It’s already our 16th competitive match of the season, and our 11th WOSFL Premier Division match comes around with the visit of Largs Thistle to Portland Park this Saturday.
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Largs Thistle ⚽️
Saturday 8th November 2025
WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 2pm
This is our 16th competitive match of the season now (the Hurlford match saw us complete 1/3rd of the league season already), and we boast a superb 12 wins from those 15 matches played so far. We may be a couple of matches ahead of Auchinleck Talbot at this stage, but 2 points in front at the top of the table is an excellent start to the season so far. But there seems to be a steely determination to prove that it is more than just that, as Jimmy & his coaching staff pursue silverware this season.
Largs had a slightly sticky start to the campaign, but they have come roaring back & now sit in 3rd position in the league table after a great run of form. They were a matter of moments in injury time from being the team to take Auchinleck Talbot’s unbeaten record from them last weekend, following a Blair Devine wonder goal, and that should definitely serve as the sternest of warnings for us ahead of Saturday.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match…
Midfielder Callan Veitch is facing a few weeks out with a shoulder injury, which was sustained against Hall Russell United in the Cup match on the 18th October.
Kieran MacDonald has joined Beith on a permanent transfer, whilst Ben Black and Sam McCloskey have joined the Brian Reid revolution at Whitletts Victoria on a temporary basis to get some match sharpness. Highly-rated young goalkeeper Rohan Harkins has joined Muirkirk on loan until the end of the season, which is the perfect move for him as he bids to get some first team football under his belt in the First Division & return to Portland Park next summer to challenge for the goalkeeper’s jersey.
Captain Mark Morrison has seen a consultant & is awaiting scan results, but he is back to light training and hopefully we’ll see him back on the park soon, while Scott McLean is continuing his rehab from his knee reconstruction surgery. He is back to gentle running now & is eyeing a comeback around Christmas.
Very satisfying win for us last Saturday, I thought there were spells of excellent play and a big part of doing what it takes to win the match which are two qualities we will need to do well this season. To go down to 10 men with half an hour to go against a side of the quality of Cumnock was an unenviable prospect, but to watch the boys roll their sleeves up & secure the win was very pleasing. I saw the comments of the Cumnock Manager in the press, saying they were dominant, and I certainly wouldn’t agree with that, I don’t think most folk who watched the game would. But very pleasing to progress & we look forward to Thursday’s draw.
Marc Fisher deserves a lot of credit for his penalty saves on Saturday, especially given how little he had to do during the regulation 90, but a special mention for young Craig Watson. To have the bravery to step forward and volunteer to take a penalty in the first instance, but also to show the composure to stroke home the decisive penalty is quite impressive for a 17 year old. A bit of character, I like that.
Just as I said before our games last season, we need to be prepared to match the work-rate & the discipline we will face on Saturday as an absolute minimum in every Largs encounter, and then take our chances at the top end. We managed to do that twice last season, by the finest of margins both times, and that’s the least we need to do again. But Arnie and his team will be determined to get their revenge for last season, so it’s got the makings of a classic battle this weekend.
Here’s hoping Saturday’s match lives up to the billing, I’m quite sure it will. Look forward to seeing a big support!
Jimmy Kirkwood (Manager)
| Full Name | Largs Thistle Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | The Theesel |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Ground | Barrfields Park, Largs |
| Capacity | 4,500 |
| Club Chairman | Alistair McMaster |
| Manager | Stuart Davidson |
| Captain | Cory Hughes |
| 2024-25 | WOSFL Premier Division, 8th from 16 |
⚽️️ WILL SEWELL ⚽️
Arguably the number 1 marksman in the WOSFL Premier, Will is still the cutting edge to this Largs side with 111 goals in 178 appearances for the Theesel.
A product of the youth system at Largs, Will’s 41 goal season in 2021-22 led to a big-money move to Stenhousemuir before the local lad returned to Barrfields the following year. He’s scored 25 goals in 40 appearances in each of his last two seasons and has already chalked up 10 goals in 15 appearances this season so far, so his consistency is frightening for opposition defenders.
His strength, direct running & great eye for a goal makes him the club’s dangerman, and he leads the line with distinction.
⚽️️ LIAM LAPSLEY ⚽️
A young midfielder who is already in his third spell at the club, Liam was a very welcome signing in the summer.
The 23 year old began his career in the youth system at his home town club Greenock Morton before joining Largs Thistle’s Development Team in June 2021, who performed very well in the first season of the Lowland Development League. He followed his U20s Manager to Greenock Juniors at the end of that season, before returning to Barrfields after a season at Ravenscraig.
He moved to Pollok to be part of Maxi’s revolution at Newlandsfield in the summer of 2024, before returning in June.
An excellent midfielder, who will look to support Will Sewell when given the opportunity.
© Thanks to our club photographer Graeme McKenzie for his photos – fantastic, as always!
Troon F.C.
| WON | WON | WON | LOST | WON |
| 2-2 (4-3 on pens) | 0-2 | 6-1 | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| Cumnock (H) | Hurlford United (A) | Hall Russell United (H) | Pollok (A) | Rutherglen Glencairn (H) |
| Sat 1st November | Sat 25th October | Sat 18th October | Sat 11th October | Sat 27th September |
| WOSFL Cup R2 | WOSFL Premier | Scottish Communities Cup R3 | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier |
Largs Thistle
| DREW | WON | WON | WON | LOST |
| 1-1 | 0-1 | 1-3 | 0-9 | 0-1 |
| Auchinleck Talbot (A) | Rutherglen Glencairn (A) | Hurlford United (A) | Edinburgh United (A) | Greenock (H) |
| Sat 1st November | Sat 25th October | Sat 18th October | Sat 11th October | Sat 4th October |
| WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | Scottish Communities Cup R3 | South Challenge Cup R3 | WOSFL Cup R2 |
If you can’t make it along to the game , you can keep up to date with all the latest info via the club’s social media channels:
Live updates from the official Troon F.C. Twitter feed (nope, still not calling it X yet)
- Team news pre-match
- Goal alerts
- News flashes
- Real time alerts
Make sure you follow our NEW feed!
Match news via the official Troon F.C. Facebook page
- Team news pre-match
- Half-time score & update
- Full time results
All news on the club FIRST via the official Troon F.C. WhatsApp Supporter’s Group chat
- Vote for your Man of the Match
- Info on functions & events
- Book your seat on away buses
- Discuss the match with fellow Troon fans!
Two tight & competitive matches between the sides last season as always, but for the first time in recent years the Seasiders recorded two wins across the two WOSFL Premier Division matches.
AWAY MATCH
| Saturday 21st December 2024 | Match Centre |
| LARGS THISTLE | WON | Barrfields |
| TROON FOOTBALL CLUB | 0-1 | WOSFL Premier |
The first encounter of 2024-25 was in the midst of some wild, wintry weather which initially put the game in some doubt. Largs were keen to get the game played, with them riding high on a run of excellent form, but they maybe realised that was a mistake as Troon left with the three points.
A tousy & ill-tempered first half gave way to a slightly more entertaining second half for the die-hard supporters who braved the weather, and Kyle Gilroy’s 65th minute strike was enough to send the travelling Seasiders home with 3 points for Christmas.
HOME MATCH
| Saturday 29th March 2025 | Match Centre |
| TROON FOOTBALL CLUB | WON | Portland Park |
| LARGS THISTLE | 3-2 | WOSFL Premier |
If the first match of the season was a tight affair, the return match in March was a barnstorming effort in blustery conditions between the two sides, which kept the supporters hanging on until the very end!
Will Sewell got the Theesel off to the best start with a 3rd minute strike, before Callan Veitch restored parity for the home side. Just as it looked like Troon were getting a grip of the game, that man Sewell did what he does best and grabbed a goal out of nothing on the hour mark, but new signing Luke Watt scored an audacious effort straight from a corner with just ten minutes remaining to equalise. Everybody was aghast when Luke did the exact same with just 3 minutes left to give Troon a well deserved 3 points.
(before this week’s matches)
| REFEREE: | ||
| Mark Daly | ||
| Assistant Referee 1: | Assistant Referee 2: | |
| Scott Doyle | Scott Gunion |
| Referee Observer: | Willie Young |
Tickets are available at the cash turnstiles at Portland Park:
| Adult: | £10.00 |
| Concession: | £5.00 |
| Under-16: | FREE |
Season Tickets are valid for this match.
You can find out all about the match itself by visiting the match centre both before and after the game, with the team line-ups, scorers & bookings on the specific match page for the fixture.
To visit the match centre, CLICK HERE.
The social club at Portland Park will be open early from 12pm ahead of the 2pm kick-off, and supporters of both clubs are very welcome.
And, indeed, neutrals!
📺 Come early & enjoy the football on the big screen! 📺
| ⏰ 12.30pm | Tottenham Hotspur v Man United | (FA Premier League) ⚽️ |
| ⏰ 5.30pm | Sunderland v Arsenal | (FA Premier League) ⚽️ |
The bar close following the conclusion of the 5.30pm match.
Scott will be selling tickets for our half-time draw at the gate before kick-off, and inside the ground throughout the first half for just 50p a ticket.
Our local resident food truck, SCRAN have our hungry supporters covered with their own take on “Football Food” – highly recommended!
They will be open all day on Saturday & will be open til late, selling a variety of hot food & drinks as well as cold drinks.
If you’ve never been to SCRAN before, you really need to watch Blair McNally’s YouTube video after his visit to Portland Park…and SCRAN!
⚽️ Darvel versus Troon F.C. Development Team ⚽️
Friday 7th November 2025
WOSFDL Conference E
Recreation Park, Darvel
Kick-off 7.45pm
Head along & support the Troon stars of tomorrow!
⚽️ St. Cadoc’s versus Troon F.C. ⚽️
Saturday 15th November 2025
WOSFL Premier Division
New Tinto Park, Govan
Kick-off 2pm