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Two of the Best at Ibrox
The first match between the two sides was on 22nd April 1912 at Somerset Park in a fund raiser for the Troon Masonic Lodge. The 7-2 score line gave United an early mark of the difference between first and second division clubs.
In fact United has achieved this on only two occasions throughout their history, on 13th February 1915 and on 19th September 1959.
Ayr's team on that memorable day in 1915 when their first win was recorded was Lyall, Bell, McStay, A.H Goodwin, Dainty, McLaughlin, Middleton, J.L Goodwin, Richardson, Cassidy and Gray. Goals by Richardson and Jacky Goodwin sealed the firts division points on that day.
Ayr had just been promoted to the first division in the season of 1959/60 and had had a rather inauspicious start having lost 2-1 at home to Clyde and suffered a 5-0 drubbing at Cathkin park by Third Lanark in the first two league game of the season. However a 5-2 win at Somerset Park over Motherwell had lifted spirits by the time they went to 'the stadium' as the Rangers programme of the day called it.
There was only one change from the teams that appeared on the programme cover, and that was Dan McGuinness in place of Billy Fulton for Ayr. The Rangers programme makes no mention of the European Cup campaign that they were involved in. In fact a few days before this game Rangers recorded an impressive 5-2 win over Anderlecht, the Belgian champions. They were due to fly out the following week for the second leg. On the day the programme editor wasn't the only person to ignore Rangers' European pedigree, Ayr did too. Jim McGhee scored two and Billy Elliot got the other in Ayr's 3-0 win - a very special date in the Ayr United calendar.
Ayr finished the season in a very impressive 5th position.
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