Scott Three and counting

Ayr United’s  Scott McLaughlin will be facing old friends this Saturday as the Honest Men take on the Lions of Livingston and after a summer of uncertainty the 26 year old is glad to be playing his part in a Somerset Park squad that have forced their way into a play-off place.

Midfielder McLaughlin has picked up winners medals at his last three clubs and he would love to add to that tally with Ayr even if it means upsetting West Lothian fans that still give him a warm reception. 

McLaughlin’s senior career began ten years ago at a then Third Division Hamilton Accies after he had been spotted playing youth football in Paisley. McLaughlin said, “I had played with Everton Boys club and then started my senior career off at Hamilton in 2000. Ally Dawson was in charge and he signed me straight from school just after Colin Miller had left.”

“I played in Ally’s first team when I was just a youngster and Accies were promoted from the Third Division to the Second. I showed enough in my few games to be signed by Livingston and that was a really good move at the time. Livi had just finished the season as the third best team in Scotland. They had been watching me for a wee while and I knew Tony Fitzpatrick who was working there at the time. I am sure that worked in my favour as well.”

McLaughlin’s first appearance in the colours of Livingston was memorable for both him and a Scotland player with McLaughlin saying, “I made my debut at Fir Park in May 2003 in a game we lost 6-2. James McFadden scored a hat-trick for Motherwell that day which must have been a bit special for him as well. It was a strange experience as I thoroughly enjoyed the day but we had been beaten. It was a great day for me and of course every time I see James McFadden on Match of the Day I remember it.”

Livingston continued to progress on the field and they made it to Hampden in March 2004 for the CIS Cup Final against Hibs. Despite being underdogs the trophy was heading back to Almondvale after a 2-0 win for David Hay’s side after goals from Derek Lilley and Jamie McAllister.

McLaughlin was involved as he explained, “I was a substitute in the Final and came on with about 25 minutes to go. I was brought on after all the hard work had been done and helped see us through to the end. I was out warming up on the track when we scored our two goals and it was great to be so close to that. I was ready to come on at anytime as some of our boys were beginning to take cramp on the big pitch at Hampden but I was delighted to be part of it even if it was just 25 minutes.”

“I remember that day really well, most of Hampden was a sea of green and white as Hibs had far more fans than us but we got the right result. I was part of the open top bus parade afterwards and that is something else I will never forget. It was a really cold night but the emotion of it all kept us warm. I look back on that time of my career with great affection.”

Despite the solid foundations of his Livingston career McLaughlin had to move shortly afterwards to get further first team action. McLaughlin explained, “Richard Gough came in as the manager and I fell out of favour. I had great respect for Archie Knox who was there at the time as well and talked through what I should do with him. I wanted to be playing again so I joined Morton on loan after speaking to Jim McInally.”

“I joined Morton on the same day that Andy McLaren joined and we are still together doing football things nowadays. I went back to Livingston for the start of the next season under Paul Lambert but I was still not playing often enough so I signed permanently for Morton on the last day of August 2005. They were a Second Division side but they were a massive club in that division with a massive support.”

McLaughlin was part of a Morton side promoted to Division One in April 2007 as Champions and he was delighted to pick up another piece of silverware. The style of the triumph was important to McLaughlin as well who added, “What was great about that season was that we were leading virtually the whole way from August to April. We got in front early and stayed there with Stirling in second place 8 points behind us.”

As well as the style of victory the title win banished some bad memories at the Tail o the Bank with McLaughlin saying, “We were delighted with that win as it helped us recover from what had happened the year before when Gretna powered their way to the Second Division. We were miles ahead in second place, 13 points in fact, but we had nothing to play for in the last few months of the season as it was the first year of the play-offs.”

“We played Peterhead who had finished third and we lost 1-0 up at their place to go out on aggregate. What a terrible journey home that was and winning the league title the following year was a tonic.”

The following season brought some stability to Morton on the park but none for McLaughlin, as he was soon on the move again saying, “We stayed up in Division One, however Jim McInally resigned and David Irons came in. I left Morton that summer, I could have stayed but to be honest I was not enjoying my football and I was delighted to go to Airdrie.”

His joy at the new deal with Diamonds saw him scupper his old sides with McLaughlin hurting them both early in the season. “At Airdrie we started the season well,” said McLaughlin before adding, “And the first time we played Morton I scored the first two goals in a 5-0 win.”

“We played Livingston the following week and I scored in that game as well. Maybe Ayr could draw Hamilton in the Scottish Cup this season and I can score against them.”

Another medal was going McLaughlin’s way in November 2008 as he picked up a winners badge at McDiarmid Park. Airdrie defeated Ross County on penalties in the ALBA Challenge Cup and for McLaughlin it was a day to compare with his Hampden joy with Livingston.

McLaughlin beamed, “I won another medal as we defeated Ross County and I scored a penalty in the shoot-out and all in all it was a great day. The Airdrie fans were great to me throughout my time there but on that day they were particularly special. The backing they gave us after we went a goal down was quite special.”

“The Challenge Cup is not as big as the CIS Cup but that win meant as much to me. That was my third medal and I am only 26 so I would be delighted to add to that tally.”

The rest of the season was disappointing as Airdrie ended up losing the Play-Off Final to be relegated, ironically to a promoted Ayr United side, and they then started preparing for life in the Second Division.

The Diamonds were moved back up a division after much talked about issues at Livingston and the pace of the move caught Airdrie cold with McLaughlin explaining, “We were gearing up for the Second Division, and our opening game against Arbroath, when all of a sudden we were facing Ross County. It was a really tough start and we did not help matters early on as we kind of felt sorry for ourselves. We hit form towards the end of the season and almost got out of things but again we lost in the Play-Offs.”

McLaughlin then faced a period of uncertainty as he explained, “This summer was a strange one as Airdrie let everybody go. I had a few offers and was in training at Partick Thistle but a deal never materialised there. I went down and played in a trial game for Oldham, which I scored in, but I have a young family and decided to come up the road.”

Help was close at hand with McLaughlin adding, “Brian Reid had called me when I was leaving Airdrie and we kept in touch throughout the summer and we eventually got something agreed.”

McLaughlin has now switched from being a full time player to a part time one but he is still involved in football every day saying, “It is the first time I have been part-time but my work away from Ayr also involves kicking a ball about. I work with Andy McLaren in coaching underprivileged kids with A & M training. We have the kids kicking a ball about rather than hanging about the streets.”

“I work with them on the days I am not training at Ayr so I am involved in football every single day.”

McLaughlin’s first game for the Honest Men was against the Diamonds and his new side won, however the midfielder was honest enough to say, “We beat Airdrie that day but they were the better team. We got off to a slow start but won through.”

Ayr’s form has been mixed since, with a loss to Brechin on the opening league day followed by a fine 2-0 ALBA Challenge Cup win over Cowdenbeath, and then a three game unbeaten run in the league ended with a 4-1 reverse at Alloa.

That defeat hurt with McLaughlin saying, “Recreation Park was a real low point and we deserved the pelters we took from people that day as we were really poor. The Alloa goalkeeper Stephen Robertson was one of my best pals at Airdrie and I was looking forward to trying to score past him so it was a hard day in lots of ways.”

Two victories in successive games have got Ayr moving upwards again with East Fife defeated 3-2 away and Stenhousemuir 2-0 at home. McLaughlin enjoyed both games saying, “We bounced back against East Fife with Mark Roberts scoring three penalties. I usually like taking penalties but I can’t argue with Mark taking them when he does that. I was looking forward to Stenhousemuir game as my best pal Simon Lynch is with them but he is still out injured. It was a good victory but there is better still to come from Ayr.”

Now that Ayr are in the top four they intend to stay there with McLaughlin saying, “We are up to fourth now and our aim has to be to challenge Livingston and Brechin and I sure Alloa will be in there as well.”

It is old friends this weekend with McLaughlin finishing by saying, “It is one of my old club’s, Livingston, this weekend and that should be a great game. I always enjoy playing them because of the times I had there. There fans are always good to me and they seem to appreciate that I worked hard for their club when I was there.”