New weekly thread.

Had the idea for this a couple of weeks ago when i was away a wee 2 day break with Mrs Tek+ Tek Jr.We were in Ayr and as we got a taxi from the hotel into town we passed their new big flash,fancy College and i noticed there was football pitches behind it and a team training.

Was sitting in the hotel room later that night and wondered to myself 'wonder who that team was playing on there?'.Turns out it is a local junior team called Whitletts Victoria...

They play behind Ayr College..

On their sports grounds called Dam Park.....

Anyway the bit of info that caught my eyes regards them was that their current Manager is ex-Utd player Neil Duffy.

This is a player who finally made his first team debut with the club in his THIRD SPELL at the club...ELEVEN years after he first signed for Utd.Here is his story.....

Name - Cornelius Duffy
Born - Glasgow,Scotland (5th June 1967)
Height - 6ft 1
Playing Position - Defender/Midfielder
Signed - January 1985 by Jim McLean
1st team Debut - August 1996 v Motherwell at Tannadice Premier Division (1-1 draw)
1st goal - v Raith Rovers 1-2 defeat 23rd Nov 1996 *The one and only Tannadice game i have attended with my Dad funnily enough*
Other Teams played for - Dundee,Falkirk,Ayr Utd,Dumbarton

Neil Duffy was born in Glasgow on 5 June 1967, but brought up in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. His father, also named [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neil_Duffy,_Sr.&action=edit&redlink=1]Neil Duffy[/url], was himself a professional footballer in Scotland (most notably for Partick Thistle) and South Africa.

Neil junior played local amateur football for Shamrocks, where his father was coach.

Duffy began his professional career with Dundee United at the age of 17 after passing a first team trial whilst on holiday in 1985. Soon afterwards, however, he returned to South Africa due to homesickness.In South Africa he once again played for Shamrocks.

Four years later he was given a second chance at Tannadice and was once again signed by Jim McLean.He went on to play in the reserves again for two years but unfortunately for Neil was never quite able to break his way into the strong Utd first team at the time.

He left for Falkirk in 1990 without making a first team appearance. 

Duffy spent three years at Falkirk making over 150 appearances and at times Captaining them.He left in season 93-94 however to join Utd's City rivals Dundee FC.

He stayed at Dundee for 3 years in which time he Captained the side to their first Cup Final in over 20 years.The League Cup Final at Hampden v Aberdeen in 1995.They lost 2-0.

In August '96, Duffy rejoined Dundee United for a £200,000 transfer fee,finally making his first team debut in his third spell at the club.Eleven years after he first signed for the Tannadice side initially.

He went on to make 47 appearances for Utd in yet another 3 year spell at a club.

He scored 2 goals in this time.Once was a consolation goal in the aforementioned home defeat to Raith in November 1996 and the other was 3 years later in a 3-0 Scottish Cup home win v the now defunct Clydebank in a March 1999 replay.



At the end of his 3 year contract at Tannadice Neil joined Ayr Utd where he enjoyed a very enjoyable and prosperous 3 year spell as their Captain.He helped the club to a very successfull spell in their recent history.Leading them out to Hampden on 3 occasions.Two Scottish Cup Semi Finals and most notably a League Cup Final v Rangers in 2002.Sadly a very strong Rangers team with no fewer than 10 starting Internationalists on the day proved just too strong for them running away with the game 4-0.

During Ayr's Scottish Cup run in 2002 Neil Duffy of course Captained Ayr to defeat over Dundee United winning their replay at Somerset 2-0 in a highly embarrassing night for DUFC.Former DUFC forward Scott Crabbe scored Ayr's first goal on the night and 2 other ex-DUFC players also featured on the night in David Craig and James Grady.

In 2002-03, Duffy moved to Dumbarton, where he stayed until retiring in 2004. His time at Dumbarton provided his one and only red card which ironically came in his last ever senior appearance in Scottish football.

There then followed a few years out of the game completely.

After some time coaching at Ayr United's youth academy, Duffy was appointed as Troon under-19 coach in May 2013. He became assistant manager of the club in August 2015 before departing in December 2015.On 15 December 2015, Duffy was named manager of Whitletts Victoria.

In conclusion it never quite worked out for him in his 3 spells at Tannadice (but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying on his part).One of the few players Wee Jim signed TWICE (infact i can't think of another at the moment but i'm sure there must be).

I'm sure you'll join me in wishing him well in his first Managerial role at Whifletts Victoria however.