning good money and not contributing to the team effort. Nonetheless the Â£120,000 brought in from Olympique Marseille for Ludovic Roy not only covers the Â£34,000 we spent on players, but also leaves us in a solid financial position.

The First Team Playing Staff:

In goals we have two players in on loan, David Marshall from Celtic and Graeme Smith from Rangers. Although the latter is three years older I have opted to start Marshall in our games this season, and I stand by that decision. Rangers have been in contact to express their disappointment at Smith's inaction, but I feel that we need both at the club. We are not contributing to the wages of either player.

In defence I have been playing young Willie Lyle at right back. He is a product of our own youth system, and although just 19 has been a solid and consistent performer. At left back I've been using Allan Dempsie who we have brought in on loan from Hibernian. We are not contributing to his wages either, and he has played well. In the middle I have started with Mark Campbell and Marc Smyth, although Campbell is currently injured. Both have played well, and David Craig is an able deputy at this level. Mick Dunlop and Robert Burgess are also available to deputise, and both are versatile players.

In midfield I've brought John Rankin in on loan from Ross County, and would urge the board to find the funds to make this a permanent deal in the summer. He has played well on the left and is a real prospect. We are contributing Â£250 per week to his wages, and Ross County are following his progress. Circumstances have forced me to play Kevin Gallacher on the right side of midfield. He's a talented player, and his experience is valubale, but he's not a right sided midfielder. Scott Chaplain and Steve Ferguson are playing very, very well in the centre - much to the chagrin of Dougie Ramsay, who has had to settle for a spot on the bench of late. Stuart McGrady provides us with options on both sides of the park.

Up front we have benefitted greatly from the experienced head of Craig Brewster, and I thank the board for sanctioning this purchase. Stephen Whalen is his established partner now, and he too has found the net with acceptable regularity. I have high hopes for Alex Williams, he will prove to be a very good signing for this club, whilst Graeme Brown and Stewart Kean are capable deputies.

The Bell's Cup:

Our run in this competition was disappointingly short as we lost in the first round at Inverness Caledonian Thistle by one goal to nothing. This was our first competitive game after six friendlies (1-1-4) and I feel a shorter pre-season would help next time around.

CIS Insurance Cup:

We started out with a very hard-fought and well-earned away win in Dumfries, 2-1 over Queen of the South, at the start of September, and our Second Round game three weeks later saw us entertain Airdrie United, and comprehensively defeat them by three to nothing. Upcoming is a Third Round trip to SPL side Livingston, and we will be approaching this as a game we feel we can win.

Tennent's Scottish Cup:

Our participation in this competition has not yet commenced.

Bell's First Division:

After nine games, one quarter of our scheduled fixtures, we are proud to sit in first place in the division after five wins and four draws. Most remarkably we have conceded just one goal in this period, in a 1-1 draw at Brechin City, and scored fourteen goals of our own. We are two points ahead of both Clyde and Brechin City who each have seventeen points at this stage. My only concern is that we have managed to drop eight points despite only the one goal lost. This is something we will look to remedy in quarter two. Our most notable result came in the ninth and most recent match when we won 7-0 at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Statistics:

Craig Brewster is the team's top scorer with eight goals in all competitions, followed by Stephen Whalen with five. Scott Chaplain has four including a hat-trick in the 7-0 demolition of Inverness, whilst Graeme Brown and Allan Dempsie have a single goal each. In my view Brewster, Chaplain, Marc Smyth and David Marshall have been our most consistant performers, with Steve Ferguson although worthy of a mention. I am a little concerned with the form of Kevin Gallacher, and there is a boy in the reserves called Mark McColl who I am tempted to try out on the right wing. Dougie Ramsay is another potential option for this role.

Assessment:

This quarter has provided a solid base for the season. We will look to build on what we have achieved over the next couple of months and report back halfway through the season.

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Ayr 9 5 4 0 14 1 +13 19

2nd Clyde 9 5 2 2 19 13 +6 17

3rd Brechin 9 5 2 2 17 11 +6 17

4th Ross County 9 5 1 3 17 15 +2 16

5th Queen of Sth. 9 4 2 3 12 7 +5 14

6th St. Johnstone 9 4 0 5 16 14 +2 12

7th Raith Rovers 9 3 2 4 20 18 +2 11

8th St. Mirren 9 2 1 6 12 19 -7 7

9th Falkirk 9 2 1 6 12 22 -10 7

10th ICT 9 2 1 6 9 28 -19 7

</pre>

Faramir · January 10, 2004

Best of Luck HD- will be rooting for you (thought about doing East Stirling again, but decided to start higher this time)

HD · January 11, 2004

Interview with Craig Brewster, Sunday Mail

SM: So, Craig, eight goals and top of the league. Are you happy with your decision to step down a division at this stage of your career?

CB: Obviously I have to be. I really am enjoying this season, and I believe we can go back to the SPL where a club of this stature belongs.

SM: Pre-season Ayr were amongst the favourites for relegation, and now you're at the top and unbeaten. Is the first quarter an aberration, or are you really valid contenders to go up?

CB: To be fair, the team has changed a fair bit since we were given that label. The kids from Rangers and Celtic are pushing each other for the goalkeeping position, and Allan Dempsie has been very solid at left back. John Rankin on the left of midfield has been a sensation, and may be the single biggest reason we're doing so well.

SM: Yourself aside, of course!

CB: I think my role is overrated. I just stick away the tap ins. If you look at Scott Chaplain's hat-trick at Inverness, after the penalty rebound he's hit a couple of peaches that got voted first and second in the goal of the month competition, and he hit another like that a couple of weeks earlier, and Stevie Whalen's done a power of work, and scored the difficult striker's goals. It's really easy to play well with that kind of support, you know that if you miss one then somebody else will score sooner or later.

SM: You say that, but draws, and in particular 0-0 draws, have been a sticking point thus far this season for you?

CB: That's talked about too much outside the club. We're not concerned about it.

SM: Finally Craig, how about your future, you've indicated that this may be your last season in the game?

CB: Yeah, at the moment that's how I'm thinking, but we'll see how it goes. If we get promoted then I may just fancy one last crack at the top flight before I retire back to Greece.

HD · January 11, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Season 2003/2004

Second Quarter

Manager's report

We've covered the squad already and due to the transfer window regulations there were no moves during the second quarter, so I'll get straight on to the competitions.

CIS Insurance Cup:

We put up a good fight at Livingston before losing 3-1. This game showed me that if we are able to secure promotion this term we will be in for a rough ride next season. We made Â£20,000 from the defeat, plus our share of the gate money.

Tennent's Scottish Cup:

We have been drawn away to SPL side Motherwell in the Third Round. This tie will take place in January 2004.

Bell's First Division:

Our record over the past nine games was five wins, three draws and a single defeat in our last game in Inverness. Whilst I am obviously devastated to lose our unbeaten run, and particularly to a side we hammered on our own park, the table still looks good for us with a five point gap to our nearest challengers, Clyde. Whilst we sit first we remain aware that ten wins from eighteen games is barely over a fifty percent win ratio, and we will look even to improve on this over the second half of the season, bearing in mind that a win and a defeat are worth more points than two draws.

Statistics:

Marc Smyth was called up to the Scotland under 21 squad earlier in the month, and we are all proud of him. It was a tough decision to make as he is eligible for Northern Ireland, but he has seen sense and opted for l'Ecosse. Stephen Whalen has picked up most of the goals of late, though Craig Brewster still leads our charts on 11, Whalen has 10 and Scott Chaplain six. Remarkably our keeper David Marshall has a goal to his credit, a wind assisted clearance that helped us to a 2-1 home win over St Mirren.

Assessment:

We're doing fine, and I am now confident that - steering clear of injuries and suspensions - we will be able to win this division. That is now our stated aim.

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Ayr 18 10 7 1 27 9 +18 37

2nd Clyde 18 9 5 4 32 25 +7 32

3rd Brechin 18 8 6 4 38 26 +12 30

4th Queen of Sth. 18 8 5 5 27 22 +5 29

5th St. Johnstone 18 8 2 8 27 25 +2 26

6th Ross County 18 7 5 6 24 24 0 26

7th St. Mirren 18 7 3 8 26 28 -2 24

8th Raith Rovers 18 6 2 10 35 35 0 20

9th ICT 18 4 3 11 16 41 -25 15

10th Falkirk 18 3 2 13 18 35 -17 11

</pre>

HD · January 15, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Season 2003/2004

Third Quarter

Manager's report

This was our busiest quarter in terms of the number of matches, so straight on to the action.

Tennent's Scottish Cup:

We put up a good performance in drawing 0-0 at Fir Park in the Third Round, and again in the Somerset replay, drawing 1-1 before eliminating our SPL opponents in a penalty shoot-out. This victory left us in optimistic mood for a rematch with Livingston, who had earlier eliminated us from the CIS Cup, this time at Somerset. In a dramatic match we led through Brewster, but looked set for a replay until the same player grabbed an injury time winner to put us in the Quarter Finals. The draw paired us with Brechin City, seemingly our easiest match of the tournament so far. Sadly it didn't turn out that way, and we lost 2-0 at Glebe Park, ending our participation in this competition.

Bell's First Division:

Our record over the past nine games was five wins, two draws and a pair of back-to-back defeats at home to Clyde and then at Falkirk. We now have an eight point lead over Clyde, with Queen of the South a further four points adrift. The bottom line is that twenty points - six wins and a draw - from the final nine matches will guarantee the championship we crave. Disturbingly we have yet to register six wins in a single quarter, but points dropped by our rivals will ease us closer to our target.

Statistics:

Craig Brewster picked up the goalscoring burden once again in this quarter, moving to 16 goals in all competitions. Stephen Whalen is on ten and Scott Chaplain on seven. Alex Williams has begun to play more and has registered five goals already. Marc Smyth now has two under 21 caps to his credit, and David Marshall has broken into that squad at just 18 years of age. We have agreed Bosman deals to bring in eleven players, two goalkeepers to replace the two loanees we will not have next year - Craig Nelson and Myles Hogarth - with a work permit pending on a third I'm excited about - a veteran international of the highest calibre. Further, two defenders with SPL experience - Emmanuel Dorado of Livingston and Eric Deloumeaux of Aberdeen - four midfielders, two of whom are playing in the SPL now, and two of whom are from this division - Lee Makel of Livingston and Jarkko Wiss of Hibernian, Steve Bowey of Queen of the South and Andy Millen of Clyde in a primarily coaching role. Finally we've tied up three strikers, one international, one proven goalscorer and an SPL player - Gilles De Bilde, Martin Cameron and Alex Burns. All will be useful next season, particularly as Craig Brewster is set to retire, and we will lose John Rankin and Allan Dempsie when their loans expire. I'm very optimistic that if we are promoted we will be able to stay in the division.

Assessment:

We're going up, believe it!

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Ayr 27 15 9 3 36 13 +23 54

2nd Clyde 27 13 7 7 46 37 +9 46

3rd Queen of Sth. 28 11 9 8 43 36 +7 42

4th St. Johnstone 28 12 5 11 41 39 +2 41

5th Brechin 27 10 7 10 53 46 +7 37

6th Raith Rovers 28 10 5 13 56 52 +4 35

7th Ross County 27 9 8 10 35 37 -2 35

8th St. Mirren 28 10 5 13 38 42 -4 35

9th ICT 28 7 8 13 28 51 -23 29

10th Falkirk 28 8 3 17 34 57 -23 27

</pre>

Peacemaker7 · January 15, 2004

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> We're going up, believe it!

I dont think anyone ever really doubted it

But can you stay up?

HD · January 15, 2004

Memo to board

As you'll have noticed we won the league with four games to spare, out boozing, so can't do a report, will bring you up to speed after the first quarter of next season. Quite excited actually.

Regards,

Iain

HD · January 16, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Squad Assessment 2004-2005

Reserve Squad:

Goalkeepers:

Hogarth, Myles Stirling Albion Bosman 4th choice keeper, brought in early in the close season as an insurance policy.

Soutar, Derek Dundee Free Future starter, spending a year in the reserves for experience.

Creer, Allan Livingston Free Seventeen year old with ability. We'll see how he develops.

Defenders:

Burgess, Robert Ayr United Already at club. Young defender was not ready for First Division football last year, and is certainly not ready to play in the SPL this. Possibly could go out on loan.

Lyle, Willie Ayr United Already at club. Started in the right back role last season, but will understudy this.

Dunlop, Mick Ayr United Already at club. Another who was a first-team squad member last season, only to find himself on the reserve roster this. Still young enough to eventually break through.

Dorado, Emmanuel Livingston Bosman Brought in as backup, and helps the kids by playing with the reserves

Midfielders:

McGrady, Stuart Ayr United Already at club. Played OK in his chances last term, but nowhere near ready to play in the first team this year.

Millen, Andy Clyde Bosman Brought in as a player/coach, but will primarily fill the latter role at age 40.

Rankin, John Ross County Season-long loan Renewed loan deal that proved so successful last season. Will start in the reserves but may move up to the top team as time goes on. The club is looking to find the money to make this a permanent deal.

Makel, Lee Livingston Bosman Squad member who can deputise in central midfield in times of emergency.

Bowey, Steve Queen of the South Bosman Tough midfielder who will again play a squad-member role, and work with the youths.

Forwards:

Brighton, Tom Peterhead Â£110,000 Young striker brought in with an eye on the future, comes with a good pedigree having come through the Rangers youth system.

Cameron, Martin Gretna Bosman Older head recruited in case of a striking emergency emerging during the season. A luxury I wouldn't spend money on if I wasn't absolutely determined to stay up.

Kean, Stewart Ayr United Already at club. A kid we expect to break through in the next two seasons, or never. Time will tell.

Williams, Alex Ayr United Already at club. Scored 11 goals last season after replacing the now-departed Stephen Whalen in the team in the second half of last season and should be nexdt to break into the top team.

Conway, Craig Ayr United Already at club. One of many young strikers at the club with a chance to make it. May have to leave this club first.

McColl, Mark Ayr United Already at club. I want to see Mark force me to play him. He's got the ability, but we need to see the application next.

Ferguson, Andrew Ayr United Already at club. Another who has a chance to be a first team regular in this division eventually. It's up to him to make it happen.

HD · January 17, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Squad Assessment 2004-2005

First Team Squad:

Goalkeepers:

Arendse, AndrÃ© Sundowns Free

South African National Team starter, will play for us for one year, hopefully helping to develop the young goalkeeping talent in the squad.

Nelson, Craig St. Johnstone Bosman

Always nice to bring back a crowd favourite, and Craig is backup to AndrÃ© this season, unless the South African loses his form.

Defenders:

Onopko, Victor Alania Vladikavkaz Bosman

The veteran Russian international has over 100 caps for his country, and will be club captain this season.

Deloumeaux, Eric Aberdeen Bosman

Eric will start at right back this season, bringing SPL experience to the defence.

Staunton, Steve Coventry Bosman

Steve will be our starting left back, and will hopefully put his experience to good use in that role.

Campbell, Mark Ayr United Already at club.

Mark will continue in the centre of defence. We are optimistic of an injury-free season for him.

Smyth, Marc Ayr United Already at club.

Marc will likely be used in the midfield initially this season. Now a regular in the Scotland under 21 squad.

Midfielders:

Wiss, Jarkko Hibs Bosman

Jarkko will provide cover across the midfield and at full back in an emergency.

Nerlinger, Christian Rangers Free

Christian will start on the left hand side. We expect big things from him, despite his failure at Rangers.

Stewart, Michael Manchester United Season-long loan.

Michael comes in on a season-long loan from United looking to show he is ready to play for their first team. We hope he does.

Ramsay, Dougie Ayr United Already at club.

Dougie will provide backup in the middle and on the right hand side of midfield. Has played at this level in his Motherwell days.

Campbell, Darren Reading Â£250,000

Teenage Scottish winger will be looking to break into the team quickly after his move from the English First Division.

Tiffert, Christian VfB Stuttgart Season-long loan.

Tiffert is our starting right winger, but time will tell if he is mature enough for the role.

Chaplain, Scott Ayr United Already at club.

Scott is now being selected for the Scotland under 21 squad, and will have a role to play in this campaign.

Ferguson, Steve Ayr United Already at club.

Steve was ever-present last season, and will look to extend that streak this time around. Will face stiff competition for his place though.

Forwards:

Burns, Alex Motherwell Bosman

Alex will look to break into the team, but will find it tougher given the quality of strikers in the squad.

De Bilde, Gilles Anderlecht Bosman

Gilles has all the quality you could hope for. If he can deliver goals we'll all be happy.

Ganz, Maurizio Ancona Free

After a successful trial Maurizio was signed to a 1-year deal. If he can chip in with a handy number of goals we'll have got our money's worth.

Mihalcea, Adrian Genoa Free

Adrian was my most prized acquisition of the off-season. A regular in the full Romanian side, and at 28 has experience, including three years in Italian football. Will be a star in this league.

Portillo, Javier Real Madrid Season-long loan.

I had to pull strings with contacts at Madrid to secure this deal, but Javier is arguably the best striker in this divison.

HD · January 17, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Season 2004/2005

First Quarter

Manager's report

We've already gone over the playing staff, so I'll move swiftly on to the matches now.

The Bell's Cup:

We are not eligible for this competition this season.

CIS Insurance Cup:

Our second round game saw Brechin comprehensively dealt with by three goals to one at Glebe Park, but in the third round we came a cropper at Somerset, going down 1-0 to Dundee United on a late Charlie Miller goal.

Tennent's Scottish Cup:

Our participation in this competition has not yet commenced.

Bank of Scotland Scottish Premierleague:

We have played eleven games, and despite starting with a 2-3-1 record, defeats in our last five games have seen us tumble to a dreadful eleventh place in the league, two points ahead of Dunfermline, who gained their only win of the season so far when we visited East End Park. It's not pretty viewing, and it's clear our talented international players have not performed to their capablities, with particular pressure now on the goalkeeper to salvage his shattered reputation.

Statistics:

Adrian Mihalcea is the team's top scorer with four goals in all competitions, followed by Javier Portillo with three, two of which came in the League Cup win at Brechin. Alex Burns has two, whilst Scott Chaplain, Gilles De Bilde, Eric Deloumeaux, Mauizio Ganz, Steve Staunton and Michael Stewart have a single goal each. In my view none of our players have performed well enough or well often enough.

Assessment:

We're in serious danger of being dragged into a relegation battle if we don't right the ship soon. This is my responsibility and I take it upon myself to sort it out. Arendse will sit out the next few games to see if Nelson can establish himself in his place, but we are also hamstrung by injuries to Campbell and Mihalcea, who both appear somewhat fragile.

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Rangers 11 9 1 1 26 3 +23 28

2nd Celtic 11 5 5 1 18 5 +13 20

3rd Dundee 11 6 2 3 19 17 +2 20

4th Dundee Utd 11 5 2 4 15 16 -1 17

5th Hibs 10 4 3 3 11 12 -1 15

6th Aberdeen 10 4 2 4 13 13 0 14

7th Livingston 11 4 1 6 16 18 -2 13

8th Hearts 11 3 4 4 13 16 -3 13

9th Partick 11 2 5 4 11 16 -5 11

10th Kilmarnock 11 3 2 6 10 17 -7 11

11th Ayr 11 2 3 6 12 20 -8 9

12th Dunfermline 11 1 4 6 10 21 -11 7

</pre>

HD · January 17, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Season 2004/2005

Second Quarter

Manager's report

I suppose they're not really quarters, but this is my account of our season between game 12 and 22 of the SPL season:

Tennent's Scottish Cup:

Our Third Round game saw us overcome Second Division Falkirk at Somerset by a first minute Christian Nerlinger goal to nil. We were the last team out of the hat in the Fourth Round draw and face a daunting trip to Celtic Park.

Bank of Scotland Scottish Premierleague:

It seems unlikely given the upbeat feeling at Somerset, but we've lost six league games in this spell, the same as in the first quarter, and both parts of the season have ended with 5-0 defeats at the hands of Celtic. This quarter also saw a 5-1 loss to Rangers and an unlucky 2-1 reverse in the Ayrshire derby. Still we posted four victories and moved off the foot of the table, though the board are rightly concerned.

Statistics:

Adrian Mihalcea remains the team's top scorer with eleven goals , followed by Javier Portillo with seven. Scott Chaplain has three, as does Jarkko Wiss who has emerged as something of a free kick specialist in recent weeks. We made two acquisitions in the transfer window, Celtic youngster Anton Eadie signing for Â£20,000 and KR Reykjavik defender JÃ¶kull I ElÃsabetarson joining under freedom of contract.

Assessment:

Craig Nelson has established himself as #1 for now, and if the board grant me grace to the end of the season we will stay in this division.

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Rangers 22 18 2 2 56 11 +45 56

2nd Celtic 22 12 6 4 46 18 +28 42

3rd Hibs 22 10 6 6 32 29 +3 36

4th Aberdeen 22 9 5 8 28 24 +4 32

5th Partick 22 8 6 8 28 30 -2 30

6th Dundee Utd 22 8 5 9 32 42 -10 29

7th Hearts 22 7 6 9 26 36 -10 27

8th Dundee 22 8 3 11 29 43 -14 27

9th Kilmarnock 22 8 2 12 22 31 -9 26

10th Dunfermline 22 6 5 11 31 39 -8 23

11th Ayr 22 6 4 12 29 45 -16 22

12th Livingston 22 5 4 13 34 45 -11 19

</pre>

wigs7 · January 17, 2004

Sounds like you aint had much luck so far in the top league.good stuff so far hope you can turn things around in the second half of the season .

HD · January 18, 2004

Ayr United Football Club

Season 2004/2005

Third Quarter

Manager's report

Here follows the account of Isildur, son of the King, or me, depending which version you have:

Tennent's Scottish Cup:

The Fourth Round was as far as we progressed in this competition, but we did take Celtic to a replay with a 1-1 draw at Parkhead, and only went down 1-0 at Somerset in the second game. A creditable performance, perhaps, but it still led to elimination. The competition is now past the semi final stage where Celtic beat Morton and Dundee United eliminated Rangers after extra time.

Bank of Scotland Scottish Premierleague:

We have now reached the league split, and despite having sat bottom for most of the last 10 or 11 games, we are now 11th, having overhauled Dundee with a win at Dens on matchday 32 and then producing a shock late win at Parkhead over Celtic courtesy of Gilles de Bilde after Larsson had cancelled out Adrian Mihalcea's penalty. We now face games against Dundee, Dunfermline, Livingston, Dundee United and Hearts as we seek to preserve our Premier League status. I have little doubt we will be relying more on Dundee dropping points than on picking them up ourselves over the closing six fixtures.

Statistics:

Adrian Mihalcea is still out in front in the goalscoring stakes with 19 to Portillo's 10 and de Bilde's 9. Scott Chaplain, who has four goals, and Mihalcea are the pick of our performers, and will be the leading contenders when player of the year honours are handed out.

Assessment:

Three wins in our last three games, including the vital game at Dens and the match with Celtic, have lifted us off the foot of the table, and we are determined not to sink there again this season.

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st C Rangers 33 24 5 4 77 19 +58 77

2nd Celtic 33 16 8 9 61 31 +30 56

3rd Aberdeen 33 15 7 11 45 32 +13 52

4th Kilmarnock 33 16 4 13 44 41 +3 52

5th Hibs 33 13 8 12 51 52 -1 47

6th Partick 33 12 9 12 44 47 -3 45

----------------------------------------------------

7th Hearts 33 11 9 13 36 53 -17 42

8th Dundee Utd 33 11 8 14 46 59 -13 41

9th Livingston 33 11 5 17 60 67 -7 38

10th Dunfermline 33 9 9 15 44 53 -9 36

11th Ayr 33 10 5 18 52 62 -10 35

====================================================

12th Dundee 33 9 5 19 37 81 -44 32

</pre>

HD · January 18, 2004

Dear Board,

See, I told you we could stay up!

See you next season,

Iain

.....

11th Ayr 38 12 6 20 55 67 -12 39

12th Dundee 38 9 7 22 38 89 -51 34</pre>

HD · January 18, 2004

BBC Scotland interview, close season

Chick Young: So, here I am, where I am, which is here, in Ayr, at Somerset Park, to meet Mr Iain Bartholomew, manager of SPL side Ayr United who play here at Somerset Park in Ayr. Iain, you almost got relegated last season despite fielding a number of international players, do you feel you made mistakes when you brought them in.

IB: Look Chick, first of all, nice to meet you, how are you doing? Second of all we're still an SPL club, we stayed up, that was our target, and we achieved it, so no I didn't make a mistake bringing these players in.

CY: But most have since departed?

IB: True, most were on one-year deals which have not been renewed, but look where they are now. Onopko is at Hibs, so is Ganz, Nerlinger is at Dundee, Staunton at Cowdenbeath. These guys have stuck around. Arendse would have too, but he couldn't get a new work permit.

CY: Now though you have a primarily Scottish first team squad?

IB: It so happens that the best players available were Scottish. Guys like de Bilde, Mihalcea, Deloumeaux and ElÃsabetarson will still play a big part in my plans.

CY: You've taken a few players from Hibs, do you feel preying on a competitor like this bring up moral questions?

IB: Yes, I do, however my first priority is the good of Ayr United, and signing guys like Riordan, Brown, Brebner and Murray for the prices we paid was too good an opportunity to move us on to the next level to refuse.

CY: You also have a few lads who have failed to make the grade at the Old Firm clubs.

IB: I'd say it's harsh to say 'failed to make the grade'. Craig Beattie could well have made the breakthrough eventually, but his contract expired and Celtic weren't looking like renewing it quickly enough to suit him so we stepped in. Jamie Smith has the chance to be a top top player, and Ross Wallace is a guy I never expected them to release, he has ability. Rangers weren't keen to lose MacLean, but I was desperate to sign him. Unfortunately now he's injured imself in training...

CY: Is it a bad injury?

IB: Sadly, yeah. He's torn his medial ligaments in his left knee, he could miss the whole season.

CY: That must be devastating for him?

IB: Yeah, he could've made this a career season, but he'll be young enough when he recovers to build it up again.

CY:You've made other signings aswell.

IB: Yeah, we've brought John Rankin in for Â£170,000 from Ross County on a Bosman, and other free transfers and nominal sums went on Darryl Duffy from Spartans, Warren Cummings, Craig Burley and Lee Mair from Dundee and Eoin Jess, but that's another story.

CY: Let me get that one cleared up: you signed him, but he retired?

IB: Yeah, he signed a pre-contract agreement, but when the time came to join us he decided that he'd rather just quit than play for us. He's perfectly entitled to do that, but we were all disappointed.

CY: Do you think you'll bring anyone else in, or are you done now?

IB: Excepting MÃ¤kelÃ¤?

CY: Almost forgot that! Some coup, I believe you beat off interest from Celtic for this kid?

IB: Yeah, he's at HJK in Helsinki now, he's 22 and has three caps. Celtic actually offered him a contract, but he opted to join us, and we're thrilled. He could be something like a phenomenon here.

CY: I look forward to seeing him on the pitch. All the best for the new season. Cheers.

IB: Cheers Chick.

HD · January 18, 2004

Extract from Iain Bartholomew's column, The Herald, Monday, 7th November, 2005

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>When I asked the editor what my brief for this column was his response was succinct: make it relevant, interesting and readable. Well, what's relevant to me is the influence of foreign players in Scottish football. I hope I don't come across as a hypocrit in writing this, given my use of non-Scots last season in particular, and to an extent this, but I feel my point is worth making.

The Scottish national team has finished fourth in a group of five in qualifying for World Cup 2006. That is bordering on abysmal. We weren't even in the hunt for qualification: Belgium winning the group with 18 points, Ireland and England finishing on 14. We had eight points, and six of those came from wins over Luxembourg! Whilst we took solace in England also failing to secure so much as a playoff place the facts were painfully clear. The eight goals scored were more than the English, but whilst they conceded only three we lost nine. At least three of our squad were or are plying their trade in the Scottish first division, and a 73 year old Paul Lambert is still a starter. For every Hughes, Ferguson and Pearson there is a Dobie, Greacen or O'Brien, and the team is not competitive.

Rangers are Champions, and their squad contains Australians, Belarusians, Chileans, Danes, Georgians, Mexicans, Zambians, Dutchmen, Germans, Englishmen and Portuguese outnumbering the likes of Hughes and Kenny Miller in the starting team, whilst runners-up and Cup winners Celtic's Scots have three starts between them this season as Belgians, Bulgars, Danes, Greeks, Guineans, Uruguayans, Swedes, Slovaks, Norwegians, Koreans, Irishmen and Welshmen fill the team, managed by a man from Northern Ireland. Even Aberdeen who finished third last year have Argentines, Englishmen, Finns, Greeks, Russians and Welshmen aplenty. The trend is clear.

Now the outstanding player this season is Ã¾Ã³rarinn Brynjar KristjÃ¡nsson of Dunfermline, and Queen of the South's Trinidadian Brent Sancho is a clear talent, but the majority of the best performers in the league are Scotsmen, and it begs the question: if these foreigners aren't better than the Scots, why are they playing? Why are they brought here to sit on benches, or make up numbers?

At Ayr last season we found to our cost that foreign does not mean better as we were forced to turn to Scots to salvage our league status. Now that said I should mention that players like Adrian Mihalcea and Eric Deloumeaux have done very well for us, and the two men I have loaned in from abroad this term - Landon Donovan and Robin van Persie - have been welcome additions, I am not anti-foreigners where it is good for our game - how can boys like Craig Beattie and Derek Riordan not benefit from guys like Landon and Adrian - but the flood of cheap imports, low on wages, but low on ability also, is impairing clubs up and down the country.

This season's league is one third of the way through the pre-split schedule and it is teams like Dunfermline, Ayr and Kilmarnock with teams comprosed primarily of Scots that are leading the way - to a surprising extent. The star foreigners - Donovan, KristjÃ¡nsson, Larsson, etc. are leading the way in the statistics, but the next level is where players like Livingston's Colin McMenamin, Mark Kerr of Dundee United and Alan Combe of Queen of the South are making the big impression.

...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Extract from Bartholomew's first 'quarter' report to his board:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>...

Statistics:

Landon Donovan is the division's top scorer with nine goals, but he has carried our burden so far, the only other goals coming from Adrian Mihalcea and Jamie Smith with two apiece. The worst performers this season are at or above the level of our best last, and so i cannot complain there.

Analysis:

Whilst we are disappointed to lose our first game in the League Cup - particularly to lower league opposition - the league form has more than compensated. To sit second in the table after eleven games considering last season's tribulations is a big plus, particularly since it is an almost completely altered team. We shall endeavour to press on from here, though the manner of our only two defeats against Dunfermline and Aberdeen are concerning. We shall hope for more victories like those seen at Rugby Park and Ibrox and fewer of the off days in the next part of the season.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

SPL Table:

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Dunfermline 11 7 3 1 21 7 +14 24

</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">2nd Ayr 11 5 4 2 14 13 +1 19 </pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

3rd Kilmarnock 11 5 3 3 15 11 +4 18

4th Queen of Sth. 11 5 3 3 17 14 +3 18

5th Rangers 11 5 2 4 18 15 +3 17

6th Aberdeen 11 3 6 2 15 13 +2 15

7th Dundee Utd 11 4 3 4 12 14 -2 15

8th Celtic 11 4 1 6 14 14 0 13

9th Livingston 11 2 6 3 14 15 -1 12

10th Hibs 11 2 6 3 14 17 -3 12

11th Hearts 11 2 4 5 12 21 -9 10

-------------------------------------------------------

12th Partick Thistle 11 1 1 9 7 19 -12 4

</pre>

Peacemaker7 · January 19, 2004

Celtic 8th hmmmm. If only.....

Title for Ayr

HD · January 19, 2004

BBC Scotland coverage, World Cup Final, July 9th 2006

Dougie Vipond: Hello, and welcome to BBC Scotland's coverage of the final of Deutschland 2006. With me in the studio are former Rangers, Brighton and Kilmarnock player Gordon Smith, and Ayr United manager Iain Bartholomew. Good afternoon gentlemen.

GS: Afternoon Dougie.

IB: Awrighty?

DV: Well we've watched this tournament from the start, and it's been explosive. Let's take a look at how we reached this stage:

Footage plays

Voiceover: The group stage saw many upsets, like Guinea's 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Group E courtesy of Souleymane Youla's double, or Belarus' 2-1 win over Turkey in a fiery encounter. We've seen Ivory Coast beat Ukraine with a goal from a Brechin City player, Jean-Yves Anis, and Burkina Faso defeat Croatia. We've seen Ireland thrash Argentina 3-0 and even Trinidad and Tobago won a match, and all this in the first matches of the groups!

This type of result became the norm, as Turkey spontaneously combusted, seeing three red cards in their first two games, and Ivory Coast became the first team to qualify for the knockout stages. Kuwait eliminated Colombia in a last-game showdown with a 1-0 win in Group B, and they were accompanied into the Second Round by the Dutch side. France and Portugal made it from Group A, but only after the Portuguese drew 0-0 with Honduras ni the final group game to edge out the Central Americans on goal difference. Turkey kept 11 men on the field, but finished as the worst team in the competition as they followed up a 6-1 loss to Sweden with a 5-1 defeat against the host nation, who progressed with the Swedes. Italy and the Ivory Coast had already qualified, and played out a 1-1 draw in their final match whilst Zimbabwe surprisingly defeated Ukraine 3-2 in the other group game.

In Group E the Czechs bounced back from losing to Guinea to progress with a 2-0 win over Brazil, joined in the knockout phase by Belgium, whilst Group F saw South Korea and Canada progress as the North American side rallied from near-certain elimination to beat Burkina Faso 4-1 and edge out the Africans in a group where Croatia were the surprising whipping-boys. Argentina and Ireland eked past Hungary and Uruguay, whilst Trinidad and Saudi Arabia were the surprise qualifiers from a group containing Mexico and Australia.

Footage ends

DV: So that was the group stages. Now, let's take a moment to talk about the domestic season in Scotland. Gordon, Rangers Champions again, but Celtic win their third straight Scottish Cup. More impressively, the Gers also made the Semi Finals of the Champions League.

GS: Yes, it's been a thrilling season at home and abroad. You really have to appreciate the job Alex McLeish has done at Rangers, whilst Ruud Gullit has come in halfway through the season and turned Celtic around completely.

IB: You have to say that they were impressive teams, but for me the consistency of Livingston and Dunfermline in finishing third and fourth, a long way clear of ourselves in fifth and Kilmarnock in sixth.

DV: To be honest Iain, nobody cares about diddy teams like Livi, Dunfermline or, no offence, Ayr. We really want to talk about the Old Firm.

GS: Rangers were really outstanding at times...

IB: F*ck you guys...

DV: Can we go to VT?

Footage plays

Voiceover: It all began regularly enough as France disposed of Kuwait and the Dutch edged out Portugal, Italy dealt with Sweden comfortably enough, but it all went askew so far as the hosts were concerned as the remarkable Ivory Coast team produced a tremendous 1-0 win. The Czechs prevented South Korea repeating their run of four years previous with a 2-0 win, but Belgium needed extra time before they dealt with Canada, coming through 4-3 in the end. Ireland had few problems seeing off the Saudis, but the shocks weren't quite over as Trinidad & Tobago hammered Argentina 4-2 in the final match of the stage.

Holland played party-pooper in the Quarter Finals, comfortably seeing off the Ivory Coast 2-0, before a clash of titans saw France triumph 2-1 over Italy. The Czechs eliminated Trinidad 1-0 before the only shock of the round saw Ireland lose out 2-0 to the Belgians. France won by the odd goal in three against the Czechs, and in a fiercely contested game it took a silver goal from Michael Lamey to finally see off the Belgians who had equalised twice in normal time, including an injury time strike from Emile Mpenza.

Footage ends

DV: Well, I think we'd better hand over quickly to Rob McLean and Sandy Clark...

Screen drops to static...

Footnote:

Belgium gained third place with a 4-0 whumping of the Czechs.

France rallied from 1-0 down at half time to a Makaay goal to regain the World Cup with goals from Trezeguet (50) and CissÃ© (80).

SPL table:

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st C Rangers 38 24 6 8 71 39 +32 78

2nd Celtic 38 23 8 7 73 30 +43 77

3rd Dunfermline 38 17 10 11 59 41 +18 61

4th Livingston 38 17 10 11 64 55 +9 61

</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">5th Ayr 38 14 10 14 51 47 +4 52 </pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

6th Kilmarnock 38 13 9 16 48 53 -5 48

7th Queen of Sth. 38 12 12 14 66 72 -6 48

8th Dundee Utd 38 13 8 17 47 71 -24 47

9th Aberdeen 38 10 15 13 49 54 -5 45

10th Hibs 38 10 14 14 41 52 -11 44

11th Hearts 38 11 9 18 41 59 -18 42

12th R Partick Thistle 38 6 5 27 40 77 -37 23

</pre>

Albion Rovers gained a third successive promotion to reach the SPL

Peacemaker7 · January 19, 2004

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>DV: To be honest Iain, nobody cares about diddy teams like Livi, Dunfermline or, no offence, Ayr. We really want to talk about the Old Firm.

So very true

HD · January 20, 2004

HD · January 20, 2004

After a summer of reflection, and transferring, Ayr United today take the field at Somerset against local rivals Kilmarnock in a repeat of last season's final fixture which the home team won 2-0. There have been changes in the Ayr squad though - a particularly vicious raid by the champions saw Adrian Mihalcea, JÃ¶kull I ElÃsabetarson and Marc Smyth move to Ibrox for a combined Â£7,000,000 - and it's a different looking team that now takes the field. Other departures include Emmanuel Dorado on a Bosman to Dundee, Per Morten Kristiansen, a goalie signed in January, and Juho MÃ¤kelÃ¤ who failed to live up to his billing, to Aberdeen for a combined Â£800,000 and Steven MacLean to Blackburn for Â£1,100,000 and Alan Morgan, a Scottish left-back. With Gilles de Bilde and Eric Deloumeaux not having their contracts removed that left an entirely Scottish first team squad for the first time in recent memory.

Coming in were Wigan's Gary Teale for Â£1,600,000; A youngster named Ross from Hamilton for over Â£100,000, Peter Sweeney from Millwall for Â£1,200,000; Morgan from Blackburn as part of the MacLean deal; and Nottingham Forest's Chris Doig, Portsmouth's Gary Fisken, Everton's Gavin Rae and Iain Turner, also of Everton on Bosmans, though Turner's move drew a Â£550,000 fee due to his age.

This meant that the team taking the field to face Killie was somewhat removed from last seasons preferred XI:

Iain Turner (Goalkeeper) Turner replaces Norwegian Kristiansen who has moved to Aberdeen.

Willie Lyle (Right-back) Lyle is an Ayr United youth product who has earned this shot at staking his claim to be a starter.

Ian Murray © (Left-back) Former Hibs stalwart, Murray is accomplished, and signed a 4-year extension to his contract in the summer.

Callum Moffat (Centre back) Moffat was, ironically, poached from the Kilmarnock youth team last January in a move that cost the club Â£300,000 at tribunal. He established himself in both our first team and the Scotland u21 side towards the end of last season despite being just 16. Now 17, the Uddingston lad is making a name for himself for all the right reasons.

Chris Doig (Centre back) Doig and Moffat are a godsend for this team that has struggled to find a settled central defensive pairing despite trying the likes of Marc Smyth, Mark Campbell, Steven Pressley and Lee Mair over the past two years.

Gary Teale (Right wing) Teale is an Ayr legend, and both he and the fans and indeed the manager, were ecstatic to see his return. Now 28, he is yet to be capped by Scotland, but the call can surely not be far away if he brings his form north with him.

Peter Sweeney (Left wing) Peter is a prospect who we hope will produce the goods. A gap was created on the left when the sale of ElÃsabetarson forced Murray to left back, and Sweeney should be capable of filling the role.

Gavin Rae (Central midfield) Rae was a huge Bosman capture for the club, and is looking to build on three solid seasons at Everton by establishing himself in the National team.

Grant Brebner (Central midfield) Grant played most of last season, and produced a goal voted third best in the SPL by a panel in the 1-0 win over Partick in January. Does a vital ball-winning job in the centre of the field.

Scott Brown (Forward) Broonie is a star already, with three caps and an international goal to his name at age 21. Hopefully set for a long stay at the club. Succeeded Mihalcea as Fans' Player of the Year after last season.

Steven MacLean (Forward) Set to move to Blackburn tomorrow, MacLean says his farewells today. Spent most of last season on loan at Hearts after recovering from a major injury, so not a fans favourite, this will be only his second appearance for Ayr.

Lee Mair (Substitute) Mair played a lot last season in relief for the always-injured Mark Campbell. Not a superstar, but solid enough. Can also deputise at left-back if needs be.

Derek Soutar (Substitute) Derek started last season as the first choice keeper, but struggled often, and never made the jersey his for keeps. WIll be hoping for another chance to do just that this season.

John Rankin (Substitute) John played well in midfield last season, but the arrival of Rae sees him on the bench. Will be an instrumental player when he gets on the park.

Scott Chaplain (Substitute) The fans' darling, Chaplain was their player of the year in our First Division championship season. Will get his chances, but may find his place on the bench challenged if the number of u21 players starting falls below two. (Brown and Sweeney are on the cusp at age 21, the former in January, the latter in four weeks time.)

Craig Beattie (Substutite) A successful loan spell at First Division Dundee last season sees Beattie on the bench this. Will remain number three after MacLean leaves as Alex Williams will return from suspension.

HD · January 20, 2004

Technically in a 38-game schedule the halfway mark is reached once everyone has played 19 games, though this isn't altogether accurate in the SPL. Nonetheless, we may as well dip in to that division at that stage and get a snapshot of how things are developing up in Jockoland.

The first thing to note is that the division is much tighter than last season where Rangers and Celtic proved untouchable, finishing within apoint of each other the best part of twenty ahead of fellow Champions-League qualifiers Dunfermline Athletic. Celtic now lead the way by four points from Hearts, with Ayr United third under outspoken boss Iain Bartholomew. Rangers lie a dismal seventh, thirteen points adrift of their traditional rivals. At the foot Albion Rovers are all but relegated with three points from nineteen matches, courtesty of home draws with Celtic on the opening day, Hibs and Dundee United. The SPL's decision to allow them to play at dilapidated Cliftonhill was unexpected, but the 2500 capacity has hamstrung the club financially.

In Europe Scottish clubs have disappointed. Whilst Rangers qualified from their Champions League group once again, and face a Second Round tie with Real Sociedad in March, Celtic and Dunfermline gained just 6 points apiece and were each beaten to third spot in their group by a club from Donetsk, Shakhtar nudging past the Pars whilst Metallurg beat out Celtic.

In the UEFA Cup Kilmarnock were beaten by FC KÃ¸benhavn in Round 1 with Livingston also falling at the first hurdle with a narrow 2-1 aggregate loss against Hertha Berlin. Only Ayr United have provided any cheer with a 2-1 aggregate win over CSKA Sofia after a 1-1 draw away from home in the first leg in Round 1, and an indentical sequence of results seeing off Livi's conquerors Hertha Berlin in Round 2. Ayr will square off against Greek Champions League drop-outs Olympiakos in March.

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Celtic 19 11 6 2 36 11 +25 39

2nd Hearts 19 10 5 4 26 17 +9 35

</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">3rd Ayr 19 9 7 3 28 17 +11 34 </pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

4th Hibs 19 9 4 6 24 19 +5 31

5th Queen of Sth. 19 9 3 7 28 29 -1 30

6th Aberdeen 19 7 6 6 23 22 +1 27

7th Rangers 19 7 5 7 25 21 +4 26

8th Livingston 19 7 5 7 40 40 0 26

9th Kilmarnock 19 7 4 8 36 34 +2 25

10th Dundee Utd 19 5 7 7 30 37 -7 22

11th Dunfermline 19 4 3 12 18 37 -19 15

12th Albion Rovers 19 0 3 16 11 41 -30 3

</pre>

HD · January 22, 2004

Ayrshire Post, season review, extract

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>...possibly the greatest season in Ayr United's recent history. Bartholomew led the team to the fourth round of the UEFA Cup with 2-1 aggregate wins over CSKA Sofia, Hertha Berlin and Olympiakos, but the titans of Valencia proved too big a hurdle, though the 3-0 loss in the Mestalla was followed by a 1-0 Somerset victory.

In the League Cup, Ayr finally picked up their first ever national trophy. Their campaign started in the Third Round thanks to their presence in the UEFA Cup, and Second Division Motherwell were defeated 2-1 in a surprisingly tough encounter. The Quarter Final saw some fringe players take the field, and Derek Riordan helped himslf to a double to seal a 3-1 win. The semi final saw Ayr square off against Rangers at Hampden, and the February date drew little over 31000 as the Rangers fans expected victory. Not so! Lee Miller, recently recruited from neighbours Kilmarnock, scored twice, his second ultimately the game winner in the 86th minute, before Scott Brown sealed the 3-1 win in added time. That brought us to the final, where a capacity crowd saw Miller fire Ayr into an early lead, only for Padlo den Ouden to level for Celtic within three minutes. The game seemed set for extra time when Scott Brown popped up seven minutes from the end to scramble home the goal that handed Ayr their first piece of major silverwear.

The Scottish Cup campaign began with a pleasing away win against local rivals Kilmarnock courtesy of second half goals from Chaplain and Brown, before First Division side Partick Thistle were beaten after a replay in the Fourth Round. Another First Division side, Dundee, were our Quarter Final opposition, and goals early and late from Brebner and Brown put paid to their challenge. The Quarter finals saw two major upsets as Hamilton, relegation probables in the Second Division, and Falkirk of the First, eliminated the Old Firm from the competition. The result was that they met in the semi final whilst Ayr squared off against Livingston. A red card for Peter Sweeney early in the second half of the semi final at Hampden handed Livi the upper hand, but we toughed it out, even after losing Scott Brown to injury, and drew 0-0 with Livi's Scott McLaughlin sent off in injury time. The replay, also at Hampden, saw Ayr trail with fifteen minutes to go, before goals from Chaplain (75, 77) and Brown (79) in a deadly four minute spell saw us through to face Hamilton in the final. The Accies had sadly been relegated, but put up stiff resistance, knowing we were not guaranteed the third place in the SPL that would give them UEFA Cup football to go with their Third Division status for the 2007/2008 season. We were taken to extra time before goals from Brown and Callum Moffat gave us the trophy for the first time in our first ever final appearance.

Though Ayr sat third at the split, a total of three goals, all in the win over Livingston, in the subsequent five matches put that under threat. In the end the 1-0 and 2-0 losses to Celtic and Rangers respectively, and the 0-0 draws with the Edinburgh sides were enough to edge out Hibs on goal difference, and send Ayr to the Champions League for the first time, and giving us European football for only the second time ever...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Celtic 38 22 13 3 64 18 +46 79

2nd Rangers 38 18 10 10 60 37 +23 64

</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">3rd Ayr 38 16 12 10 44 32 +12 60</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

4th Hibs 38 17 9 12 48 41 +7 60

5th Hearts 38 14 12 12 46 48 -2 54

6th Livingston 38 14 9 15 66 67 -1 51

-----------------------------------------------------

7th Aberdeen 38 16 8 14 53 50 +3 56

8th Queen of Sth. 38 15 7 16 51 60 -9 52

9th Kilmarnock 38 14 8 16 60 65 -5 50

10th Dunfermline 38 13 7 18 53 61 -8 46

11th Dundee United 38 11 12 15 57 56 +1 45

12th Albion Rovers 38 2 5 31 33 100 -67 11

</pre>

HD · January 24, 2004

Ayr United: European Adventure

Champions League Qualifying Round 1

Disaster struck for Ayr after a comfortable 1-0 win in Serbia over Red Star of Belgrade as a 2-1 loss at Somerset sent the Balkan side through to the group stage, and dumped Ayr United into the UEFA Cup First Round, shattering any hopes of finance and glory from the Champions League for this season.

UEFA Cup Round 1

Birkirkara of Malta were the opponents here, and a 2-0 win in Ayr made sure that the Second Leg would be a formality. An injury to Iain Turner on the eve of the match left David Marshall to face the Maltese attack, and he too was stunned as the home side scored twice in a three minute spell early in the second half, ultimately forcing a penalty shoot-out. In the end a single Marshall save was enough to hand Ayr a 5-4 shootout win, and secure progression to the Second Round.

UEFA Cup Round 2

Molde of Norway were the opponents in the next round, and though the first leg ended in a 2-0 away win for United, there was some trepidation ahead of the return match at Somerset. Sceptics felt justified as the Norwegians took an early lead, but as Ayr eased away to a 3-1 win, 5-1 on aggregate, most were satisfied, and looking forward to a Third Round clash with Slovan Liberec in the New Year.

Peacemaker7 · January 24, 2004

Cmon you can do it Iain

HD · January 24, 2004

Bartholomew quit "shock"

Tempremental Ayr United Iain Bartholomew boss shocked the club's fans when he walked out on the club after a 2-0 aggregate loss to Slovan Liberec in the Third Round of the UEFA Cup last week, however those who know him best were not surprised.

"Iain's an emotional guy" said one friend "and he's always prone to do something off the wall like this, always has been."

Another childhood friend told the press that Bartholomew was "unstable" and "somewhat mental", adding that she "hopes he doesn't do anything stupiderer next soon."

Indeed.

Many observers presumed Bartholomew had something lined up, either abroad - maybe in international management - or possibly at Rangers, who's boss Rudi Voller has come increasingly under pressure, so his announcement that he was taking the reigns at Raith Rovers in a caretaker/consultative capacity until the end of the current season was a shock.

Raith are almost certain to be relegated to the Scottish Second Division, and it is expected that Bartholomew will leave the club if they do not manage a miraculous escape. In the meantime he is coaching and picking the team, whilst assisting in the assessment of potential summer signings. It will be interesting to see what he does in the summer.

HD · January 24, 2004

Bartholomew back as Berwick ends

Former Ayr United manager Iain Bartholomew exploded back into Scottish football yesterday, six months after ending his short-lived, ill-fated association with Raith Rovers. The managerial appointment was a major coup for Ruaridh MacDonald as the Kirkwall native brought League football to Orkney for the first time after completing a buy-out of Third Division side Berwick Rangers.

"Deireadh!" MacDonald's first word at the press conference, and the new club's motto, gaelic for 'at last', is seen by some as unnecessarily aggressive, but neither MacDonald nor Bartholomew have ever been known as men who tow the party line. The buyout cost around Â£600,000, and the contracts of all Berwick's players will be transferred to the new club, Kirkwall Town, although MacDonald was keen to express that he knows demands on part-time players are high, and that many may prefer to stay in their full-time jobs in the Borders. He continued that full-time football would be the norm at Kirkie, given the situation regarding full-time work in the area.

Work has already commenced on a Â£6,000,000 10,000 all-seater domed stadium, the Kirkwall Dome, due for completion at the end of the season after next. Make no mistake - this is a club with ambitions - delusions perhaps - of grandeur. MacDonald summed it up in the press conference when he said:

"Orkney has no league football tradition, no history to be proud of, so we shall have to give the local people a present to be proud of. Buying out the only non-Scottish side in the league was a no-brainer - why should an English club play in our national league whilst the islanders of Orkney, Lewis, Shetland, and all are left unrepresented. This day has been long coming, and finally it is here. Deireadh!"

Bartholomew was noticably quiet during the interview, making little comment on the move, referring only to MacDonald's "ambition, vision and commitment to the project." Football fans around Scotland will likely be revulsed at the move towards a "franchise" scenario, but today was MacDonald's day. As for tomorrow, only time will tell.

HD · January 27, 2004

Hitting the Kirk-wall

After consecutive promotions from the Third to Second Divisions Kirkwall Town have found the First Division a little bit tougher with defeats outnumbering victories in the early going, owner Ruaridh MacDonald has been openly critical of manager Iain Bartholomew.

MacDonald put emphasis on the fact that Kirkwall won neither the Third Division nor Second Division titles, and finished slowly both year, "backing in" to second place due to the ineptitude of rival teams. He went on to insist that "second place is not good enough in this division" and that if things did not pick up then Bartholomew would be out on his ear.

Bartholomew responded on live television during Sunday's Scotsport programme, saying that MacDonald's comments were "factually accurate" and that his side "had to pick it up, and fast" if he was to extend his tenure beyond this season. He blasted back later though saying that "three consecutive promotions is unrealistic. Albion Rovers did it in 03/04, 04/05 and 05/06, but that was a freak occurance and they were relegated with a record low points total. Look at them now after another year in the First - competing for European places. We do not have to go up this season. We must not go down."

The trial continues.

HD · January 27, 2004

Scottish Third Division 2009-10

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts

1st C Stirling 36 21 9 6 65 31 +34 72

2nd P Kirkwall 36 18 8 10 55 43 +12 62

3rd Montrose 36 15 14 7 67 42 +25 59

4th Stranraer 36 16 6 14 41 37 +4 54

5th Peterhead 36 15 7 14 55 50 +5 52

6th Gretna 36 11 13 12 39 47 -8 46

7th East Stirling 36 12 6 18 49 62 -13 42

8th Arbroath 36 10 11 15 58 54 +4 41

9th Dumbarton 36 10 6 20 30 53 -23 36

10th Queens Park 36 8 8 20 38 78 -40 32

</pre>

HD · January 27, 2004

Scottish Second Division 2010-11

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts

1st C Falkirk 36 18 10 8 55 40 +15 64

2nd P Kirkwall 36 17 9 10 60 37 +23 60

3rd Airdrie Utd 36 18 3 15 56 49 +7 57

4th St. Johnstone 36 15 10 11 58 53 +5 55

5th Cowdenbeath 36 14 12 10 51 46 +5 54

6th Ross County 36 11 13 12 56 63 -7 46

7th Raith Rovers 36 11 11 14 41 45 -4 44

8th Stenhousemuir 36 10 12 14 49 56 -7 42

9th R Stirling 36 11 7 18 49 56 -7 40

10th R Alloa 36 7 9 20 25 55 -30 30

</pre>

HD · January 28, 2004

Kirkie boss Bartholomew remains at odds with MacDonald

The simmering tension between Kirkwall Town owner Rhuaridh MacDonald and manager Iain Bartholomew flared up again at the weekend following the club's shock 2-1 Scottish Cup Third Round defeat at Love Street. When journalists asked Bartholomew about his relationship with his chairman he replied that it was "frosty" - a remark that seems to have upset MacDonald.

The Orkney-based magnate hit back in a Monday morning article in which he branded Bartholomew "arrogant" and "out of touch", emphasising his disappointment in the team's form, despite a recent revival that has seen them move into third position in the league after nineteen games, six points behind Partick Thistle. MacDonald is also thought to be disappointed that Bartholomew has seen fit to sign an Argentine to the previously all-Scots squad.

Bartholomew has been linked with the vacancy at Premier League Albion Rovers, but neither man would comment. Bartholomew is not thought to be the Wee Rovers' first choice, but he is by no means a long shot. We expect developments over the next week or so - Rovers do not have a reputation as slow movers, as four promotions in five seasons in the early 21st century testifies to.

HD · February 3, 2004

Goal Difference Disaster Leaves MacDonald Fuming

Reports emerged last night that Kirkwall Town chairman Rhuaridh MacDonald was set to terminate the contract of manager Iain Bartholomew despite his side failing to win promotion to the SPL only on goal difference in their first season in the First Division. Kirkie played some dazzling football in the last few weeks of the season, but it was Motherwell who held on to go up on goal difference, with Brechin City coming down from the top flight.

The only factor working in Bartholomew's favour is the support of the fans and the lack of a realistic alternative, plus the fact that the upcoming season is the last of his current contract (though there is an automatic 2-year extension which would be activated by promotion to the SPL) and he would be due all Â£700,000 up front for the year were he to be dismissed. MacDonald is known to be an emotional man in his dealings with the media, but his decisions at a business and football level are often less reactionary, and so we may well see Bartholomew back at the helm next season.

It is known that MacDonald has sanctioned the signing of six players targeted by Bartholomew, even an Italian despite his known preference for Scots players! Therefore, don't be overly surprised if Bartholomew is not fired as MacDonald has promised. *In related news, literally, Ross County have signed Bartholomew's nephew, a Mauritian national known only by the name "Bartholomew". If he impresses a move to Kirkwall would not be a major shock.

HD · February 5, 2004

Cup Heroics Heal Kirkwall Rift, Media Blamed for Perpetuating Doubts

In a joint statement released yesterday afternoon by manager Iain Bartholomew and owner Rhuaridh MacDonald the former's position at the club was renewed with the signing of a rolling one-year contract at increased rates. Despite a raft of injuries, in particular to the club's two major summer signings, Ed Ross of Ayr and Gustavo Martini of Celtic, the team's form has been good, sitting four points clear atop the First Division after sixteen games and with a League Cup Semi Final against Motherwell a reward for a magnificent 4-2 Third Round win over Celtic at Parkhead, and a Quarter Final win against Frank Rijkaard's Elgin side, themselves safely through to the Third Round of the UEFA Cup alongside Ayr United and Hearts following a run in the Scottish Cup last season. Bartholomew and MacDonald placed the blame for their previously ongoing rift with the media's penchance for linking the manager to every vacancy and potential vacancy that springs up in Scottish football. Bartholomew has re-emphasised his desire to stay at Kirkwall and lead them to the top flight.

HD · February 6, 2004

Kirkie Double Does The Trick

...following their sensational League Cup triumph with a 2-1 win over SPL side Kilmarnock. Clinching the league title with three games to go took some pressure off, and it's great credit to the manager and his staff that the league was won so early...Anton Eadie, who's 27 goals not only set a club record, but took his Kirkwall career tally over fifty...offers from Hearts and Albion Rovers, Bartholomew opted to stay and take on the SPL with Kirkie, a decision that pleased chairman...

HD · February 6, 2004

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">1st C Kirkwall 36 22 8 6 71 26 +45 74</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

2nd Brechin 36 19 7 10 53 38 +15 64

3rd Partick Thistle 36 14 9 13 39 40 -1 51

4th Livingston 36 13 11 12 61 48 +13 50

5th Ross County 36 13 10 13 55 50 +5 49

6th Queen of Sth. 36 13 9 14 53 57 -4 48

7th Elgin 36 13 7 16 64 77 -13 46

8th St. Johnstone 36 13 7 16 42 55 -13 46

9th R Clyde 36 9 8 19 37 55 -18 35

10th R Falkirk 36 9 8 19 41 70 -29 35

</pre>

HD · February 7, 2004

Kirkwall Town: Premier League First Team Squad 2013/14

Goalkeepers:

Kevin Cuthbert 30, GK

Kevin signed from Hearts for Â£500,000 as the transfer window creaked shut. He will bring SPL experience to a goalkeeping pool with almost none.

Ryan Milne 19, GK

The former Elgin keeper moved for Â£325,000 last close season, and backed up Graham Smith after Graeme Smith moved to Ross County. Will begin this season as first choice, and has attracted interest from the Premiership.

Graham Smith 30, GK

After spending a year as #2 to Graeme Smith as we won the Second Division following his move from Dundee, Graham established himself as #1 in the club's two years in D1, losing just 85 goals in 85 games over that period and keeping a mammoth 36 clean sheets. Unlucky to find himself #3 at this stage in his career.

Defenders:

Callum Moffat 24, SW/D C, 1 cap

Callum is now in his fourth season at the club after spending five at Ayr, but playing only once in the last two years at Somerset. Was inspirational in Division Two, and though he struggled in his first season in the First he captained the team to the title last season in some style. Will be looking this season to regain the form that saw him earn international honours at the age of 17, seven years ago.

Tristan Milne 24, SW/D C, U21 cap

Tristan is another player who Bartholomew has managed twice. The manager signed him off the dole when he was at Raith Rovers, and after three successful seasons there he made a Â£400,000 move to Kirkwall where he was an important player in their late season revival to push Motherwell in an eventual second place finish. Was more of a bit part player last season, but with this team's propensity for picking up injuries will be needed this time around.

John Barclay 28, D RC, 1 cap

John spent nine years at Motherwell before joining Kirkwall at the same time as Tristan Milne. A utility player in the club's first season in the First Division, he started at right back last term, and played well. Will find his place under threat from Rob Wright this term though.

Rob Wright 23, D R, U21 cap

Rob was signed for Ayr by Bartholomew for Â£170,000 in the summer of 2007, but after the manager left he made just three appearances in five seasons, and after failing to start for Queen of the South in a loan spell he made a Â£425,000 move to Kirkwall last summer, and will look to break into the team this season.

Winston Murray 23, D/DM RLC

Winston cost the best part of a million pounds when Kirkwall signed him in January 2012, and he was a major player in the revival that season, and a vital cog in the wheel last season. His versatility is a major asset.

Calver Fisher 22, D LC, U21 cap

Fisher made a Â£1.3m move from Aston Villa on deadline day in January to shore up the defence as Kirkwall clinched the First Division title. He is a starter at centre back for now, and has the pedigree to be a long-term player in this team. Five years at Celtic as a teenager saw him debut at age 16 in the first team, before moving to Villa at 19 where he played 75 games.

Midfielders:

Fayzulla Christie 21, D/DM C, 4 U21 caps

Fayzulla started out at Inverness where he broke into the first team at age 15 and started for three seasons before Partick poached him for Â£40,000 in 2010. Eighteen months later he was on the move again and in his first season at Kirkwall last year he played 27(1) games, scored four goals and allowed the team to not even skip a beat as Ed Ross and Aaron Dunn went down with long term injuries.

Aaron Dunn 24, DM RC

A product of the Ayr United youth scheme during Bartholomew's time at the club, Dunn made his breakthrough in a loan spell at Inverness in 2006/07, but played only 6(7) games for Ayr before joining Kirkwall, and playing a key role in the Third and Second Division triumphs. Foudhis place under threat with the arrival of Ed Ross, but serious injuries saw him miss all but one game last season. Now fully fit and looking to make an impact.

Ed Ross 24, DM C, U21 cap

Ed was poached from Hamilton by Ayr in 2006/07, and though he broke into the Ayr team after a loan spell at Clyde, he eventually fell out of favour, and loan spells at Wolfsburg and Kirkwall were followed with a permanent move here last summer for Â£850,000. Injuries limited him to 11 games last season as Christie played most matches, but will be looking to play this term. Sadly though is already starting to miss games through injury again.

Roger Milne 25, M R

Another Ayr youth product, Roger joined Kirkwall when they were Berwick, and then moved to Cowdenbeath before Bartholomew bought him back about 6 months later, and he has been instrumental in each of the last three seasons. Whether he is SPL calibre remains to be seen, but the signing of Darren Campbell puts him under pressure.

Dave Ross 22, M L, U21 cap

Dave moved from Livi this close season, but snapped his cruciate in his debut. A tragic moment, but he has great mental strength, and will look to return before this season is out.

Anton Eadie 26, M C

Anton joined Ayr in a Â£20,000 move from Celtic during Bartholomew's time, but never played a game in five years. Bartholomew brought him to Kirkwall and he has rewarded his manager's faith with 53 goals from midfield in 104(44) games. He has become a star, and if he can do it in the SPL then surely Scotland honours are a formality?

Darren Campbell 27, AM/F R, U21 cap

The word "enigma" was devised for Darren Campbell. After a Â£250,000 move from Reading to Ayr he looked set to move forward and become an international star, yet despite playing 295(27) games for Ayr he never really showed the consistency you'd expect, and 32 goals in no great return. Still, just about Kirkwall's entire summer transfer budget was required to make the signing happen, and the player himself agreed to a 50% wage cut, so perhaps some ambition subsists.

Brian Taylor 20, AM C

Brian is a Celtic youth product who was freed and picked up when Kirkwall were in the Second Division. He played 8(9) times that year and was unimpressive and didn't play in the following campaign. Injuries handed him a chance last term and he grabbed it with both hands, scoring 5 goals, creating 27 and earning a 7.54 average over 39 games.

Forwards:

Tom Brighton 29, F LC

Tom hasn't made the most of his career, for certain. He played for Rangers once in 2001/02 at the age of 17, but never broke through and was released. Peterhead snapped him up and after four games Ayr paid Â£110,000 to bring him in. Loan spells at Raith and Cowdenbeath were unspectacular and Kirkwall signed him on a Bosman. His second year here was his best, scoring eight goals as we won the Second Division, but when Stenny offered to sign him with no cash up front, but Â£775,000 after 10 goals we accepted. He managed 4 goals in his first campaign, but fell out of favour, and with Stenhousemuir threatening to sell him on we stepped back in to pay Â£35,000 and reclaim his services. Two goals in 7(4) games at the tail end of last season was decent, and this season he will look to add to his solitary career SPL goal, scored for Ayr in 2006/07, seven seasons ago.

Darren Smith 28, F C, U21 cap

Darren was a prospect at Hibs and Dundee United, and Ayr were persuaded to pay Â£750,000 for him in 2007/08. 4(3) games and two years later Kirkie paid a similar amount and he has been a top player. Eleven goals in the Third, Ten in the Second and 24 over two years in the First, the first of those ravaged by injury, culminated last season with 19 of those 24 and the fans' Player of the Year award. he is a dangerous player with a chequered injury past. he is again receiving surgery for a groin injury as we speak.

Charles Collins 19, S C

Killie released Collins almost as soon as he graduated from their youth scheme, and Kirkie snapped him up. Eleven goals in 18(27) games over two seasons is not too shabby. Has attracted interst from England, but is staying for now.

Biswajit Dierickx 20, S C, 10 U21 caps, 3 goals

Rangers released Biswajit after playing 1(4) games at age 15, and he found his way to Third Division Kirkie where 49 goals in 117(7) games have made him a modern day club legend. Still eligible for the national U21 side, but success this season should see him safely into the national team.

Lee Miller 30, S C, 2 caps, 1 goal

Lee made his name at Falkirk and after a spell at Bristol City he burst back on to the Scottish scene with Kilmarnock. A controversial move to Ayr followed, but 29 goals there was all he managed before he moved on loan to Olympiakos where 18 goals in 27 games persuaded Hearts to sign him on a Bosman. He has been at his best there with 51 goals in three years before this summer's move to Kirkwall where he is reunited with his former manager at Ayr, Iain Bartholomew. His goals will come in handy for a Kirkwall side robbed of Hector Wilson by cash-rich First Division Livingston. Still, Â£5,000,000 is value for Wilson, and Â£0 for Miller balances our books nicely.

HD · February 7, 2004

Kirkwall

HD · February 7, 2004

Kirkwall Kirk Arse

With the January transfer window closing, now is as good a time as any to assess the SPL, and even the most cursory glance shows First Division Champions Kirkwall streaking clear at the top of the league against all the odds. With the Old Firm distinctly off the boil, and other challengers beating up on each other the Orkney side have taken advantage to romp clear of the pack.

Having won the First by ten points last season the 14 point gap this is verging on outrageous, and is a reward for consistency, and an uncanny ability to turn draws into wins, as their 17-3-2 record testifies. Kirkie have scored 11 more goals than the next highest scorers, Celtic who are 7th, and conceded 10 fewer than Hearts and Aberdeen who have the joint 2nd best defences. At the foot of the table Albion Rovers trail 11th place Ayr by five points, with Rangers a further six points clear.

Goalkeeper Ryan Milne, Biswajit Dierckx and Winston Murray have been sensational all season, and Dierickx' 15 league goals is second only to Dunfermline's KristjÃ¡nsson, who is the division's best player for the 11th consecutive season. Anton Eadie has been sharing time in midfield with Tom Brighton, the former has ten goals in all competitions from 18(4) games, the latter 4 in 8(9). Kirkie have lost two goals in a single match once this season, a 2-2 draw with Dunfermline in mid-August, have won their last four matches without conceding a goal, and are unbeaten in all competitions since September 21st, a 1-0 loss in Aberdeen, a total of twenty matches. With a League Cup semi final, like last year against Motherwell, and a Scottish Cup 4th Round game at home to Ayr to come, things look good for Kirkwall Town FC.

One slight issue surrounds chairman Rhuaridh MacDonald who, it seems, does not have Orkney ancestors after all. The entrepreneur claimed Orcadian heritage and learned Gaelic in his 40s, but a local murmer has become something of a scandal, and given that Gaelic was never spoken on Orkney further investigations ensued. MacDonald has laughed off the revelations, remarking that "the Orcadians have made me feel at home, and despite my factual error, I am proud to be an honorary Orcadian myself. I retain a passion for the Gaelic language however, and make no apology for that." The scandal has obviously not derailed the team nor the support, both of whom look forward to the rest of the season keenly.

HD · February 7, 2004

Kirkie Double Clouded As Row Re-emerges

Kirkwall Town's historic league and cup double was somewhat overshadowed last week as the simmering feud between manager Iain Bartholomew and chairman Rhuaridh MacDonald erupted and threatened to signal the end of the manager's association with the club.

Bartholomew was quoted in the press in the week following his side's clinching of the title with seven games to go as saying that managing either of the struggling Old Firm sides "would be an interesting challenge". MacDonald took the comments as a personal slur, and the rift was not papered over. The support, whilst delighted at the on-field success, seem to have been convinced that the rumblings are once again down to Bartholomew, and are largely siding with MacDonald. Bartholomew is presently in China at the World Cup - whether he has a job to return to remains to be seen.

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

</pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">1st C Kirkwall 38 26 6 6 75 26 +49 84 </pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

2nd Hearts 38 17 11 10 53 38 +15 62

3rd Dunfermline 38 17 8 13 62 47 +15 59

4th Aberdeen 38 15 14 9 52 37 +15 59

5th Motherwell 38 17 8 13 55 53 +2 59

6th Rangers 38 14 10 14 51 52 -1 52

-----------------------------------------------------

7th Morton 38 14 11 13 49 48 +1 53

8th Celtic 38 14 9 15 68 68 0 51

9th Dundee Utd 38 11 8 19 39 51 -12 41

10th Kilmarnock 38 12 5 21 45 75 -30 41

11th Ayr 38 7 13 18 37 60 -23 34

12th R Albion Rovers 38 8 9 21 42 73 -31 33

</pre>

Peacemaker7 · February 7, 2004

Bah Boring.

Well done HD

Now all you need is some readers

Harleqin · February 8, 2004

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by HD:

_Grant Brebner (Central midfield)_ Grant played most of last season, and produced a goal voted third best in the SPL by a panel in the 1-0 win over Partick in January. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is this actually a feature in the new version or just artistic freedom?

Good story HD. Keep it up

bjorn · February 8, 2004

congratulations HD

keep it up

HD · February 8, 2004

Cheers guys.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Is this actually a feature in the new version or just artistic freedom? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

An actual feature

HD · February 8, 2004

Bartholomew heals rift with MacDonald, takes on new job

In the wake of Argentina's World Cup victory (Holland, Mexico and the USA coming in 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively) Iain Bartholomew returned to Orkney for showdown talks with chairman Rhuaridh MacDonald with a job offer from the FA in his back pocket. The upshot of the meeting was that Bartholomew retained his job as manager of Kirkwall, and took on the added responsibility of managing the English national team as they attempted to qualify for Euro 2016.

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