Match Preview
It has been a strange old week for Scottish Football with the news of Livingston's relegation rather overshadowing the start of the league campaign.
While others wonder who they will start the season with a game against or indeed whether they will have a game at all tomorrow we are largely unaffected by events elsewhere and are looking forward to our first trip to Somerset Park on league business since January 2006.
As always manager Ian McCall was able to bring www.ptfc.co.uk the latest team news.
"Although both of them trained on Thursday we will leave out Alan Archibald and Willie Kinniburgh from this match but they will both hopefully feature against Liverpool on Tuesday night which will obviously be of a real boost to Alan in particular."
"Willie is close to being back in action ahead of schedule. I was considering putting him out on loan for a bit but I think he could play a couple of reserve games and then be ready to return to the first team squad here. Having him fit and having another body available in the squad is obviously good news."
"Elsewhere Liam Buchanan has a very slight thigh strain but he should be absolutely fine for Saturday."
"We may already have played two competitive fixtures there is a feeling that the season really starts against Ayr United. The two games that we have played already were matches that we were really expected to win, albeit you always get a really hard game when you travel to play Airdrie United. Saturday's game with Ayr United has a different feel to it altogether. It's Ayr's first game back in the First Division and they will be extra keen to do well because of that. I think that there will be a real high tempo to this match and with a large travelling Thistle support sure to go to this game I also think there will be a terrific atmosphere at the game."
While Ayr are newcomers to the First Division there are a side comprised of familiar faces none more so than Mark Roberts who is due to play against Thistle for the first time since his January transfer to Somerset Park.
"One thing that we can be sure of is that Roberts will be doing everything he can to score against us. I'm sure also that he will come over to our dugout and have something to say to me. No matter what that is we will have a laugh about it after the game! On a serious note Mark is a quality player and one that is more than capable of doing damage to us on Saturday."
Roberts isn't the only player that the Thistle fans will need an introduction to tomorrow. Amongst manager Brian Reid's summer signings was ex Jag Billy Gibson who was with Clyde last season. Other summer signings for Ayr include Kevin Crawley (Celtic), Kevin James (St Johnstone), Andy Aitken (Queen of the South) and Craig Samson (Kilmarnock). Other summer signing David O'Brien was released earlier this week after only a very brief stopover at Somerset Park.
Tomorrow Ayr will have to do without the services of Neil McGowan who carries forward a suspension from last season.
Thistle Stats
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Liam Buchanan 3
Chris Erskine 2
Bryan Hodge 1
Last Match
Co-Operative Insurance Cup First Round
Saturday August 1st 2009
Partick Thistle 5, Berwick Rangers 1
Ayr United Stats
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Andy Aitken 1
William Easton 1
Last Match
Co-Operative Insurance Cup First Round
Saturday August 1st 2009
Stirling Albion 1, Ayr United 2
Last Meeting*
Scottish Cup Third Round
Saturday November 24th 2007
Partick Thistle 2, Ayr United 1
Teams
Thistle: Hinchcliffe, Robertson, Harkins, Archibald, Twaddle, McKinlay, McStay (Murray), Rowson, Chaplain, Buchanan, Roberts (Donnelly).
Ayr: McGeown, Forrest, Henderson, Robertson, Lowing, Weaver, Stevenson, Casey (Wardlaw), Baldacchino, Williams, Moore .
Scorers
Thistle: Roberts (45), Buchanan (56)
Ayr: Williams (19)
Crowd: 2,260
*competitive fixtures only
Match Details
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday August 8th 2009
Ayr United v Partick Thistle
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Prices
Adults :£15
Concessions (under 16s and senior citizens only): £8
Saturday's Other Fixtures
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Dundee v Morton
Dunfermline Athletic v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Queen of the South v Raith Rovers
Ross County v Airdrie United (Provisional - Subject to change)
Travel
Supporters Buses
Cumbernauld: Depart 1:30pm Cumbernauld British legion. Contact Paul Devine on 07926803867 to book seats.
Jordanhill: Depart 1:45pm Woodend Tennis Club. Prices for non members are £9 adults, £6 concessions. Could everyone (including members) please book seats in advance.
To book seats contact Elainne on 07876 755609 (evenings - before 9pm)
or text / email lainnys@hotmail.com during daytime, non-members welcome.
Rail
There is a half hourly train service from Glasgow to either Ayr or Newton-on-Ayr. The ground is a ten minute walk from both stations.
Car
A77 to Ayr, and at Whitletts roundabout take third exit (A719) and follow until after Ayr Racecourse. Take first right at traffic lights then left and right into Somerset Road.
There is, limited, car parking located next to the Main Stand. Price £1.50.
Match Officials
Referee: Alan Muir
Assistant Referees: Steven Craven and Richard Gough
