2025–26 Ayr United F.C. season

Ayr United
2025–26 season
ChairmanDavid Smith
ManagerScott Brown
StadiumSomerset Park
Scottish League CupGroup stage

The 2025–26 season is Ayr United's eighth consecutive season in the Scottish Championship after being promoted from League One in the 2017–18 season. Ayr are also competing in the Scottish Cup, League Cup, and Challenge Cup.

Results and fixtures

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

Pre-season

25 June 2025 Friendly East Stirlingshire 0–3 Ayr United Stenhousemuir
19:45 Murphy
Walker
Bryden
Stadium: Ochilview Park
27 June 2025 Friendly Ayr United 1–1 The New Saints East Kilbride
19:45 Walker 49' Clarke 78' Stadium: K-Park Training Academy
1 July 2025 Friendly The Spartans 3–2 Ayr United Edinburgh
19:45 Craigen 23', 59'
Russell 26'
Report Murphy 7', 30' Stadium: Ainslie Park
4 July 2025 Ayrshire Derby Kilmarnock 1–0 Ayr United Kilmarnock
19:30 Kiltie 46' Stadium: Rugby Park
Attendance: 5,416
Note: Testimonial match for Rory McKenzie.

Scottish Championship

1 August 2025 1 Arbroath v Ayr United Arbroath
19:45 Stadium: Gayfield Park
9 August 2024 2 Ayr United v Raith Rovers Ayr
15:00 Stadium: Somerset Park
23 August 2025 3 Greenock Morton v Ayr United Greenock
15:00 Stadium: Cappielow
30 August 2024 4 Ayr United v Queen's Park Ayr
15:00 Stadium: Somerset Park

Scottish League Cup

Group stage

15 July 2025 1 Annan Athletic v Ayr United Annan
19:45 Stadium: Galabank
19 July 2025 2 Ayr United v Arbroath Ayr
15:00 Stadium: Somerset Park
22 July 2025 3 Ayr United v Forfar Athletic Ayr
19:45 Stadium: Somerset Park
27 July 2025 4 St Mirren v Ayr United Paisley
15:00 Stadium: St Mirren Park

Squad statistics

Appearances

As of 24 June 2025[1]
No. Pos Nat Player Total Championship League Cup Challenge Cup Scottish Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK  SCO David Mitchell 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
2 DF  SCO Nick McAllister 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
3 DF  SCO Liam Dick 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
4 DF  SCO Shaun Want 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
6 MF  SCO Stuart Bannigan 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
7 FW  SCO Anton Dowds 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
8 MF  ENG Ben Dempsey 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
9 FW  ENG George Oakley 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
10 FW  ENG Curtis Main 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
15 FW  SCO Jamie Murphy 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
16 FW  SCO Jake Hastie 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
21 MF  ENG Ethan Walker 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
22 FW  SCO Mark McKenzie 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
23 MF  ROU Marco Rus 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
24 MF  SCO Scott Tomlinson 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
32 MF  SCO Dylan Watret 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
33 DF  SCO Scott McMann 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
38 GK  SCO Liam Russell 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
Players who left the club during the 2025–26 season
18 MF  SCO Jamie Hislop 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
19 GK  SCO Ollie Ecrepont 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
25 MF  SCO Kenzie Mitchell 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
28 MF  SCO David Craig 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
29 FW  SCO Lucas McRoberts 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0

Team statistics

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Airdrieonians 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to the Scottish Premiership
2 Arbroath 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for the Premiership play-off semi-final
3 Ayr United 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for the Premiership play-off quarter-final
4 Dunfermline Athletic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Greenock Morton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 1 August 2025. Source: [2]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-to head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only for deciding promotion, play-off participation and relegation).[3]

League Cup table

Pos Team Pld W PW PL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification FOR ARB ANN STM AYR
1 Forfar Athletic 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 Qualification for the second round 26 Jul 15 Jul
2 Arbroath 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Possible qualification for the second round 22 Jul p0–0
3 Annan Athletic 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1–1p 15 Jul
4 St Mirren 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 19 Jul 27 Jul
5 Ayr United 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 Jul 19 Jul
Updated to match(es) played on 12 July 2025. Source: [4]
Rules for classification: 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) drawing of lots.[5]

Transfers

Transfers in

Date Position Name From Fee Ref.
4 June 2025 GK David Mitchell Partick Thistle Free transfer [6]
16 June 2025 DF Liam Dick Raith Rovers [7]
Shaun Want Larne [8]
18 June 2025 MF Stuart Bannigan Partick Thistle [9]
24 June 2025 Dom Thomas Derry City [10]

Transfers out

Date Position Name To Fee Ref.
20 May 2025 GK Robbie Mutch Cove Rangers Free transfer [11][12]
DF Frankie Musonda [11]
FW Max Guthrie [11]
9 June 2025 MF Connor McLennan Livingston [11][13]
17 June 2025 DF Patrick Reading Partick Thistle [14]
19 June 2025 George Stanger Kilmarnock [11][15]
5 July 2025 FW Fraser Bryden Crusaders [16]

Loans in

Date Position Name From End date Ref.

Loans out

Date Position Name To End date Ref.
13 June 2025 MF Jamie Hislop East Stirlingshire 31 May 2025 [17]
Kenzie Mitchell
FW Lucas McRoberts
16 June 2025 MF David Craig Glenafton Athletic [18]
26 June 2025 GK Ollie Ecrepont Dumbarton [19]
4 July 2025 MF Scott Tomlinson [20]

References

  1. ^ "Ayr United FC Player Appearances". soccerbase.com. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Championship Table". Scottish Professional Football League.
  3. ^ "The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). SPFL. pp. 38–39. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Summary - League Cup Group D". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Format". SPFL. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  6. ^ "David Mitchell joins the Honest Men". Ayr United FC. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Liam Dick joins the Honest Men". Ayr United FC. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Shaun Want arrives at Somerset Park". Ayr United FC. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Stuart Bannigan is an Honest Man Again!". Ayr United FC. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Dom Thomas Joins Ayr United". Ayr United FC. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Squad Update". Ayr United FC. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Welcome To Cove – Robbie Mutch". Cove Rangers FC. 25 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Brandon departs Livingston as McLennan joins". BBC Sport. 9 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  14. ^ "Partick Thistle sign Paddy Reading from Ayr United". Partick Thistle FC. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  15. ^ "George Stanger will 'bring presence' to Kilmarnock defence". BBC Sport. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Fraser Bryden Signs". Crusaders FC. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Cooperation Agreement - Ayr United & East Stirlingshire". Ayr United FC. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  18. ^ "David Craig". Ayr United FC. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Four Loanees Arrive". Dumbarton FC. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Scott Tomlinson". Ayr United FC. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.