AN IRVINE pensioner was delighted to be reunited with a trophy he won as a cyclist - decades after lifting it.

Billy McKenna, 90, was a member of the Ayr Roads cycle team as a much younger man, specialising in time trials.

He won various club and Ayrshire District cycling awards, including the Team Shield, won after a season’s long championship over 25, 50 and 100 miles.

Billy was a miner from Kirkconnel and a member of the hugely successful Crawick Wheelers club of the 1930s before he joined the Ayr Roads club.

In his time with the Crawick club he rubbed shoulders with the Scott brothers - Dave, Will and Jim - who set numerous Scottish time trial records alongside Jock Tudhope.

Irvine Times: Billy in his cycling days with his trophies

Now retired to Irvine, Billy was delighted to get a visit from Arnold Thompson recently, who is updating the history of Ayr Roads.

Arnold, another winner of the Team Shield, brought the trophy along too.

He said: "We had a great chat with Billy, telling me of some of his exploits.

"He was a time trialist but was chosen to ride for an Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire select. 

"The team was Billy and Jimmy Pebbles of Ayr Roads, Andy Kerr (Fullarton) and Davie Withers and the team manager was none other than Ian Steel [winner of the cross-European Peace Race in 1952 and the first Briton to win a major road cycling race].

"Billy was ecstatic when we had our photos taken with the shield as past winners."

Irvine Times: Cyclist Billy in action

"Billy’s still got his old Flying Scot bike - he told me his wheels have disappeared, but he thinks there under his loft installation.

"He still golfs three days a week with the help of his mobility scooter."