It’s a momentous day for everyone at Troon this Saturday, as Portland Park plays host to a Scottish tier 5 match for the first time ever. An awful lot of work has gone into getting Troon to this level, both on and off the park, so a healthy crowd is expected for the occasion as we welcome Gretna 2008 for our 3rd Scottish Lowland Football League match of the season.
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Gretna 2008 ⚽️
Saturday 1st August 2026
Scottish Lowland Football League (West)
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 3pm
If Saturday’s momentous milestone of our first ever appearance in the 5th tier of Scottish football fell a little bit flat at Pollok, Johnstone Burgh on Wednesday was positively pancake-like. But with players slowly returning, Manager Jimmy Kirkwood will be hoping form will return as well.
With numerous holidays & injuries affecting the squad numbers, as well as seven new signings trying to bed themselves in, it has been an up and down start to the season after high hopes in the summer. But we are only two matches into a 32 game league campaign, so nobody will be hitting the panic button just yet. Focus & regroup will very much be the order of the day. But points make prizes after all, and that’s what Jimmy will be targeting this weekend.
Gretna 2008 started the season with two home matches, the first a barnstorming match against Caledonian Braves which ultimately ended in a 3-2 defeat before they chalked up their first 3 points of the season in the second against Newton Stewart on Wednesday. A team that has been the course in the Lowland League a good few times added experience and star quality with the addition of former Scotland star Dylan McGeouch in pre-season, but he is only the cherry on the cake of a hungry squad determined to make an impact.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match…
Lack of availability is on everyone’s lips, but we are starting to see players return slowly.
Nathan Baird returned to the side on Wednesday, as did Evan Ferguson after holidays (not together) while young Clayton Hood is back for this weekend.
Kyle Gilroy is still missing, but congratulations are in order as he tied the knot with his beautiful wife Erin in Italy on Thursday! Fantastic news, and huge congratulations to them both.
Leyton Dunlop is edging closer to a return to the side after missing the last few matches with a groin complaint suffered in the WOSFL Cup match at Auchinleck Talbot and Jack Allan is in the same boat after being carried from the pitch in the same game following a bad challenge. He isn’t expected to be out long, and hopefully summer signing Ben Armour is close to a return after a tight hamstring from pre-season.
We do have a couple of injury issues still hanging over from last season. Jack Sherrie has finally got a date for the pre-op ahead of a date for surgery on his ACL injury, while Club Captain Mark Morrison is hoping to get the all-clear to return to training when he visits the hospital this week following successful hip surgery in the summer.
Frustrated was easily the watchword from our opening week of the season; frustration at two defeats, frustration at limited numbers and frustrated we haven’t tested both teams more than we have. But that’s where the negativity has to stop – nobody is going to help us in a cut-throat league, we’ve hopefully realised that now, so we pick ourselves up and set about putting things right.
Five matches ago we lifted a trophy and were all congratulating ourselves on the best season the club has had in it’s 80 year history. We don’t become a bad team overnight, so remember; form is temporary, class is permanent so we need to focus on ourselves and get back to doing what we know we can do well.
Great occasion coming this Saturday, this is what all the hard work was all about – tier 5 football, coming to Portland. And against a team we have never played before in Gretna 2008. A phoenix club founded by some determined & hard-working supporters of the original club, a club I’m sure everyone remembers watching in the Scottish Cup Final against Hearts, so they’ll be a club to respect and a team to challenge us.
Our home support was absolutely superb last season, and our home form was a big part of our success as a result. Now is our chance to get the season started properly. Let’s all get down & enjoy ourselves!
‘MON THE TROON!!
Jimmy Kirkwood (Manager)
| Full Name | Gretna Football Club 2008 |
| Nickname(s) | The Anvils |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Ground | Raydale Park, Gretna |
| Capacity | 1,030 (138 seated) |
| Club Chairman | Nikki White |
| Manager | Vinnie Parker |
| Captain | Jim Atkinson |
| 2025-26 | Lowland League, 17th from 18 |
⚽️️ DYLAN McGEOUCH ⚽️
The signing of the summer for many, as the former Scotland international returned from a spell in the Irish League to join Vinnie Parker’s men in the new-look Lowland League West.
The 33 year old has a tremendous pedigree in the game, having started out in both Celtic & Rangers youth systems before bursting onto the SPL with Hibernian in 2014. His outstanding form saw him make a big move to Sunderland in 2018, before a return north to join Derek McInnes’ Aberdeen side in 2020. Spells with Forest Green Rovers and Carlisle United followed, before he embarked on a new adventure to Northern Ireland with Ballymena United last year.
Dylan was capped twice by Scotland in 2018 by Alex McLeish, starting against Peru and Mexico.
A metronome in midfield, where his technical ability and eye for a pass will make him a stand-out at this level.
On his day, he could easily be one of the best players in this league.
⚽️️ IAIN ANDERSON ⚽️
The 34 year old is a bit of a cult hero in the South of Scotland, with a goal record that is the envy of many a top forward.
The towering frontman began his career with Gretna, before departing for Dalbeattie Star in 2016. He headed for Lochar Thistle a season later before he was picked up by Cumnock Manager Paul Burns in 2019 for a move to the West of Scotland. He returned to Dalbeattie just 6 months later before the SPFL and Annan Athletic beckoned, and he spent two seasons in the gold and black before returning to Lochar. His career came full circle in the summer of 2023 when he returned to Raydale, and he hasn’t looked back since.
One for our defenders to keep an eye on for sure.
Troon F.C.
| 29th July | Johnstone Burgh | 2-0 | Troon F.C. | Lowland League (West) |
| 25th July | Pollok | 2-0 | Troon F.C. | Lowland League (West) |
| 18th July | Auchinleck Talbot | 1-0 | Troon F.C. | Pre-Season Friendly |
| 13th July | Troon F.C. | 2-2 | Craigmark | Pre-Season Friendly |
| 11th July | Troon F.C. | 2-1 | Glenburn MWFC | Pre-Season Friendly |
Gretna 2008
| 29th July | Gretna 2008 | 3-0 | Newton Stewart | Lowland League (West) |
| 25th July | Gretna 2008 | 2-3 | Caledonian Braves | Lowland League (West) |
| 18th July | Kendal Town | 1-1 | Gretna 2008 | Pre-Season Friendly |
| 11th July | Whitley Bay | 3-0 | Gretna 2008 | Pre-Season Friendly |
| 4th July | Gretna 2008 | 4-1 | Scoutable United | Pre-Season Friendly |
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:
X / TWITTER
Live updates from the official Troon F.C. Twitter feed
Match news via the official Troon F.C. Facebook page
TIKTOK
Our newest addition! Watch some official Troon F.C. clips on our TikTok feed
All news on the club FIRST via the official Troon F.C. WhatsApp Supporter’s Group chat
GRETNA 2008
Last season was a frustrating one for Gretna, as they finished 17th out of 18 teams in the Lowland Football League with only 7 wins from 34 league matches. They were unable to gain any joy from their Cup campaigns either, exiting the Scottish Cup at the 1st round stage and making little mark on the Lowland League Cup.
Now under the tutelage of their former goalkeeper Vinnie Parker, the Raydale Park side are looking for improvement this time out.
TROON F.C.
Last year was a record breaking season for Troon, by any metric; West of Scotland Cup winners, on that amazing day in May, Promotion to tier 5 of Scottish football for the first time in our history, led the Division for a long time before securing a club record highest league finish after guaranteeing a top 3 finish in the WOSFL Premier Division and we achieved our Scottish FA Licence, which will see us take part in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup for the first time ever this season.
(before this week’s matches)
| REFEREE: | ||
| Yaser Razouk | ||
| Assistant Referee 1: | Assistant Referee 2: | |
| William McCullagh | Barry Cook |
| Referee Observer: | To be appointed |
Tickets are available at the cash turnstiles at Portland Park:
| Adult: | £12.00 |
| Concession: | £6.00 |
| 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 3pm kick-off, and supporters of both clubs are very welcome.
And, indeed, neutrals!
📺 Come early & enjoy the football on the big screen! 📺
| ⏰ 3pm | Falkirk v St. Mirren | (Scottish Premiership) ⚽️ |
| ⏰ 5.30pm | Aberdeen v Hearts | (Scottish Premiership) ⚽️ |
The bar will 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!
⚽️ Clydebank versus Troon F.C. ⚽️
Saturday 8th August 2026
Scottish Lowland Football League (West)
Holm Park, Yoker
Kick-off 3pm