...That Ayr have signed Craig Nelson and Jackie McNamara in a player/coach role.

You heard it here first.

and what terrible fortune teller sold you that rubbish ?

As much as id love Nelly in goals in an Ayr shirt again, i seriously dont think it would be a good idea. Firstly going back to a club is usually a mistake, and secondly id hate Nelly to lose his legendary status he has with the fans (and that no doubt would happen, the way our fans turn on players these days)

And Jackie McNamara???? where the fuck are we getting the money to pay his wages??

Its a new 2nd division rule, you have to have an aging ex Old Firm defender in your team.



Yet again Raith Rovers lead the way.

Ayr are after QotS man John O'Neil and have offered him a player/coach role and have also offered silly money to Chris Aitken.

Presumably the silly money that will be freed up by releasing David Dunn, which will hopefully give us more in return through Aitken (pleeeeeease not another David Hamilton!)

I have heard the Craig Nelson rumour also from a couple of sources but cannot see us paying Brechin a fee for a 36 year old goalkeeper.

McNamara talk is just crazy though, we're part-time, who is he going to be coaching? He could easily get a job with a full time 1st division side (it reeks of Livingston).

Aitken I am 99% sure will be here.

The Nelson to Ayr rumour seems to come up every year. He still has one year on his contract as far as I'm aware and Ayr would have to pay a fee. Nelson will be 37 by the time next season starts so I think Ayr would be stupid to pay for him unless he was going to be a goalkeeper coach as well. He's a cracking keeper but who's to say that he'll last beyond next season?

David Lowing, David Dunn, David Hamilton...
I'm noticing a trend in name and awfulness!

When was the last decent David we had?
Surely not as far back as Castilla?

Pointless post but I'm bored...
Carry on

Studying too, aye?

What about gareth wardlaw?its a reoccuring rumour that he's on his way to the rovers this summer.

Depends on the rumours you read..the one on Honestpage has him signing a pre contract with East Fife.

You can both have him.Really hard worker but doesn't score enough goals.

Looks like Whistle Blower was right... we really did release the rumour to trick Willie Gray into buying him!

Paper talk is that McNamara will be off to Livi by the way, which is a far more likely destination than Ayr. Nelson is a possibility though.

OK who's next.

Well i heard Raith are in for the entire Berwick defence

With Renwick as chief scout

As soon as I heard McNamara had left Aberdeen the first thing I thought was Livingston. I don't know why, but they just seem to have McNamara written all over them.

No doubt they can't afford him but will sign him anyway.

Incidentally I really, really hate it when people start stupid rumours about Ayr signings. Especially when they say you heard it hear first, then wink, as though it's actually fact.

Dont think we'll see either, but i get the feeling there will be more money this summer due to it being our 'last' season at Somerset and the club should do well from sponsorships and extra season ticket sales.

Looks like Chris Aitken is a Ayr player and Paul Nugent is an East Fife player- gutted

Starting to get a bit fucked off with this East Fife pish. It looks like the league might be over before it starts, again!

I don't care what they say there is no way the money is there for these signings. It's not about length of contract either, it's about the debt they are running up now. I can't believe they broke even on the crowds they got last year so this Willie Gray idiot would have to be putting in hundreds of thousands for no return.

Aitken will hopefully be a good player for us. I actually expected Nugent to be coming to us as well, so I'm a bit miffed we've been beaten to the punch by bloody East Fife.

Got to agree with you Al, there's absolutely no way they can afford to keep going the way they are. Good luck to them though, they'll need it!

Actually I am surprised at the number of players and contracts being talked about with regard to Ayr United, who I seem to recall are (like the rest of us) in a bit of a sorry state financially.

We did just get rid of 8 players mind, some of whom had - if you believe what you hear - some very silly contracts.

If the board are selling Stevenson that frees up some more cash too...

Finished it for you

Thanks!! It's already been renewed

http://www.ayradvertiser.com/articles/2/22776

Absolutely not the case. The reason we have been in this league for so long was mainly due to the £330k Inland Revenue bill which was paid off last May. We have pretty much no debt.

We aren't allowed credit facilities now so it means we are financed by the board (if anything other than what we actually bring in), but this debt can only really be transferred onto the club in the form of soft loans.

We've just released eight players so there is some scope for bringing in a bit of quality. We've also sold the stadium so that might bring us a little breathing space.

Either way our problem is we haven't been spending enough in recent times and our crowds are about half what they should be as a result.

Oh my God - but it's only conditional!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*edited due to stupidity*

Really?

Help yourself. Our board aren't exactly splashing the cash, and at least our Chairman was been on the board for twenty years. I for one don't question his motives. The last thing I'm concerned about is Ayr United's finances.

As for the soft loans, I'm not aware that we currently have any but it's the only way we could get into debt.

Sorry, I thought you said you were financed by soft loans.

I don't really know what the full position is. I do know that over the last few years costs were driven down to a minimum, to the extent that we signed loads of players from the Juniors on £50 per week. I think we may have made a bit of a loss this year but the year before we made a profit of about £40k I think.

That's why there was quite a bit of enthusiasm at the start of last season, it looked as though we were no longer hamstrung financially and could make a bit of a challenge. It didn't turn out too well but there is no way we are 'in a bit of a sorry state financially'.

I don't know how healthy the picture is, but we have come out the other side of a horrendous position.

From what i've heard we do owe a fair bit in soft loans to various folk.We'll probably never hear exactly who and how much though.

However we are on a far better financial footing than we have been for a few years.

If the stadium deal comes off (complete with maximum rent) we will be in a healthy financial position for a loooooong time.

He'll probably be your top scorer, especiallly if you get plenty of penalties. Has a great shot on him and on his day will dominate games. However, if truth be told Tiff very rarely produces the quality he is capable of and he'll spend plenty of games giving the ball away. That said he still scores even when he's not at his best and the lad never hides from taking the ball in tight areas.

Disappointing to see us sheding players to sides I would regard as no better than us but I suppose money talks

I can see it already, as soon as he does it the AUFC faithful will be screaming for him to get dropped! If Stevenson stays (big IF) and Keenan has signed, I can see us playing 3-5-2.

I take it you mean all phases?

If all of them come off and we get a pitch that can be utilised all the time then it will look a fair bit better in the future.

As for 3-5-2 i agree there as well.With all the centre halfs we'll have it has to be his preferred option.
With possibly McGowan,Campbell,Henderson,Forrest and Walker it won't really leave much choice.

It looks as though that might be the plan, which is a worry because I hate that system and Reid has never used it so how would he know if it works for him?

If Dempsie has signed then he must surely play left-back. He sounds like a good player. Further, if we have tried to sign Paton and Nugent it sounds as though we want a decent right-back.

I think he's just trying to get a decent squad together and create competition for places. Maybe we'll even have a reserve team next season.

edit to add: I see Forrest and McGowan being squad players next season being able to cover in the middle or on the flank.

Do the reseves actually have a league to play in now?

I know there is still a cup but you never see Reserve League fixtures advertised in the paper anymore.I used to love going on a Monday night and paying 50p to get in and watch the likes of Jimmy Carse,Greg Shaw,Norman Montgomery,Tam McKenzie,Bernie Livrefois(or whatever his name was...American guy that played a couple of games)Billy Borthwick,Chris Ellis and Dougie Lewis fail to enforce heir claims for the first team..except Carse and Shaw who were legends.

I even remember a Travel Club bus going to Hamilton when we won the Reserve League West at Old Douglas Park.

I'd rather Henderson was the squad player.His daft lunges in the last few games have cost us a few points.

The reserve league costs something like £15-20k to play in a season and I remember reading that there were only about 6 teams in the West. It's easier (and much much cheaper) to just arrange your own fixtures.

DKH, even the first phase would generate more than enough money to run a 2nd division football club should the lease be taken up on. My pop worked it out based on the area and typical prices and it was a large sum (I honestly can't remember how much right now, sorry!)

I think you'll find its financed by the fans ( Predominately ), sponsorship ( Partially )and directors loans ( Philanthropy, NOT ).

Chris Aitken would be a quality signing for any 2nd/1st Div team, who else are interested in him?

He's ours, you can't have him