WATT SINGS THE BLUES

May 2 2007 Ayrshire Post

AYR UNITED are set to boost their former Stranraer connection with a swoop for keeper Barry John Corr.

Goal scoring midfielder David Hamilton has already signed a pre-contract while striker Michael Moore will join up once the play-offs are complete.

And fellow former Blues men Murray Henderson and Steven Swift are also being heavily linked with moves to Somerset Park.

Keeper Mark McGeown and defender Craig Pettigrew are the latest to sign but on the way out are Ricky Waddell, Paul Hyslop, Darren Johnson and Paul Templeton who aren’t being offered new deals.

Ryan Caddis, who has a year left on his contract, will move if he finds another club.

Boss Neil Watt, who led Stranraer from the Third Division to the First, feels it is inevitable that he will be connected with his former players.

Former Celtic and Motherwell keeper Corr spent last season with Queen of the South but was an ever present under Watt at Stranraer.

Watt, who is delighted to keep veteran McGeown for a third season, said: “I want two quality keepers who can be called upon at any time.”

Hamilton, 26, has scored 12 goals for Stranraer this season and notified the Stair Park club at the weekend that he was signing an agreement with Ayr.

And he will be followed by skipper Moore, also 26, who has bagged 14 this term.

Watt said: “Michael is a player I have worked with for three seasons after signing him twice for Stranraer.

“He knows all about the Second Division but at the moment he is a Stranraer player and concentrating on the league play-offs.”

Also believed to be on Watt’s shopping list is Queen of the South defender Henderson who played under him at Stair Park.

Watt tried to sign him when he was at Maryhill Juniors while number two Stuart Millar took him to Cumbernauld.

He eventually ended up at Stranraer and was an ever present in the club’s Third Division title season. He became club captain after Allan Jenkins was sold lTurn to Page 127