GINGER FACE: August 2011

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: A Scotsman's Football Tale in Mexico

Marc Roseblade is a Contributor for Bleacher Report as well as Not Just Scottish Football and youth development reporter for Ayr United Football Academy. All quotes are obtained first-hand unless otherwise stated.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Ex Arsenal Star Fabregas Shows His Class in 5-0 Thrashing of Villareal (highlights)

Not Just Scottish Football: Mexico: Gallos Blancos Earn Hard Fought Away Point (highlights)

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Ronaldo Hat Trick Helps Real Madrid to Six Goal Victory (highlights)

Not Just Scottish Football: Manchester United Make Wenger & Arsenal Eight Humble Pie (highlights)

Not Just Scottish Football: Dzeko Fires Four as Manchester City Spank Spurs (highlights)

Saturday, August 27, 2011

In a week that saw the top Scottish football sides bite the dust in a pathetic manner in Europe, Bodog sponsored side Ayr United, who play in the Scottish First Division, have managed to keep up their recent good run of form with two wins and a draw in the past seven days.

Hotly tipped as one of the favourites for relegation this season due to their part time status, Ayr United have been punching above their weights with constant tip top performances against not only the favourites in the league but also remain unbeaten in all cup competitions, keeping open the Somerset Park supporters fantasy dream of a quadruple trophy haul.

The last seven days have seen a hard fought draw against promotion hopefuls Falkirk last weekend, a midweek win in the Community League Cup against SPL side Inverness and this Saturday saw a last minute goal from Ross Robertson clinch all three points in a match that handed the Ayr team their first league win in four outings to move the Honest Men into fifth spot in the league table. The irony of Rosscos last minute goal was not lost on most Ayr United supporters, as they have watched opponent teams have last minute goals chalked off for offside in the previous two matches.

Maybe Ayr United have some karma working in their favour this season or maybe it's just the Bodog/Calvin Ayre golden touch effect rubbing off on them, whatever the reason, let it continue!

The midweek cup win against Ex England captain Terry Butchers Inverness side was in particular a special night, as it not only saw the first match under the newly erected floodlights, but also saw Ayr continue with their excellent recent record of defeating sides from the top tier of Scottish Football with a well earned 1-0 victory.

No one could deny that Ayr have deserved these victories as recent signings Michael McGowan, John Robertson and Martyn Campbell have all slotted well into a side that includes many youth players like Ross Robertson, Roddy Paterson and Gareth Armstrong. This contrast in youth and experience has perhaps given the Ayr side a new impetus this season with many other sides continuing down the experienced player route and abandoning their youth set up.

Michael Moffat has continued to pay dividends if you fancy a flutter on first goal scored with Eddie Malone also being a surprise package that will have stung a few bookies pockets with his back of the net goalscoring antics of recent matches. The Moff in particular has sparked a light in Bodog's betting sportsbook with a top scorer race being placed on himself and English Premier sponsored side West Broms star player Odemwinge.

Next up for Super Ayr is the quarter final of the Ramsdens Cup which sees them pitched against third division side Annan Athletic in a match that many Ayr fans will see as a great opportunity to progress to the semi finals given their teams recent form but manager Brian Reid will be wary and quick to point out to the supporters that Annan have won all four league matches so far this season and will be no pushover.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Scottish Clubs Humiliated in European Night of Woe(highlights)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Ayr United Dump SPL Side Inverness from the League Cup

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Womens Champions League:Glasgow Draw Icelandic Champions in Final 32

Not Just Scottish Football: Morton & St Mirren Serve up Rival Cracker

Not Just Scottish Football: Mexico Liga Primera Weekend Roundup (full highlights package)

Not Just Scottish Football: Ayr United Football Academy Kick Off Healthy Heart Programme

Monday, August 22, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Man United Sign Staggering £40 Million DHL Training Kit Deal

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Primera Division Apertura:Gun Shots Forces Abandonment of Santos Match(match highlights)

Not Just Scottish Football: Celtic Slump At Home to Saints (highlights)

Not Just Scottish Football: Rangers Fire Warning Across the Bow of Title Pretenders

Friday, August 19, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Galveston Pirates Prepare for Battle to Kickoff

Not Just Scottish Football: Gallos Blancos Sack Manager Gustavo Matosas

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Not Just Scottish Football: Has Real Madrid Boss Jose Mourinho Lost His Marbles?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Youth Players Charge In

In a time when clubs are struggling with debt and lack of support, they look towards their youth set up for a helping hand in terms of personnel;This season so far has seen Ayr United Football Academy show the best of the rest how it's done by supplying a countless amount of young stars to the Ayr United senior squad.

Both Gareth Armstrong and Roddy Paterson have been regular feature's in the past few matches and rightly so after viewing them up against some older, wiser professional footballers.

With a man of the man performance from Gareth in the game against Raith Rovers in the Ramsden Cup match at Cappielow to Roddy's opening goal in the same match, it has been an never ending story for these two players in the opening fixtures and one they are unwilling to let end as they continue to push for further starting opportunities in Brian Reid's side.

Both guys have taken their senior call ups in their stride and sometimes it takes a fortuitous event to help the career of some young player's as they strive for the break they deserve. For Gareth that fortune came at the expense of Eddie Malone being injured in Ayr's first league match against title tipped Hamilton, when the defender got himself injured, opening the door for the 17 year old to play most of the match and the rest they say is history.

Since that day, he has been outstanding in the defensive lineup alongside veteran players John Robertson and Martyn Campbell and has never stepped out
of place in the matches that he has started in;Indeed, he managed a man of the man achievement from sponsors Ramsdens when the Ayr side met Raith Rovers at Cappielow last week showing his maturity beyond his tender years. He also managed an assist for goalscoring machine Roddy Paterson in the same match.

Roddy himself flirted with the senior side last season but after scoring 35 goals for the under 19's and Reserve team in all matches last term, Brian Reid had no other option to allow the 19 year old some more senior game time to see if he had what it took to succeed at this level.

The Maybole man has not disappointed!

With early pre season goals for Ayr most notably against SPL side St Mirren, Roddy took his chance of a starting position in the Raith Rovers match in his stride and opened the scoring that night with a delightful side footed swerve from around 18 yards round the keeper and into the net. Although his celebrations weren't of the St Mirren style that everyone had expected, the joy of this goal was apparent to all who managed the trip to Greenock that night.

This goal opened the way for Ayr to go on to a glorious performance that night and had it not been for fellow AUFA player Gareth earning his MOM, Roddy would surely have been next in line for it for a hard worked shift up front.

Ex Academy graduate Ross Robertson must also be given some credit for continuing to push forward for a starting berth and has continually shown his metal whenever required to do so.

His starting spot in the Raith match was just reward for all his hard work this season with his eventual magnificent goal in the same match surely being up for goal of the month when the SFL look through their archives. It's easy to forget that Ross is still only 20 years old and has many bright years of football ahead of him.

With these three players at the very least, Ayr United Football Academy can look to the future of AUFC like a proud father in the knowledge that we created them!

Fixtures

This weekend sees the return to competitive action for the AUFA teams, with age groups from 13's to 19's taking to the field for the new season.

If you are out and about, get yourself along to one of the matches and see if you can spot the next big thing to emerge from the conveyor belt of players that keeps being churned out by the excellent coaching staff within the Academy.

Sunday 21st August 2011

13's v Dundee, Prestwick Academy 11am
14's v East Fife, Rosyth Civil Service 2pm
15's v East Fife, Rosyth Civil Service 2pm
16's v East Fife, Prestwick Academy 1pm
19's v Arbroath, Prestwick Academy 3.15pm

Sponsorships

AUFA are still looking for player sponsorships and at £75 for the season, it's a worthwhile investment for you, your family or your business as well as for the future of Ayr United. As the AUFA is a registered charity all proceed go directly to the Talented Young Players Programme within the Academy and you can rest assured that this donation gets put to best use in furthering the skills, coaching and development of the players themselves.

For further details contact marc.roseblade@aufa.org.uk, visit the AUFA website or see us for details on Facebook.