My Ayr goal romp was just Hurst class
Glynn’s five star blast stunned‘Ton
MORTON ...................................... 0 AYR UNITED ................................. 6
Mike Wilson talks to Glynn Hurst about his record goal haul
Glynn Hurst fired a five goal salvo to etch himself in the Ayr record books – but then never found the net again.
The pacy striker with thunder in his boots went nap happy as United hit makeshift Morton for six with some ruthless finishing.
The 6-0 rout at Cappielow on January 2, 2001 kept Gordon Dalziel’s men firmly in the Bell’s Division One title hunt.
They took the fight to the wire before finishing runners-up to Livingston.
Hurst, 44, recently took over as manager of Ashton Town of England’s North West Counties League. But the rookie boss has never forgotten his three seasons at Ayr where he bagged 51 goals in 95 games.
He recalled: “The people of Ayr really took to me and made me feel at home. Ayr were one of three clubs who wanted to sign me but I felt immediately they were the right one. It proved to be a brilliant move.
“In hindsight, I probably should have waited a bit longer before leaving. I wanted to prove myself back in England but I went to Stockport who had a totally different style of play to the free flowing football I got at Ayr.
“The Morton game is memorable for me. It’s the only time I have scored five goals as a professional so I will never forget it.
“I’ve now been given a big opportunity at Ashton who have never been out of the Counties League. I’ll leave no stone unturned to win them promotion.”
Hurst teamed up with lethal strikers Gary Teale, Andy Walker and Neil Tarrant as Ayr carved a reputation as cup giant killers but unable to deliver in the league.
He set up the first goal as United crushed Kilmarnock 3-0 in the Scottish Cup in 1999 and was top league scorer with 18 that season.
But he saved his biggest haul for the last month of his Ayr life when he scored five but then took off three games later.
Desperate to return south, he was sold the following month for £175,000 to Stockport before becoming top scorer at Chesterfield and Notts County. He went on to play for Shrewsbury, Bury and FC United of Manchester among others.
Hurst grabbed all four as Ayr raced into an interval lead against a young and bewildered Morton. James Grady made it five before Hurst headed home a Teale corner to complete the slaughter.
Shaken ‘Ton boss Allan Evans, who had won the European Cup with Aston Villa 18 years earlier, admitted: “It was men against boys – Ayr could have scored more.”
Evans was soon axed and replaced by Ally Maxwell but the former Rangers keeper couldn’t stave off the drop.
Hurst was the first Ayr player since Peter Price in 1955 to score five in a game. He joined a select band of Honest Men led by Jimmy Smith who did it three times in the 1920s.
The only others are Terry McGibbons (1933), Malky
Morrison (1946) and Andy Torrance (1953).
Hurst, who won five Under 23 caps for South Africa, was an apprentice at Tottenham but it was from non-league Emley, where he worked as a postman, that he joined Ayr in March 1998 for £30,000.
After hanging up his boots, Hurst became a philosophy, RE and PE teacher and also coached his school’s football team. In 2019 he was appointed reserve team coach of Marine before becoming his own man at Ashton Town.
Glynn lives in Aintree with wife Yvonne and 11-year-old son Joshua.
The people of Ayr really took to me and made me feel at home. It proved to be a brilliant move.