The season continues apace as we put the first five league matches to one side and shift focus to our first Cup campaign of 2025-26 with a visit to Sanquhar & a match against SOSFL side Nithsdale Wanderers.
⚽️ Nithsdale Wanderers versus Troon F.C. ⚽️
Saturday 16th August 2025
FinestCarMats South Challenge Cup Round 1
Lorimer Park, Sanquhar
Kick-off 2pm
Cups are certainly a focus for us this season, so the hard work starts here! And you can’t beat a wee bus away day to start the campaign.
Last season was a fantastic season for Troon, even if there was perhaps a little disappointment it didn’t end up in silverware of any kind. But there is certainly a steely determination in the camp to improve on that this season. As a result, this close season has perhaps been more evolution than revolution as we look to tweak what was good last year to go one better.
Nithsdale had a very decent season in 2024-25, a respectable 7th placed finish in the South of Scotland League, but they lifted the Potts Cup at the end of the season, beating Lochar Thistle X-X in the Final. An especially poignant occasion as it came on the 100th anniversary of the original club lifting the Scottish Third Division league trophy. In the summer they lost Captain Steven Degnan to retirement as well as former Ayr, Cumnock & Glenafton forward Sean McKenzie, their top scorer & Player of the Year, to Lowland League Gretna 2008 and his 58 goals last season will be a huge gap to fill for them.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match…
Starting to see the strength of our squad at last, with some of our injured players returning to action & making their presence felt on the park.
Captain Mark Morrison is back to light training on Monday, whilst Jack Sherrie and Kyle Faulds both returned to action on Wednesday night.
Sam Jamieson is undergoing treatment for an ankle injury sustained against Renfrew in the first league match of the season, while Scott McLean is continuing his rehab from his knee reconstruction surgery, he is back to gentle running now & is eyeing a comeback around Hallowe’en.
What a superb win that was for us on Wednesday. I said to the boys at half-time that after their effort, if they were able to secure the win it would be 3 points that would be long remembered. I hope the supporters are really starting to see that we have a real steel about us this season, we can grind out the results as well as play when we can. That steel & effort gives us a real chance this season.
Cup action for the first time this season, looking forward to a trip down to Sanquhar where I don’t think we’ve ever played before. Look forward to a supporter’s bus day out, you can’t beat them!
Our objective this season is crystal clear; 2014 was the last time I held a trophy above my head, and 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 | Nithsdale Wanderers Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | The ‘Dale |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Ground | Lorimer Park, Sanquhar |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| President | Robert Carruthers |
| Manager | Danny Naismith |
| Captain | Darren McGill |
| 2024-25 | South of Scotland Football League, 7th from 12 |
⚽️️ CAMMY McKENZIE ⚽️
The 22 year old forward has faced Troon before during his days with Glenafton Athletic under Ryan Stevenson, a quick & bustling forward who can cause any defence problems.
Re-joined the club in the summer to fill the jersey of his brother Sean, who departed for Gretna after scoring 58 goals last season, and he will be desperate to forge his own path & make that number 9 shirt his own.
⚽️️ CAMMY ADAMS ⚽️
The young forward was a part of the Cumnock youth system, and has played against our Development Team in recent years for Cumnock’s Under 20s, and he has made a real impact at Lorimer Park since he made the move permanently.
Cammy lifted the Young Player of the Year award in the summer after a solid season, and he will be another who will be desperate to make his mark to help replace the goal haul of Sean McKenzie.
© Thanks to Nithsdale Wanderers for their photos
Nithsdale Wanderers
| DREW | LOST | DREW | LOST | WON |
| 1-1 | 1-5 | 1-1 | 1-5 | 3-2 |
| Creetown (A) | Dalbeattie (H) | St. Cuthbert’s (A) | Queen of the South (H) | Lochar Thistle (H) |
| Sat 9th August | Sat 2nd August | Sat 26th July | Sun 20th July | Sat 10th May |
| WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | Jim Kerr Cup | Potts Cup Final |
Troon F.C.
| WON | WON | WON | WON | WON |
| 0-1 | 1-0 | 6-1 | 3-0 | 1-2 |
| Cumnock (A) | Beith (H) | Kilwinning Rangers (H) | St. Cadoc’s (H) | Renfrew (A) |
| Wed 13th August | Sat 9th August | Sat 2nd August | Wed 30th July | Sat 26th July |
| WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier |
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!
Nithsdale Wanderers had a mixed season last year; whilst they had hoped a higher finish in the league than the 7th place they ultimately finished in, the season finished in the perfect fashion when they upset the odds to lift the Potts Cup in May at their own ground in front of the home supporters to round the season off in the perfect fashion.
Troon enjoyed an excellent season in the Premier Division last term, spending the majority of the season in the top three before eventually finishing 4th in the 16 team WOSFL Premier Division 2024-25. Cups were the only place we came short last season, defeats to Armadale Thistle in the Scottish Junior Cup, St. Cadoc’s in the WOSFL Cup and Arthurlie in the South Challenge Cup were a source of frustration.
(before this week’s matches)
| REFEREE: | ||
| Lewis Barnie | ||
| Assistant Referee 1: | Assistant Referee 2: | |
| Club Linesman | Club Linesman |
| Referee Observer: | To be appointed |
🚌 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗕𝗨𝗦 🚌
Our supporter’s bus is booked and ready for the trip to Sanquhar on Saturday!
| ⏱ | 11.15am | Departs Troon |
| ⏱ | 11.25am | Pick-up at Barassie road end |
| ⏱ | 11.30pm | Pick-up at Dundonald Bus Stop |
| ⏱ | 11.45am | Pick-up at Kilmarnock Athletics Stadium |
| ⏱ | 12.30pm | Arrive at Lorimer Park, Sanquhar |
| ⏱ | 2pm | Kick-off!! |
| ⏱ | 5.30pm | Departs Nithsdale Wanderers Social Club |
To confirm the bus, priced at £15 per seat, you 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 reserve your place. Please contact Richard on: 07989 475597 to reserve your seat 💺
🚍 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝗕𝗬 𝗕𝗨𝗦 🚏
🔗 STAGECOACH.com
🚝 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝗕𝗬 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 🚉
🔗 SCOTRAIL.co.uk
Tickets are available at the cash turnstiles at Lorimer Park:
| Adult: | £5 |
| Concession: | £3 |
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.
⚽️ Troon F.C. Development Team versus Larkhall Thistle U20s ⚽️
Friday 22nd August 2025
WOSFDL League Cup (Group 6)
Kilwinning Sports Club
Kick-off 7.45pm
Head along & support the Troon stars of tomorrow!
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Auchinleck Talbot ⚽️
Saturday 23rd August 2025
WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 2pm