Where is Darvel FC located? Aberdeen cup win, which league do they play in, who is the manager and owner

Darvel FC produced one of the greatest upsets in Scottish Cup history by knocking out Premiership giants Aberdeen in the fourth round.

The junior side defied the odds and took an early lead with a deflected strike by Jordan Kirkpatick. The hosts withstood a great deal of pressure from Aberdeen in the second half to see the game out for a famous 1-0 victory.

No other top-flight side has previously lost to a team five divisions below them in the pecking order and Darvel will be hoping to build on this momentum in their round of 16 tie against Falkirk.

But where is Darvel FC located and how have their fans reacted to their historic triumph?

Here is everything you need to know.

Who are Darvel FC?

Darvel FC are a Scottish football club based in the town of Darvel, Ayrshire. The town has a population of around 4,000 people. Darvel were formed in 1889 and the club currently play their home games at Recreation Park. The stadium holds around 2,200 fans - the majority of the allocation is for supporters who wish to stand.

Darvel are nicknamed ‘The Vale’ by supporters.The Ayrshire club traditionally wear an all-blue home kit and all-black away kit. Darvel currently compete in the sixth tier of Scottish Football in the West of Scotland Premier League. Darvel won the Western Premier League last year but missed out on promotion to the fifth tier after a second place finish in the Lowland League play-offs.

The Vale have continued to dominate the Western Premier League this season and they are currently top of the table with 10 wins from their opening 13 games.

Who is the manager of Darvel FC?

Darvel have been managed by Michael Kennedy since the start of the 2019/20 campaign. Kennedy helped Darvel to the title in the now defunct West Region Championship during the 2019-20 campaign.

The 42-year-old is aiming to reach the fifth tier of Scottish Football this season and is also aiming to continue his side’s incredible cup run.

After the victory against Aberdeen, Kennedy praised his team for their historic victory. He said: “I have believed in the guys all week. I have been drumming it into the team, they need to believe in themselves and trust each other. That is the culture at the club, the togetherness, love and respect we have driven that all week. When you believe in each other it is remarkable what you can achieve.”

Who is the owner of Darvel FC?

Darvel are owned by award winning pie maker John Gall who described his team’s victory as a “dream come true.” However, despite his club’s achievements he has promised to keep his feet on the ground and not get carried away. Gall said after the game: “Some things don’t change even after you beat one of the biggest teams in the country.

“Two or three of us still had to stay behind and lock the gates last night after the BBC cameras were away. That’s when it comes back to you ‘did we really beat Aberdeen? Have we still got to lock the gates at night?”

Gall has described the West of Scotland Football League as one of the best leagues in football but claims more needs to be done with the pyramid system to allow his team to progress further. Gall said: “The West of Scotland Football League is one of the best leagues in Scotland. Auchinleck Talbot is one of the famous clubs in the league, but we’ve also got Clydebank, Pollok and Irvine Meadow.

“We have the pyramid system now. Well done to the Scottish FA for agreeing to do this, but it now needs to be looked at. I think last night shows the strength of the teams. We can be a force in Scottish football, but we need this pyramid system to work better for us and enable us to get up the leagues.”