Gordon Dalziel is the only manager to take Ayr to a National Cup Final on 17 March 2002 when they lost to Rangers 4–0.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the club established a record of defeating teams which played in higher leagues in cup competitions, including Hibernian, Dundee, Dundee United, Motherwell, Dunfermline Athletic and four consecutive wins in cup competitions against their fiercest rivals Kilmarnock.

During much of the 1990s and 2000s, a period of relative success both in league and cup competitions, the Ayr United chairman was local construction magnate Bill Barr.

After Barr stood down, there were occasional boardroom struggles: the club suffered significant cashflow problems in 2004 although it survived with a combination of efforts.

The club bounced back the following season, winning promotion after defeating Forfar Athletic and Brechin City in the play-offs.

In the 2011–12 season, Ayr enjoyed success in the 2011–12 Scottish League Cup, beating SPL sides Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Heart of Midlothian and St Mirren on their way to the semi-finals.

Ayr United played Ayrshire derby rivals Kilmarnock in the semi-finals, the first time the two clubs had met at this stage.

The club appointed Mark Roberts, top scorer in the previous three seasons, manager, with head of youth development, Davie White, as his assistant.

After saving the club from relegation on the final day of the 2014–15 season, McCall led Ayr back to the Championship with a penalty shoot-out victory over Stranraer in the play-offs.

This poor form included a shock Scottish Cup defeat to Junior Champions Auchinleck Talbot.

Key players Lawrence Shankland, Robbie Crawford and Liam Smith departed at the end of 2018–19 and signed for other clubs.

He was replaced by ex-Scotland international and former Greenock Morton, Bradford City and Livingston manager David Hopkin.

Ayr United avoided relegation on the final day of the season after a draw with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

"[10] Another prominent name to join the campaign was former Ayr United and Bayern Munich striker and now a Sky Sports pundit on Soccer Saturday, Alan McInally, who said "Badges are so important to football supporters and are treasured by everyone.

The club's original jerseys were red and gold, inherited from Ayr,[12] with navy blue shorts and socks.

Ayr went back to keeping an all-white jersey with either white or black shorts and socks until the centenary season.

For the 2011–12 season, a half-black-half-white shirt was worn for the first time, however, Ayr FC had previously wore a similar jersey between 1899 and 1903.

[13] In November 2006, United signed a contract with Barratt Homes for the sale of Somerset Park, having secured a 20-acre (81,000 m2) site in the Heathfield area of Ayr.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

25,225 vs Rangers, 13 September 1969 in Scottish League Division One[18] 51,158 vs Rangers, 4 April 1973, Scottish Cup semi-final, at Hampden Park[18] 106 vs Girvan, 1 May 1991 in the Ayrshire Cup[18] 192 vs Deveronvale, 28 November 2009, in the Scottish Cup[18] 11–1 vs Dumbarton, 13 August 1952[18] 0–9 vs Rangers, 16 November 1929[18] 0–9 vs Heart of Midlothian, 28 February 1931[18] 0–9 vs Third Lanark, 4 December 1931[18] John Murphy (597 apps), between 1963 and 1978[18] Peter Price, (213 goals in 251 apps) between 1955 and 1962[18] Jimmy Smith, (66 goals in 38 apps) in the 1927–28 Season[18] James Nisbet for Scotland (3) vs Norway, Germany and The Netherlands in 1929[18] Mark Shankland, aged 15 years and 300 days (vs Brechin City, 7 May 2011)[19] Alan Forrest, aged 16 years and 321 days (vs Queens Park, 27 July 2013)