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The 2013/14 season was the 117th season of competitive football in Scotland. The season began on 13 July 2013, with the start of the Challenge Cup. 2013-14 was also Ayr United’s 99th season of competitive football in club's history.
League re-organisation caused name changes to each division in Scotland with Ayr United now playing in League 1 - Scotlands third tier. Ayr United began the season with two behind closed doors friendlies against Romanian opposition where the managers’ newly assembled side began going through their paces.
United continued their preparation with a stern test against the Greek side AEL Limmassol, losing 2-0 but heartened by a fighting display against the odds.
Due to points and relegation penalties for financial irregularities and going into administration, two high quality clubs would challenge Ayr for divisional honours - Glasgow Rangers and Dunfermline Athletic. Effectively this meant that Ayr at best would be pushing for a play-off place.
United had some good early results with major rebuffs against Dunfermline (5-1 in September) and 6-3 against Stranraer in November. With tight results and other clubs pushing for ellusive play off positions United found themselves on the edge of the play off zone but results such as two consecutive 5-0 wins in march against Stranraer and East Fife kept them in touch of a play-off place.
United’s season, good as it was to this point had a certain inconsistency which meant that United could not always capitalise on good winning runs. A run of defeats followed to Forfar Athletic, Rangers and against play off rivals Stenhousemuir who scored two goals in added time to win 3-2 in April.
United achieved a good draw against Dunfermline Athletic before the final ‘must win’ match against East Fife which the Honest men had to win to claim the last play off place and send East Fife to a relegation play off at the other end. United did the job and set up a play off semi final against Championship Cowdenbeath. The first leg at Somerset Park started promisingly with United coming close early on, but Ayr were 2-0 down by half time after two periods where Ayr took their eye of the boil. The second leg resulted in a 3-1 defeat for Ayr consigning them to another season in the new League 1.
Manager Mark Roberts was given a contract extension after what was a competant season, but more was expected for season 2014/15.
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