Kilwinning Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of
Kilwinning
Kilwinning (, sco, Kilwinnin; gd, Cill D’Fhinnein) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is on the River Garnock, north of Irvine, about southwest of Glasgow. It is known as "The Crossroads of Ayrshire". Kilwinning was also a Civil P ...
,
Ayrshire
Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine, North Ayrshi ...
. Formed in 1899, the club competes in the
West of Scotland Football League
The West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) is a senior football league based in the west of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–10 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
Founded in 202 ...
, and are eligible to participate in the
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1908–09 with a 1–0 victory over
Strathclyde
Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government ...
A second appearance in the final followed in 1909–10, however Kilwinning were defeated 3-0 by Ashfield. Ninety years later, Kilwinning regained the Scottish Junior Cup with a 1–0 victory over
Kelty Hearts
Kelty Hearts Football Club is a football club based in the village of Kelty in Fife, Scotland. Formed in 1975 and nicknamed ''the Hearts'', ''the Maroon Machine'' and ''the Jambos'', they play their home games at New Central Park. Their home c ...
, in a season which saw them win six out of the seven trophies available to them.
Kilwinning became the first Ayrshire side to win the West Super League in 2003–04 however financial issues resulted in the team finishing bottom of the league the following season and subsequently relegated. Most of the following decade was spent in the Ayrshire District League with a promotion to the Super First Division achieved in 2012–13. The following season almost resulted in Kilwinning avoiding relegation, however the club had fielded an ineligible player for twelve matches and the resulting nineteen point deduction relegated the side to the bottom division.
A change in management occurred in February 2014 with the appointment of Chris Strain and Colin Stewart, although Stewart left to take up a coaching role at
Rangers
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
in 2015 and Strain assumed the role of sole manager.
Kilwinning achieved successive promotions in 2014-15 and 2016–17, courtesy of a play-off victory against
Shettleston
Shettleston ( sco, Shuttlestoun, gd, Baile Nighean Sheadna) is a district in the east end of Glasgow in Scotland.
Toponymy
The origin of the name 'Shettleston' is not clear and, like many place-names of possibly medieval origin, has had a mult ...
and maintained their top flight status the following season by defeating
Kilsyth Rangers
Kilsyth Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire. Nicknamed ''The Wee Gers'', they were formed in 1913 and play at Duncansfield Park, which used to be one of the bigger ''non-league'' ...
in another play-off.
In 2020, Kilwinning applied to join the newly formed
West of Scotland Football League
The West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) is a senior football league based in the west of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–10 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
Founded in 202 ...
, which would see them leave the Junior leagues after joining 118 years prior The following year, Kilwinning began their application to join the
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility fo ...
. This application was successful in June 2022, allowing the Buffs to participate in the
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2022–23 season.
In early April 2022, Chris Strain was sacked. Former player and ex-professional, Mark Campbell was appointed caretaker manager until the end of the season. Broomhill manager
David Gormley
David Gormley (born 10 May 1988) is a Scottish footballer and previous manager of West of Scotland Football League side Kilwinning Rangers. He has previously played senior football for Ayr United, Alloa Athletic, Clyde and also played on loan ...
was hired for the start of the next season. In January 2023 Gormley was relieved of his position as manager and former Clyde, Ayr United and Stirling Albion player Chris Aitken was appointed as manager in early February.
Scottish Cup
Kilwinning Rangers made their first ever foray into the
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Rutherglen Glencairn
Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club is a Scottish football club based in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, near Glasgow. Nicknamed ''The Glens'' and formed in 1896, they play at The Hamish B Allan Stadium (New Southcroft Park).
Glencairn currentl ...
and
Tranent
Tranent is a town in East Lothian (formerly Haddingtonshire), in the south-east of Scotland. The town lies 6 miles from the boundary of Edinburgh, and 9.1 miles from the city centre. It lies beside the A1 road, the A1 runs through the parish ...
, before succumbing to
Scottish League Two
The Scottish League Two, known as cinch League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League Two was ...
side
Forfar Athletic
Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Professional Football League and currently play in Scottish League Two. They play their home games at ...
.
Nickname
Several theories exists as to the origin of the nickname "Buffs". Historic maps of Kilwinning show the site of the present day Abbey Park to have been within an area known as "The Butts," an adaption of which may have led to the synonym.
Another theory is that one of the players around that time was a member of the East Kent Regiment of the British Army, who were nicknamed The Buffs.
The early Kilwinning Rangers were known to have played in a dull yellow or "buff" strip. However the origin of the nickname remains unknown.
Ground
Several grounds were used by the club in the early years of its existence. Initially Kilwinning moved to a ground named Woodwynd Park which was located on Woodwynd itself, between Hamilton Street and Kilrig Avenue. Several years later the club began playing at Claremont Park, near to the now demolished
Kilwinning East railway station
Kilwinning East railway station was a railway station serving the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland as part of the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway.
History
The station opened on 3 September 1888 and was simply known as Kilwinning ...
. The Buffs moved to Abbey Park (near
Kilwinning Abbey
Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire.
History
Establishment of the Abbey
Kilwinning was a Tironensian Benedictine monastic community, named after Tiron in the diocese of Chart ...
) in 1929 and remained there until 2019.
At the start of the 2019–20 season they relocated to the Kilwinning Sports Club ground in Pennyburn on the outskirts of the town which was upgraded and renamed Buffs Park.
In April 2020, the club agreed to buy the former
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after We ...
floodlight
A floodlight is a broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions. More focused kinds are often used as a stage ...
s from non-league
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
to upgrade Buffs Park to SPFL standards, however, the plan fell through.
A seated stand was added ahead of the
2020-21 West of Scotland Football League
The hyphen-minus is the most commonly used type of hyphen, widely used in digital documents. It is the only character that looks like a minus sign or a dash in many character sets such as ASCII or on most keyboards, so it is also used as such ...
season; with the new floodlights following the next year.
Scottish Junior Cup
The Scottish Junior Cup is an annual football competition organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association. The competition has been held every year since the inception of the SJFA in 1886 and, as of the 2022–23 edition, 108 teams compete ...
West of Scotland Super League Premier Division
The SJFA West Region Premiership (also known as the McBookie.com West Region Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was a semi-professional football league run by the West Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and was the highest tier ...
West of Scotland Cup
The West of Scotland Cup was an association football cup competition for clubs in Scotland which were barred from the Scottish Football Association which was played in 1877–78 and 1878–79.
Format
The competition was a single-elimination tou ...
winners (2): 1993–94, 1998–99
* Ayrshire First Division winners (2): 1998–99, 1999–00
* Western Junior League winners (6): 1920–21, 1922–23, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1965–66
* Ayrshire Second Division winners (3): 1980–81, 1988–89, 1990–91
* Ayrshire Cup (11): 1904–05, 1908–09, 1934–35, 1976–77, 1985–86, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2017–18
* Ayrshire League Cup (2): 1929–30, 1998–99
* Ayrshire District Cup (8): 1905–06, 1920–21, 1931–32, 1958–59, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02
* North Ayrshire Cup (4): 1995–96, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01
* Western Intermediate League Cup: 1929–30
* Irvine & District League (3): 1907–08, 1908–09, 1913–14
* Eglinton Cup (2): 2021, 2022
* Lady Darling Supplementary Cup: 2005–06
Notable players
1. Players that have played/managed in the
Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish Champio ...
or any foreign equivalent or higher than this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.
* Derek Anderson
*
Dominic Boland
Dominic Boland (born 25 September 1997) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a defender.
References
External links
*
Profile at Upper Iowa AthleticsProfile at Limestone College Athletics
1997 births
Living people
Greenville Triumph SC ...
*
Jamie Barclay
Jamie Barclay (born 26 September 1989) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for West of Scotland Premier Division side Cumnock Juniors.
Barclay has previously played for Falkirk, Partick Thistle, Berwick Rangers, Clyde, Stenhou ...
Martyn Campbell
Martyn Craig Campbell (born 1970 in Liverpool) is an English bass guitarist.
He is best known for his work with Rain, The Lightning Seeds,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 400, 935-6 Richard Ashcroft ...
*
Duncan Currie
Duncan Currie (13 August 1892 – 1 July 1916) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a full back in the Scottish League for Heart of Midlothian.
Personal life
Currie's brothers Bob and Sam also became footballers. Currie ser ...
*
Garry Fleming
Garry Fleming (born 17 May 1987), is a Scottish footballer, predominantly a midfielder or striker.
Fleming, started his career with Albion Rovers, and has also played for Carluke Rovers, Bellshill Athletic, Irvine Meadow, Dumbarton, Alloa At ...
*
Dylan Kerr
Dylan Kerr (born 14 January 1967) is a Maltese-born English football manager and former professional footballer who played as a left back. He is the current head coach at South African Premier Division club Marumo Gallants.
Playing career
Le ...
Neil McGregor
Neil McGregor (born 17 July 1985, in Irvine), is a Scottish football defender who has previously played in the Scottish Premier League for Dundee.
Career
McGregor began his career with Kilmarnock. He played in the Scottish Youth Cup win ...
*
David McKellar
David Norwood McKellar (born 22 May 1956) is a Scottish retired professional footballer, best remembered for his time as a goalkeeper in the Football League with Carlisle United, for whom he made 160 appearances for the club over two spells. In ...
*
Marc McKenzie
Marc McKenzie (born 11 July 1985) is a Scottish footballer who plays for Camelon Juniors.
McKenzie has previously played for Stenhousemuir, East Stirlingshire, Cowdenbeath, East Fife, Elgin City, Stirling Albion, Clyde and twice for Albio ...
Mark Millar
Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer and television producer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series '' The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ...
*
Chris Millar
Christopher Alexander Millar (born 30 March 1983) is a Scottish professional football player and coach who currently plays for Troon.
Millar was in the Celtic youth system, then started his professional career with Greenock Morton. He then pla ...
*
Carlo Monti
Carlo Monti (24 March 1920 – 7 April 2016) was an Italian athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres. He won two medals, one individual and one relay, in international athletics competitions.
Biography
Monte competed for an Italy in the 1 ...
*
Steven Old
Steven David Old (born 17 February 1986) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a defender for East Kilbride in the Lowland League.
Club career
He was released from A-League club Wellington Phoenix at the end of the 2007/08 season. He formerl ...
(17 caps, 1 goal)
*
Craig Pettigrew
Craig Pettigrew (born 25 November 1986 in Irvine), is a Scottish footballer who plays as a centre-back for Glenafton Athletic in the West of Scotland Football League. He has previously played for Kilwinning Rangers, Stranraer and Auchinleck Tal ...
David Syme
David Syme (2 October 1827 – 14 February 1908) was a Scottish- Australian newspaper proprietor of ''The Age'' and regarded as "the father of protection in Australia" who had immense influence in the Government of Victoria.C. E. Sayers,Syme, ...
*
Michael Wardrope
Michael Wardrope (born 17 December 1996) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Auchinleck Talbot in the West of Scotland Football League.
A native of Ardrossan (though born in Irvine), he came through the Ayr United's academy ...