WARNING: GRUMPY (the eighth dwarf), “Jack and Victor” and the rest of the Troon branch of the Still Game Appreciation Society and the members of the ABA Faction inside Ayrshire Rugby; stop reading now, this post concerns “The Evil Empire.”
Ayr Rugby Club, On Thursday, hosted the first of the two bumper crowds they will attract to Millbrae this week, as they officially opened Phase I on their ground re-development. The portion of the work, which will, once it is finished, have cost some £5 million saw the new access road to the ground, from Murdoch's Loan, and the new all-weather artificail pitch, which will enhance the club's community work, opened.
You could tell it was a big occasion for the club, Derek Stark was there, resplendent in his Doddie Weir Tartan scarf. As we all know, Starkie only turns up for the big occasions, but, for this gig, he was without his usual carer – who pled ill-health, as his rugby allegiances are with Kilmarnock and Marr!!!
The opening was done by Alan McDonald, the local businessman who endowed the club with the £3 million McDonald Legacy, in memory of his late son Barry, and former Scotland Captain and British Lion Rob Wainwright. Rob was on a rest halt with his team of cyclists, who are completing a 700 mile ride to raise funds for Doddie Weir's My Name's Doddie, MND charity.
The first traffic along the new road was Rob and his peleton of riders. They had arrived at Millbrae from their overnight halt at Biggar RFC's Hartree Mill, before setting off for their next pit stop, at Greenock Wanderers. Rob was chipper after four hours sleep and delighted with the encouragement and support they had received over their ride, which will finish in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Some of the other weel-kent faces on the ride, such a Dougie Vipond and Ireland's Gordon D'Arcy were still enthused and willing, thanks to the great support they had received along the way.
The new pitch received a thorough testing from players ranging in ages from ten years up to some of the Walking Rugby players, in their eighth decade, and all were unanimous in their appreciation of the new facilities. Not used in the opening day celebrations were the new floodlights on the main pitch, which will be seen in full flow tonight, when the Ayr v Marr local derby, in the Arnold Clark Premiership will be broadcast live on BBC Alba, kick-off 7.35pm.
Among those in attendance was SRU President Keith Wallace, plus a good number of Ayr regulars, such as the club's Honorary President Alastair McMillan, the man who secured the ground for the club back in the early 1960s. “Speedy”, as he is known, admitted, he never envisaged what Millbrae has become, when he brokered its purchase all those decades ago.
Also on-hand was birthday Boy Frazier Climo; Ayr's Taranaki import was celebrating his 38th birthday and delighted to receive such a nice present as an all-weather pitch, to assist in his work with Ayr Community Rugby Trust.
But, perhaps the happiest guys there were this bunch of old codgers/Golden Oldies – well, my contemporaries, all players who turned-out for Ayr in the very-first match at Millbrae. Happy to pose for George McMillan's photograph, they are, left to right: David Cosh, Brian McNally, Jock Craig and Alistair McClelland, with Eddie Ecrepont in front on his invalid scooter.
They will be back on Friday night for the big match against Marr. This is one which, on current league form and position, Ayr will be hot favourites to win. However, this will be a real local derby, and while I expect Ayr to eventually triumph, the Troon men will give them a really hard evening.
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