Ardrossan Winton Rovers FC is a Scottish non league football club that was formed in 1900 in the North Ayrshire coastal town of Ardrossan prior to becoming members of the Scottish Junior FA.
The club had a rich tradition in Junior circles, although most honours were collected in the distant past. Some regional trophies had been won before the 1919-20 campaign when ‘The Winton’ won the Western League and Ayrshire District Cup double. Three years later the club moved into Winton Park.
The league was won once more in 1933-34 along with the Ayrshire Cup for the second time. The following season Ardrossan lifted the West of Scotland Cup. Two more Ayrshire Cups were collected in the 1950’s, before a period of relative quiet hit Winton Park.
Rovers won a hat trick of North Ayrshire Cups in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 before going on to lift the Ayrshire District League title in 2010-11 to claim promotion to the West of Scotland Super League First Division.
Their spell at a higher level ended at the completion of the 2012-13 campaign when Rovers were relegated in thirteenth place before dropping down to the Ayrshire District League.
Rovers were
crowned as league champions in 2014-15 to move up to the West Region Championship,
where their spell lasted just one season before dropping back to Ayrshire
football, finishing third in the District League in 2016-17 and then sixth in
the final season of the competition.
Following
league restructuring Ardrossan were placed in West Region League One where they
finished in fourth before being in top slot having played extra games in 2019-20
when the season ended early owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus, eventually
being awarded the runners-up place.
At the end
of the season Rovers left the Junior set up to become members of the SFA and
join the newly formed West of Scotland League where they were initially placed
in Conference C.
Ardrossan Winton Rovers FC will play in the West of Scotland League Conference C in the 2020-21 season.
My visit
Sunday 29th September 2013
Often when I’m out and about on a days groundhopping I’m forced to improvise, and this was one such occasion. I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d even get to Ardrossan during my couple of days north of the border. Saltcoats looked as near as I’d get, but owing to me missing a bus from Kilbirnie to Beith, I had to revert to Plan B.
This looked like taking the train down to the coast. As staying onboard for an extra few minutes to Ardrossan wouldn’t really make too much difference, I decided it was worth it. I alighted at South Beach station as no trains were going to the Town stop, which was nearer Winton Park.
It was a good fifteen minutes walk to my destination, despite it not being too far as the crow flies. Ironically, I found a far quicker route as I wrote these notes a couple of months later! On arriving at Winton Park I found the gates locked with no decent views inside, despite looking at all possibilities apart from one.
There was nothing left for it. I climbed over the smallish iron railings of Winton Primary School, which was behind one goal and from there I could see everything over the wall.
Winton Park was a very fine venue indeed. The magnificent traditional Main Stand stood on the half way line. Sadly it looked liked the rear part was out of commission but seats were in use at the front, with a players tunnel dividing them.
A small cover gave sanctuary for standing spectators between the main entrance and the stand. he cover was replicated on the opposite side of the pitch. The rest of the venue was open to the elements with a few steps of terracing and then grass.
One advantage of walking the long way round to Winton Park was that I’d noticed a regular bus route heading back towards Saltcoats on Glasgow Street, which was my next destination. I really didn't fancy the walk all the way back to the station.
Sure enough the number 11 was soon along. It gave me a ride through the town and also a decent overview of Saltcoats, before dropping me near the ground.
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