Ayr United skipper Scott McLaughlin quickly agreed to extend his time as an Honest Man recently and he is hoping to mark his new deal by securing a second promotion with the Somerset Park club.
The 30-year-old was part of an Ayr squad that was promoted via the Play-Offs back in 2011 and whilst that was a cause for celebration it was not the first celebrations McLaughlin had been involved in during his career.
His first playing success came in the CIS League Cup when he was part of a Livingston squad that defeated Hibs to win the trophy and in a fortnight he will be getting back together with that team to mark a decade passing since their success.
McLaughlin said: “It is hard to believe that our Cup win was 10 years ago come the middle of next month and there is a Gala Dinner being held to mark the occasion. It has really crept up on us and I feel a bit old now. That is ironic as I was the youngest of the group and I am 30 now.”
“My Dad is finding it all quite funny as he told me at the time that we could go down in history as a great side in Livingston’s history and that we would be going to Dinners to mark 10 years and 25 years since the League Cup was won.”
“We were talking about it the other day and he is enjoying his prediction coming true.”
McLaughlin added: “There has been a lot happened to the club since that win but I am sure people look back at our success with a lot of pride.”
It will be a well-represented reunion with McLaughlin saying: “We will nearly all be there apart from Derek Lilley who has a family commitment and Fernando Pasquinelli who we think is in Ecuador but is difficult to trace.”
“The manager David Hay will be there as will the kit man Danny Cunning, who is now at Hamilton Accies, as well as guys like George McNeill who was a huge part of the backroom staff then.”
It has not been 10 years since McLaughlin has seen some members of the squad as the former Morton, Airdrie, Queen of the South and Peterhead player said: “I have come across big Marvin Andrews in League 1 this season as he is at Forfar. I met him last season as well when I was back on loan at Ayr from Peterhead and he was playing with Albion Rovers. You cannot fail to smile when you meet him as he is such a unique character.”
“Burton O’Brien is the last playing link with Livingston although he has had spells elsewhere before going back there. I used to travel through with him and it will be great to meet up with him again. He is a top footballer but hopefully we can set up the game of golf we have been promising each other for a long time.”
Whilst one of the goalscorers at Hampden, Lilley, will not be there, the other goalscorer will be and he will travel from the very south west of England to do so with McLaughlin saying: “Jamie McAllister who is now the captain at Yeovil is coming up. Stuart Lovell has done a great job in persuading Emmanuel Dorado, David Fernandez and Oscar Rubio to come over from Spain.”
Whilst the Gala Dinner is an event that McLaughlin is looking forward to there is plenty of work to be done before then as McLaughlin explained: “We have three games to play before then and the first one at Airdrie this weekend will be really difficult. They have really picked up recently but we are determined to remain in the top four.”
McLaughlin is enjoying his second stint at Somerset Park so much that he has already agreed to stay on for another season.
“I signed my new contract last week and I was delighted to do so,” said McLaughlin before adding, “It had been discussed for a couple of weeks and it was an easy decision to make. Ayr are a club that I have always been happy at so it was good to get it signed and out of the way.”
Ayr are looking to be involved in the Play-Offs at the end of this season and McLaughlin is looking to have a two out of two record with the club as he explained: “I was promoted with Ayr a few years ago when we won the Play-Off Final at Brechin. It was the day when the Ayr fans were magnificent. When our now boss Mark Roberts scored to make it 1-1, I think the whole stand behind the goal at Glebe Park came on to the pitch to celebrate.”
“Our plan is to get into the Play-Offs. That was the realistic target at the start of the season and we aim to hit it. With the resources Rangers have they were always going to win the league and with the resources they have Dunfermline were always going to be in the play-offs so we were after one of the two places available.”
“We have not been out of the Play-Off zone all season but we know that we need to pick up a few victories and ensure we get there.”
McLaughlin is showing his versatility to help Ayr get involved at the end of the season as he advised: “I have played in defence a few times this season as Martyn Campbell has been out injured. I have had to step back and play in a different position as it is all about what is best for the team.”
“As the captain I am happy to play where I can as it is all about setting the right example.”
McLaughlin is looking to put one over his former tutor when the Honest Men take on Airdrie.
The Diamonds are enjoying a resurgence under recently appointed manager Gary Bollan, and McLaughlin is hoping that his former Livingston team-mate can keep progressing but only after this weekend’s game is out of the way.
McLaughlin said: “Airdrie are doing well under Gary and that is not a surprise. He was always pretty reserved when I played with him but he had a presence about him that made you think he would be a manager one day. He worked with Jim Mclean at Dundee United and played at Rangers so he had great experience.”
“I was a kid at Livi and played all over the pitch to get a game and Gary would give me great advice about what to do in each role.”
“He loves his teams to be extremely hard working and their defensive record has improved tremendously and that will be down to Gary and his assistant Stuart Balmer.”
“The admiration I have for him will go out of the window this weekend and I will be happy to beat him. He will be approaching it in the same way by sending his team out to beat us.”
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