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Troon Football Club (also known as The Seasiders or The Seagulls) are a Scottish
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team based in
Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...
. They compete 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 20 ...
. Formed in 1946, they are based at Portland Park in the town of
Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...
in
Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...
. The ground has a current capacity of 2,000 and is standing only. The club's colours are blue and black vertical stripes, similar to that of
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
.


History


Beginnings of football in Troon

Despite
Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...
being synonymous with
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
, there are records to the effect that local football has a history which began approximately three years before the
golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
at the end of the South Beach was ever considered.


Troon Portland

As far back as 1875 there was a Troon Portland football team, reckoned as seniors, though most of their matches were of necessity friendlies since no leagues of any kind were then available. But they did play clubs such as Irvine, Irvine Victoria,
Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...
, Kilmarnock Athletic, Kilmarnock Portland and other county teams. The first Troon Portland team was as follows: Goal, Frank Briggs, Backs, Charles Fullarton, David Connell, and Hugh Allison; Half backs, Robert Hastings and James Connell; Forwards. Reuben McNeillage. John Kennan, James Murchie, William Cunningham, John Johnstone. Robert Smith. and David Johnstone.


Troon Academicals

The first proper football club in
Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...
first came into being in 1889, when Troon Academicals (together with 23 other clubs) became members of the first ever Ayrshire Junior Football Association. That Troon side won the Irvine and District Cup in 1891–92 and again in 1894–95. Two of their players, D. Boyd and T. Walker, played as a left wing for Scotland against England. The Troon Academicals name was reborn in 2009 by a Troon F.C. affiliated supporters team of the same name.


Troon Rangers

In 1904–05 the Ayrshire Consolation Cup was won by a Junior team named Troon Rangers.


Troon Athletic

Troon Athletic were founded in 1919 by the Troon Federation of ex-Servicemen with a committee headed by Tom Wallace (President) William Noble (Treasurer) and William S. Elliot (Secretary). Their home ground was at the public park in
Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...
from the Station Hill to the Yorke Road Bridge. Troon Athletic joined the Kilmarnock and District Junior League, winning it at the first attempt in the 1920–21 season. Their first team was as follows ;– S. Elliott, W. Kettle, and A. Hendry; P. McAdam, G. Elliott, and H. Murdoch; J. Wright and J. Hillditch; A. Howie: J. McLean and R. Hunter. In 1921–22, and now playing in the stronger Western league, they finished in seventh place out of nineteen clubs. the Scottish Cup saw a run to the sixth round, which was then the stage of the last sixteen clubs in the competition. Fellow Ayrshiremen, and eventual Cup winners, Kilwinning Rangers put an end to the Cup dream. However, they won the Ayrshire Junior Cup when over three thousand people watching them defeat Ardeer Thistle 2–1 at
Rugby Park Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football stadium which is the home of Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock F.C. and is situated in the Scotland, Scottish town of Kilmarnoc ...
, home of
Kilmarnock Football Club Kilmarnock Football Club, commonly known as Killie, is a Scottish professional Association football, football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire that currently plays in the . The club has achieved several honours since its form ...
. In 1924 the Ayrshire Consolation Cup came to town, after a 3–0 defeat of
Cumnock Cumnock (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cumnag'') is a town and former civil parish located in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water. There are three neighbouring housing projects which lie j ...
. Another two years passed and Athletic were again in the running for honours. Semi-finalists in the Western League Cup and Ayrshire Consolation Cup, finalists in the Irvine & District Cup, and in the last sixteen of the Scottish Cup, it was a season of near misses. In the Scottish Cup, they had their record win in the trophy, with a second round 11–4 win against Glasgow Highlanders, but
Renfrew Renfrew (; ; ) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former royal house, Renfrew gaine ...
put the run to an end. The four seasons in the Intermediates was relatively successful, winning the Ayrshire Intermediates Cup (1928–29) and the Gold Watch competition (1929–30) as well as being finalists in the 1930–31 Stirling Trophy. In 1935, Saltcoats Victoria defeated Athletic by a convincing four goals to nil in the final of the West of Scotland Consolation Cup, whilst 1936 saw their final piece of silverware won, in the shape of the Ayrshire Consolation Cup, with a 4–3 win against
Kilbirnie Ladeside Kilbirnie Ladeside Football Club are a Scottish football (soccer), football club, from Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire. Based at Valefield Park, they currently play in the West of Scotland Football League. Their main rivals are Beith Juniors F.C., Be ...
.


Second World War

As with most levels of football, Junior football was suspended during the period of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
of 1939–1945, and Troon Athletic closed down for good in 1940 as many of the players and officials were involved in Air Raid patrols or working overtime in the local shipyard, with insufficient time to run a football club.


Troon Juniors formed

After the Second World War, Junior football reformed and the people of
Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...
grasped the opportunity of a new dawn in Scottish football in the post-war era. Troon Juniors, a brand new club, was established in
1946 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
at the newly constructed Portland Park, a purpose-built stadium to give the club the opportunity to progress in Scottish football. Troon Juniors played in the Western League North Section but the first few years saw little of any note, with league form being poor and usually ending in a lowly position. By 1953–54, the years of waiting finally bore some fruit, with sixth place achieved in the Western League, only four points behind Champions Irvine Meadow. Winners in the Land O'Burns Cup (4–0 against
Kilbirnie Ladeside Kilbirnie Ladeside Football Club are a Scottish football (soccer), football club, from Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire. Based at Valefield Park, they currently play in the West of Scotland Football League. Their main rivals are Beith Juniors F.C., Be ...
) and finalists in the Ayrshire Junior Cup, there was something to cheer the fans. To round off a good season, the fifth round of the Scottish Cup was reached, before losing 3–0 to Clydebank Juniors. The fourth round saw unusual opposition in
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
side
Lochgilphead Lochgilphead (; ) is a town and former burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with a population of around 2,300 people. It is the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute Council. The village lies at the end of Loch Gilp (a branch of Loch Fyne) an ...
, who were routed by four goals to one. In 1955–56, as well as getting to the semi-finals of the two cups they had reached the final of two years earlier, a final placing of 5th in the league, though nineteen points off the top, was their best to date. After this, it was back to almost obscurity for a decade, with early exits and poor league form the norm. The mid-1960s saw a brief improvement, with the first semi-final appearance in a decade (in the Western League Cup) and the following season they ended as second in the league and semi-finalists of the West of Scotland Cup. The Western League was disbanded in 1968, when Junior football was regionalised and The Ayrshire Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association was formed. We had our first taste of international recognition in 1969 when Gordon Armstrong was capped by Scotland at both Junior and Amateur level in successive weeks, playing in both matches against
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. Troon Juniors played in the Ayrshire League Northern Section until season 1976–77 when the Sectional formation was abandoned. This was replaced by two Divisions with Troon Juniors being assigned to the Second.


Troon Football Club

After 1977 the term "Juniors" was dropped from the club title, which was the fourth occasion in the history of football in
Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...
that the town's Junior club changed its name. From then on it was simply known as "Troon Football Club" and it was around this time that black and blue vertical stripes first appeared on the club shirts, and they have remained to this day. At the end of the 1985–86 season, promotion to the First Division of the Ayrshire League (which had been formed upon the dissolution of the Western League in 1969) was attained, and although relegated at the end of the season, they reached the semi-finals of the Ayrshire Sectional League Cup. Troon F.C. languished in the Second Division of Ayrshire Junior Football until 1997 when after a long spell of mediocrity, Manager John Redmond led the club to the Ayrshire Second Division Championship trophy & promotion to the Ayrshire Division 1. In Season 1996-97 they won the Western League Division Two Championship by nine clear points, and also won the South Ayrshire Cup and after a 1–1 draw with Auchinleck Talbot in the Super Cup lost out on penalties.


Super League era

In 2002 the new West of Scotland Region was formed and Super Leagues introduced. Troon F.C. started off that new era for Junior football in the Super League First Division and in the inaugural season, Troon F.C. finished in second place winning promotion to the Premier Division. They played in the top flight for two seasons but were relegated at the end of the second despite winning their first major honour, the West of Scotland Cup, and having their best ever run in the
Scottish Junior Cup The Scottish Junior Cup is an annual football competition organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA). The competition has been held every year since the inception of the SJFA on the 2nd October 1886 and, as of the 2023–24 ed ...
. The next three seasons were spent in the
First Division 1st Division or First Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) * 1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) * 1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoure ...
where success mainly eluded the Portland Parkers. Management teams changed and season 2007–08 ended with Troon being relegated to the Ayrshire District League.


Kirkwood regime

In 2010 the Kirkwood family took an interest in Troon and were appointed on to the committee of the club. Jim Kirkwood Snr. was appointed as chairman, Alasdair Kirkwood as club Treasurer and Jimmy Kirkwood Jnr. as a committee member and Assistant Manager under John Redmond. The fortunes of the club improved almost immediately as an improved professionalism and business nous saw investment in the club infrastructure. The social club at Portland Park was renovated and expanded, and investment on the playing surface itself allowed an improvement in the style of play encouraged by the new coaching staff. Jimmy Kirkwood took over as Manager in March 2011, assisted by former Troon player
Gordon Burns Gordon Henry Burns (born 10 June 1942) is a Northern Irish retired journalist and broadcaster. He was the host of '' The Krypton Factor'' for its original 18-year run (1977–1995) and was the chief anchorman for the BBC regional news program ...
, and an overhaul of the playing squad commenced with an emphasis on youth development & attractive football. Results were erratic to begin with, but the team missed out on the second promotion spot by one point. The club went one better in 2012–13, securing second place with weeks to spare after a season long title battle with Kilwinning Rangers and promotion back to the Super League was assured. Further investment off the park saw upgraded dressing rooms, an outside area beside the social club and expanded terracing areas on the homes side. In season 2013–14 the club were crowned the Super League First Division Champions, Ayrshire Cup winners and were also West of Scotland Cup finalists. In the summer of 2015, work commitments saw Jimmy Kirkwood take a sideways step to become General Manager and was replaced by
Gordon Burns Gordon Henry Burns (born 10 June 1942) is a Northern Irish retired journalist and broadcaster. He was the host of '' The Krypton Factor'' for its original 18-year run (1977–1995) and was the chief anchorman for the BBC regional news program ...
as Troon Manager. A long unbeaten run saw Troon push for the
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 ...
title, before eventually finishing fourth in the 2015–16 season. The following season was a disaster for the club as a poor season throughout saw the club finish bottom of the Premier League and relegated to the Super League First Division. Manager Gordon Burns resigned at the end of the season and was replaced by Jimmy Kirkwood for a second spell as Manager. Under the returning Jimmy Kirkwood, Troon won promotion at the first time of asking via the play-offs after victory against
Girvan Girvan (, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, and north of St ...
to take their place in the newly formed SJFA West Premiership.


End of the Junior era

In early 2020, clubs voted to leave the
Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region The Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region was one of three regions of the SJFA which organised its own distinct league and cup competitions. The SJFA used to be split into six regions, but in 2002 they decided to reform into three (Ea ...
in favour of joining 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 20 ...
which was now part of the Scottish Football Pyramid.


Players


Current squad


On loan


Development squad


Notable former players


Player of the Year

Troon's Player of the Year award is voted for by the club's supporters at the end of every season.


International recognition

Troon had their first taste of international recognition in 1969 when Gordon Armstrong was capped by Scotland at both
junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Aircraft * Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft * PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft * SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider Arts and entertainment Characters * Bowser Jr., ...
and
amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
level in successive weeks, playing in both matches against Wales. Former Troon player Jim Stewart was included in
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
's
1974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup was the 10th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in West Germany (and West Berlin) between 13 June and 7 July. The tournament marked the ...
squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of Military organization, military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and United States, U.S. doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a fireteam, ...
just two years after leaving the club for
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...
. He was eventually capped twice by
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, against Chile in 1977 and Norway in 1978.


Non-Playing Personnel


Club committee

'


Youth Academy Board


Current technical staff


First Team

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Youth Academy

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Manager History

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Ground

Portland Park is 10 minutes walking distance from Troon railway station. By road, it is located near to the A78 leading onto the A77, M77 and M8.


Ground history

Before moving into the new modernised facility beside the seafront, Troon Academicals F.C. had spent most of their existence (from 1889 until 1923) playing at Station Park before Portland Park was constructed. In 1923, it was demolished and replaced with the clubhouse and car park for Troon Links Golf Course. When Portland Park was first opened, players changing areas and toilets were located within the old wooden clubhouse which was destroyed by an accidental fire in the late 1970s. The current clubhouse was built in 1980, along with new turnstiles and a toilet block, although the dressing room area of the pavilion was extended in the mid-2000s. Floodlights were first installed at Portland Park during February 1997 but were removed after storm damage during 2007. In December 2022 they were reinstalled.


Facilities

The stadium consists of four sides, and can accommodate up to 2,000 spectators for a match. The clubhouse side is host to the majority of the crowd and has a covered, terraced enclosure which can hold up to 500 spectators (250 seated). There is also a wide terraced area in front of the clubhouse and behind the "Home" dug-out, which has a viewing area with a clear view of the pitch. The "Cop End" is located behind one of the goals and has the other main spectator's terrace in Portland Park. The area behind the far away goal is home to the floodlit training park, which is typically used on matchday for pre-match warm-ups to preserve the pitch, but the area immediately behind the goalposts has been earmarked for a new terracing area. As with most non-league grounds there is no segregation, however away supporters typically watch from behind the "Away" dugout on the railway side of the park facing the clubhouse where two steps of new terracing was created in early 2013. The ground has two main turnstiles, both of which are located off Portland Street. There is a snack bar to the side of the pavilion offering a wide range of hot and cold food, and the social club (with a licensed bar) is located inside the pavilion welcoming both home and away support. A new hospitality room, the Legend's Lounge, was created in the summer of 2018 for matchday hospitality.


Tenants

The very first tenants of Portland Park were Troon Athletic who opened the ground in 1923 and played here until the outbreak of
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
saw their closure in 1940. Troon F.C. have called Portland Park home since their formation ahead of the 1946–47 season right up to present day, but other teams have utilised Portland Park on a regular basis. Since their founding in 2013, the Troon Under-19 side have used Portland Park for the majority of their home matches and between 2004 and 2012 Troon Ladies were also based at Portland, playing their matches on a Sunday afternoon. An amateur side called Troon Academicals F.C., consisting of Troon F.C. supporters, played their matches on a Saturday morning at Portland Park between 2009 and 2012 before investment in the playing surface saw non-Troon F.C. participation on the park reduced as a preventative measure. The first non-football activity seen at Portland Park was when American Football side
West Coast Trojans The West Coast Trojans were an amateur American Football team based at Pro-Life Gym in Paisley, Scotland. In their final season, the Trojans competed in the BAFANL Division 2 North. The Trojans played their home games at Meadow Park, Irvine wi ...
took up residence in 2011. With games taking place on a Sunday, the Trojans stayed for two seasons, moving to Glasgow.


Famous visitors


Pelé and Brazil

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (better known worldwide as
Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...
) once played at Portland Park, Troon. In a training camp to acclimatise the players ahead of the
1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in England from 11 to 30 July 1966. England defeated West Germany 4–2 in the 1966 FI ...
,
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
(with
Garrincha Manuel Francisco dos Santos (28 October 1933 – 20 January 1983), nicknamed Mané Garrincha, best known as simply Garrincha (, "little bird"), was a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, righ ...
,
Jairzinho Jair Ventura Filho (born 25 December 1944), better known as Jairzinho (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer. A quick, skillful, and powerful right winger known for his finishing ability and eye for goal, he was a key member and leadi ...
,
Gérson Gérson de Oliveira Nunes (; born 11 January 1941), generally known as Gérson, is a Brazilian former association footballer who played as a midfielder. He won numerous national trophies with the club sides of Flamengo, Botafogo, São Paulo and ...
,
Tostão Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade (born 25 January 1947), generally known as Tostão, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward or attacking midfielder and was a physician. Tostão was an intelligent, hardworking and p ...
, Zito) stayed at the Marine Hotel in Troon & the team trained at Portland Park. Brazil played
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
at
Hampden Park Hampden Park ( ; Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden'') is a association football, football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland, which is the national stadium of football in Scotland and home of the Scotland national football ...
on June 25, 1966, as part of the South American side's World Cup warm-up schedule. The game finished 1–1 with
Stevie Chalmers Thomas Stephen Chalmers (26 December 1935 – 29 April 2019) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre-forward and spent the majority of his career with Celtic. He is the club's fifth-highest goalscorer with 236 goals and is cons ...
scoring for Scotland in the first minute before Servilio equalised for Brazil on 15 minutes.


Eusébio and Portugal

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (most commonly known as simply
Eusébio Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (; 25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" or "O Rei" ("The King"), was a Portuguese Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Stri ...
) also played at Portland Park, as his club side Benfica trained ahead of a
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
Quarter-Final against
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
at
Parkhead Parkhead () is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet (place), hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road (now the Gallowgate and Tollcross Road) and Westmuir Street. Glasgow's Eastern Necro ...
on 12 November 1969. Eusebio's side were to lose the match 3–0, before winning 3–0 at the
Estádio da Luz The Estádio da Luz (), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, Ben ...
in the return leg.
Billy McNeill William McNeill (2 March 1940 – 22 April 2019) was a Scottish association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. He had a long association with Celtic F.C., Celtic, spanning more than sixty years as a player, m ...
’s Celtic eventually progressed courtesy of a coin toss.


Lisbon Lions

The legendary
Jock Stein John Stein (5 October 1922 – 10 September 1985) was a Scottish association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. He was the first manager of a club from a Northern European country to win the European Champio ...
brought Celtic's European Cup winning
Lisbon Lions The Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic F.C., Celtic team that won the UEFA Champions League, European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967 European Cup Final, 1967, defeating Inter Milan 2–1. Name The ...
team to Portland Park in May 1969 for a friendly match. European Cup winners John Clark,
Bobby Murdoch Robert White Murdoch (17 August 1944 – 15 May 2001) was a Scottish professional footballer, who played as a midfielder for Celtic, Middlesbrough and Scotland. Murdoch was one of the Lisbon Lions, the Celtic team who won the European Cup in 19 ...
,
Stevie Chalmers Thomas Stephen Chalmers (26 December 1935 – 29 April 2019) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre-forward and spent the majority of his career with Celtic. He is the club's fifth-highest goalscorer with 236 goals and is cons ...
and
Lou Macari Luigi Macari (born 7 June 1949) is a Scottish former footballer and manager. He began his playing career at Celtic where he was one of the Quality Street Gang, the outstanding reserve team that emerged in the late 1960s that also included Kenn ...
were in the Celtic ranks that day, which the Hoops triumphed in 7–2.


Troon F.C. Youth Academy

Troon's first ever youth team were launched in 1982, with the introduction of the Dundonald Thistle Under 13s teams to the club under Manager Eric Young & Trainer Hugh Coughtrie. The youth initiative was relaunched in 2013 when former
Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...
star Neil Duffy was appointed as head coach of a new Under 19 team, under the watchful eye of Manager Jimmy Kirkwood. The target for this Under-19 team was to provide a platform for young players to learn and grow before making the step up to compete for a place in the Junior side. The Troon Football Club Youth Academy (TFCYA) was propelled as a priority upon the appointment of Jamie McCulloch as Head of Youth in 2018, working alongside Jonny McTear in recruitment. A flood of new players were recruited for the Development Team, and over the next two years new teams were introduced at 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 age groups.


Troon Development Squad (2001 Team)

Troon formed their first Development Squad in the summer of 2013 to be led by Head Coach Neil Duffy. A first season was very successful with two trophies being won, before the team lifted every single trophy they competed for in 2014–15. Captain Morgan Brown was subsequently signed up by Troon F.C. to make the step up alongside left-back Ben Wilson and midfielder Ross McCrea, whilst fellow midfielders Sean Ewart and Louis Kerr joined Whitletts Victoria. Forward Dean Fulton was to join the first team later, after a spell with
Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; ), also known as The Toon or The Cleyhole, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on Loch Ryan and the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland. Stranraer is Dumfries ...
. Manager Neil Duffy also stepped up to help out with the first team, before leaving only a few months later to take over as Manager of Whitletts Victoria. In season 2015–16 Troon F.C. absorbed Troon Thistle's Under-17s as they made the step up to Under-19 level, under the tutelage of Derek Cowan & Henry McAvoy and in June 2017 Justin Brown was appointed Head Coach to oversee the transition for the new intake of players for the 2000 born players. Jamie McCulloch was appointed in June 2018 to head up the new-look 2000-aged team before introducing the 2001 age group, before he & Jonny McTear departed with all their players for Irvine Meadow in the summer of 2020.
Partick Thistle Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland and currently plays in the . Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not ...
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Thomas O'Ware Thomas O'Ware (born 20 March 1993) is a Scottish people, Scottish professional Association football, footballer who is the player/manager of club Kelty Hearts F.C., Kelty Hearts. O'Ware, who plays as a Defender (association football), defender ...
was appointed as the new Development Team Head Coach in August 2020 to oversee our movement into the new Lowland Development League (West). Players from the WOSYFL table-topping Irvine United, which had disbanded at the end of last season, joined the TFCYA as part of the new Development Team.


2003 Team

Troon formed a 2003 team in the summer of 2019, when the remaining players from Dalrymple & Coylton youth teams combined to make a strong side, under the stewardship of Bryan Martin.


2004 Team

In April 2017, Troon F.C. announced plans for a new 2004 team which was to be headed by Brian Prentice. Local players were recruited and a coaching staff of Paul McDougall and Graeme Hadden were appointed, alongside club Secretary Kevin Hunter. Former Troon forward David Gillies took over the team in 2019 before departing for Irvine Meadow the following summer. Former Irvine Victoria goalkeeper Jim Catterson took over as head coach.


2008 Team

The Dundonald Boys Club side, headed by Ed Vorsterman & former Troon winger Bryan "Homer" Mitchell, joined the TFCYA to form the new 2008 team in 2018. However, this team was disbanded in early 2020.


2011 Team

Darren Sneddon approached the TFCYA about setting up a new 2011 team in the summer of 2019.


2013 Team

A grassroots 2013 was set-up in early 2019 by Jamie McCulloch and later taken over by Russell Smith, son of former Class 1 Referee Dougie Smith.


2015 Team

A grassroots 2015 was set-up in early 2020, which was taken over by Evan Martin upon McCulloch's departure.


Troon Ladies F.C.

Troon Ladies were formed in 2004 to further women's football in Troon and surrounding areas. The club also played their home matches at Portland Park. Troon Ladies F.C. won the 3rd Division South in season 2007/08 to gain promotion to the
Scottish Women's Football League First Division The Scottish Women's Football League First Division (SWFL 1) was a division in the Women's football in Scotland, Scottish women's football pyramid between 1999 and 2019. The second league tier from 1999 to 2015, it was later the third tier from 20 ...
and representing the club at the higher echelons of Ladies football. At the end of season 2012, Troon Ladies F.C. merged with Glasgow Girls and assumed the latter name, playing out of Budhill Park near
Shettleston Shettleston (, ) is an area in the Glasgow#East End, 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 multitude of spellings. A papal bu ...
.


Club colours and crest

Previous Troon-based teams from the pre-war period played in plain blue, red or black, but when Troon F.C. were founded in 1946 they wore a red bodied strip with white collar and sleeves, white shorts and socks with red trim. During the 1960s, they wore white tops and black shorts for a spell, before a radical change to an all maroon kit from the late 1960s until 1977 when the club became known as simply "Troon Football Club". It was at this point when blue first entered the strip, initially as the main chest colour in a similar style to the original kit from 1946. Red & white hoops with blue shorts were worn from 1988 to 1990 before blue and black stripes became the main jersey colours in the early nineties and have remained ever since, although red has continued to be utilised as a change strip in homage to the original strips.


Kit evolution

{, class="wikitable" !colspan=4, HOME , - , , , , , - , , , , , - , , , , , - , , , , , - , , , , , - {, class="wikitable" !colspan=4, AWAY , - , , , , , - , , , , , - , , , , , - , , -


Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" , - !Period !Sportswear !Home sponsor !Away sponsor , - , 1987–1989 ,
Umbro Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire, and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are sold in over 100 c ...
, Dodds of Troon , Fairbairn , - , 1989–1992 , rowspan=3,
Umbro Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire, and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are sold in over 100 c ...
, Scottish Building Society , , - , 1992–1994 , Ailsa Perth , , - , 1994–1995 , Maharani Indian Cuisine , , - , 1996-1999 , Matchwinner , rowspan=4, The Anchorage Hotel , rowspan=3, The Anchorage Hotel , - , 1999–2001 , Pro-Star , - , 2001–2005 , Stanno , - , 2005–2007 , TFG Sports , Hillhouse Quarry , - , 2007–2010 , Puma , Nelson Construction , Nelson Construction , - , 2010–2012 , rowspan=2,
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
, rowspan=2, Sprint Communications , QTS Group , - , 2012–2013 , Taste To Go , - , 2013–2015 , rowspan=4,
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
, Paligap , rowspan=2, BeneFIT Gym , - , 2015–2016 , rowspan=4, Mayfield Garage Services , - , 2016–2017 , The Marine Hotel , - , 2017–18 , rowspan=2, DM Roofing , - , 2018–20 ,
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
, - , 2021–22 , rowspan=2, Puma , Roadtrip Motorhome Hire , rowspan=2, Blue Refrigeration , - , 2022–23 , The Fox (Troon)


Club crest

{, border="2" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #F9F9F9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 100%;" , - bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! colspan="9" style="background: #123163;", The Evolution of the Crest of Troon F.C. , - bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="10%", 1946–1977 ! width="10%", 1977 – present ! width="10%", Youth Academy , - ! align="center" , ! align="center" , ! align="center" , The club did not have an official crest before 1974. After this date, the club used the
Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...
town coat of arms as an identity only, before an official club badge was introduced in 1977 when the term "Juniors" was dropped from the club's official title and Troon F.C. was born. Introduced by John Oliver, the badge bore a significant resemblance to the Burgh of Troon coat of arms with the inclusion of footballs. The badge was displayed in the clubhouse, depicted on a plaque made many years ago in the workshops at the Troon shipyard. The club badge did not actually make it on to the shirts until as late as season 2005–06, initially appearing as a coloured shield and latterly as a hollow symbol.


Matchday programme

Troon F.C. were one of the first Junior clubs to produce a regular match day programme. In season 1981–82 “The Portland Parker” was released, and was the work of programme editor and legendary Troon F.C. committee member John Oliver, who had a long association with the club right up until his untimely death in 1996. Local photographer John B. Vass continued the publication, before passing editorship onto Vice-chairman Sinclair Gair. Richard Henderson took control in 2016 and the format. {, class="wikitable" , - ! style="color:white; background:#123163;", Year ! style="color:white; background:#123163;", Editor , - , 1981–96, , John Oliver , - , 1996–02, , Michael Birch , - , 2002–08, , John B. Vass , - , 2008–15, , Sinclair Gair , - , 2015–, , Richard Henderson


Honours


League

West of Scotland Super League First Division The SJFA West Region Championship (known as the McBookie.com West Region Championship for sponsorship reasons) was a Scottish semi-professional football competition run by the West Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association and was the ...
*Winners (1): 2013–14 *Runners-up: 2002–03 Ayrshire District League *Runners-up: 2012–13 Ayrshire Second Division *Winners (2): 1996–97, 2000–01


Cup

West of Scotland Cup *Winners (1): 2004–05 *Runners-up: 2013–14 Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup *Winners (1): 2013–14 *Runners-up: 1953–54 Ayrshire League Cup *Runners-up: 2015–16 Ayrshire Super Cup *Winners (1): 2000–01 South Ayrshire Cup *Winners (6): 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04 Ayrshire District Cup *Winners (1): 1996–97 Kyle & Carrick Cup *Winners (1): 1994–95 Land O'Burns Cup *Winners (1): 1954


Records

Record Home Crowd *2800 for a home friendly against Celtic in 1969 *2631 for a home league match against Irvine Meadow XI in the 1946–47 season Highest Known Win *9-0 against Irvine Victoria in 1946–47 Highest Known Defeat *1-10 against Ardeer Thistle in a league cup match during the 1959–60 season


References


External links

*
Troon F.C. Club Website
{{SJFA West Region Association football clubs established in 1946 Football clubs in Scotland Scottish Junior Football Association clubs Football in South Ayrshire 1946 establishments in Scotland Troon West of Scotland Football League teams