GaryMc93

Could be wrong but I think the SPFL rule below wouldn't allow the club to show any game where a stream needs purchased. Obligations on holders of Pay-Per-View Tickets 4.1 You must not (nor authorise or permit any other person to): (a) use your Pay-Per-View Ticket contrary to these Terms and Conditions, including use for any unlawful purpose contrary to any applicable laws and regulations; (b) use your Pay-Per-View Ticket other than for private and domestic purposes. Under no circumstances must your Pay-Per-View Ticket nor any match footage or other content be accessed, viewed, recorded or used for commercial or business purposes and you must not access, view or use your Pay-Per-View Ticket in circumstances where members of the public can view the accessible match footage or other content (whether simultaneously or not);

Problem was we never got much momentum as our home game the following Friday against Inverness was postponed less than an hour before kick-off. By the time it was rearranged Shankland was still making his way back from injury so didn't start. Overall the point we lost our way was when we didn't win any of our 5 league games between the 5-0 game and beating Dundee Utd 1-0 at home the week after the Talbot game.

Essentially Burnley’s way post Brexit to top up their youth teams with British players by cherry picking the best from 4 clubs in the UK and Ireland. Given the current 1st team aren’t even good enough for us and unless we start playing super talented 16 y/o players then no one in the 1st team will ever be good enough for Burnley so the reality is they have no real interest in how we perform in the league. At least we’ve seen the significant benefits both operationally and commercially that were talked about when the partnership was announced. The poor Burnley commercial manager must never be off the phone to ours.

Did find it confusing that Adeloye still warmed up with the subs and did the shooting drills before the match. Maybe couldn't be bothered taking off all the layers he had on to play in the actual game.

I'm not sure any Ayr fan is saying we weren't the best team and didn't deserve to get promoted. I think the point was that McCall time at the club is still held in high regard particularly for winning the league and the following Championship season but that in actual fact things could have turned out differently had we not won the league as it was highly unlikely the players would have recovered to go up through the play-offs. I'm sure it was more an acknowledgement of McCall's tenure having some fortune going in his favour (compared to recent managers) rather than moaning about something that never happened. Before that Albion Rovers game someone within the club told my dad that McCall had a job offer and was away if we didn't go up so I think it's a valid point to make that we had some luck and without that we wouldn't have built on that team to become established in the Championship, unfortunately those foundations weren't very solid and that's why we are now where we are.

Agreed. Add in a couple of our domestic loans getting recalled and the VOR to start mentioning the Burnley partnership again only for no one to appear again. I doubt it and Smith has gambled on us being safe. If we get relegated I can't see us bouncing straight back like under Reid/McCall as they'll be a couple of big spenders in that league. Looked up Duffy's previous transfers a couple of weeks ago. Appears to also like signing players that have either played before for him or the club he's at along with relying on the domestic loan market. Fully prepared for Ross Forbes, Craig McGuffie and Muhammadu Faal to be his only signings in January, if he makes it that far.

If Duffy has identified 3 or 4 good targets for January that are ready to sign as soon as the window opens then I'm more willing to keep him. Appointing a new manager would take 2/3 weeks and doesn't give them much time to assess the squad before the window opens and our players would probably win a couple of games to fool the new guy into thinking he doesn't need anyone.

The decision to launch B&W TV when they did was bizarre as during a pandemic when fans couldn’t attend matches the club should have been trying to retain engagement instead of coming up with an idea of putting stuff behind a paywall. Add in the fact content was always going to be limited as away teams weren’t allowed camera operators at games and the squad were in a bubble so access to them was likely more restricted. Luckily not many highlights existed last season for anyone to really want to watch. Also hard to believe any sort of in-house compliance testing was done before the site launched. Should have launched last season as free until the end of the season for season ticket holders and requested feedback to try and address issues before a full launch in the summer. Instead it was meant to be free to view until 31st Jan 21 and a subscription service after that. Not sure the club even acknowledged that wasn't happening.

A reserve team beat Bonnyton 5-0 last night although only details online are that Finn and his 14 y/o brother played. Would be good to hear if some of the 1st team that are needing minutes such as O'Connor and Moffat were involved.

I’ve been firmly in the Gilmour for manager camp since September. Not necessarily as I think he’s destined to be great and more so none of the realistic unemployed managers were exciting and Gilmour would be an unknown quantity but with some coaching experience already under his belt. Without sounding like an OF fan he does know the club, is from Ayrshire, had decent technical ability as a player and speaks well in interviews. However I’ve already accepted it won’t be him and it’s going to be Jim McIntyre’s third time lucky.

I'm sure although Lachlan sold his majority stake and resigned as a director from the AUFA that he is still a director of the club itself. I imagine he'll be available to offer advice but that he'll take a backseat on decisions about managers etc. as he won't want to appear to be interfering and undermining Smith and will trust they are making decision based on being around the club more than he possibly can.

Nothing, as I said in my original post I don't think Smith's tweet was a big deal or even people defending him like yourself who probably know him a bit better than a lot of us on here. Maybe for context it might be easier to comment knowing whether or not he was referring to tweets sent directly to him or to the club's official account where people are maybe more likely to vent without considering who is actually reading them. Either way personal abuse is unnecessary. However IMO it does come across at times, before even Smith bought the club, that where criticism of the club is concerned whether that be regarding results on the park, managers, the streaming issues, B&W TV, communication etc. that fans opinions are either belittled or ignored. Other people can disagree with that view if they want, I won't get offended. FWIW I don't disagree with your hub comment given it's being built out of the chairman's own pocket.

Smith’s reply and in general supportive responses from people who know him personally isn’t that big a deal as I’m not sure what directly tweeting him criticism would accomplish. However some replies did come across as if the fans don’t have a right to be unhappy right now/ever which I’d take exception to. At the end of the day we’re all Ayr fans and only want a successful club and there is valid reasons to have concerns with how the last 12 months has went. I don’t imagine any of us are currently sitting at home wishing we get relegated just so they can turn around and say they told you so.

Joe McLaughlin. If Kerr hadn't been sacked and put himself back in the team after that Arbroath game and left the management to McArdle and McLaughlin I think we'd have survived. No doubt if Kerr had actually been a Smith appointment he'd have got more time but clearly he thought he could do better. Turns out it's harder than it looks.

Not really a criticism of Murdoch and more about a general lack of leadership and character but 2/3 years ago he’d have been about 8th or 9th in line for the captaincy and same with set pieces. Now he’s the 3rd choice captain and takes the majority of free kicks and corners. I still wouldn’t swap winning the league in 17/18 but apart from a good run until about Xmas the following season the club showed a lack of ambition and failed to capitalise on the momentum at the time so some sort of decline was inevitable. As for the people hoping for a January miracle they might want to check out Duffy’s transfer record at previous clubs which mainly consists of players he’s worked with before and domestic loans. Timmins can’t be trusted either since he thought Sam Ramsbottom was a decent GK.

Kettlewell seemed to do better as a co-manager with Ferguson which could be a concern similar to Hopkin not being as successful without Martindale. McFadden might make a decent assistant or coach but doesn't comes across like he'd be suited to being a manager. Someone like a Stephen McManus or Brian Gilmour who may be inexperienced but, unlike Kerr and Roberts, at least have been coaching for a while is who I'd consider if they were wanting to be 1st team managers, as it won't happen at their current clubs.

McCall's recruitment across his time as manager was about 60-40 in terms of good-bad. He's just helped by the fact some of the good signings were really good but he still signed plenty players that were terrible for us and guys that went on to perform elsewhere. He also wasn't the best when it came to the development of players from our own academy instead preferring to develop other teams players. I do think that's one of the key things going forward with some of our academy players attending performance schools and the club being able to show them a better pathway into the 1st team than they'd get heading up to Glasgow. If we can then bring through 1 or 2 each year and sell them on then some of the cash can be used to improve the club off the park unless Smith is happy writing blank cheques.

Next up on BT Sport 1. Current match on centre is into a final set so should be on just after 5.

It was reported as a 2 year contract when he signed in Jan 2020. Although as he was already on loan until the end of that season maybe it was actually a 2.5 year deal otherwise it feels like a weird time to end. Not that I'd be bothered if it was the case as apart from the 4-1 game against Partick I can't remember many standout performances. Probably more likely to be heading down the Adam Hunter/Kyle McAusland career path.

McKenzie is signed up until 2023 as well. Also AP said when McGinty signed it was a one year deal with the option of another year so not sure if that's the same for Fjortoft and Salkeld. Hopefully not.

Noticed this morning it's BT Sport and not Prime that have the coverage for the Stockholm Open.

We probably need a communications manager as opposed to a commercial manager. Since 2011 the shirt sponsor has picked itself and how many people can name all the winners from the shirts and shorts draw during the same period? Also now we have more sponsors on board surely the directors could interact with them and make them feel valued. Compare that to no interaction with fans and not making them feel valued. Back in about 2008/09 the club sent a physical newsletter for those in the supporters club and around 2014-15 they had a go at an email newsletter. I think something like that, especially with no programmes, would show an effort to improve communication and they could incorporate news about 1st team, academy and the women’s team and give people an idea what is going on. Anyway good luck to the new commercial manager and if they read this can they completely rip up B&W TV and start again and have actual weekly content as during COVID that idea was a massive own goal by the club.

I think people are clinging on to this idea without any prove that's it true simply because otherwise the truth would be that Smith was won over by Duffy's temporary spell and had no realistic alternative and so actually has no idea who will be the manager beyond the summer. As for Peter Murphy he's under contract at Annan until the summer of 2023 so it's not as if that by waiting until the summer we'd get him for free if he was the man Smith wanted. Also I'm not sure what the evidence is that Murphy would work with Duffy. It's not as if he's a former player of his and Duffy lingering in the background having spent almost an entire season as manager would risk undermining whoever the next manger is.

Plays tomorrow against Jenson Brooksby. Given his luck with draws this year it's no surprise he gets probably the toughest qualifier.

Player / Assistant Manager at Creetown which is a level I'm sure he'll stroll even with bad knees