KILLIE HIPPO AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINE SEPTEMBER 2021
MEMORIAL GARDEN
• DEFIBRILLATOR APPEAL • PLAYING THE PENALTY • ALL HAIL MARK REILLY
HUGE THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS RAINBOW INK CO. MODWAY SCOTLAND URQUHART OPTICIANS COLIN MCDONALD HOME MAINTENANCE BILLY BOWIE SPECIAL PROJECTS LTD I LOVE GIFTS GMC CRIMINAL LAWYERS KILMARNOCK EATS AUTOMAX MOBILE VALETING ANNANDALE HOME IMPROVEMENTS
CONTACT E-MAIL : Killiehippo@aol.com NO ARTICLES TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION BACK ISSUES 2–204 INCLUSIVE AVAILABLE All views expressed are those of the contributors
SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO Hello again troops and I apologise for being late but I’m in the hippo medical wing as I recover from shingles. It sounds quite a jolly name for an illness but it’s anything but especially when you are an old fud like me. Of course it meant I couldn’t do the London marathon again this year but my good chum Samo did exactly that…..brilliant effort auld mucker. Being laid low also means no football so I’ve been relying on Killie TV plus match reports from the boozehounds to keep abreast of our stuttering form. It just isn’t the same watching on telly although it maybe gives you a slightly different take as you are not caught up with the positivity/negativity from the crowd. I do enjoy listening to the likes of Hooky, Kevin McGowne, Alan Mahood etc trying to be impartial but failing miserably!! At the time of writing we are sitting 2nd in the table three points behind leaders Dunfermline and at the start of the season I would definitely settled for that at this stage. Apart from the full new squad there is always an “adjustment period” for newly relegated teams and in some cases they simply don’t adjust. It really is a very difficult league to call at present and has the look of any team being capable of beating any other, I just hope we may have a wee bit extra quality than most. There is always lots of moaning after a defeat and questions asked of the manager, ridiculous so early in the season with a team sitting 2 nd. We said from day one the biggest quality needed to get out this league is the desire to battle and that is still the case. If anyone is turning up at RP expecting us to steamroller teams with Brazilian style then they will probably be disappointed. Other teams see us as the “big scalp” and set up to frustrate us, we need to be patient but need to play at a much higher tempo than we did in the first half against Raith. In the opening couple of months we were defensively solid and grabbing odd goal wins but we need to be better going forward. The introduction of Calum Hendry may well be the signing that makes all the difference and the early signs are good with a goals in each of his opening two games. Burke is once again going to be a big player for us and hopefully he stays fit until he is booted up and down the planet at Inverness in December. There is decent competition all over the park but if there is one are where we may be lacking it is midfield. I do think with the right service that Hendry and Shaw will score but getting good quality possession to create is the issue. TW likes lots of crosses into the box so there is a big responsibility on the wide men and full backs to get forward and provide a decent service……time will tell. We have room for one more advert so if there is any business out there wants to join the Hippo family email us killiehippo@aol.com....cheers Sandy
DEFIBRILLATOR APPEAL Even if Scotland were ultimately a disappointment at the Euros it was a decent tournament and I was delighted that it was won by the Italians who I want to win if Scotland don’t! Can you imagine the incessant verbal diarrhoea from Lineker and his overpaid chums if that lot had won. In all honesty they have had everything in their favour both this summer and in the last World Cup so I look forward to their next spectacular failure in Qatar…..which reminds me I need to start my Xmas shopping!! I digress, the image on the front page of this issue is without doubt my lasting memory of Euro 2020. I was just sitting watching it myself on TV and I can honestly say it’s one of the most distressing things I’ve ever seen not helped by the poor choice of the director to try and focus in on every single moment of grief with the player, his teammates and Erikson’s family. It was heartbreaking and I’m amazed that less than two hours later the team were back on the pitch to finish the game. I don’t need to remind you that we’ve had more than our fair shares of tragedy at Killie games and on a couple of occasions I’ve known the Killie fans that passed away. It all highlights the importance of having defibrillators close at hand whether you are watching a sporting event, playing sport, going shopping, walking down the street or just about anything you care to mention. Having watch the whole Christian Eriksen incident I thought it would be good if we tried to raise funds for a defibrillator. The plan was to do it during the season through the fanzine but incredibly fans were wanting to donate straight away and at the time of writing we have the amazing sum of £985. The target is £1500 (incl. secure cabinet) so if you want to donate in any way please email me at killiehippo@aol.com. I’ve spoken to Nina McGinley who works in the NHS and is also willing to give CPR classes…..details in next issue. We are also speaking to the club with a view to finding a suitable location…..thanks to you all.
A DAY AT THE FITBA WITH McCOOL Do you have any idea what it's like to live in Inverness and support a team that play about two hundred miles away? Far more do than you would think, let me tell you. As well as the depressingly normal swathes of Old Firm followers that exist in every other town and city across the country, the Highland capital has so many incomers that it's inhabitants support all manner of teams. Honestly on that quarter to nine train, I've seen them all. I'm not the only Kilmarnock fan up here believe it or not, and I've seen everything from Hearts and Hibs to Motherwell and Falkirk strips heading for a dose of punishment on game day - hell, I even ended up playing counselor on the return journey one night, to a Cowdenbeath fan who had just watched his team get battered 3-0 at Alloa in a relegation decider. 'Don't worry,' I told him. 'There will be plenty more good days ahead. It's the nature of the beast.' Since then, the Blue Brazil, as they're known, have dropped two more divisions and have twice had to play-off to avoid falling out of the leagues altogether. Tonight, as I write this, they're bottom of League Two after this afternoon's defeat at Albion Rovers. From time to time, I do wonder if the fella ever remembers that conversation and wants to kill me for it. Today, for my lot, it was Morton at home and the entire day has been sprinkled with a generous helping of reminders that I'm not as young as I used to be. In the toilets in the hotel before kick off, a little lad, who'd have been about ten or eleven, asked his dad when Kilmarnock last played Morton in a league game. You see, it's been a while. Yeah, you could call it a while. After twenty eight unbroken years in the top flight and a third placed finish as recently as 2019, covid hasn't been the only disaster to hit Kilmarnock in the last two years. In fact, the club has been such a mess, had covid been the black plague, it would still have been the least of our worries.
The culminating ingredients of this Class A beuruch has, incredibly, seen the club somehow manage to end up in the Championship. To the backwaters you shall go for your sins against the beautiful game. So far, the experience has had a surrealness to it. For me, it's been akin to being flung in a time machine back to my teenage years, and as for the aforementioned youngster, he wouldn't have been thought about, the last time this was the norm. For the record, Kilmarnock last played Morton in a league game, way back in 1993, in the shape of a 2-2 draw on a driech midweek evening, as I couldn't resist pointing out to him. I was there that night, but it turns out the dad wasn't. Then again, seeing as he was only a year old at the time, I'll let him off. That's correct, a guy who was ONE when I was a teenager, is now old enough to have a primary school aged kid! How did that happen? 'Does all the travelling not bother you?,' I'm often asked. Not a bit. In fact, it's an absolute joy. Doing more hours than the steeple clock, driving buses and coaches for a living, that jaunt down through the mountains on the train, is often the only chance I get in a week to sit and do nothing and clear my head. That's not to say it's always without incident, of course. My bald dome has hardly nestled on the head rest this morning and I'm fast asleep. When I awaken somewhere near Pitlochry, the train is a riot, a doss house on rails. Ah, I forgot about that. Not only are Celtic at home to Ross County, but Glasgow is also hosting the TRNSMIT music festival this weekend. And what do these adolescents look like? Well to me, they're all virtually identical. The boys have low fade haircuts and trousers that show their bare ankles, while the girls are like walking Instagram filters. On days like this, they drink like navvies and put cocaine on their cornflakes and by the time we've reached Gleneagles, I've had enough of the rabble and decided to look for a quiter carriage. I eventually find a seat next to a rather respectable looking gentleman, who I get the impression wasn't mad keen on this game of space invaders, but hey ho. Inside the hour, the revellers would be falling onto the platform at Queen Street and despite not having kids of my own, I'd suddenly feel like the world's daddy. I'm looking at the lassies and thinking, 'I hope they'll be alright down here. A lot of dirty liberty takers out there.' Seriously, when I hear guys my age and older talking about eighteen and nineteen year olds in a sexual manner, it turns my stomach.
They look like bairns to me, and let's face it, they're not much more than that are they? I certainly don't envy you dads out there who have daughters. I would definitely end up doing time if I had one. See, told you I'm not young any more. Do you think this would this have been my patter ten years ago? That's only the outward leg though. What about the way home? Well, admittedly, it WAS pretty hellish in the early days after moving, when I just wanted to click my fingers and be home, especially in the wake of defeats. That's why I'm so well prepared nowadays, with a tablet and a kindle being as big a 'must remember' as any phone or set of keys will ever be. The trains from Kilmarnock offer no connectivity with my train home, so it's the X76 bus back into Glasgow, which has now been moved to twenty past five, meaning I no longer have to run to the bus station and the very real risk of a cardiac arrest is avoided. Now that I've said that, watch them move it back forward to it's previous ten past five slot. Anyway, one fish supper from the Blue Lagoon and a quick dash up to Queen Street later, we're on the 18:09 up the road and watching a film. When that's done, the old Amazon Fire gets the only airing it ever gets. The train home from games is the only time it ever sees the light of day, you understand. I've resourced my own wee Saturday evening ritual there. Talking of the kindle, have you ever read 'Penthouse and Pavement' by journalist and author Bill Leckie? Well, if you're a football fan, you really should. Or you should at least read chapter two, entitled 'psychos.' It encapsulates perfectly, the crazy, mad, mental, screwed up, mind and subsequent erratic behaviour of a football fan. It examines how any game can put your emotions through the wringer quite the way football can, but never finds the answer. Probably because there is none. None of us know why we put our minds and bodies through it, we just do. Picture this; Ollie Shaw is belting through the channel this afternoon. The two back tracking Morton defenders are all over the place and facing their own goal. All he has to do is square a simple pass to Scott Robinson and set up a guilt edged chance. Instead, too eager to get his first goal for the club, he snatches at a shot. I go mental. Bouncing up and down like Zebede, with my mate ending himself laughing at me. I don't even twig at first.
Indeed, I want to know why he finds it so bloody funny. That should have been 2-0 there and game over. I guess he just thinks it's hilarious when people go that way at the football. Don't think the police would if you reacted to a parking dispute with a neighbour in that manner though, eh? Like I say, off the scale crazy! Just before I go, do you remember Mr Respectable from a few paragraphs ago? The man who wanted to sit quietly in his own little bubble, with an empty seat next to him? Well, he was on the train home too, but in a rather different state, namely, mangled. Shit faced, arseholed, out the game!! He's guzzling cans of wife beater, or Stella if you prefer, and randomly shouts, 'GOOD LUCK NAIRN COUNTY!' Don't ask me and probably don't ask him either. Later, the tone was lowered to 'F*** THE ANIMALS!' Given that he was on his way back from Parkhead, I presume he was referring to the other half of Glasgow. At least, I hope so, or it's no wonder people in this part of the world have the reputation they do. Aaahhh, isn't it great to be back at football? MCCOOL >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks to Martin for another excellent piece about the trials and tribulations of supporting Killie from afar. When you read that we shouldn’t be complaining about long journeys but last week, to the surprise of nobody, the beaks announced that the Inverness v Killie game on December 3 rd has been moved to the Friday night. All things being equal I’m one of the dafties that will be there but there is no doubt that the change to the Friday night will see many fans not making it. We knew when Killie got promoted that we would get more than our fair share of Friday games but this just tells you that the fans are given no consideration when these decisions are made. Just to make things that wee bit worse we are away to Hamilton in the diddy cup that midweek as well so I think we will pretty much see a reserve team for the cup game. I’ll be honest I don’t mind a Friday game as it frees up the Saturday for a junior game pub crawl etc but common sense needs to be applied……more chance of Dick Campbell becoming a speedo model!!
PLAYING THE PENALTY Our penalty kick record must be one of the worst on the planet but I thought it was time to have a look to see just how bad it was. It would make your eyes bleed, we also found a wee article online about the introduction of spot kicks so we’ve stuck the article on here as well… A grand total on 6 wins out of 21. Only 2 victories out of 13 in national cup competitions in 1982 and 1984. 9 defeats in a row. 7 of those at home. Read it and weep: 1/5/1971 Ayrshire Cup Final v Ayr United(H) 2-2 on aggregate(Lost 4-5 on pens-Sudden Death) Scored: Jim McSherry, Alex Cairns, Jim McCulloch, Alan McDonald Missed: Jim Whyte, Billy Dickson, Jackie McGrory 8/5/74 Ayrshire Cup Final v Ayr United(H) 1-1(Won 5-4 on pens) Scored: Ian Fleming, George Maxwell, Eddie Morrison, Alan Robertson, Gordon Smith Missed:No one! 9/5/77 Ayrshire Cup Final v Ayr United(H) 2-2(Lost 5-6 on pens-Sudden Death) Scored: George Maxwell, Billy Murdoch, Alan Robertson, Iain McCulloch, Stuart McLean Missed: Paul Clarke 3/8/79 Tennent Caledonian Cup Semi Final v Brighton(N) 1-1(Won 6-5 on pens-Sudden Death) Scored: Ian Gibson, Ian Jardine, Jim Hughes, Derrick McDicken, Stuart McLean, George Maxwell Missed: Alan Robertson 5/8/79 Tennent Caledonian Cup Final v Rangers(A) 2-2 (Won 5-3 on pens) Scored: Ian Jardine, Jim Hughes Stuart McLean, Alistair Mauchlen, Bobby Street
24/11/79 League Cup Quarter Final v Morton(H) 5-5 on aggregate(Lost 3-5 on pens) Scored: Ian Gibson, Joe Cairney, Stuart McLean Missed: Bobby Street 24/9/80 League Cup 3rd Round v Dundee(H) 0-0 on aggregate(Lost 3-5 on pens) Scored: Jim Clark, Bobby Houston, Stuart McLean Missed: George Maxwell 8/9/82 League Cup v Cowdenbeath(A) 1-1 on aggregate (Won 4-3 on pens) Scored: Stuart McLean, Sam McGivern, Jim Clark, Alistair McLeod Missed: Ian Bryson 22/8/84 League Cup 2nd Round v Alloa Athletic (H) 1-1 (Won 3-2 on pens) Scored: Stuart McLean, Derrick McDicken, Sam McGivern Missed: Robert Clark, Paul Clarke 29/8/84 League Cup 3rd Round v Dundee (A) 1-1 (Lost 2-3 on pens) Scored: Derrick McDicken, Stuart McLean, Missed: Bobby McConville,Robert Clark Sam McGivern 6/1/90 Scottish Cup 2nd Round replay v Stranraer (H) 0-0 (Lost 3-4 on pens) Scored: Dave McKinnon, Tom Callaghan, Willie Watters Missed: Tommy Burns, Paul Flexney 4/2/92 Scottish Cup 3rd round replay v Meadowbank Thistle (H) 1-1 (Lost 3-4 on pens) Scored: Tom Black, Hugh Burns, Calum Campbell Missed: Mark Roberts, Tommy Burns
12/10/93 Ayrshire Cup Final v Ayr United (H) 3-3 (Won 3-2 on pens Sudden Death) Scored:Ian Porteous, Tom Brown, Mark Roberts Missed: Billy Stark, David White, Danny Crainie 9/10/2001 League Cup 3rd Round v Ayr United (A) 0-0 (Lost 4-5 on pens Sudden Death) Scored: Freddie Dindeleux, Alan Mahood, Kris Boyd, Andy McLaren Missed: Craig Dargo, Chris Innes 24/9/2002 League Cup 2nd round v Airdrie United (H) 0-0 (Lost 3-4 on pens) Scored: Jesus Sanjuan, Steve Fulton, Kris Boyd Missed: Alan Mahood, Gary Hay 24/7/2004 West Sound Trophy v Ayr United (A) 2-2 (Lost 4-5 on pens) Scored: Peter Leven, Craig Dargo, Kris Boyd, Freddie Dindeleux Missed: Gary Wales 31/7/2016 League Cup Group Stage v Albion Rovers (H) (Lost 3-5 on pens) Scored: Flo Bojaj, Steven Smith, Gary Dicker Missed: Josh Magennis 13/3/2018 Scottish Cup Quarter Final Replay v Aberdeen (H) 1-1 (Lost 2-3 on pens) Scored: Lee Erwin, Stephen O'Donnell Missed: Eamon Brophy, Greg Taylor, Greg Kiltie 13/7/2018 League Cup Group Stage v St Mirren(H) 0-0 (Lost 2-3 on pens) Scored: Chris Burke, Ross Millen Missed: Lee Erwin, Gary Dicker, Kirk Broadfoot
25/9/2019 League Cup Quarter Final v Hibs (H) 0-0 (Lost 4-5 on pens Sudden Death) Scored: Osman Sow, Dom Thomas, Liam Millar, Rory McKenzie Missed: Stephen O'Donnell, Niko Hämäläinen 26/4/2021 Scottish Cup v St Mirren (H) 3 – 3 lost 5 – 4 on pens
HOW IT ALL STARTED On the 27th of June 1970 twenty-five men from 8 countries met in the recently rebuilt Caledonian Hotel, Inverness. The decisions they took there on that day have caused both anguish and elation to millions, possibly billions of people worldwide.
The hotel overlooking the River Ness had been a beautiful Victorian building in its day, but in 1966 it was demolished to make way for a modern construction.
Nowadays most people would feel the new hotel is a monstrosity, but at the time in Inverness it felt like the future.
Nowadays renamed the Mercure Inverness, it has a nondescript frontage on Church St, but looms over smaller historic buildings by the river. It largely caters to tourists, but in the 70s was a big part of Inverness nightlife and the social scene. So who were these men? Names like Dr A Stephen, Mr D Follows CBE BA, Mr T E Russel FCCS were fairly anonymous. Others like Prof Dr M Andrejevic, Mr Koe Ewe Teik PJK and Dr H Kaser were exotic, especially for 1970 Inverness. But two names perhaps give us a clue as to what the meeting was about. Mr E Walker (Asst Secretary) and, more famously, Sir Stanley Rous MBE. Stanley Rous fought in the Great War, became a sports teacher and then a football referee, eventually taking charge of cup finals and international matches.He may be the first to employ the diagonal system where each linesman runs an opposite half. On hanging up his whistle he became an administrator, simplifying the game's rules, acting as secretary of the FA then moving to the newly formed UEFA.
Eventually, in 1961 he became president of FIFA, the governing body of football worldwide. But this wasn't a FIFA meeting... It may come as a surprise to most football fans, but FIFA does not control the rules of the game. That task falls to the International Football Association Board, or IFAB . IFAB was founded in 1886 by the 4 UK associations the FA, SFA, FA of Wales and the (then) Irish FA. In 1913 they were joined by FIFA, leading to a strange anomaly which persists to this day. The Board is made up of five voting members, Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland (nowadays NI) and FIFA which has four votes. And the AGM is hosted by each member in rotation... ...which is how it came to be in Inverness in June 1970. Inverness did not even have a league football team at the time - it would be another 24 years before Caledonian FC and Inverness Thistle FC merged to join the Scottish League. But Inverness is far from the oddest venue. IFAB AGMs have taken place in Llandudno, Windermere, Guernsey, Pitlochry, Oban, Portrush, North Berwick, Bagshot, Turnberry, Zermatt (a ski resort in the Alps) and the Isle of Capri. If you feel the connection seems to be places with plush hotels then I think you'd be right. And so the newly rebuilt Caledonian Hotel in Inverness was chosen when Scotland's turn came around in 1970.
But was this just a Highland jolly with a few days for golf, or was anything of import discussed?The meeting starts with the adoption of minutes from the previous year's meeting in St Helier, Jersey.Then they listened to a report on Kilmarnock FC's experimental tour of North America in 1969. They discuss some dry rule changes about substitute goalkeepers and obstruction. They discuss a new type of ball, how to enforce the minimum width of football boot studs now that plastic ones can wear down and write a stern letter warning that filing down metal studs was not acceptable. Then we come to section (g) "Trends in Modern Football". It's a proposal that the drawing of lots to determine the winner of a drawn knock-out tie be discontinued in favour of the taking of penalty kicks.
Yes, that's right, unlikely as it seems, the Caley Hotel in Inverness is indeed the BIRTHPLACE OF THE PENALTY SHOOT-OUT! Whether you're a fan of Scotland with our 100% record, England with its, shall we say, more mixed history, or a supporter of almost every club or international team, you can look back on that day in Inverness as the cause of your joy or despair next time.
ALL HAIL MARK REILLY….LEGEND If any of you ever came to any of our charity nights at the Howard back in the day you will have met ex Killie star Mark Reilly. A nicer guy you couldn’t meet and we were humbled to be able to raise money for Reverse Retts, a horrible illness that Mark’s lovely daughter Dionne suffers from. Mark dedicates a huge amount of time and effort to fundraising for the charity and to say he pushes himself to the limit is a massive understatement. His latest effort however really takes the biscuit all the same when he signed up for the Marathon Des Sable (MDS). Here is a wee description of what it is all about:
The Marathon des Sables, commonly referred to in hushed tones by the acronym 'MdS', ranks as one of the great badges of honour for endurance runners. Often touted as ‘The toughest footrace on earth’, it is an epic and for many, life-changing undertaking. Run over seven days, the race is comprised of six stages and a rest day, with the distances ranging from 21km-82km per day for a total of over 250km. And all though the Sahara desert. Want to know more? Of course you do. With temperatures regularly reaching 50ºC, those brave (daft) enough to take park will run, stumble, burn, stink, blister, hallucinate, weep, and bleed the whole way as they carry all their gear and food they need for the race. Drop a gel and lose it in the sand? There isn't a gel station or friendly supporter with jelly babies ahead on the course. Each night runners have to tend to their injuries, each whatever they've rationed for that day and then 'sleep' in communal tents. For this entire experience, runners tend to have to sign up two years in advance because of the high demand and pay around £4250 for the privilege.
It’s a brutal event and only one that can be endured by the very fittest. Amazingly Mark finished the week long epic and here is what he had to say
Hi Folks, Back at my hotel in Morocco after finishing the 35th MDS. I can only say it was brutal. It has been regarded as one of the toughest races in it history due to a stomach bug that ravaged right through the camp and the extreme heat this summer in the Sahara with temperatures reaching 56 degrees plus at camp. Unfortunately like most people I got the bug and was getting by daily on almost no food. 50 percent of the competitors had to withdraw due to the sickness bug and extreme heat. The usual drop out is around 10 percent in previous years. Tragically a young French competitor died in the sand dunes on day 2 and one of my tent mates suffered a cardiac arrest. Thankfully his life was saved by the prompt actions of a doctor and he has made a full recovery. I was in some dark places at times and had to dig deeper than at any time in my life to get through it. I met some amazing people through this journey and will do a daily blog at the end of the week when I get some photos. The donations keep coming in for Reverse Rett and I would just like to thank everyone again who has supported and sponsored me through this journey. My just giving page including gift aid has exceeded £20,000. Incredible generosity. Thank you all. Hope to be home tomorrow evening and looking forward to spending a week with Monica and Dionne before I’m back to work. Love you all An unbelievable achievement, well done mate you’re a legend.
CATHY’S SEPTEMBER UPDATE Thanks once again to all of you for continuing to show your support for the team as the battle to be top of the Championship continues. The vocal support from fans really matters to the team, and once again we’ve seen an amazing travelling support. Friday nights are not always the easiest nights for fans, but we were pleased to be able to move the SPFL Trust Trophy tie with Queens Park to the Friday to avoid a clash with the Scotland v Israel international, which many Killie fans wanted to attend. I am delighted that the Trust will host “An Evening with Tommy Wright” as the next in the “On Board in Person” event, which will be a great opportunity to hear his vision for the future as well as his journey in football. This will take place on Wednesday October 13th, and registration information will be circulated by the Killie Trust to members.
Football Department With seven league matches played, there have been five wins, one draw and one loss, keeping us in second place on 16 points, behind ICT with 19, with a similar goal difference. As anticipated, there are no easy matches in this league, and the Manager has acknowledged the frustrations fans have felt at some points. However, it is important to get points on the board as quickly as possible and to pick up points when not playing at our best. The injured players have been making good progress and we look forward to having a full squad available in the not too distant future.
Loan watch We currently have nine players aged between 17 and 20 out on loan and they are playing across different levels of Scottish football, from SPFL League 1 to West of Scotland Football League Conference A.
As a club, we are looking to provide these players with meaningful game time to support their development to become first team footballers for Kilmarnock Football Club. Being out on loan allows our players to develop their tactical understanding alongside improving technically in pressurised match situations. Maturing physically and mentally can be the biggest positive from being out on loan. An additional benefit is the challenge of playing with and against older, experienced professionals, rather than players their own age, where the teams focus will now be more on winning where previously it was about development. It can also be a good indicator for the club and the players to see where they are in their development and how we can work together to support and progress them. These experiences of different environments and challenges aid not only the players’ football development but can also help them grow and develop as young men, which is felt to be very important too. While the players are out on loan, James Fowler will oversee their development. James, alongside the football staff and club’s scouts will attend matches to create reports on each player. They will also watch matches online where possible, so they are able to provide feedback to our players and our manager. Building relationships and trust with clubs is important, so regular dialogue takes place with everyone involved. KFC Youth Academy Since his appointment as Interim Head of Youth Academy, Paul Di Giacomo has been looking at all aspects of the Academy structure, and will report back to James Fowler as Head of Football Operations, and the KFC Board, ahead of the Academy season ending in December. The consultation process for Academy staff has now been completed and staff have agreed in principle to their roles within the Academy. Paul has been in contact with Academy parents and advised that that the Academy is moving from Elite tier to Progressive Performance tier within Club Academy Scotland structure from 1 January 2022. They will participate in the Elite tier games programme until 31 December 2021. Matches with Partick Thistle, Hearts and Aberdeen this month for the under 11s-16s have given lots of positives, and a further match with Dundee Utd is scheduled. Going forward, it is planned that there will be a much closer link between KCST (Community) and Academy operations and proposed changes will be worked on in the coming months. Paul di Giacomo is continuing to have oversight of KCST in the meantime.
Killie Women’s Team Team Manager, Andy Gardner, and the players are grateful to the Trust volunteers who have stepped up to assist on match days. Following discussions with myself and the commercial team, it has been agreed that sponsorship of individual players would be set at £250, and there has been a positive response to this. Thanks must go to the Trust members and fans who have worked together to pool resources and sponsor players between them – this was a great idea and again brought a very positive response. The aim of raising funds through sponsorship is to enable players to receive an allowance to cover their expenses, so funds raised are benefitting players directly. If anyone would like to sponsor or help with a fundraising idea for the Women’s Team, please get in touch. I have had some queries about the Killie Ladies junior teams and how that fits with our Academy structure. The Killie Girls teams have historically been run as a separate organisation, outwith the Club structure. However, we do want to see a much closer working relationship, and Paul di Giacomo and I will meet with the organisers of the Killie Girls teams to look at options for this.
Kilmarnock Community Sports Trust (KCST) KCST is running free football sessions in partnership with Vibrant Communities and Ayrshire College on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with over 150 children attending. The School Programme offers fun football to local children, allowing us to engage with over 400 every week. This programme runs until December 2021. The Killie Kickers for youngest kids has over 120 attending weekly, and 60 for PreAcademy football. Paul di Giacomo - along with Grant Moore and Daryl Knapp - completed the Kiltwalk, and report that good fun was had by all! They also say that they want a big KCST/Killie Trust contingent for next time, so get the date in your diaries and get the training started! Meantime, you can make a donation to help KCST work here. Even a small amount helps, as the funds raised are topped up by the Hunter Foundation and Gift Aid!
Commercial Another busy month for the commercial team has seen a number of new initiatives, as well as progress on existing projects: - The Captain Conker Book competition launch was a big success and with 30 schools across Ayrshire involved it is a great way to expand the reach of the club. If you haven’t yet seen what this is about, please have a look! - The new partnership with Fantastic Fanatics has been launched with great initial uptake. This initiative enables fans to sign up to a scheme which provides income to the club based on fans shopping with a wide range of outlets both online and in-store. Thank you to fans who have already joined up and you can find out more via this link. - The shop is still doing brisk business, with playing and bespoke training wear now back in stock. More Christmas stock will be launched in the next 4/6 weeks, with with the promise of some exciting new products in the mix. It had been hoped that the retro tops for loyalty season ticket holders would arrive in September but due to various issues associated with the pandemic, this has been delayed. This is disappointing, but unfortunately out of Club’s control, and updates will be posted as soon as we know more.
- Hospitality is now back in full operation, with both the Champions Lounge and Chairman’s Club sold out for 2021/22 season, with only limited space in the Legends
Lounge and 1869 suites for all upcoming fixtures, so fans are asked to book early to secure dates they want. - The Memorial Garden official opening ceremony is being held on Friday 1 October. The primary focus of the Garden is to commemorate the fallen war heroes who played for the Club and served in the armed forces during World War I and World War II. Further information will be available shortly on fan memorial plaques, which will be on the adjacent wall.
Media The Trust Board was delighted that Head of Media Scott McClymont was able to join the September Trust Board meeting. This was the first time we have had a Club staff member on to talk about their role and answer questions from Trust Board members. Scott outlined the various aspects of the work that he and Media Assistant Neil Hobson are involved in day to day, and how they want to develop things further. In addition to usual matchday and KTV work, recent highlights from the media team include: - An In depth focus on Paul di Giacomo’s appointment to the Youth Academy, with interviews with both Paul and James Fowler about the Academy.
- A feature on captain Chris Stokes showed him getting involved with preparations for the KCST Kiltwalk and community work as well as on his gesture in getting a fan his Firhill tickets! - As part of the partnership with Kilmarnock Standard, the first Player of the Month award was won by Zach Hemming. - Edition 3 of the new Killie Magazine is due out this weekend v Raith Rovers. This will be the biggest edition yet and will include seven dedicated features. - Preparations for opening of Memorial Garden across our channels.
Killie Trust update The Killie Trust Board held its regular monthly meeting on 16 September, where I updated on various aspects of work with the Club. Progress on a number of Trust initiatives were reported on including: - Short presentation on the new membership system being put in place by the Trust to improve the membership experience and communications. - Goalkeeping Academy and plans for launching. - Plans for Junior Trust membership. - Plans for “Weigh to go” for women. - Volunteering on match days, including commentary for visually impaired, will be restarting. A meeting will be held with those who have volunteered to start training, etc. Members who volunteered for ‘Roon the Toon’ were thanked, and will hopefully be able to expand activity next year. - Hands free bins are now in the stadium, branded with Trust stickers. - Collection cans are available for shops / businesses. - Plans for a Trust Board Strategy session. - Agreement for Trust to sponsor a Kilmarnock FC Women’s team player.
Wider issues from supporters’ organisations I joined a discussion hosted by Supporters Direct Scotland for clubs which have supporter directors. This focussed on how clubs were managing fan experience in light of Covid restrictions lifting, and the challenges still faced. A future call will look in more detail at the various models of fan ownership and supporter director involvement in clubs across Scotland. In partnership with #HerGameToo, the Scottish Football Supporters Association (SFSA) has released a survey for female fans with the aim to provide better representation and allow clubs to address any current issues that may be present. As of 2019, 8% of Scottish football supporters were female and this number is set to rise. This survey will close on 16 October and the results posted on SFSA website. Contacts I can be contacted in a number of ways: Email : cathyjamieson@kilmarnockfc.co.uk Twitter: @cathyjamieson Instagram: cathyjamiesonkillie Facebook: cathy jamieson While I am happy to engage on social media when I can, I’m sure members will understand that I am not monitoring that round the clock, so may not be able to instantly reply, and an email to me is often a better way of dealing with more complex issues. Supporters Liaison Officer Allen Kyle is also happy to deal with queries from fans and he will let me know of any issues that need to be raised at Board level. Club staff, the Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer and Kilmarnock Football Club Disabled Supporters Association can be contacted directly with details available on the club website. Best wishes, Cathy
The output of these reports from Cathy is excellent and is a million miles away from what we got from the previous regime. One worrying aspect is the news that our youth set up is dropping from elite status. We may do an article next month on this issue but let’s hope the change doesn’t lead to a reduction in the number of good youngsters coming through.
KILLIE BITS + PIECES We continue to make great progress with our defibrillator appeal and we are about two thirds on the way to our target, a great effort by all you wonderful folk out there. Please email killiehippo@aol.com if you would like to contribute and as we explained in the last issue we have a couple of good fundraiser ideas. We are making up a Killie Recipe Book with recipes provided by a wide range of Killie celebs including current squad. If you know of any former Killie players who would contribute please get in touch with details. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> As well as Killie beating Queens Park on Friday night there was great interest across old Caledonia as SSC faced a huge game v Israel where victory would give us a massive chance of finishing runners up and getting in the play offs for Qatar. I think it was only the Killie fans around the country that recognised the SSC factor in the game. We played poorly first half, changed it at half time to greatly improve and ultimately get the result. You can dissect the tactics, formation etc as much as you want but SSC has the knack of finding a way to win. We witnessed it during his remarkable spell at the Theatre of Pies and how good would it be for him to get to the finals…..if only to see the Sevco dafties getting even more paranoid. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On the subject of SSC the one justifiable criticism of him during his spell here was his reluctance to take a chance on youngsters. In fairness to the great man he did say from the outset that Killie was a short term venture for him so it perhaps wasn’t a surprise that he always favoured experience over youth. TW has made a few statements recently explaining he had a good record at Perth and the club are currently benefitting with many of those youngsters now mainstays of the team. So it was fantastic to see 16 Year old Charlie McArthur give a man of the match performance versus Queens Park. The youth update from Cathy may start a few alarm bells but it’s great to see that we continue to bring through some quality kids.
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