Football’s back!
We start the new season just how we ended the old season, with an Ayrshire derby at home to local rivals Irvine Meadow at Portland Park.
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Irvine Meadow XI ⚽️
Saturday 29th July 2023
PDM Scotland WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 2pm
It’s the start of a brand new season, and everyone is coming into Saturday full of confidence & enthusiasm.
Troon have had a positive pre-season, beating Stewarton, Glenrothes & Maybole and draws against Hutchison Vale & Ayr United. The side looked solid & only conceded 1 goal in 5 matches, scoring 10 in the process.
With some good form in the second half of last season, and with some consistency in terms of the playing squad from last season, Jimmy Kirkwood’s men will have a quiet confidence about the upcoming campaign. Especially with the shrewd additions of Nicky Docherty, Blair Richardson, Chris Millar & Mark Shankland.
Irvine Meadow have also had a strong pre-season, with wins over Craigmark, Arthurlie, Kilbirnie & a penalty shoot-out win over Kilwinning to secure the Eglinton Cup last weekend. Only a heavy defeat to East Kilbride blotted the summer copybook.
Irvine Meadow had the ultimate in roller coaster seasons last time out, but Manager Kevin Deeney will be keen to level that out a bit this season & he has entrusted that task to some reliable summer signings. Probably the pick of which, Grant Brennan, is a proven goal scorer at this level. Replacing the goals of Callum Graham will be a challenge though.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match…
Summer recruits Nicky Docherty, Chris Millar & Mark Shankland are all poised to make their competitive debuts for Troon this Saturday, all key signings in critical areas for us this summer.
Raymond Montgomerie is continuing his rehabilitation from ankle surgery at the end of last season, and he completed his first 90 minutes for the Development Team last weekend. He will be in contention for a place on the bench at least this weekend, but no other major concerns apart from that.
Season 14 for me at Troon now, here we go!
Everybody’s in good shape and ready for the season to start now after a pre-season that has seen us play a few different types of games and give everyone in the squad real opportunities to get into the right shape and stake their claim. The boys are in good form.
Welcome to the new signings that could take their competitive bow this weekend.
We’ve deliberately gone for experience this summer, we’ve already got a young squad and Chris Millar, Nicky Doc and Shankers bring exactly what we’re looking for. Communication, strength and know-how will really improve our team here. Chris and Nicky are real pros, they’ve won everything there is to win in the game and are ready for a strong campaign with us. Shankers is looking forward to a change, we sometimes all need that & he certainly seems to be enjoying that change of scene and we expect to see him playing 30+ games this season; and that’s not off the bench.
Youth gets a chance at Troon, we’re fortunate to have some great emerging talents from the Development Team again this summer in Kori Howard and Ben Strain. Kori is maybe not quite the finished article yet, but he’s not far away for sure. Ben’s developing week on week and has looked good this summer, so they become real options for us. And there’s others on that pathway who will feature for the first team in the next 12-18 months, I’ve no doubt about that.
A few advancements off the park, which everyone will hopefully clap their eyes on this weekend.
Our new 4G astro park will be open very shortly, that’s been a big project of our Chairman’s and it’s so close to fruition now. It will primarily benefit our youth teams, we have teams from 2016s all the way up the age groups & it’s great they can train & play out of Portland Park from now on. The changing rooms have undergone some work this summer & will look great when they’re finished.
I have to mention that pitch, it’s looking fantastic & I really have to mention the committee members who have worked away on it all summer, especially watering it morning, noon and night during that 6-7 weeks of scorching weather. The commitment all those guys have shown all summer from 7 in the morning til late at night certainly doesn’t go unnoticed & a lot of thanks rightly goes to them.
We know the objectives this season, they’re quite clear. We dropped points in games we really felt we shouldn’t have done, and we have to stamp that out this term, it just can’t happen again. Not only that, I think 2014 was the last time I held a trophy above my head – that’s too long, as far as I’m concerned. That’s something I want to rectify this season. How we do that is by hard work, by commitment and ultimately that hard work work & commitment has got to result in some success this season, that’s our objective.
Jimmy Kirkwood (Manager)
| Full Name | Irvine Meadow XI Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | The Medda |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Ground | Meadow Park, Irvine |
| Capacity | 4,364 (490 seated) |
| President | Robert Jeffrey |
| Manager | Kevin Deeney |
| Captain | Kyle Faulds |
| 2022-23 | WOSFL Premier Division, 8th from 16 |
⚽️️ LOUIS KERR ⚽️
A friendly face at Portland Park, there is a lot of responsibility on Louis’ shoulders as the main creative force in the Meadow midfield this season. A responsibility he is sure to thrive on.
A forward thinking midfielder, most often from the “number 10” position, 27 year old Louis replaced Michael Wardrope in the Medda engine room following his move to Auchinleck Talbot last season.
⚽️️ GRANT BRENNAN ⚽️
25 year old Grant certainly needs no introduction to Troon supporters, after his superb strike against us in April at Cambuslang Rangers, and Meadow fans will be hoping to see plenty moments like that this season.
Grant spent his formative years in the Queens Park, Airdrie & Stirling Pro-Youth set-ups, before heading to Blantyre Victoria, Benburb briefly & the Camby last season.
His goals will be vital to the Medda cause, following the departure of talisman Callum Graham to Clydebank at the end of last season.
Troon F.C.
| DREW | WON | WON | DREW | WON |
| 1-1 | 0-2 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 6-0 |
| Ayr United (H) | Glenrothes (A) | Maybole (H) | Hutchison Vale (A) | Stewarton United (H) |
| Sat 22nd July | Sat 15th July | Weds 12th July | Sat 8th July | Weds 5th July |
| Dean Keenan Benefit | Colin Kinnes Cup | Stuart McGrady Memorial | Friendly | Friendly |
Irvine Meadow XI
| WON | WON |