THISTLE DO
Honest Men set for double header against McCall’s old side
Ian McCall insists his side won’t be fazed by playing Partick Thistle twice in a week.
Ayr United will visit Firhill on July 28 in the Betfred Cup group stages before hosting the relegated Premiership side in a glamour league opener on August 4.
But McCall, who was manager at Firhill for four years, reckons it’s important his side get off to a flyer.
He said: “It doesn’t matter what team we are playing, we want to win.
“Playing at Somerset especially we will have a right go at them.
“We are playing them twice in a row, but Scottish football is like that sometimes.
“A couple of years ago it felt like we were playing Dunfermline every second week, we just have to get on with it.
“But I am looking forward to it.
“It’s a great game for the fans that’s for sure.
“Having been Thistle’s manager for four years I know that Ayr is one of their favourite away days.
“I think they’ll bring a right good crowd down, and if our fans turn out there could be north of 3500 in the ground.”
United will head to the Highlands on match day two when they visit Inverness before hosting Dunfermline and then visiting Queen of the South.
McCall said: “I started looking through the fixtures but stopped after the third or fourth because there’s no point trying to pick out games we can win.
“They’re all winnable, and they’re all loseable - they are just all hard games as there is no weak team in the league.”
• The Honest Men were back in training on Saturday as they were put through their paces at the Low Green by McCall and former Bolton and Blackburn assistant Sandy Stewart.
“Full focus is on pre season training and the rest should take care of itself.
“We will then get ready for the game against Morton.”
• Declan McDaid put pen to paper last week and becomes the latest to commit his future to Ayr. “Getting Declan tied up on a new deal was great and I am really pleased.
“For the first time in a number of years we don’t need to worry about signing anyone in the forward areas, as that’s all taken care of.
“It’s really defence and midfield we need to work on now.
“We know what we need, but nothing is confirmed yet.
“I am still hopeful of signing David Ferguson and we need a centre back and a midfielder.
“If we get that along with a goalkeeper and a left back then we will have 18 outfield players which I will be delighted with.”
Full Ayr United 2018/ 19 fixtures list: August 4: Partick H
August 11: Inverness A August 25: Dunfermline H September 1: Queen of the South A September 15: Falkirk H September 22: Alloa A September 29: Morton A October 6: Dundee United H October 20: Ross County A October 27: Partick A October 30: Alloa H November 3: Falkirk A November 10: Queen of the South H November 17: Morton H December 1: Dundee United A December 8: Inverness H December 15: Ross County H December 22: Dunfermline A December 29: Queen of the South A January 5: Falkirk H January 12: Inverness A January 26: Dundee United H February 2: Alloa A February 16: Morton A February 23: Dunfermline H February 26: Ross County H March 2: Partick H
March 9: Falkirk A
March 16: Queen of the South A March 23: Morton H March 30: Dunfermline A April 6: Inverness H
April 13: Dundee United A April 20: Ross County H April 27: Partick A
May 4: Alloa H