GOING DUTCH

May 23 2007 Ayrshire Post

AYR becomes the home of youth football this weekend with a bumper 86 teams heading to town.

It’s the 30th anniversary of the Ayr International Tournament, the oldest of its kind in the UK and third longest running in Europe.

And for the first time, Dutch invaders will launch a bid for the silverware.

Organiser Duncan McIntyre says the event has taken great strides from its birth in 1978.

He recalled: “Hosts Ayr Boswell were the first Scottish team to take part in Sweden’s Gothia Cup when I accompanied them in 1975.

“That gave the idea to launch a tournament in Ayr. Now we are so well established that only the Gothia and Oslo Cups have been running longer.

“This year, we have our first ever entrants from Holland and we are excited at what they will bring.

“And we could have a local winner in Ayr Boswell who are having a great season and are hoping to take the age 13 title for the first time.”

Action on Saturday and Sunday is at Rozelle and the Old Racecourse from 10am with Monday’s finals for the BAE Systems sponsored Scotland Cups at Dam Park.

The event will include soccer sevens at age 9, 10 and 11 with age 12 eleven-a-side development.

Scotland Cups will be up for grabs at ages 13, 14, 15, 16 and 19 while there will also be an age 14 pro youth competition.

Monday’s finals programme is: 10.30am: age 13; 12 noon: age 14; 1.30pm: age 14 pro youth; 3pm: age 15; 4.30pm: age 16; 6pm: age 19.