Auld Ayr, Wham Nere A Toun Surpasses.....

SOME OF US, in rugby but outside the club have been aware for some time that Ayr Rugby Club was talking to South Ayrshire Council about relocating from Millbrae, the club's home these 50-odd years, to the town's Dam Park Stadium.

 Ayr's Dam Park Stadium

But, since we were aware of how difficult to deal with the cooncil could be, and of the many obstacles to be overcome, we were happy to keep quiet and let things develop. Now, I appreciate this is anathema to hard-news journalists, who live by the William Randolph Hurst mantra: “Journalism is printing something someone wants kept hidden – everything else is advertising”. But, in sports-writing, we are as much pr agents for our sport as critics, and, it's a tough act to pull-off.

Any way, South Ayrshire Council has a hard-earned reputation for being useless and difficult to work with, so, it looked as if silence would be golden for a while. Until, that is, in a rare example of knowing a good story when they got one, the Ayrshire Post decided to print the story.

In a previous life, I, as a former Ayrshire Post sports correspondent, and my then Editor, who cut his journalistic teeth at Nile Court, just off Ayr High Street, used to have a Thursday ritual. Our paper was a member of the same group, so every week, we would have two copies of the Post delivered to our office, then we would sit down with our morning coffee and decide which story should have been the “Splash” - the front-page lead. This was seldom the story they had selected!!

Millbrae has served Ayr well, since Alistair McMillan, now the club's honorary President decided this was the ideal place for the club to call home. But, access is poor, the pitch, stand and floodlights need urgent upgrading, in the case of the lighting, VERY urgent upgrading. Parking is limited and, in parts, it is showing its age.

 Millbrae - showing its age

On the plus side – location, location, location is excellent. If they can solve the access limitations, the site is worth a lot for housing, so, if they sell Millbrae, Ayr RFC will be minted.

The Dam Park is an excellent facility, which could still be improved. The grandstand is a great example of 1960s brutalism. I believe it is listed, so, bringing it up to 21^st century standards might be a tad expensive, not to say controversial. But, if they get the right price for Millbrae, this need not be a problem.

The listed Dam Park Grandstand

Being selfish, the press box is marvellous, with a great view of the whole stadium.

There is a lot of scope for putting-in what Dam Parks lacks – the infrastructure for corporate hospitality, and fitness and conditioning work. However, with good-will on both sides, it could work.

The stadium is also, however, home to Ayr Seaforth Athletics Club, which has a huge and growing youth section, not forgetting Whitletts Victoria, Ayr's junior football team. The track and athletics facilities are excellent, and there will be calls to somehow, fit-in both clubs.

Glasgow Life and the SRU made a similar scenario work at Scotstoun, for Warriors and Victoria Park AC, I don't see how it should inconvenience Ayr and South Ayrshire to come up with something similar.

And, while we are at it – why not also a state of the art artificial pitch.

Or, let's really think out of the box here. Why not a municipal stadium, suitable for top-flight rugby with Ayr RFC, senior football with Ayr United and athletics? Making that happen will take blue sky thinking, give and take and a willingness for the various factions to work together. But, it could work, which would be great for Ayr RFC, Ayr United, Seaforth, Whitletts Victoria and Auld Ayr.

 Ayr United's Somerset Park is also obsolete, so, why not a single multi-purpose stadium on the Dam Park site for both football codes and athletics?

Is the ambition, and the desire, there?