LOCATION

A Short distance from the birthplace of Scotland’s national Bard and a stone’s throw from the Auld Brig O’ Doon, immortalised in “Tam O’Shanter”, is Millbrae, the picturesque rugby ground of Ayr.

Millbrae became Ayr’s home in 1964, the club having moved from the original ground at Newton Park to Dam Park, then to the Old Racecourse and King George V playing field before finally taking up residence in Alloway. Newton Park is now the venue of international bowls competitions, Dam Park is an athletics stadium and King George V is given over to soccer, although its claim to fame came from the time of a full Scottish trial was staged there in 1958, every other ground in Scotland being frostbound.

Many past players will remember the Old Racecourse, its pitches having been used by Ayr Academy on Saturday mornings before the club played in the afternoon. Many an enthusiastic youngster turned out on the same pitch twice on the same day.

CONTRIBUTION OF AYR ACADEMY

Ayr Academy’s contribution to the club in terms of players has been inestimable (a role taken on in recent years by other local schools). Although never an F P club, any Ayr side until the late 1960’s would contain around ten or eleven Ayr Academy F P’s. This rich seam allowed Ayr to turn out 6 teams every Saturday in the sixties to mid-seventies. Instrumental in the flow of talent to the club were two legendary figures, rector
J. Douglas Cairns and P.E. master T. B. Watson. They produced a school team in 1958 which was, and ever will remain unique in that it contained a future England captain in Mike Denness, a future Scottish soccer captain in Ian Ure, and a future Scottish rugby captain in Iain McLauchlan, the Lions’ ‘Mighty Mouse’ who earned 43 caps.

EARLY DAYS

As is the case with so many clubs, Ayr’s beginnings stemmed from the boys of a rugby school returning after university or spells abroad and looking to continue playing. So it was that in 1897 the club was born, with Andrew Gray, Angus and Norman Lindsay, Ralston Watt, W. McLachlan, David Highet and James Templeton among the founding members who adopted the famous cerise and black colours. Sadly, only Highet returned from the Boer War.

The club flourished in the early years of the century, undertaking their first tour in 1906 with Irish fixtures against Landsdowne and Monkstown. Progress continued before and after the First World War and club stalwarts like Eddie Ecrepont, Hunter Cosh, Tim Wilson and Eddie Cassie are frequently mentioned in club annals, the last-named being the first man to fly a Spitfire out of Prestwick. Two particular names stand out as players, supporters and administrators – Dr Lawrence Young and Harold Tetley.

Ronnie Boon, who had 12 caps for Wales in the early 1930’s and was lionised for masterminding Wales’s first victory at Twickenham, captained Ayr in 1936-37 during a stint as a teacher at Ayr Academy.

However, the outstanding club stalwart was the indefatigable Jock “Stiffy” McClure who played for the club until just short of his sixtieth birthday but was robbed of international caps by the Second World War. He played for the British Empire side against France and for Scotland in Victory internationals against Ireland and England, yet no cap was awarded to this fine player who encouraged many to play rugby while teaching at Cumnock Academy and Ayr Academy.

THE MOVE TO MILLBRAE

During the 1950’s the growth in paying membership and the development of the fixture list made the acquisition of club rooms a necessity and these were provided in the premises of the local ice rink, while Ayr United’s Somerset Park was made available for training. However, to have all facilities in one location the club purchased Millbrae, a former orchard, in late 1962. All legal and administrative matters were handled by local solicitor Alistair McMillan whose influence on the development of the club was immense, including 21 years as Fixture Secretary.

This was the beginning of the modern era of Ayr. On September 4, 1965, the inaugural match was played between an Ayr President’s XV and an International Select. The installation of floodlights (upgraded in 1990) and the extension of both the social and changing facilities have made the club the envy of many, and with this progressive attitude came success on the field. In the year of its inception, Ayr reached the final of the Glasgow Cup, losing to Glasgow HSFP, but in 1967-68, the year of their acceptance into the unofficial championship, Ayr lifted the trophy after a thrilling final against West of Scotland at Auldhouse.

With the formation of the national leagues Ayr was placed in Division 2 in 1973 where they remained before dropping the Division 3 for season 1981-82. The winning of Division 3 and 2 in successive seasons took the club to Division 1 and Ayr played in the top league for six out of the next seven seasons. Too many quality players from a successful team retired around the same time and it was not until 2003 that Ayr again achieved Premier Division status, a position that will not be given up easily.

CAPS / REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS

Throughout the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s Ayr produced players of quality. One who played and went on to be capped out of London Scottish was Alistair Boyle. Although supplying players to the Glasgow side (and Glasgow clubs) Ayr had to wait until 1977 for the first home-grown player to gain international honours. Winger David Ashton won his B cap against France and in the following year John Brown was in the B side at full back in the same fixture.

In 1980 Stephen Munro won the first of his ten full caps, against Ireland, the last coming in the Welsh match of the 1984 Grand Slam season. Probably Ayr’s finest hour in representative terms came in December 1984 when 5 players – skipper Alan Brown, half backs George Nicolson and Grant Steel, and wing forwards David Brown and Colin McCallum – lined up for Glasgow against the touring Australians. The 3 Brown brothers certainly made impact on rugby in Ayr.

Other Ayr players who gained international caps at other clubs were Gordon Strachan, Quintin Dunlop, Derek Stark and Derek Lee.

Gordon Strachan left Ayr Academy and played for Ayr before going to Jordanhill College where he gained 5 caps while playing for the successful Jordanhill team. He returned to Ayr in the late seventies to play and captain the club. Gordon coached Ayr after he hung up his boots, leading them from the 3rd to the 1st Division and inspiring the club to some of its finest victories.

Quintin Dunlop captained Ayr in the late seventies after his one cap with West of Scotland.

Derek Stark, Ayr’s “Rolls Royce” flying winger, gained B caps at Ayr, but the 9 full caps came after he left the club as Ayr had been relegated to the 2nd Division. This man of many clubs won caps with Boroughmuir, Glasgow Hawks and Melrose.

Derek Lee played for Ayr from the ages of 8 to 18, gaining Scotland representation at all junior age groups. Unfortunately, university in Edinburgh meant he chose a local club (Watsonians) and he gained his 12 caps during the last ten years playing for London Scottish and Edinburgh.

INTERNATIONAL TEAM AT MILLBRAE

To celebrate the opening of the stand on April 28, 1979, British Lion Gordon Brown and Ayr skipper Quintin Dunlop put together possibly the finest international side ever to face a club in a match of this kind. There were 11 British Lions and 6 players who had captained their country. The side was: -
A. McKibben (Ire); L. Dick (Scot); I. McGeechan (Scot); J. Spencer (Eng); M. Slemen (Eng); P. Bennet (Wal); A. Lewis (Wal); I. McLauchlan (Scot); R. Windsor (Wal); F. Cotton (Eng); G. Brown (Scot); W. McBride (Ire); N. McEwan (Scot); R. Uttley (Eng); J. Squire (Wal).

CENTENARY BOOK

All the foregoing is suitably embellished in a history of the club which was compiled to coincide with the club’s centenary celebrations by the club archivist, Ian Hay. Copies of the Centenary Book are available from the Admin. Sec., Ayr RFC, Millbrae, Alloway, Ayr for £12.50 (inclusive of postage).

THE FUTURE

In 1981 the club undertook a tour to North America, where the foundations were laid for the successful sides of the 1980’s.

The foundations for recent success were laid in the support of a youth system which boasts 250 players from 8 to 17 years of age and is providing quality 1st team players, allied with the acquisition of increasingly better Antipodean players who have returned Ayr to the Premier Division in Scottish rugby.

Hopefully, the present coach and group of players will achieve the success which will permit them to be recognised in the future history of Ayr Rugby Club.