Scott Brown departs Ayr United as manager after poor run

Scott Brown has left his role as manager of Ayr United by mutual consent, the club confirmed on Monday morning. The decision follows a difficult spell in which Ayr went nine games without a win and dropped out of the Scottish Championship promotion play-off places.

Brown, 40, departs Somerset Park along with his assistant Steven Whittaker. The former Celtic and Scotland midfielder’s exit comes after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Raith Rovers. That result allowed Raith to move above Ayr into fifth place, leaving the Honest Men five points behind fourth-placed Dunfermline Athletic, who also have a game in hand.

Ayr’s recent form has seen them fall to sixth in Scotland’s second tier. Reports indicate that Friday night’s defeat at Raith Rovers was the decisive moment for both Brown and the club’s leadership. After the match, Brown admitted his team lacked fight during a period when both results and attendances have been declining.

Brown took charge at Ayr United in January 2024 and quickly guided the team away from relegation trouble. In his first full season, the club finished third, raising hopes among supporters for a push for the championship. However, momentum faded late last season with a disappointing play-off campaign.

This season has been defined by inconsistent home performances and injuries, factors widely blamed for the team’s slide down the table. Despite calls from some fans for change, the club’s board had held off making a decision until now.

Brown began his coaching career at Aberdeen as a player-coach after leaving Celtic. He later managed Fleetwood Town in England’s League One, where he led the side to a 13th-place finish in his first season but was dismissed in September 2023 after a poor start to his second campaign.

With Brown and Whittaker now gone, veteran winger Jamie Murphy has taken charge of training alongside first-team coach Tommy Tait and goalkeeper coach Dave Timmins. The club has said that “a further communication regarding an interim position” will be made in due course.

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For now, Ayr United remain outside the promotion play-off spots and five points behind Dunfermline Athletic, who still have a game in hand.