Davy Wells
Caretaker Manager Profile

Biography

It is little known that Davy Wells managed the Honest Men - but he did, not once but twice. Both times on caretaker basis. Davy Wells had signed for Ayr United from Auchinleck Talbot in 1970 aged 17. Dick Malone leaving the club at that time left a gap for Davy to fill. He was part of the Ayr United reserve side that won the league in 1971/72 and was an unused substitute for Scotland in 1973, which said a lot for a player who had yet to complete a full season of first team football.

In March 1984 he became assistant to George Caldwell. Then when Caldwell resigned, Davy was appointed as interim manager and led the team for one match on 26th October 1985, losing 2-0 away to Hamilton Academicals.

When Ally MacLeod left in December 1990, Davy Wells once again found himself as interim manager pending a permanent appointment, the obvious choice as the current assistant manager.

His first match was a 0-0 draw against Airdrie but he managed two successive wins over the new few weeks, 2-0 at Clydebank and 1-0 at home to Morton. Kilmarnock were up next on New Years day and as the Killie hadnt won a ne’rday match since 1967 Ayr were confident.

The 2-1 defeat in front of 9,448 spectators went against the trend.

Still, he had acquitted himself well in his four matches in charge ahead of the appointment of George Burley who kept him on as assistant until the end of the season.

There was criticism of his capabilities, but it was because of the return of the incomparable Ally MacLeod.