Kilwinning Rangers F.C.

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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

19th century

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).

20th century

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.

21st century

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kilwinning achieved successive promotions in 2014-15 and 2016–17, courtesy of a play-off victory against Shettleston<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and maintained their top flight status the following season by defeating Kilsyth Rangers in another play-off.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Broomhill manager David Gormley was hired for the start of the next season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following Aitken's resignation, Ex-Caledonian Locomotives boss Kevin Kelly was appointed along with his assistant Steven Saunders.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Scottish Cup

Kilwinning Rangers made their first ever foray into the Scottish Cup in the 2022–23 season; defeating Rutherglen Glencairn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Tranent,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before succumbing to Scottish League Two side Forfar Athletic in the second round proper.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Nickname

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> however, the plan fell through.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A seated stand was added ahead of the 2020-21 West of Scotland Football League season;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with the new floodlights following the next year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Current squad

As of 4 November 2025<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

First team

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Other players

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Management team

As of 18 September 2025

Position Name
Chairman Colin Evans
Manager Kevin Kelly
Assistant Manager Steven Saunders
First Team Coach John McGowan
Goalkeeping Coach Scott Black
First Team Physio Louise Downie
Club Secretary Lauren Grant
Development Team Manager Dylan Mackin
Development Assistant Manager Tommy Leckie
Development Team Secretary Alan McAlpine
Development Goalkeeping Coach David Wilson
Kit Manager Jayne Gorman
Media Manager / Match Day Announcer Ben Grant

Honours

Senior

West of Scotland Football League Cup

  • Runners-up: 2021–22

West of Scotland Football League First Division

  • Promotion: 2024–25

Junior

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

  • 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
    • Winners (11): 1904–05, 1908–09, 1934–35, 1976–77, 1985–86, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2017–18<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
  • Ayrshire League Cup
    • Winners (2): 1929–30, 1998–99
  • Ayrshire District Cup
    • Winners (8): 1905–06, 1920–21, 1931–32, 1958–59, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02
  • North Ayrshire Cup
    • Winners (4): 1995–96, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01
  • Western Intermediate League Cup
    • Winners: 1929–30
  • Irvine & District League
    • Winners (3): 1907–08, 1908–09, 1913–14
  • Eglinton Cup
  • Pat Rall Memorial Tournament
    • Winners: 2025

Youth honours

  • Lady Darling Supplementary Cup
    • Winners: 2005–06
  • U18 West of Scotland Cup
    • Winners: 2024–25
  • Wallace Gemmell Shield
    • Winners: 2024–25

Notable players

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.
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References

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