THE final pieces of the fixture list jigsaw are falling into place for Ayrshire’s West of Scotland Football League clubs with less than two weeks to go until the big kick-off.
The full WoSFL fixture list for 2024-25 has been published in the past week, while the draw has also been made for the first round of the South of Scotland Challenge Cup.
And the picture was (very nearly) completed on Friday night when the West of Scotland Cup first and second rounds were re-drawn after an administrative error by league officials.
Only after the original draw was made on July 8 did the mistake come to light, when Petershill FC contacted WoSFL top brass to point out that they’d been kicked out of this season’s competition for fielding an ineligible player in the 2023-24 tournament.
The only tournament draw which has yet to be made is for the Scottish Junior Cup, which will take place on a date yet to be announced.
With the first round of WoSFL matches now just a week and a half away, coaches all over Ayrshire are fine-tuning their squads, with plenty of friendly action taking place across the region on Saturday.
Friendly results for Ayrshire sides on Saturday included the following: Beith Juniors 1-3 Darvel, Ashfield 3-2 Dalry Thistle, Auchinleck Talbot 2-0 Tranent, Bonnyton Thistle 3-0 St Peter's, Crosshouse Waverley 1-3 Eglinton, Girvan 0-1 Hutchison Vale, Glenafton Athletic 6-0 Cambuslang Rangers, Irvine Meadow 1-2 Cumnock Juniors, Irvine Victoria 5-0 Stranraer (SoS), Kilbirnie Ladeside 0-4 Largs Thistle, Lugar Boswell Thistle 6-1 Whitletts Victoria Amateurs, Muirkirk Juniors 4-0 Abbey Vale, Neilston 0-2 Hurlford United, Saltcoats Victoria 0-5 Glenvale, St Cadoc’s 5-0 Kilwinning Rangers, Troon 2-3 Ardrossan Winton Rovers.
Largs Thistle and Beith are hoping to make an impact on the Premier Division (Image: Stephen Kerr/Flickr)
WoSFL opening weekend fixtures on July 27 (Ayrshire clubs only) are as follows.
Premier Division: Auchinleck Talbot v Darvel, Beith Juniors v Shotts Bon Accord, Benburb v Cumnock Juniors, Drumchapel United v Hurlford United, Glenafton Athletic v St Cadoc’s, Largs Thistle v Johnstone Burgh, Troon v Pollok.
First Division: Irvine Meadow v Petershill, Kilbirnie Ladeside v Ashfield, Kilwinning Rangers v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Maybole Juniors v Thorniewood United.
Second Division: Bellshill Athletic v Muirkirk Juniors, Bonnyton Thistle v Whitletts, Craigmark Burntonians v Cambuslang Rangers.
Third Division: Ardeer Thistle v Dalry Thistle, Girvan v Wishaw, Glasgow United v Lugar Boswell Thistle, Irvine Victoria v Kilsyth Athletic.
Fourth Division: Carluke Rovers v Saltcoats Victoria, Kello Rovers v BSC Glasgow, Royal Albert v Eglinton.
South Challenge Cup first round (weekend of August 17, Ayrshire clubs only): Ardeer Thistle v Clydebank, Ardrossan Winton Rovers v Broxburn Athletic, Auchinleck Talbot v Hutchison Vale, Dundonald Bluebell v Troon, Kilsyth Rangers v Hurlford United, Luncarty v Kilbirnie Ladeside, Maybole Juniors v Caledonian Braves, Petershill v Darvel, Pumpherston v Irvine Victoria.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lets try that again. <br><br>The first round of the CarMatKings <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthChallenge?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SouthChallenge</a> Cup will be played the weekend of 17th August <a href="https://t.co/AsH8Wn4wtM">pic.twitter.com/AsH8Wn4wtM</a></p>— CarMatKings South Challenge Cup (@SouthChallenge) <a href="https://twitter.com/SouthChallenge/status/1811484071135961395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
South Challenge Cup second round (weekend of September 14, Ayrshire clubs only): Bathgate Thistle v Girvan, Beith Juniors v Armadale Thistle, Eglinton v Bonnyton Thistle, Glenafton Athletic v Dalry Thistle, Kello Rovers v Sauchie, Kilwinning Rangers v Muirkirk Juniors, Lugar Boswell Thistle v Craigmark Burntonians, Saltcoats Victoria v Musselburgh Athletic, Wigtown & Bladnoch v Irvine Meadow, Rossvale v Maybole/Caledonian Braves, Ardeer/Clydebank v Caledonian Locomotives/Lochmaben, Cumnock Juniors v Lanark United/Whitburn.
Petershill/Darvel v Whitletts Vics, Dundonald Bluebell/Troon v Dunbar United, East Kilbride Thistle v Luncarty/Kilbirnie Ladeside, St Cadoc’s v Pumpherston/Irvine Victoria, Kilsyth Rangers/Hurlford v Penicuik Athletic, Nithsdale Wanderers v Ardrossan Winton Rovers/Broxburn Athletic, Largs Thistle v Edinburgh South/Bellshill Athletic, Bo’ness Athletic v Auchinleck Talbot/Hutchison Vale.
West of Scotland Cup first round (weekend of October 5, Ayrshire clubs only): Ardrossan Winton Rovers v Clydebank, Craigmark Burntonians v Largs Thistle, Dalry Thistle v Maryhill, Glenafton Athletic v Shotts Bon Accord, Greenock v Darvel, Thorniewood United v Eglinton.
Ardrossan Winton Rovers are hoping to make their mark in the First Division, while Ayrshire rivals Muirkirk have their eye on a promotion challenge in the Second Division. (Image: Charlie Gilmour)
Second round (weekend of November 2, Ayrshire clubs only): Beith Juniors v Glasgow Perthshire, Rossvale v Kilbirnie Ladeside, Kilwinning Rangers v Glasgow United, Vale of Clyde v Auchinleck Talbot, Muirkirk Juniors v Knightswood, Ashfield/Nelston v Cumnock Juniors, Arthurlie v Ardeer Thistle, Kilsyth Athletic v Girvan, Johnstone Burgh/Vale of Leven v Irvine Meadow, Thorniewood/Eglinton v St Anthony’s, Maybole v Thorn Athletic/Benburb, Saltcoats Victoria v Hurlford United, Lugar Boswell Thistle v Forth Wanderers.
Glenafton Athletic/Shotts Bon Accord v Lesmahagow, Gartcairn v Greenock/Darvel, Yoker Athletic v Dalry Thistle/Maryhill, Lanark United v Craigmark Burntonians/Largs Thistle, Easterhouse v Troon, Whitletts Vics v Ardrossan Winton Rovers/Clydebank, Irvine Victoria v East Kilbride Thistle/Caledonian Locomotives, Bonnyton Thistle v St Cadoc’s/BSC Glasgow, Cumbernauld United v Kello Rovers.
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