Whitletts Victoria F.C.
| Full name | Whitletts Victoria Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Vics | ||
| Founded | 1944 | ||
| Ground | Dam Park Content Avenue Ayr | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 (478 seated) | ||
| Chairman | John Dalton | ||
| Manager | George Grierson | ||
| League | West of Scotland League Second Division | ||
| 2023–24 | West of Scotland League First Division, 15th of 16 (relegated) | ||
| Website | https://www.whitlettsvictoria.com/ | ||
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Whitletts Victoria Football Club are a Scottish football club, historically based in the Whitletts area of Ayr, South Ayrshire. The club currently play in the West of Scotland League Second Division.
Nicknamed The Vics, the club were formed in 1944 and currently play at Dam Park Stadium, near Ayr town centre.[1] The club were forced to leave their traditional home of Voluntary Park in Whitletts, which doubled up as a greyhound racing track,[2] in February 2011, after actions by the leaseholder raised major health and safety concerns, forcing the local council to close the stadium. The stadium has since been demolished and is now the site of a new social housing complex called Victoria Crescent, after the club.
History
On the park, the greatest era in the club's history was the mid- to late 1950s. In 1956 the club played in front of 20,100 people at Shawfield Stadium in the semi final of the Scottish Junior Cup, only to lose 3–2 to eventual winners Petershill. However, in 1957-58 the Club won the Western League (South) Championship, losing out to North Champions Irvine Meadow in the play-off to determine the destination of the league championship itself.
Since then the club has had, in the main, a troubled time, with its very existence called into question on a number of occasions. However, in recent years, developments on and off the park have placed the club on a more secure foundation. In 2017–18 the Club won promotion to the newly formed West Region Championship and in 2018 formed its own charity, Vics in the Community, providing free coaching to local youngsters and starting the development of a youth player pathway.[3]
In 2020, the club took the decision after 75 years of membership of the SJFA, to join the pyramid system in Scottish football as one of the inaugural members of the West of Scotland Football League.[4]
On 10 October 2020, the club announced they would not be participating in the inaugural season of the West of Scotland League due to concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6][7]
Current squad
| No. | Pos. | Name | No. | Pos. | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Scott Johnson | 11 | FW | Robert Patterson | |
| 2 | DF | Martin Findlay | 12 | MF | Callum Ogston | |
| 3 | DF | Paul Millar | 13 | GK | Daniel McColgan | |
| 4 | DF | Isaac Kerr | 14 | FW | Jordan Baird | |
| 5 | DF | Calum Walsh | 15 | MF | Sean Ewart | |
| 6 | MF | The Undertaker | 16 | MF | Stewart Davidson | |
| 7 | MF | Louis Kerr | 8 | MF | Marc Dyer | |
| 8 | MF | Jordan Boyd | 18 | MF | ||
| 9 | FW | Michael Reilly | 19 | DF | Morgan Brown | |
| 10 | FW | Thomas Donovan | 20 | FW |
Non-playing staff
Committee
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | John Dalton |
| Vice chairman | Andy McKissock |
| Secretary | Jim Shields |
| Treasurer | Andrew Downie |
| Committee member | George Jaconelli |
| Committee member | Gavin Brown |
| Committee member | Robin McTrusty |
| Committee member | Angelina Jaconelli |
Management
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | George Grierson |
| Asst. Manager | Kevin Deeney |
| First team Coach | Barry Ross |
| Goalkeeper coach | Daniel McColgan |
| Sports First Aider | Charlene Dalton |
| Chaplain | John Smillie |
Player Awards
| Season | Player of the Year | Players Player of the Year | Young Player of the Year | Sam Galloway Award | Top Goalscorer | Goal of the Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Adam Forsyth | Adam Forsyth | Callum Ogston | Raymond Buchanan | Adam Forsyth | Graeme Barbour |
| 2017-18 | Isaac Kerr | Josh Sloan | Louis Kerr | Louis Kerr | Adam Forsyth | Blair Anderson |
| 2016-17 | Chris Black | Chris Black | Josh Sloan | Paul Cameron | Tony Balfour | Sean Ewart |
| 2015-16 | Tony Balfour | Sean Ewart | Sam McFall | Tony Balfour | Tony Balfour | Graham Longair |
| 2014-15 | Lee Holland | Michael O'Connor | Sean Ewart | Michael O'Connor | Tony Balfour | Martin Reynolds |
| 2013-14 | Martin Lawrie | Conner Simpson | Tony Balfour | Tony Balfour | ||
| 2012-13 | Darren Johnston | Darren Johnston | Neil McGinn |
Honours
- Western League (South) champions 1957–58
- Ayrshire Second Division winners: 1979–80, 1981–82, 1985–86
- Kyle & Carrick Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90
References
- ^ "History - Whitletts Victoria Football Club". www.whitlettsvictoria.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "OS Plan 1959". old-maps.co.uk.
- ^ "Vics in the Community - Whitletts Victoria Football Club". www.whitlettsvictoria.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ Pirie, Mark (4 May 2020). "West of Scotland League unveil full division list ahead of non-league overhaul". Daily Record. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Whitletts Victoria Football Club". www.whitlettsvictoria.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Club Ballot Results – West of Scotland Football League". Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ Pirie, Mark (10 October 2020). "BREAKING: West of Scotland League chaos as 14 clubs pull out ahead of kick off". Daily Record. Retrieved 10 October 2020.