# 2009–10 Ayr United F.C. season

The 2009–10 season was the 100th season of competitive football by Ayr United.

## Summary
### Season

In the 2009–10 season, Ayr United celebrated their centennial year by gaining promotion to The First Division after the play-off victory at The Excelsior Stadium against Airdrie United. Ayr were promoted after a five-year stint in the Second Division. Airdrie United were later rewarded First Division status after Livingston were double-relegated to the Fourth Tier of Scottish football for financial reasons. Ayr were promoted along with Fife side Raith Rovers; the other club joining the First Division after being absent for half a decade are Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who were relegated from the SPL at the end of the 2008–09 season. Ayr United were relegated at the end of the season when they finished bottom of the league.

## Competitions

Win  Draw  Loss

### Scottish Cup
## 2009–10 playing squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | SCO | Stephen Grindlay |
| — | GK | SCO | Craig Samson |
| — | DF | SCO | Andy Aitken |
| — | DF | SCO | Martyn Campbell |
| — | DF | SCO | Billy Gibson |
| — | DF | SCO | Kevin James |
| — | MF | SCO | Ryan Borris |
| — | MF | ENG | Steve Bowey |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | SCO | Kenny Connolly |
| — | MF | SCO | William Easton |
| — | MF | SCO | Dean Keenan |
| — | MF | SCO | Alistair Woodburn |
| — | FW | SCO | Tam McManus |
| — | FW | MSR | Junior Mendes |
| — | FW | SCO | Mark Roberts |

### Management and staff

| Name | Occupation |
| Lachlan Cameron | Chairman |
| Brian Reid | Manager |
| Scott MacKenzie | Assistant Manager |
| Kevin MacLellan | Physio |
| David Johnstone | Fitness Coach |
| Dr. Kirk Russell | Club Doctor |
| Davie Harkness | Groundsman |

## Sponsorship

| Kit Maker | Shirt sponsor(Front) | Shirt sponsor(Back) | Short sponsor |
| Surridge Sports | Paligap Network Solutions | Legal Service Scotland | Giles Insurance Brokers |

## Goalscorers

| Name | Apps | Goals | |
| Mark Roberts | 26 | 9 | FW |
| Tam McManus | 8 | 5 | FW |
| Ryan Stevenson | 21 | 3 | MF |
| Daniel McKay | 6 | 2 | FW |
| Andy Aitken | 19 | 2 | DF |
| Chris Aitken | 18 | 1 | MF |
| Ryan McGowan | 18 | 1 | MF |
| Kenny Connolly | 23 | 1 | MF |
| Willie Easton | 18 | 1 | MF |
| Daniel Lafferty | 4 | 1 | DF |
| Steve Bowey | 6 | 1 | MF |
| Stephen Reynolds | 4 | 1 | FW |
Players in Italics have now left the club

### Players in on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | NIR | Daniel Lafferty (on loan from Celtic) |
| — | DF | AUS | Ryan McGowan (on loan from Hearts) |
| — | DF | SCO | Chris Mitchell (on loan from Falkirk) |
| — | MF | AUS | Rocky Visconte (on loan from Hearts) |
| — | FW | SCO | Daniel McKay (on loan from Kilmarnock) |
| — | FW | SCO | Stephen Reynolds (on loan from St Johnstone) |

### Players out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | SCO | David Mitchell (On Loan to Stranraer) |
| — | MF | SCO | Scott Agnew (On Loan to Stranraer) |
| — | FW | SCO | Kevin Cawley (On Loan to Stranraer) |

### Departed players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | SCO | Neil McGowan (Now At Clyde) |
| — | MF | SCO | David O'Brien (Now At Stirling Albion) |
| — | MF | SCO | Chris Aitken (Now At Stirling Albion) |
| — | MF | SCO | Ryan Stevenson (Now At Hearts) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | SCO | Bryan Prunty (Now At Alloa Athletic) |
| — | FW | SCO | David Gormley (Now At Alloa Athletic) |

### Squad changes

Boss Brian Reid made many changes to the squad during the Close-Season, bringing in Kevin James from St Johnstone, Kevin Cawley from Celtic, Craig Samson from Hereford United, Andy Aitken from Queen of the South, Billy Gibson from Clyde and David O'Brien from Dundee (Who only played one game before joining Stirling Albion) and departing were Scott Walker to join Alloa Athletic, Murray Henderson who went to sign for Stranraer, Alex Williams moving to Irish Club Dundalk, Allan Dempsie re-joining Elgin City and goalkeeper Fraser Stewart. There were many changes to the squad throughout the course of the season bringing several loan signings such as Australian Ryan McGowan a defensive-midfielder from Hearts, Stephen Reynolds a 20-year-old striker from St Johnstone brought in for one month as an emergency loan signing, Rocky Visconte another Australian from Hearts, Chris Mitchell a Scotland Under-21 defender, Daniel McKay from local-rivals Kilmarnock and Daniel Lafferty from Celtic. Brian Reid also David Mitchell out on loan to Stranraer to the end of the season, another player to leave the club on a temporary basis was Scott Agnew who joined Alloa Athletic until January then signed for Stranraer for the duration of the season. Players leaving the club on a permanent basis were Bryan Prunty and David Gormley who both joined Alloa, Chris Aitken who re-joined previous club Stirling Albion, Neil McGowan who signed for Clyde and fans-favourite Ryan Stevenson who joined SPL club Hearts for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £10k. players joining the club included Steve Bowey from English side Bedlington Terriers, Tam McManus from Derry City and Montserrat international Junior Mendes.

## Final League Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 6 | Partick Thistle | 36 | 14 | 6 | 16 | 43 | 40 | +3 | 48 | |
| 7 | Raith Rovers | 36 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 42 | |
| 8 | Greenock Morton | 36 | 11 | 4 | 21 | 40 | 65 | −25 | 37 | |
| 9 | Airdrie United (R) | 36 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 41 | 56 | −15 | 33 | Qualification to the First Division play-offs |
| 10 | Ayr United (R) | 36 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 60 | −31 | 31 | Relegation to the Second Division |

### Scottish First Division
#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
| Ground | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | A | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | H | A |
| Result | D | D | L | L | D | L | W | L | D | L | L | L | L | D | D | W | L | L | L | W | D | W | W | D | D | W | D | L | L | L | L | W | L | L | L | L |
| Position | 4 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |