Season of success for Ayrshire teams

GOING UP: League titles and promotions were won by Ayrshire sides across the weekend (Image: Auchinleck Talbot)

The West of Scotland Football League has drawn to a close for season 2025/26, and success stories have been made by teams throughout Ayrshire.

Auchinleck Talbot, Irvine Meadow and Craigmark Burtonians all lifted their  league trophies on Saturday 16 May, to cap off what has been an enthralling campaign.

The Premier Division has brought out the best of other sides contesting at the top with Cumnock and Troon narrowly missing out on the top prize despite both clubs having already bagged themselves silverware this year.

Stephen Swift’s Nock clinched the South Challenge Cup against University of Stirling in March, with Jimmy Kirkwood’s side lifting the League Cup for the first time since 2005 at the start of May.

The league system switch-up for next season has pushed the likes of Kilbirnie Ladeside and Darvel to secure their Premier Division spots, with Beith and Kilwinning Rangers sneaking into the Lowland League West at a late stage.

In what proved to be a year of reaching a millennium of games in charge, Tommy Sloan has delivered yet another Premier Division title for the Bot following the previous successes of Clydebank and Darvel.

Speaking to club media following their title win, a relieved assistant boss Allan McLuckie said: “I’m glad we got it over the line and a word of thanks has to go to our supporters, the committee, and our sponsors who without, this wouldn’t have happened.

“We had a bad spell for a month but we’ve managed to come out the other side and got our just rewards with a big team effort.”

On the note of a fixture backlog faced by Talbot, playing 12 games in the space of four weeks, he added: “The resilience has shown and has brought us closer together.

“The drive has been there with what was placed in front of us. We never gave in and we can came out on top in what has been a very competitive season especially with Cumnock and Troon giving us a hard run-in.”

From relegation worries to Premier Division dreams, Jamie McKim has managed to steer Irvine Meadow back to the big time building strong foundations and ambitions since he entered the North Ayrshire club only 17 months ago

Following his First Division title victory, Medda boss McKim said: “Pride is the word. We obviously embraced what we set out to achieve from the beginning of the season and that’s down to the hard work of the boys.

“We wanted to build a certain way and recruit a certain way. I knew from the start that we would be up there or thereabouts, but that’s easy to say as soon as the season starts.

“Being league champions from where we were last year having to survive relegation on the last day, I think it speaks volumes of the journey we have been which has been brilliant.”

Ian Patterson’s Craigmark were able to place last season’s relegation woes behind them with a last-day decider at Station Park at the weekend.

A point against Easterhouse proved to be enough for them to edge over rivals Knightswood at the Division Three summit, giving the Dalmellington side their first major honour since the 1980s.

Whitletts Victoria have also had their say in silverware by winning the Strathclyde Cup in style with a 7-0 hammering of Campbelltown Pupils in November following the appointment of former Ayr United boss, Brian Reid.

Competitive action does not end just yet, as Largs Thistle do battle with Auchinleck Talbot for the Scottish Communities Cup at Broadwood Stadium on Sunday 31 May.

Stuart Davidson’s Theesel will be looking to avenge the pain of the 2019 final at Hamilton’s New Douglas Park, which saw Craig McCracken and Keir Samson’s goals sealing Auchinleck’s 12th Junior Cup.