Ayr United snap up youth players on pro contracts

Dec 3 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

TWO more promising youths from the Ayr United Football Academy have been snapped up by the top team.

Rising midfield stars Robbie Crawford and Shaun Kelly have both been signed on professional contracts with the United senior squad and hope to soon be pushing for squad spots.

Robbie, 17 and Shaun, 16 were humbled by the attention plied on them at the signing ceremony attended by manager Brian Reid, Academy head of youth Davie White and United operations manager Tracy McTrusty.

Reid said: “This is the future of Ayr United. It is the way our club must go and these guys fit the bill perfectly.

“They have impressed me in training and Reserve games and will strengthen my squad. They are very young and inexperienced but I expect them to put pressure on the more senior first team members for places on a Saturday”.

White was ecstatic with the signings and congratulated both boys.

He said: “This is another great gesture of confidence by Ayr United in the Academy’s youth development programme and in the players involved. They have both worked hard and have now received what they always dreamed of – their first professional football contract."

White added: "The signing of two more Academy players for Ayr United shows what huge strides we have made over the last two or three years and makes everything we do here worthwhile. All Academy players should take notice.

“This year the club have already signed seven of our players on professional contracts, with five having made first team appearances.

“It’s proof beyond doubt that Ayr United are willing to introduce players to first team football at an early age. So the message to our 14 to 16 year old players is: You could be only two or three years away from playing senior football. If your attitude is right and you work hard you could be sitting with the manager signing forms before you know it.”

nA GROUP from Ayrshire Alzheimer’s Group toured Somerset Park and visited the boardroom and changing rooms.

They were led by director Hugh Cameron who gave the guests a history lesson of the club.

Former United stalwart Peter Price was one of the group, once again gracing the hallways of the old Somerset building.

And he was quick to point out that a tile was still missing in the same place as it was it in his playing days but alas, the old bath had gone.

Also in appearance was a Celtic player from season 1946-47, Tommy MacDonald who scored seven times in 13 matches for the Hoops.

Organiser George Jaconelli said: “This was a great day out for these guys. They meet every Wednesday at the Parkstone Hotel between 11am and 1pm so to be able to walk round the normally unseen parts of Somerset Park was something special.

“They were all like little boys again with some of the guys wanting to get on the park but unfortunately the pitch was being protected from the frost so they couldn’t get on it for a kickabout.”

The Alzheimer’s group in Ayrshire is a noble cause and Ayr United FC and Ayr United Football Academy are delighted to have been able to help out.