Reid and Ayr go their seperate ways

Ayr United and Manager Brian Reid parted company yesterday after it was decided that his contract would not be renewed.

The Honest Men lost 3-1 to Airdrie United in their Play-Off Semi-Final at the weekend and the 41-year-old, who was appointed to the Somerset Park hot-seat in October 2007, has left the club with club captain Mark Roberts making the step-up into the manager’s role.

Reid has left despite the former Morton, Rangers, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Blackpool, Burnley and Queen of the South defender leading his side to the Hampden Semi-Final of this season’s Scottish Communities League Cup against Ayrshire rivals Kilmarnock at the expense of 3 SPL sides.

Ayr also reached the quarter-final stage of both last and this season’s Scottish Cup where they went down to St. Mirren last year and this season’s finalists Hibs. Reid’s side secured ninth place in the First Division, a 5 point improvement and one position better off than their last campaign at that level.

Reid had successfully led Ayr out of the Second Division twice via the Play-Off system in 2009 and 2010, however he has been denied the chance to complete a hat-trick.

The club are hoping that their new structure with Roberts as manager and the club’s Head of Youth David White becoming his assistant, with first team player John Robertson expected to be involved in a coaching capacity, will lead to an increased use of home grown talent.

Chairman Lachlan Cameron said, “On behalf of the club, I would like to thank Brian for his service to Ayr United. He led the club during a difficult time and gave us some great results and memories.”

“We wish to focus more on the delivery of our youth pathway to the first team and that coupled with the changing landscape in Scottish football meant that the change had to happen.”

Cameron added, “I would like to wish Brian good luck in the future as I’m sure it won’t be long until he starts a new adventure.”

Roberts and White have been given the remit to bring youngsters from their Youth Academy through to the club’s first team and Roberts who currently holds a ‘B’ Coaching License said, “I am looking forward to the opportunity as I always relish a challenge and the chance to be the Manager of Ayr United is one that I could not pass up and I cannot wait to get started.”

The new management duo will now have the task of trying to retain players for next season and finding new ones to add to the Academy players that are ready to make the step up.