Winton Rovers were given an award in 1987.

MANPOWER SERVICE COMMISSION AWARD

                 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 30 January 1987

WINTON ROVERS 2 - HURLFORD UNITED 1
Winton’s match against Hurlford on Saturday  (24 January 1987) had enough needle in it to knit a blanket for Ethiopia and many of those on the terracing felt  both sides would be better equipped to do so than  play football.  Both sides looked hungry for a win but it was obvious that this was a desperate bottom-of-the-table clash rather than a fight between two title  contenders.  Three fouls in the first five minutes set  the mood for the game.
     Winton’s Findlay Pirrie had the first real shot at goal from quite far out in the twelfth minute and with the keeper struggling to make a save, had there been any back-up, the home side would have taken  an early lead.  A build up between McNair and Robinson allowed Cameron to curl the ball in dangerously but somehow keeper Marner got a foot to it and two minutes later Docherty, on the left side of  the field, floated in a superb cross which Marner could only punch away.  The ball fell to McNair but  he couldn't convert the rebound.  Winton began to pile on the pressure and a Wark shot just skimmed over the bar in the twenty-fifth minute.
     Five minutes later, a move which started with Malcolmson in front of his own goal resulted in Neil getting a shot on target but Hurlford’s Robert White managed to stretch out his foot to tap the ball to the keeper.  Play swung from end to end and Mark Orr came close in the fortieth minute.  His shot from thirty yards just  caught the post and Orr seemed shocked that his  effort had not gone in.  Winton took the lead in the fifty-fifth minute.  Mark Orr played the ball to Mick Neil who slipped a pass inside for Findlay Pirrie to score.  Hurlford came straight back and were  awarded a penalty two minutes later for a hand-ball infringement.  Donald McMaster scored from  the spot.
     The home side secured both points in the eightieth  minute though.  Orr looked as if he had not got a lot  of power behind his header but somehow it squirmed under the keeper’s body.  Three Winton players were booked - Willie Snowdon for hacking down Robert Hamill as shown below, Mark Orr for a similar foul on Donald McMaster and Kevin Wark for his protest at the Hurlford penalty award.

Willie Snowden of Winton pulls down Robert Hammill of Hurlford at Winton Park on Saturday.
Snowden was booked for his troubles.

     The Winton team was Marner, Malcolmson, Snowden, Wark, Newman, McColl, McGeachie, Halley, Pirrie, Orr and Neil with substitutes Cruickshanks and Rorrison.
                 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 30 January 1987

YOKER ATHLETIC 1 - WINTON ROVERS 2
Marner the Hero as Winton go through

Winton named new signings Craig Berry and William Thompson for the second round West of Scotland Cup tie (on 31 January 1987).  On a flat but hard slippery surface both sides took time to settle.  Yoker could have taken an early lead through McGurk but his eight-yard shot was well stopped by Marner who proved to be a real hero for Winton.  Winton’s first chance fell to McGeachie whose fierce eighteen-yard volley from a Neil cross was inches too high.  Throughout the first half, Winton had the best of the play but the home side were always dangerous on the break. In the thirty-sixth minute, Marner again foiled Yoker when he saved a fine George attempt to keep the half time score blank.
     Within four minutes of the restart, Yoker were ahead.  A corner from the right was missed by a number of players before McGurk beat Marner with a six-yard shot.  Although Winton kept up the pressure, it was not until the sixth-ninth minute that they got their equaliser.  Rorrison released Neil with a fine long pass and the former Cumnock player coolly slipped the ball past the advancing keeper.  Within five minutes, Winton got the winner.  A cross from Neil was headed against the crossbar by McGeachie and Rorrison ran in to head the ball home despite a desperate effort by keeper Workman to beat it away.  In the dying minutes, George was denied a chance of a replay when his eight-yard header was knocked over by Marner.
     The Winton team was Marner, Malcolmson, Snowden, Wark, Berry, Orr, Thompson, McGeachie, Rorrison, McColl and Neil with substitutes Montgomery and Bruce.
                 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 6 February 1987

WINTON ROVERS 1 - KILBIRNIE LADESIDE 0
Winton proved again to be the thorn in Kilbirnie's side and their victory on Saturday (14 March 1987) has seriously jeopardised Ladeside’s chances of winning the league.  The home side got off to an excellent start with Willie Thomson just heading wide in the second minute- and two minutes later, Jim Montgomery had a chance with a free kick which went straight to the keeper.  Ladeside took time to settle but in the eighth minute George Coll sneaked in with a diving header.  Jim Marner saved confidently though.  The Winton keeper also pulled off at great save from Morton Milne minutes later.  Montgomery broke clear in the twentieth minute but found it necessary to indulge in the age old sport of jersey pulling with George Coll.  A free kick was awarded and Mick Neil was booked for his protests.  Only nine minutes later, the second Winton player went into the referee's book.  McColl tackled Billy Muir who in turn kicked McColl.  McColl, who had been niggled by Muir all afternoon, retaliated and was hooked.  A couple of minutes later, Muir was carried off and replaced by Gordon Mills.  Kilbirnie began to push more men into attack but Paul Halley at sweeper mopped up everything that was thrown at him.
     The visitors created plenty of chances at the start of the second half with Marner having to save from Milne and Hugh Lyden but Winton's Mark Orr was looking dangerous at the other end though.  As frustration crept into Kilbirnie’s play, Winton began to dominate and in the seventieth minute, Orr broke free and hammered the hall past Tony Bryden.  From then until the end of the match, Kilbirnie pressed for an equaliser but the Winton defence held out for a confidence-boosting victory - their second over Ladeside in the league this season.  Two other players were booked, Kenny Lynn of Kilbirnie for dissent and Winton's Franny McGeachie for a foul on Alan Pirrie.
     The teams were
Winton Rovers - Marner, Montgomery. McColl, Halley, Berry, Malcolmson, Wark, McGeachie, Orr, Thomson and Neil with substitutes Snowden and Cruickshanks.
Kilbirnie Ladeside - Bryden, Pirrie, Lynn, Lyden, Feeney, Rennie, Coll, Conway, Milne, O'Rourke and Muir with substitutes Mills and Howie.
                 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 20 March 1987

FORTH WANDERERS 0 -WINTON ROVERS 1
Orr off but Neil goal is killer
Winton elected to kick with the strong wind in the first half of this third-round clash in the West of Scotland Cup (on 4 April 1987) and, in truth, the wind was one of the most important factors in the match.  Both sides took time to adapt and the home side had the best of the early chances.  In eleven minutes, a good run by O’Donnell down the right beat the Winton defence and his cross to Quinn eighteen yards out resulted in a powerful shot which Marner did well to hold.  Winton’s only real chances of the first half came after thirty-nine minutes and they scored from it.  Thomson crossed to Neil and his fifteen-yard effort looked netbound but keeper Storie somehow managed to turn it behind for a corner.
     The relief of the home support was short-lived though.  Neil took the corner kick and his cross was caught by the wind and the ball crept in at the near post.  The second half was basically a containing game by the visitors as Forth, with the wind now at their backs pushed forward.  As the game proceeded without further scoring, tempers began to fray and Winton's Thomson and Forth’s O’Donnell were booked for squaring up to each other.  After seventy-seven minutes, Forth made their best chance of the game when McDowall broke clear but his fierce shot was inches too high.  Five minutes later, Dunn was booked for a foul on Orr.  With two minutes left, Orr ran on to a long pass but the keeper saved well.  In the dying seconds, Orr was ordered off for retaliating  in an off-the-ball incident.
    
The Winton team was Marner, Montgomery, Snowden, Halley, Berry, McColl, Thomson, Malcolmson, Orr, Wark and Neil with substitutes Ferguson and McGeachie.
                 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 10 April 1987