News Detail » Dirrans Athletic AFC Celebrate 75th Anniversary
Dirrans Athletic AFC and members of Ayrshire AFA came together to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the club, at a dinner on 23rd October.
The evening was attended by players and committee members past and present, who remenised in memorable occasions and cup triumphs throughout the years. One of which was their historic 1971-72 Ayrshire Cup victory against Metallic at Abbey Park.
The club were born in 1946 when Jimmy Scott and a few good men from the Dirrans estate in Kilwinning came together to form an amateur team.
To that day, they cemented a team to be extrmeley competitive in the Ayrshire divisions and in the Scottish Amateur Cup and West of Scotland Cup - reaching one Scottish Cup semi-final and three West of Scotland semi-finals.
The sad passing of Jimmy Scott led to the founder's son, John Scott, a former player of Dirrans Athletic, to be elected President. The club seen a mixed bag of fortune, creating great memories winning the Howie Cup in 1991, the Division title in 1997, and the initial strong hold in the newly created Premier League in 2002.
Relegation seen Dirrans out of the top flight for nearly seven years, but all the hard work paid off when they were promoted back to the Premier League in 2014. Fine victories in the KSC Community Shield set the club up for strong seasons - finishing 3rd in the Premier League in 2017, their highest finish since the division's formation.
Much is the club's ethos to remember those that served the team and their community well was recognised by all in Ayrshire when, due to the sad passing of David Feddes, the club's longest seerving secretary for 34 years, the Committee felt it fitting to rename their home park after the him, who dedicated so much of his life to the club.
Scottish Amateur FA President Stuart Urquhart, an attendedee of the dinner, said, "It is quite astonishing and is testimate to the dedication to all the committeess, players and volunteers past and present who have given up their time and who on a week to week basis, indeed in some cases daily, work tirelessly to ensure their club is run as professionally as is possible within the amateur environment.
"75 years is, without a doubt, a huge milestone for Dirrans Athletic AFC, or indeed any club, and on behalf of everyone at the Scottish Amateur FA, I congratulate you all very sincerley."
The President of the Scottish Amateur FA was also joined by Graham Mair, the President of Ayrshire Amateur Football Association, who shared, "As Presdient of Ayrshire AFA, we appreciate all that Dirrans Athletic have done both as a club and the representatives from the Dirrans Committee, who have served with distinction in our Committee and played a crucial role in the running of Ayrshire amateur football."
Dirrans Athletic's footballing history can be read in this commemorative programme made in tribue to their 75th anniversary here.
Back row: Eric Davidson (Speaker), Jim Morrison (speaker), ian Collins, Hugh Wallace, Brian Nelson, Stuart Urquhart, Jason Stewart ( Team Manager), Graham Mair, Neil Turner (Ayrshire AFA Gen Secretary)and Alistair Porter.
Front row: Colin Fraser, Iain Shaw, John Scott (Dirrans Pres. been with club since 1957) Jim Hodge and Des McKeown (Speaker Chair).
