Troon (Scotland)

Troon FC is a Scottish non-league football club from the coastal town famous for holding the Open Golf Championship in Ayrshire. The football club were formed in 1946 playing in Ayrshire regional football as a member of the Scottish Junior FA.

The mid 1990’s saw the beginning of the rise at Troon as they were crowned Ayrshire District League second division champions in 1996-97 as well as winning the Ayrshire District Cup. Other trophies were added and a ladies side added at the club until their league success was repeated in 2000-01.

The West of Scotland Cup was lifted in 2004-05 before the club entered into a period of consolidation. In 2012-13 Troon ended as runners up in the league and were promoted into the West of Scotland second tier Championship.

The run continued as the Championship was lifted at the first attempt in 2013-14 with Jim Kirkwood in charge of the team as Troon ended the 2015-15 campaign in seventh in the Super League Premier Division.

Gordon Burns took over as manager in August 2015, taking his side to fourth place prior to resigning and being replaced by a returning Kirkwood who couldn’t prevent the side finishing bottom to drop back down to the Championship.

Troon ended 2017-18 in sixth which was enough to regain their Premiership position in the enlarged league before averting an immediate drop by a couple of points. The Seasiders were in a similar spot when COVID-19 ended the 2019-20 season early.

The club made the move from Junior football to join the SFA set up in the summer of 2020 to become founder members of the West of Scotland League.

Troon FC will compete in the West of Scotland League in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Cumnock Juniors 1 Beith 1 after extra time – Cumnock won 9-8 on penalties. (Sunday 29th September 2013) SJFA Ayrshire Sectional League Cup Final (att: approximately 1,000)

I had decided to travel to Scotland to try out the new Megabus Gold service, which promised luxury travel and my own space as well as a bunk bed. In reality it gave me space that I imagined to be equivalent to a coffin!

My intention was to visit some new places and Junior clubs in North Ayrshire before going to a game. My Daytripper ticket had cost me £11.20 for the day, but had enabled me to travel my bus, train and subway, which saved me plenty of money throughout the day as I called in at several venues and enjoyed some stunning scenery.

The match I was to see was to be played on neutral turf at Portland Park, the home of Troon Juniors. The rather long titled SJFA Ayrshire Sectional League Cup Final was being played between Beith and Cumnock Juniors. 

All the Junior clubs in Ayrshire were divided into four groups for round robin games, from where eight quarter finalists qualified for the knock out rounds. A bit of an old Benson & Hedges Cup format for any older cricket fans reading this!

The train passed the ground and I was shocked at how many were already vying for a good view inside. Kick off was scheduled for 2pm and there was still thirty minutes to go. A few empty bottles of Buckfast and growing crowds left me in little doubt that I was getting close to the ground. 

I was astounded to see a long queue waiting to get inside. Eventually I got to pay my £6 as well as purchasing a pretty basic programme for an extra couple of quid. No announcements were made but the game was put back fifteen minutes. 

The portable food caravan was selling decent catering at fair prices. I was starving from my exercise so I was delighted that a good sized hot dog, scotch pie and Irn Bru only set me back just £4 which offered tremendous value.

Portland Park was a very neat venue, if a little lacking in spectator accommodation. There was just one cover and no seating. Grass banking at the Dundonald Road End gave a decent view. 

There was hard standing right round the pitch and a clubhouse with changing rooms on the same side as the cover. Trains ran by at a regular interval on the banking above the ground on the far side.

The pitch was like a bowling green. I overheard a couple of fans chatting and saying how well artificial surfaces had come on. It had fooled them, it was so good! The Beith youths stood in cover trying to create an atmosphere. 

Fans inter mingled, which led to plenty of banter. The grass bank was packed behind the near goal forming part of the 1,000 crowd. I got chatting with a fine older gent with connections to Girvan Juniors. He informed me that the host club were progressing at a rate of knots and were very affluent.

The match was tight, as cup finals should be. Cumnock went in to the game as favourites as they were from the elite Premier Division, from where Beith had been relegated the season before. Defences were on top before a fine header from Cumnock’s Crawford rifled into the net from a corner right on half time.

However, there was more drama to come before the break. Beith went up the other end and had a forward brought down on the edge of the box. The referee, who it must be said was sponsored like all Scottish refs by Specsavers, showed Crawford a red card, much to his horror. 

The crowd were getting rather vocal. Sensationally the ref chased after the distraught hero and brought him back on. Initially we thought that the official had changed his mind after a chat to the linesman. However, he sent another defender off instead!

It looked like the ten men would hang on in the second half, but their resistance was finally broken when the ref gave a penalty, which I though was the correct decision. The Cumnock fans were going spare and some of their language towards all officials was disgusting. 

I had been initially surprised to see police at the game. There must have been a dozen inside the ground, but they were probably needed just to keep a lid on things. Cautions were issued to a couple of over exuberant offenders.

The penalty was slotted home and then Cumnock had yet another man sent off. Their fans were not best pleased to say the least. Beith poured forward and had a shot wallop off the crossbar in stoppage time. The nine men hung on and game went straight to penalties.

I had been to Wembley in May 2012 and thought that the Play Off shoot-out between Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United had been of a good standard. Well this matched it.  The keepers didn’t stand a chance, even though both were of excellent quality. 

It reached 8-8 where upon both keepers were required to take their turn as Beith could nominate two who didn’t have to take kicks because of the dismissals. Adam Strain, the Beith custodian had his kick saved by Alan Semple. Semple celebrated but then saw the ball spinning back towards his net, only keeping it out with a mad scramble. 

Semple had a chance to win the cup, but he put his spot kick out of the ground and hurtling down the main street towards the sea front. He atoned by saving the next kick, leaving Cumnock’s Gary McMenamin to stroke home the winner to spark off wild celebrations.

I made a quick getaway just in case things got out of hand, and I was getting rather thirsty! The train took me back past the elusive home of Irvine Victoria and back to Glasgow Central. My taxi driver who took me to my hotel was a fan of Kilbirnie Ladeside who I’d visited earlier in the day. I don’t know who was the most surprised when we exchanged stories?

After a quick shower I was out and about recapping on what a great day out I’d had in several top class Glasgow real ale and whisky emporiums, before calling it a night so I’d be ready for Day 2 of my great adventure.