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Kilwinning Rangers F.C.

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Coordinates: 55°39′10″N 4°41′42″W / 55.65273°N 4.695110°W / 55.65273; -4.695110
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Kilwinning Rangers
Full nameKilwinning Rangers Football Club
Nickname(s)The Buffs
Founded1899
GroundBuffs Park, Kilwinning
Capacity2,800 (270 seated)
ChairmanColin Evans
ManagerKevin Kelly
LeagueWest of Scotland League First Division
2023–24West of Scotland League First Division, 7th of 16
Websitehttps://kilwinningrangers.com/

Kilwinning Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Formed in 1899, the club competes in the West of Scotland Football League, and are eligible to participate in the Scottish Cup. Nicknamed The Buffs, they play in blue and white hoops. Home matches are played at Buffs Park, within Kilwinning Sports Club, where the club moved prior to the 2019–20 season having spent 90 years at Abbey Park.

History

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Kilwinning Rangers were originally formed as a Juvenile football club in 1899, sharing Blacklands Park with the local senior club - the now defunct Kilwinning Eglinton (the current Eglinton F.C. are unrelated). In 1902, the club joined the Junior grade however it was three years before the club won their first honour, emerging as winners of the Ayrshire Junior Challenge Cup in 1904–05.

They became the first Ayrshire club to win the Scottish Junior Cup in 1908–09 with a 1–0 victory over Strathclyde. A second appearance in the final followed in 1909–10, however Kilwinning were defeated 3–0 by Ashfield. Ninety years later, Kilwinning regained the Scottish Junior Cup with a 1–0 victory over Kelty Hearts, in a season which saw them win six out of the seven trophies available to them.

Kilwinning became the first Ayrshire side to win the West Super League in 2003–04 however financial issues resulted in the team finishing bottom of the league the following season and subsequently relegated. Most of the following decade was spent in the Ayrshire District League with a promotion to the Super First Division achieved in 2012–13. The following season almost resulted in Kilwinning avoiding relegation, however the club had fielded an ineligible player for twelve matches and the resulting nineteen point deduction relegated the side to the bottom division.[1]

A change in management occurred in February 2014, with the appointment of Chris Strain and Colin Stewart; although Stewart left to take up a coaching role at Rangers in 2015 and Strain assumed the role of sole manager.[2][3]

Kilwinning achieved successive promotions in 2014-15 and 2016–17, courtesy of a play-off victory against Shettleston[4] and maintained their top flight status the following season by defeating Kilsyth Rangers in another play-off.[5]

In 2020, Kilwinning applied to join the newly formed West of Scotland Football League, which would see them leave the Junior leagues after joining 118 years prior[6] The following year, Kilwinning began their application to join the Scottish Football Association. This application was successful in June 2022, allowing the Buffs to participate in the Scottish Cup for the first time in the history in the 2022–23 season.[7]

In early April 2022, Chris Strain was sacked. Former player and ex-professional, Mark Campbell was appointed caretaker manager until the end of the season.[8] Broomhill manager David Gormley was hired for the start of the next season.[9] In January 2023 Gormley was relieved of his position as manager and former Clyde, Ayr United, Morton and Stirling Albion player Chris Aitken was appointed as manager in early February.[10] Following Aitken's resignation, Ex-Caledonian Locomotives boss Kevin Kelly was appointed along with his assistant Steven Saunders.[11]

Scottish Cup

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Kilwinning Rangers made their first ever foray into the Scottish Cup in the 2022–23 season; defeating Rutherglen Glencairn[12] and Tranent,[13] before succumbing to Scottish League Two side Forfar Athletic in the second round proper.[14]

Nickname

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Several theories exists as to the origin of the nickname "Buffs". Historic maps of Kilwinning show the site of the present day Abbey Park to have been within an area known as "The Butts," an adaption of which may have led to the synonym.[15]

Another theory is that one of the players around that time was a member of the East Kent Regiment of the British Army, who were nicknamed The Buffs.[16]

The early Kilwinning Rangers were known to have played in a dull yellow or "buff" strip. However the origin of the nickname remains unknown.

In January 2025, to coincide with the opening of the new club museum, the origin of the nickname will be revealed as officially endorsed by the club.

Ground

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Several grounds were used by the club in the early years of its existence. Initially Kilwinning moved to a ground named Woodwynd Park which was located on Woodwynd itself, between Hamilton Street and Kilrig Avenue. Several years later the club began playing at Claremont Park, near to the now demolished Kilwinning East railway station. The Buffs moved to Abbey Park (near Kilwinning Abbey) in 1929 and remained there until 2019.

At the start of the 2019–20 season they relocated to the Kilwinning Sports Club ground in Pennyburn on the outskirts of the town which was upgraded and renamed Buffs Park.[17]

In April 2020, the club agreed to buy the former Old Trafford floodlights from non-league York City to upgrade Buffs Park to SPFL standards,[18] however, the plan fell through.[19]

A seated stand was added ahead of the 2020-21 West of Scotland Football League season;[20] with the new floodlights following the next year.[21]

Current squad

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As of 25 October 2024[22]

First team

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Scotland SCO Dylan Brown (on loan from Kilmarnock)
— GK Scotland SCO Ally McInnes
— GK Scotland SCO Mateusz Miller (on loan from St Cadoc's)
— DF Scotland SCO Jamie Ballantyne
— DF Scotland SCO Aaron Boyd
— DF Scotland SCO Adam Caldwell
— DF Scotland SCO Larry Hendry
— DF Scotland SCO Jack MacCalman
— DF Scotland SCO Declan McFadyen
— DF Scotland SCO Sean McGreer (on loan to Craigmark)
— DF Scotland SCO Euan McNally (On loan to Eglinton)
— MF Scotland SCO Cammy Kerr
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Scotland SCO Mark Lamont (vice-captain)
— MF Scotland SCO Blair MacIntyre (vice-captain)
— MF Scotland SCO Conor McLaughlin
— MF Scotland SCO Campbell McLean
— MF Scotland SCO Josh Winton
— FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Eva Bembo
— FW Scotland SCO Bryan Boylan (captain)
— FW Scotland SCO Dylan Duncan
— FW Scotland SCO Fraser Malcolm
— FW Scotland SCO Jack McMahon
— FW Scotland SCO Sam Trousdale

Management team

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As of 18 June 2024

Position Name
Manager Kevin Kelly
Assistant manager Steven Saunders
Coaches Scott Black & John McGowan
Club Secretary Lauren Grant
Goalkeeping coach David Wilson
Development Team Manager Colin Brown
Development Assistant Manager Roland Fabiani
Development Coaches Dylan Mackin
Development Team Secretary Alan McAlpine
Kitman Brian Jardine
Media Manager/Match Day Announcer Ben Grant

Honours

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Senior

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West of Scotland Football League Cup

  • Runners-up: 2021–22

Junior

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Scottish Junior Cup

  • Winners (2): 1908–09, 1998–99
  • Runners-up (2): 1909–10, 1921–22

West of Scotland Super League Premier Division

Other honours

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  • West of Scotland Cup winners (2): 1993–94, 1998–99
  • Ayrshire District League
  • Winners: 2012–13
  • Runners-up: 2009–10, 2014–15
  • Ayrshire First Division winners (2): 1998–99, 1999–00
  • Western Junior League winners (6): 1920–21, 1922–23, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1965–66
  • Ayrshire Second Division winners (3): 1980–81, 1988–89, 1990–91
  • Ayrshire Cup (11): 1904–05, 1908–09, 1934–35, 1976–77, 1985–86, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2017–18[23]
  • Ayrshire League Cup (2): 1929–30, 1998–99
  • Ayrshire District Cup (8): 1905–06, 1920–21, 1931–32, 1958–59, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02
  • North Ayrshire Cup (4): 1995–96, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01
  • Western Intermediate League Cup: 1929–30
  • Irvine & District League (3): 1907–08, 1908–09, 1913–14
  • Eglinton Cup (2): 2021, 2022
  • Lady Darling Supplementary Cup: 2005–06

Notable players

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1. Players that have played/managed in the Scottish Championship or any foreign equivalent or higher than this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.

References

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  1. ^ McGowan, Eric (22 May 2014). "Kilwinning Rangers boss insists relegation won't alter his plans for the club". Daily Record. Reach plc. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  2. ^ Wilson, Fraser (27 February 2014). "Kilwinning appoint Strain and Stewart". Daily Record. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  3. ^ "BREAKING: Kilwinning Rangers sack Chris Strain by text message - Daily Record". 12 June 2016.
  4. ^ McGowan, Eric (11 June 2016). "Buffs shoot down Shettleston to win promotion back to the top flight". dailyrecord. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Buffs preserve Premier place with playoff victory". Irvine Times. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Kilwinning Rangers FC - Twitter".
  7. ^ Gibson, Darren (2 June 2022). "Kilwinning Rangers: Buffs granted full SFA membership". Irvine Times. Ayrshire Weekly Press. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. ^ McGowan, Eric (16 April 2022). "Kilwinning Rangers caretaker boss Mark Campbell rules himself out as next Buffs manager". Daily Record. Reach plc. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  9. ^ "New Manager: David Gormley Arrives At Buffs Park". kilwinningrangers.com. Kilwinning Rangers FC. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Kilwinning Rangers appoint new manager as club look to avoid the drop". 10 February 2023.
  11. ^ "New manager Kevin Kelly appointed". kilwinningrangers.com. Kilwinning Rangers. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  12. ^ McGowan, Eric (4 September 2022). "Scottish Cup: Kilwinning Rangers 2 Rutherglen 1 as David Gormley hails 10-man Buffs' resilience". Daily Record. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  13. ^ Grayston, Murray (21 September 2022). "Kilwinning Rangers beat Tranent Juniors in Scottish Cup first round". Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  14. ^ McGowan, Eric (22 October 2022). "Scottish Cup: Kilwinning Rangers 1 Forfar Athletic 3 as Gormley left to rue 'fine margins'". Daily Record. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Ayrshire, Sheet 016.04 - 25 Inch Map". www.oldmapsonline.org. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  16. ^ "Steady the Buffs « The Word Detective". www.word-detective.com. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  17. ^ McGowan, Eric (27 June 2019). "How the Buffs' new ground is shaping up to be one of the best in Junior football". Daily Record.
  18. ^ McGowan, Eric (9 April 2020). "Manchester United's old floodlights snapped up by Ayrshire club". Daily Record. Reach Scotland. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  19. ^ McGowan, Eric (6 August 2020). "Club forced into floodlights rethink which could affect SFA licence plans". Daily Record. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  20. ^ Howard, Lorraine (16 April 2021). "Kilwinning: Buffs boss shares his vision for the town's field of dreams". Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald. Newsquest. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  21. ^ Hamilton, Andy (5 January 2021). "Kilwinning Rangers: New floodlight works get underway". Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald. Newsquest. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  22. ^ "Player Update: Who Stays? Who Goes?". Kilwinning Rangers F.C. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  23. ^ Laing, Paul (10 June 2018). "Largs Thistle 0-1 Kilwinning Rangers - Ayrshire Cup FINAL, 9th June 2018". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
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55°39′10″N 4°41′42″W / 55.65273°N 4.695110°W / 55.65273; -4.695110

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