A new report has named Ayr United one of the UK's most investable football clubs.
The Honest Men scored second in the entire country when it came to their potential for would-be backers.
More than 100 clubs were examined as part of research by football finance expert Dr Rob Wilson and BetVictor.
Everything from infrastructure to financial health was put in the spotlight as the data crunch looked at prime candidates for expansion.
Ayr scored best for "utilisation" rank, which means if the club were successfully scaled it offers the best ROI in this category.
Club owner David Smith told the Ayrshire Post: "We're absolutely delighted with this as it confirms the progress being made in and around the club.
"Most importantly, everything within this report is data driven and stands up to scrutiny.
"We are not a club that is levered up to its neck in debt and we are focused on building our assets moving forward.
"I was also delighted to see Arbroath place top of the list alongside ourselves - I think it says a lot for the Scottish Championship and how clubs like ourselves are conducting our business."
United recently announced bold plans to redevelop Somerset Park with a new north stand, which will include a business centre and revamped hospitality facility.
And the club is currently pushing hard to increase season ticket numbers ahead of the upcoming Championship kick-off.
Managing director, Graeme Mathie, added: "It’s great for the club to be recognised so highly in this study and full credit to the chairman and the board for the work they have done behind the scenes.
"This is a significant and exciting time to be part of Ayr United.
"There are more sponsorship opportunities than ever before, the hospitality suite will be reopened for the final season in its current form, we’ve set an ambitious target of 1500 season tickets this year and we want people in the community to join us on the journey.
"This report should be a source of real pride for club and fans alike and now, more than ever, is our chance to push on - United together."
To read the full report, visit https://blog.betvictor.com/campaigns/most-investible-football-clubs/
The full top ten:
1) Arbroath
2) Ayr United
3) Cheltenham Town
4) Crawley Town
5) Grimsby Town
6) Stevenage
7) Carlisle United
8) Exeter City
9) Swindon Town
10) Livingston
