Division 1 – Semi Final Disappointment
Once again Ayr United failed to regain Premier League status despite Willie McLean having one of the best squads for sometime, borne out by tn_Dunfermline Athletic (h) 7 Mar 81United’s superb League Cup campaign which saw the Honest men knock out the Edinburgh giants Premier League Hearts and Hibernian, on the way to the Semi Final. Sadly United lost out to Dundee in the semi final.
This League Cup campaign meant that when Ayr were drawn against Premier League Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup, 1st division United were favourites to beat their local rivals.
However, part time Killie put their league woes behind them to produce an outstanding performance. United didnt help their cause by conceding after only two minutes from a Derek Mc Dicken shot.
As in previous seasons lack of consistency in the league dented Ayr’s promotion hopes dand Ayr finishing only 7 points outside the promotion slot in 6th place.
Opponents |
H/A |
Competition |
Score – Ayr First) |
Att |
Programme Issued |
Comments |
|
27/7/80 |
Celtic |
A |
Drybrough Cup 1st Rnd |
1-0 |
|
|
|
30/7/80 |
St Mirren |
A |
Drybrough Cup 2nd Rnd |
1-2 |
|
|
|
4/8/80 |
West Ham United |
H |
Friendly |
1-1 |
|
|
|
9/8/80 |
Motherwell |
H |
1st Division |
5-0 |
|
|
|
13/8/80 |
Morton |
H |
Bells Scottish League Cup 1st Rnd 1st Leg |
1-2 |
|
|
|
16/8/80 |
Dundee |
A |
1st Division |
0-0 |
|
|
|
20/8/80 |
Morton |
H |
Bells Scottish League Cup 1st Rnd 2nd Leg |
2-0 |
|
|
|
23/8/80 |
Stirling Albion |
H |
1st Division |
0-0 |
|
|
|
27/8/80 |
Queen of the South |
A |
Bells Scottish League Cup 2nd Rnd 1st Leg |
2-1 |
|
|
|
30/8/80 |
Queen of the South |
H |
Bells Scottish League Cup 2nd Rnd 2nd Leg |
1-0 |
|
|
|
3/9/80 |
Heart of Midlothian |
A |
Bells Scottish League Cup 3rd Rnd 1st Leg |
3-2 |
|
Yes |
|
6/9/80 |
Berwick Rangers |
A |
1st Division |
2-1 |
|
Yes |
|
9/9/80 |
East Stirlingshire |
A |
1st Division |
Postponed |
|
Yes |
|
13/9/80 |
Hibernian |
H |
1st Division |
1-3 |
|
Yes |
|
17/9/80 |
Hamilton Academical |
H |
1st Division |
2-1 |
|
|
|
20/9/80 |
Clydebank |
A |
1st Division |
2-2 |
|
No |
|
24/9/80 |
Heart of Midlothian |
H |
Bells Scottish League Cup 3rd Rnd 2nd Leg |
4-0 |
|
|
|
27/9/80 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
H |
1st Division |
2-0 |
|
|
|
1/10/80 |
Raith Rovers |
H |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
Yes |
|
4/10/80 |
Falkirk |
A |
1st Division |
1-3 |
|
|
|
8/10/80 |
Hibernian |
H |
Bells Scottish League Cup Quarter Final 1st Leg |
2-2 |
|
|
|
11/10/80 |
St. Johnstone |
H |
1st Division |
0-0 |
|
Yes |
|
14/10/80 |
East Stirlingshire |
A |
1st Division |
2-0 |
|
No |
Programme from 9th September used |
18/10/80 |
Dumbarton |
A |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
Yes |
|
22/10/80 |
Hibernian |
A |
Bells Scottish League Cup Quarter Final 2nd Leg |
2-0 aet |
|
|
|
25/10/80 |
Hibernian |
A |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
|
|
1/11/80 |
Berwick Rangers |
H |
1st Division |
4-1 |
|
|
|
5/11/80 |
Dundee |
H |
Bells Scottish League Cup Semi Final 1st Leg |
1-1 |
|
|
|
8/11/80 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
|
|
15/11/80 |
Clydebank |
H |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
|
|
19/11/80 |
Dundee |
A |
Bells Scottish League Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg |
2-3 |
|
|
|
22/11/80 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
A |
1st Division |
3-2 |
|
Yes |
|
29/11/80 |
Falkirk |
H |
1st Division |
3-1 |
|
|
|
6/12/80 |
St. Johnstone |
A |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
|
|
13/12/80 |
Dumbarton |
H |
1st Division |
0-0 |
|
|
|
20/12/80 |
Raith Rovers |
A |
1st Division |
1-2 |
|
|
|
27/12/80 |
Dundee |
H |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
|
|
1/1/81 |
Stirling Albion |
A |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
|
|
3/1/81 |
East Stirlingshire |
H |
1st Division |
3-3 |
|
|
|
10/1/81 |
Motherwell |
A |
1st Division |
2-3 |
|
|
|
17/1/81 |
St. Johnstone |
H |
1st Division |
3-3 |
|
|
|
24/1/81 |
Kilmarnock |
A |
Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd |
1-2 |
8,185 |
|
|
31/1/81 |
Dundee |
A |
1st Division |
4-2 |
|
Yes |
|
7/2/81 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
1st Division |
Postponed |
|
Yes |
|
10/2/81 |
Kilmarnock |
H |
Ayrshire Cup Final 1st Leg |
0-1 |
|
Yes |
|
21/2/81 |
Clydebank |
H |
1st Division |
4-1 |
|
Yes |
|
28/2/81 |
Falkirk |
A |
1st Division |
1-2 |
|
|
|
4/3/81 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
1st Division |
0-0 |
|
No |
Programme from 7th February used |
7/3/81 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
H |
1st Division |
2-1 |
|
|
|
14/3/81 |
Berwick Rangers |
A |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
Yes |
|
21/3/81 |
Raith Rovers |
A |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
Yes |
|
28/3/81 |
Hibernian |
H |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
|
|
4/4/81 |
East Stirlingshire |
A |
1st Division |
3-1 |
|
Yes |
|
11/4/81 |
Motherwell |
A |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
Yes |
|
18/4/81 |
Stirling Albion |
H |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
Yes |
|
22/4/81 |
Kilmarnock |
A |
Ayrshire Cup Final 2nd Leg |
0-1 |
|
Yes |
|
25/4/81 |
Dumbarton |
H |
1st Division |
1-2 |
|
Yes |
|
|
Pld |
|
Home |
|
|
|
|
Away |
|
|
|
|
Overall |
|
|
|
|
Pts |
GA |
||||
1980/81 |
|
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Hibernian |
39 |
|
14 |
4 |
2 |
38 |
9 |
|
10 |
5 |
4 |
29 |
15 |
|
24 |
9 |
6 |
67 |
24 |
|
57 |
2.8 |
2 |
Dundee |
39 |
|
14 |
4 |
2 |
42 |
18 |
|
8 |
4 |
7 |
22 |
22 |
|
22 |
8 |
9 |
64 |
40 |
|
52 |
1.6 |
3 |
St. Johnstone |
39 |
|
12 |
3 |
5 |
31 |
21 |
|
9 |
7 |
3 |
33 |
23 |
|
21 |
10 |
8 |
64 |
44 |
|
52 |
1.5 |
4 |
Raith Rovers |
39 |
|
11 |
7 |
1 |
26 |
11 |
|
9 |
3 |
8 |
23 |
21 |
|
20 |
10 |
9 |
49 |
32 |
|
50 |
1.5 |
5 |
Motherwell |
39 |
|
14 |
5 |
1 |
41 |
20 |
|
5 |
6 |
8 |
24 |
31 |
|
19 |
11 |
9 |
65 |
51 |
|
49 |
1.3 |
6 |
Ayr United |
39 |
|
11 |
5 |
3 |
34 |
17 |
|
6 |
6 |
8 |
25 |
25 |
|
17 |
11 |
11 |
59 |
42 |
|
45 |
1.4 |
7 |
Hamilton Academical |
39 |
|
9 |
5 |
6 |
39 |
27 |
|
6 |
2 |
11 |
22 |
30 |
|
15 |
7 |
17 |
61 |
57 |
|
37 |
1.1 |
8 |
Dumbarton |
39 |
|
8 |
5 |
6 |
23 |
22 |
|
5 |
6 |
9 |
26 |
28 |
|
13 |
11 |
15 |
49 |
50 |
|
37 |
1 |
9 |
Falkirk |
39 |
|
7 |
4 |
8 |
24 |
29 |
|
6 |
4 |
10 |
15 |
23 |
|
13 |
8 |
18 |
39 |
52 |
|
34 |
0.8 |
10 |
Clydebank |
39 |
|
8 |
6 |
5 |
31 |
25 |
|
2 |
7 |
11 |
17 |
34 |
|
10 |
13 |
16 |
48 |
59 |
|
33 |
0.8 |
11 |
East Stirlingshire |
39 |
|
4 |
10 |
6 |
20 |
25 |
|
2 |
7 |
10 |
21 |
32 |
|
6 |
17 |
16 |
41 |
57 |
|
29 |
0.7 |
12 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
39 |
|
6 |
3 |
11 |
17 |
28 |
|
4 |
4 |
11 |
24 |
30 |
|
10 |
7 |
22 |
41 |
58 |
|
27 |
0.7 |
13 |
Stirling Albion |
39 |
|
4 |
6 |
9 |
13 |
21 |
|
2 |
5 |
13 |
6 |
27 |
|
6 |
11 |
22 |
19 |
48 |
|
23 |
0.4 |
14 |
Berwick Rangers |
39 |
|
5 |
5 |
9 |
17 |
27 |
|
0 |
6 |
14 |
13 |
55 |
|
5 |
11 |
23 |
30 |
82 |
|
21 |
0.4 |
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