It was later confirmed that under current league requirements, Ayr United would be allowed to play matches at Somerset Park with minimal improvements to its facilities should they gain promotion to the SPFL Premiership, as the more stringent seating capacity regulations had been removed some years earlier.
Somerset Park was the first stadium in Britain to host the UEFA Women's Cup (now Champions League) in 2001.
[4] Ayr Parkhouse, who played at Beresford Park, subsequently joined the league, but were also stuck in the Second Division.
[9] Somerset Park was the first stadium in Britain to host the UEFA Women's Cup (now Champions League) in 2001.
[14] Barratt Homes pulled out of the deal to purchase Somerset Park in August 2008, however, with the developer claiming that the planning rules were "unworkable".
[6][14] The Main Stand roof was damaged by Hurricane Irene in December 2011, forcing Ayr United to postpone a First Division match against Ross County.
[15] In 2018, it was confirmed that under current league requirements, Ayr United would be allowed to play matches at Somerset Park with minimal improvements to its facilities should they gain promotion to the SPFL Premiership, as the more stringent seating capacity regulations had been removed some years earlier.
In late 2012, the club were once again forced into further work upon the Main Stand, removing the remaining concrete asbestos tiles on the roof[17] and upgrading the kitchen facilities.
[2] To celebrate the construction of the new roof, Ayr United invited English club Sunderland to play a friendly match - the result was a 1–1 draw.
[2] Each box is named after a club great from either the 1960s, 1970's or 1980's, they are: Quinton 'Cutty' Young, Stan Quinn, Henry Templeton, Davie Stewart and John 'Spud' Murphy.
[2] In 2011, the original lights had to be replaced, which caused a Challenge Cup match against Raith Rovers to be switched to Greenock Morton's Cappielow Park, Ayr United won 3–0.
[22] Ayr United's impressive form at the outset of the 2018–19 Scottish Championship season led observers to examine the latest SPFL entry requirements due to the possibility of the club achieving promotion while still based at the unmodernised Somerset Park (all other promoted teams' stadia since the advent of the new league body in 2013 had met the previous SPL seating threshold of 6000, therefore little attention was paid to the matter).
It was confirmed that the SPFL statutes only required grounds to have 'bronze standard' facilities (500 covered places), meaning Somerset would be accepted as a Premiership venue with minimal improvements.