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Ayr Academicals

Nickname(s)	the Accies
Founded	1904
Dissolved	1907
Ground	Newton Lodge Park
Match Secretary	A. J. Gray
Home colours

History

The club was formed in 1904 as an amateur side made up solely of players from Ayr. Despite its amateur status - and the presence of another amateur club in the town (Ayr Parkhouse) - the Academicals promptly joined the Scottish Football Association, and entered the Scottish Qualifying Cup, Ayrshire Cup, and Ayrshire and Renfrewshire Football League for 1904–05.

The league competition wound up before completing its fixtures, and was not renewed for 1905–06, leaving the Academicals without a league competition. The only competitive win the Academicals had in its first season was a 5–1 win over Maybole in the Ayrshire League.

Indeed, the club never won a match in the Ayrshire Cup, but it did win through to the third round of the Qualifying Cup in 1905–06, thanks to a 4–0 win over Vale of Carrick (Vale's Dunlop being suspended for kicking an Accie) and a 6–0 win over Cartvale in a second replay in the second round; the Accies persuaded Cartvale to play the second replay in Ayr rather than on neutral territory. The club lost 3–1 at home to eventual Qualifying Cup finalists Beith in the third, a tie in which the winners qualified for the Scottish Cup itself; Andrew Gray gave the Accies the lead, but the professionals' superior stamina won out.

With both Ayr F.C. and Ayr Parkhouse both around the fringes of the Scottish Football League, the Academicals were unable to generate much interest, and although it was drawn to face Lanemark in the 1907–08 Qualifying Cup, the club was "looked on as being defunct" and withdrew. After a season of inactivity the club was thrown off the Scottish FA membership roll in August 1908.

Colours

The club played in white.

Ground

The club played at the cricket ground on Newton Lodge.

References

1. "Ayr Academicals v Hurlford". Scottish Referee: 3. 20 January 1905.
2. "Ayr Academicals". Scottish Referee: 2. 12 August 1904.
3. "Scottish Football Association". Dundee Courier: 3. 10 August 1904.
4. "Ayrshire & Renfrewshire League". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
5. "Ayrshire notes". Scottish Referee: 2. 4 September 1905.
6. "Players suspended". Dundee Courier: 6. 6 September 1905.
7. "Ayrshire Notes". Scottish Referee: 4. 2 October 1905.
8. "Ayrshire Notes". Scottish Referee: 2. 9 October 1905.
9. "Ayr". Scottish Referee: 3. 6 September 1907.
10. "Admitted and rejected". Scottish Referee: 1. 21 August 1908.
11. "All-time Scottish club directory". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
12. "Ayr Academicals". Scottish Referee: 2. 12 August 1904.

• Defunct football clubs in Scotland
• Association football clubs established in 1904
• 1904 establishments in Scotland
• Association football clubs disestablished in 1907
• 1907 disestablishments in Scotland
• Sport in Ayr
• Football in South Ayrshire