Division 2 – Just Champion United
Gordon Dalziel made an immediate impact on the team and its performance, mustering an experienced side that ensured that the tn_Clyde (h) 14 Sep 96club not only didn’t sink into Division 3 but quickly developed the art of success winning the Second Division title as they did so.
The season had started well with a 5-2 win at home to Livingston and a super 4-0 away win at Dingwall in cup competitions. United stamped their mark on the title early with a 6-0 victory at home to Berwick Rangers in August.
Ayr lost 3-1 in front of over 44,000 people Ibrox in the League Cup but proceeded to win eight of their next nine league matches. Ayr endured a less than convincing period in December which included a 4-1 defeat to Dumbarton but, after a Scottish Cup defeat to Clyde, won eight of their next eleven league matches a sequence which took Ayr into contention for the league title.
With Ayr and Hamilton now fighting for the title United won a moral victory with a 1-1 draw at Hamilton in April paving the way for the honest men to simply win their last two league matches to take the second division title by three points.
Icing on the cake was victory over Kilmarnock not only in the Ayrshire Cup Final, but also in an early season away win in a League Cup match.
|
Opponents |
H/A |
Competition |
Score (Ayr First) |
Att |
Programme Issued |
Comments |
|
|
24/7/96 |
Luton Town |
H |
Friendly |
1-0 |
943 |
Yes |
Combined Programme |
|
27/7/96 |
Millwall |
H |
Friendly |
4-3 |
1, 160 |
Yes |
Combined Programme |
|
30/7/96 |
Raith Rovers |
H |
Friendly |
0-4 |
1, 010 |
Yes |
Combined Programme |
|
3/8/96 |
Livingston |
H |
Coca Cola Cup 1st Rd |
5-2 |
1, 634 |
|
|
|
10/8/96 |
Ross County |
A |
Challenge Cup 2nd Rd |
4-0 |
963 |
Yes |
|
|
13/8/96 |
Kilmarnock |
A |
Coca Cola Cup 2nd Rd |
1-0 |
8, 543 |
Yes |
|
|
17/8/96 |
Hamilton Academical |
H |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
2, 227 |
Yes |
|
|
24/8/96 |
Brechin City |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
419 |
Yes |
|
|
26/8/96 |
St.Johnstone |
H |
Challenge Cup 2nd Rd |
0-4 |
1, 812 |
Yes |
|
|
31/8/96 |
Berwick Rangers |
H |
2nd Division |
6-0 |
1, 594 |
Yes |
|
|
4/9/96 |
Rangers |
A |
Coca Cola Cup 3rd Rd |
1-3 |
44, 283 |
Yes |
|
|
7/9/96 |
Stenhousemuir |
A |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
708 |
Yes |
|
|
14/9/96 |
Clyde |
H |
2nd Division |
2-4 |
1, 995 |
Yes |
|
|
21/9/96 |
Queen of the South |
A |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
1, 813 |
Yes |
|
|
28/9/96 |
Stranraer |
H |
2nd Division |
2-0 |
1, 915 |
Yes |
|
|
5/10/96 |
Dumbarton |
A |
2nd Division |
3-1 |
939 |
Yes |
|
|
12/10/96 |
Livingston |
H |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
2, 578 |
Yes |
|
|
19/10/96 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
1, 173 |
Yes |
|
|
26/10/96 |
Brechin City |
H |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
1, 973 |
Yes |
|
|
2/11/96 |
Clyde |
A |
2nd Division |
3-2 |
1, 207 |
Yes |
|
|
9/11/96 |
Stenhousemuir |
H |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
2, 025 |
Yes |
|
|
16/11/96 |
Stranraer |
A |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
925 |
Yes |
|
|
23/11/96 |
Queen of the South |
H |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
1, 969 |
Yes |
|
|
30/11/96 |
Dumbarton |
H |
2nd Division |
1-4 |
1, 773 |
Yes |
|
|
7/12/96 |
Rotherham United |
A |
Friendly |
2-2 |
|
No |
|
|
14/12/96 |
Livingston |
A |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
3, 542 |
Yes |
|
|
26/12/96 |
Hamilton Academical |
H |
2nd Division |
Postponed |
|
Yes |
|
|
28/12/96 |
Berwick Rangers |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
525 |
Yes |
|
|
1/1/97 |
Stranraer |
H |
2nd Division |
Postponed |
|
Yes |
|
|
4/1/97 |
Clyde |
H |
Scottish Cup 2nd Rd |
0-2 |
2, 168 |
Yes |
|
|
18/1/97 |
Dumbarton |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
801 |
Yes |
|
|
21/1/97 |
Stranraer |
H |
2nd Division |
2-0 |
1, 696 |
No |
Programme from 1st January Used |
|
28/1/97 |
Hamilton Academical |
H |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
1, 905 |
No |
Programme from 26th December Used |
|
1/2/97 |
Livingston |
H |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
2, 568 |
Yes |
|
|
5/2/97 |
Queen of the South |
A |
2nd Division |
3-1 |
1, 506 |
Yes |
|
|
8/2/97 |
Clyde |
H |
2nd Division |
3-1 |
2, 006 |
Yes |
|
|
15/2/97 |
Stenhousemuir |
A |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
833 |
Yes |
|
|
22/2/97 |
Brechin City |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
434 |
Yes |
|
|
1/3/97 |
Berwick Rangers |
H |
2nd Division |
2-0 |
1, 648 |
Yes |
|
|
8/3/97 |
Queen of the South |
H |
2nd Division |
2-2 |
1, 942 |
Yes |
|
|
15/3/97 |
Stranraer |
A |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
876 |
Yes |
|
|
22/3/97 |
Dumbarton |
H |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
1, 575 |
Yes |
|
|
5/4/97 |
Livingston |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
2, 512 |
Yes |
|
|
12/4/97 |
Stenhousemuir |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
1, 744 |
Yes |
|
|
19/4/97 |
Clyde |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
1, 208 |
Yes |
|
|
23/4/97 |
Girvan Amateurs |
H |
Ayrshire Cup Semi Final |
7-0 |
|
Yes |
Teamsheet Only Produced |
|
26/4/97 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
5, 156 |
Yes |
|
|
3/5/97 |
Brechin City |
A |
2nd Division |
2-0 |
3, 164 |
Yes |
|
|
10/5/97 |
Berwick Rangers |
A |
2nd Division |
2-0 |
1, 423 |
Yes |
|
|
13/5/97 |
Kilmarnock |
H |
Ayrshire Cup Final |
2-0 |
2, 176 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Pld |
|
Home |
|
|
|
|
Away |
|
|
|
|
Overall |
|
|
|
|
Pts |
GD |
||||
|
1996/97 |
|
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Ayr United |
36 |
|
12 |
3 |
3 |
32 |
16 |
|
11 |
5 |
2 |
29 |
17 |
|
23 |
8 |
5 |
61 |
33 |
|
77 |
28 |
|
2 |
Hamilton Academical |
36 |
|
11 |
5 |
2 |
47 |
17 |
|
11 |
3 |
4 |
28 |
11 |
|
22 |
8 |
6 |
75 |
28 |
|
74 |
47 |
|
3 |
Livingston |
36 |
|
11 |
3 |
4 |
32 |
18 |
|
7 |
7 |
4 |
24 |
20 |
|
18 |
10 |
8 |
56 |
38 |
|
64 |
18 |
|
4 |
Clyde |
36 |
|
8 |
4 |
6 |
21 |
18 |
|
6 |
6 |
6 |
21 |
21 |
|
14 |
10 |
12 |
42 |
39 |
|
52 |
3 |
|
5 |
Queen of the South |
36 |
|
8 |
3 |
7 |
27 |
27 |
|
5 |
5 |
8 |
28 |
30 |
|
13 |
8 |
15 |
55 |
57 |
|
47 |
-2 |
|
6 |
Stenhousemuir |
36 |
|
4 |
6 |
8 |
19 |
23 |
|
7 |
5 |
6 |
30 |
20 |
|
11 |
11 |
14 |
49 |
43 |
|
44 |
6 |
|
7 |
Brechin City |
36 |
|
5 |
7 |
6 |
18 |
22 |
|
5 |
4 |
9 |
18 |
27 |
|
10 |
11 |
15 |
36 |
49 |
|
41 |
-13 |
|
8 |
Stranraer |
36 |
|
6 |
5 |
7 |
17 |
18 |
|
3 |
4 |
11 |
12 |
33 |
|
9 |
9 |
18 |
29 |
51 |
|
36 |
-22 |
|
9 |
Dumbarton |
36 |
|
2 |
7 |
9 |
21 |
35 |
|
7 |
1 |
10 |
23 |
31 |
|
9 |
8 |
19 |
44 |
66 |
|
35 |
-22 |
|
10 |
Berwick Rangers |
36 |
|
4 |
4 |
10 |
15 |
36 |
|
0 |
7 |
11 |
17 |
39 |
|
4 |
11 |
21 |
32 |
75 |
|
23 |
-43 |
