Hippo149 by KillieHippo

KILLIE HIPPO AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINE ISSUE NO.149

KILLIE GET ANOTHER HIGGY!

• INS + OUTS • THE OTHER ELEVEN • BATTLE OF THE PREMIERSHIPS £2.00

THE KILLIE HIPPO IS ON SALE AT HOWARD ARMS, GLENCAIRN SQUARE, KILMARNOCK FOG’S SNACK BAR, KILMARNOCK RUGBY CLUB CAR PARK KILLIE TRUST DESK (PARK HOTEL FOR HOME GAMES) MATCH DAYS AT RP + AT ALL AWAY GAMES

HUGE THANKS TO ALL ADVERTISERS, SUBSCRIBERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND KILLIE FANS FOR THEIR SUPPORT. All views expressed are those of the contributors. E-MAIL : Killiehippo@aol.com WRITE : 20 WITCHKNOWE COURT, KILMARNOCK KA1 4LF NO ARTICLES TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION BACK ISSUES 2–148 INCLUSIVE AVAILABLE GET IN TOUCH FOR DETAILS

SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO Hello and welcome to another new season and let us start with a jawdropping exclusive.Over the years scientist have made amazing breakthroughs in almost every illness known to man and beast. However for over 40 years I get a seasonal disease that is just as contagious now as it ever was. The disease is rife throughout the town and scientists have not made any inroads to finding a cure for decades. The illness in question is “Close Season Optimism-itis” and it seems to be worse this year than for a long time. Symptoms are that football fans completely ignore the crap we have endured in the last couple of years and are talking about euro campaigns, cup wins and maybe even passing the ball on the deck……..this is in extreme cases only!! Yes here we go for another emotional rollercoaster and it has been good to see that the clear out that was needed. We did say there would be some players who will feel unlucky, that may be the case but its time to say thanks to the likes of Pasca and Eremenko and support the next new breed. Firstly I’m delighted that Mark Connolly has been made club captain for the new season. The Irishman is an inspirational player and if he can curb his temper and avoid injuries he will be a key player for us. You will see an article in this issue and looks at the strengths and potential weaknesses in the squad. There is no doubt that the reduction in squad size will leave us a little thin in certain areas with full backs and a creative midfielder looking threadbare. Connolly is always badly missed so keep your fingers crossed that he can avoid injury as I really don’t want to see us having to rely on McCulloch to keep clean sheets. The goalkeeping situation is all a little confusing at the moment. McDonald appears to be first choice, Brennan is off to Stranraer on loan but there are whispers that Samson will be on his way. It doesn’t sound like great planning but you can take it as read that if Samson goes we will either bring back Brennan (if that is possible) or bring in another experienced keeper. I’m not quite sure what size of crowds we can expect as the pricing has been a bit strange. The club gave some decent discounts to buy ST’s early but then it seems you will pay £24 if you decide on the day you want to go. Hospitality has increased to £110 + VAT a pop so expect to see empty padded seats for much of the season. Thanks again for your great support and please send us your articles on absolutely any Killie related stuff. Good luck to the team and lets get away to a flyer against Dundee……I fancy Boyd as first goalscorer!! Sandy

SUMMER INS + OUTS It seems at the end of most seasons fans are calling for a clear out of players if there season hasn’t been all that they expected. Of course that isn’t always possible depending on contracts, club finances etc however there is no doubt Killie needed a lot of fresh blood this time around. In all honesty we have been pretty crap for a couple of years and if we had went with largely the same squad then relegation looked a distinct possibility. The appointment of the new manager also improved the chance of new faces as these guys always want to put their own stamp on the squad. Credit to the club therefore as they have taken the bull by the horns and have done a major restructuring job on the squad. We did an article late last season highlighting the need for change but it’s good to see something being done about it. Of course that is only half the battle as the new players need to prove they are an improvement on last years lot, we are in big trouble if they don’t step up to the mark. Here is a rundown of ins and outs and we have a quick look at how each area of the team is affected. I am writing this before our first friendly at Berwick so there is plenty of time for more newbies to arrive, maybe on loan deals which don’t damage the budget so much: OUTS Sammy Clingan – The Irishman was out with a few injuries last year and it was a bit of a stop/start season. I didn’t mind him but a clearout was needed and Sammy couldn’t cling on (sorry). No new club at the time of writing though he was being linked with Hibs. Manuel Pascali – The popular Italian was offered a much reduced deal but has chosen to return to Italy with third tier team Cittadella. The big man wore his heart on his sleeve and that type of player is invariably a fans favourite. Maybe he could have been offered a coaching role but he left with several digs at the parasite and the negative effect he had on the club and the players…….Ciao Pasca and thanks for your sterling service.

Alexei Eremenko – We won’t see many players as gifted as Losa in the years ahead. The Finn was supremely talented if a little temperamental but he was a joy to behold when on his game. He was the man that made the difference in that crucial win at Firhill and he will be very hard to replace. We offered him a reduced wage but he could probably get more money at Hurlford. Like Pasca he will be sadly missed, good luck Losa and thanks. Lee Miller – Another player who didn’t really get going at Killie and no surprise to see him leave. We had too many strikers who were similar in style and that was the main area of the team where new faces were needed as we simply weren’t scoring goals. At the time of writing he was still unattached but he was a right decent bloke and I hope he gets a club that brings out the best in him. Paul Cairney – Like Miller it didn’t really happen for Paul and although he had another year on his contract he was released which was no surprise to anyone. He guy did have a bit of ability but he had an arse the size of Fenwick and always looked knackered after half a game. He has just signed for Stranraer and apparently just scored an absolute raker in a pre season friendly. Nathan Eccleston – He was brought in as a stop gap but failed to solve our goalscoring problem. It seemed at the time to be a signing for the sake of it and that proved to be the case…..currently without a club. Chris Chantler – The diminutive left back was ok but missed a few months at the end of the season and was subsequently released. The full back positions have been a bit of an issue for a few years but I’m sure some Killie fans may have given him another year. No club as yet but should have no trouble getting a new team. Euan Smith – The big midfielder was signed then sent on loan to Hibs and has now been released without getting any sort of a chance. He was an AL signing so its obvious that Locke didn’t fancy him. He will probably get signed up by a lower league Scottish team. Michael Ngoo – The big man had a brief but colourful spell at Killie. He was nearly huckled down in Ayr, then was out with a bad injury then got punted for an apparent altercation with an employee of the gym. No new club but I hear Barlinnie is a possible destination!

Dylan Pooler – The youngster being released was a bit of a surprise, he has represented Scotland at his age group. He is young enough to keep learning and hopefully will blossom at St Mirren who have snapped him up. Mark Thomson – Another local kid who barely kicked a ball last season due to injury. Hopefully he gets the injury problems sorted and finds himself a new challenge. So a total of 11 players will probably never get another opportunity to pull on the famous stripes, it’s their loss. That is the list of names who exited so lets look at how we have replaced them: INS Jamie McDonald – The keeper appears to have been on our radar for a few months and the deal eventually went through. The million dollar question is if he is here as numero uno or as no.2 to Samson. The friendlies should give us an indication and with Brennan on loan at Stranraer it looks like a straight shoot out. There should be healthy competition for all places so hopefully this will bring out the best in both players. At the opening pre season friendly at Berwick McDonald started so it will be interesting to see if that’s how we strt the campaign. Scott Robinson – Another ex Jambo who was linked with us for a few months before actually signing. We weren’t mobile enough in the central area last year so if he can put himself about he may well be an important player for us……time will tell. At Berwick he was played in the holding role sitting in front of the defence. Kallum Higginbotham – He always caught the eye when playing with Thistle and looks like a decent capture for us. He is tricky can get past his man and will hopefully set up a host of chances for our strikers as well as bagging a few for himself. I think he can play up front or wide midfield so may be used in a couple of positions. Stuart Findlay (loan) – It is no secret that we needed some extra cover at centre back so hopefully the 19 year old can fill the void. He is on a season loan from Celtic having previously been on loan at Morton and Dumbarton. He started the Berwick game beside Connolly, will that be the centre back pairing when we take on Dundee?

Stevie Smith – Another signing from the Govan shambles but hopefully one that can give us a bit of stability in the left back position. He has had a decent career both north and south of the border although he has been hampered by injury at different times. It was a position we need filled so fingers crossed that the old injury problems don’t flare up again. Dale Carrick – Another ex Jambo who Locke will know well. The young striker is still only 21 and had a bad time with injuries last season. He is a different option up front as he is smaller and more mobile than what we have had recently. He looked quite lively during his 45 minute debut at Berwick where he was played up front beside Boyd. Kris Boyd – The big man had a bit of a nightmare time with Sevco last year, I knew he should just have stayed with Killie!! Anyway he is back for his third spell at Killie and its safe to say he wont be vanishing to the Govan White Socks again. There is no doubt that scoring goals was a big problem last year so if we can get Boyd back to his best we may just have a better season. Lee McCulloch – There is no doubt that the most contentious signing of the close season was “elbows”. I wont lie, I’ve never liked the big fud and would never have had him at RP if it was my decision. However I am prepared to give everyone a chance and that includes him……but only as a coach. If GL thinks he is the answer to our defensive problems and Jim Mann thinks his brand of football is the “Killie Way” then we are moving backwards and not forward. There may be one or two more before the season starts and we had a young striker on trial at the Berwick game. Ruairi Croskrey is from Northern Ireland and was released by Man Utd. According to reports on killiefc.com we will not be following up our interest. The other name that was being touted in the papers was Aaron TaylorSinclair an attacking left back who was currently at Wigan. He was previously with Thistle and I remember he caught the eye a couple of times but he has now signed for Doncaster . Zaliukas at sevco is another we have been linked with. I think the majority of Killie fans feel positive about the new faces, let’s have a look at how each area of the team now looks:

GOALKEEPING The introduction of McDonald is interesting and my gut reaction is he will be first choice however that remains to be seen. We thought there was good competition when we bought Reguero here but he never saw one minute of action. Young Brennan is away on loan to Stranraer so hopefully he will get lots of game time and will develop and improve. DEFENCE Again it looks like we have improved….as long as we don’t let McCulloch pull on the famous stripes. We now have an experienced left back in Smith and young Findlay along with Ashcroft and Syme will fight it out to partner Connolly. It still looks like Connolly is the main man and I worry that if he is injured GL may feel the need to play the experienced McCulloch. At right back it will be a scrap between Barbour and O’Hara, I hope O’Hara gets a good run as I still feel there is a right decent player there. MIDFIELD This is an interesting area as we seem to have decent options in the wide areas but maybe not so much in the middle. I think we had a problem last year as AJ had no idea what to do with Eremenko, Clingan and Slater. All are excellent in their own way but they simply couldn’t all play together. If we played Clingan and Eremenko together we had creativity but absolutely no “legs” and teams just ran past us at times. I’m a big fan of Slater and I really that he will shoulder the responsibility and blossom as the playmaker in the heart of the team. If he is to get injured I can see problem as we would be looking at Hamill, Robinson and Splaine and I reckon we may be one short in there. If GL is looking for another loan signing perhaps he could look at an experienced midfielder to hold things together. We should be well served in wide areas with Obadeyi, Higginbotham, McKenzie, Kiltie and Johnston with Magennis as well possibly. There is a wee rumour about Johnston going on loan to QOS but we could probably afford that. Obadeyi has his critics but he had a healthy goal return last season and a repeat of that would be most welcome.

FORWARDS We have had a bit of a clear out of forwards and rightly so as we were poor in front of goal. All the forwards were far too similar and and all shared the same habit of not being able to hit the pokey. It will be interesting to see what happens with Magennis, a player who sparks a lot of discussion among the Killie faithful. He is a handful for defences and it may well be that he benefits from not being the player we look for to score a load. He needs to chip in with his fair share but it may well be he is far better suited in a support role to Boyd or Carrick. I’m not sure what the favoured strike force will be as one striker seems to be the norm for many clubs. At Berwick we started with Boyd and Carrick as a front two and I suspect that will be how we start the season. We have both Magennis and Kiltie who can be utilized as strikers or wide midfield players so there are options there. Overall I’d say we are better off in every area with the possible exception of the creative role in the middle of the park. Perhaps that will be addressed in the coming weeks although with money tight it may well be a loan player rather than a signing. I would also worry a little if Connolly got injured both for his leadership qualities and as the main man in the heart of defence. I have the usual close season optimism but its results that matter and a good start to the campaign can go a long way to help us climbing back up the table. Finally there will be another couple of new faces in the dugout that will hopefully contribute to a significant improvement: Peter Leven – The former Killie midfielder has been hampered by injury and had to cut his career short. He has gone into coaching and is well thought of as “one for the future”. He was a skillful and creative player so I hope he can bring some of that creativity to the squad. Dave Sykes – Dave has been brought in as head of Physical Performance. He will be looking to get the players in better condition and fitter…….a criticism we received last year that we didn’t look as fit as other teams. Dave will also be looking to help improve and develop the youngsters…..good luck to all the new faces.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> R.I.P. MARK “EGGY” TORRANCE I’m very sad to say we have two obituaries in this issue and I’m sure many of you who travelled with the Bickering/Killie club bus will know Eggy well. He was a lovely big lad, one of those easy going laid back folk who wouldn’t have an enemy in the world. Eggy was a clever guy and his work took him to Algeria and whilst he was there he developed cancer in the ear of all places. He endured lots of treatment but sadly less than two years ago he was told the horrible disease had spread and there was nothing could be done. He got married last year and his wife Alison talks fondly of Mark as “one of the best”, just confirming what we already knew. R.I.P mate, you will be sorely missed.

BATTLE OF THE PREMIERSHIPS It’s been a while since I managed to attend an English premiership game since everything has revolved about Killie games in general. I worked down south for three years just before the millennium and that gave me a chance to visit numerous English grounds, mainly in the north west. It was great being able to see different places and experience some great games however one thing I did realize was that the phrase “football fans are fickle” relates to ALL clubs and not just Killie as some would try and have you believe. Regardless of where I have been the fans have the same issues surrounding for/against the manager, scapegoat players and more than a fair share who shout continuous crap for 90 minutes. That hasn’t changed however much else has and since the turn of the century the English Premiership has attracted ludicrous amounts of money whilst the Scottish game has went in the other direction. The one positive to Killie finishing bottom was that we played our final game of the season on the Saturday and that left a window of opportunity to catch an English game on the Sunday. If you are a longstanding fanzine buyer you will have read that we have been pals for yonks with some good lads from Harlow……mostly West Ham fans so I always take a keen interest in them. There seems to be quite a few Killie fans who are like minded and it set up a perfect opportunity for four of us to head for Newcastle to see the season finale. Big Stewart did all the hard work and sorted out the train and match tickets. Incredibly the match ticket was cheaper than a Killie game at £17 though that had been subsidized by the West Ham board as a thank you to the fans. You will see an excellent article in this issue from a Crystal Palace fanzine dude regarding overpricing games down south. Stewart had done a great job with our travel plans and we headed to Central Station before getting a train direct to Newcastle. The way home was a different beast as we had to come back via Edinburgh although in fairness I was too “tired” to notice.

We arrived in Newcastle about half one and promptly met up with my mate Andy from Harlow…….who had been up in Killie for the weekend as well. We had been told to try a pub just opposite the train station as the away fans would be there. There were a few west Ham lads there but it was quiet and we managed a few pre match beers…….I even bumped into another Killie fan who had made the trip down. If you are going to Newcastle it is ideal to go by train as the ground is only a 10 minute walk from the station. We headed up to the game and there was a palpable nervousness among the home fans who knew that if results went against them they could end up down in the championship although it may mean the end of their evil dictator…….now how does all that somehow ring a bell? The ground was full and the atmosphere was excellent as the game got under way. West Ham had sold out their 3500 allocation, not bad for a meaningless last game of the season. In all honesty the game itself was pretty dire as West Ham had hee haw to play for whilst Newcastle shakier than Fat Sam’s shoogly peg. It all ended well for the home team as they grabbed a couple of goals and the roars of relief were probably heard back at Rugby Park. It should also be pointed out that beer was freely available inside the ground although we didn’t partake as the SDA have made it clear that us jockos aren’t responsible enough to drink inside grounds. Our train home was not until 7pm so we had a couple of hours to sample a couple of more pubs, sample a local chippy and scramble to fight a Geordie carry out shop near the station. Before we knew it we were back on the choo choo annoying fellow passengers with childish humour and tuneless singing. I would also like to point out that it is not bog or clever to fire lipstick over the face of anyone who falls asleep on the train……especially when its not my shade of red!! All in all a highly enjoyable day was had all round and we will be repeating it this season. Hopefully we will get down to see a West Ham home game before they head to the Olympic stadium. There seems to be more and more folk heading down to catch English games and I can see the attraction although I won’t be paying mental money for the privilege. Next time a Killie game is moved why not give it a go!!

A TABLE TO REMEMBER FIRST DIVISION 1964/65 Club

Home

Pts

Away

Kilmarnock

Hearts

Dunfermline Athletic

Hibernian

Rangers

Dundee

Clyde

Celtic

Dundee United

Morton

Partick Thistle

Aberdeen

St. Johnstone

Motherwell

St. Mirren

Falkirk

Airdrieonians

Third Lanark

(on goal average)

I dont want to be one of those fans that continually live in the past harping on about the good old days……….”that sounds like most of the articles” I hear you say. However it is 50 years and I promise no more 1965 articles….well until the next issue anyway. I came across the table above and thought it was worth highlighting some amazing stats from it: • It’s amazing how goal difference worked in our favour prior to it being changed to goal difference. The Jambos are a bit gutted as if the rules were the other way about they would have won in 1965 and again in 1986 when they failed again on the last day….how sad!! • If you look at the top six teams in 1965 you will see that only two teams in the top six competed in the Premiership last season, Killie and the newly promoted Dundee. How refreshing to see a really competitive contest before money and the old scum dictated everything. • It’s sad to see how many teams have tumbled down the leagues in the interim. The Pars were always similar in size and status to killie however they have gradually slid, a lot of it due to a scummy chairman who left them in the lurch. The biggest loser though is Clyde who have been on a slippery slope since they waved farewell to their greyhound chums at shawfield. Not really a case of “gone to the dogs”, more like “gone from the dogs”. • Surprisingly there is no sign of the South Scumshire scum as they did have a relatively successful spell when we reached the 70’s By relatively successful we mean getting four figure crowds and having urinals rather than holes in the ground. • Finally spare a thought for third Lanark, I wonder when the next senior team will hit the skids.

IF IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ROONEY…

You have to feel sorry for our put upon tabloid journos who find it hard to get a story during the summer months. The lack of money in the game means less transfer activity so we start to get a few offbeat tales relating to our football starts……enter stage right Boydy. The big striker underwent a procedure that the likes of Wayne Rooney and James McFadden have already had whereby they had Follicular Unit Extraction or to put it in laymans terms they get some hair stuck back on their baldy patch. Some cynics have suggested this is to give him extra protection for Samson’s 80 yard launches up the park but we hope that style of football has long gone!

I’m not sure the footballing stars of yesteryear would take kindly to hearing about the modern day players undergoing cosmetic procedures however it did get us thinking about other wee operations that may be useful to some big names in the game…..here are some thoughts: RYAN STEVENSON The fat scum lover would benefit greatly from a gastric band, well we say band but it would be more like a rubber ring. If this were to happen I’d get a banner sorted for Firhill which read “RUBBER RINGS NOT ONION RINGS YA

FAT B*****D” RONNIE DEILA/LEIGH GRIFFITHS The manager/player duo have both been blessed with alien heids…….when you get home stick “alien heads” into google and you will get my drift. I’m not sure if you get head transplants on the NHS but these two could get the heads of a couple of Indian elephants and it would be a vast improvement. However as an animal lover I truly hope this doesn’t happen as think of the terrible abuse the two elephants would take. GARY HARKINS The Usain Bolt of Tayside could maybe jump in with Stevenson for a BOGOF deal on the gastric band however his operation should be a whole lot easier. It would simply be to remove the two concrete blocks he has tied round his ankles that prevent him from travelling at more than 2mph. I’m sure you can think of plenty more but in the meantime remember and search google for “alien heads”.

Alastair Dow 1928 - 2015 It seems any piece of good news is soon followed by bad news and that was the case at the end of last season. No sooner had we secured our league status with the fine win at Firhill than I received this sad e-mail from Alistair’s son Philip: Hi Mr Armour, I don't know you that well but we were just a couple of Killie fans in the East stand, 'top tier' near the centre line who lean over the seats to buy your fanzine every few weeks. Or rather just the one now - my lifelong Killie supporting season ticketed father passed away this week. He was at the two winning cup finals obviously! (and the losing ones). He was in Edinburgh in 1965 for the league win. (was not at the 5-1 Eintracht victory for reasons he could never remember) - and who started lifting me over the turnstiles in the 70's to successfully pass the support onto the next generation. He was at the Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt - Hampden final in 1960 (and a rugby draw with the All Blacks in 1983 - the only time I believe they haven't beaten us!). He had just renewed his ticket too! Thanks to the£50 off offer (so the club will be happy). His last week was fairly happy thoughwith the win at Partick, and he kept his sense of humour too. His take on the photo of Magennis headbutting Hamill was one of surprise he thought Magennis would be bound to miss. Anyway i'll probably move along one and take his seat and look out for you and your Hippo next season - Not sure yet if I can face the Ross County game. Thanks and keep up the good work! Philip Dow It’s heartbreaking for the family when a loved one is taken away so suddenly and its heartbreaking to lose another good member of the Killie family. Philip made the Ross County game as a tribute to his dad and he will be back in his treasured seat this season. The club were also very understanding and offered to refund the ST money which the family had forked out for………R.I.P. Alastair

HIPPO NEWSDESK I do love a holiday in the Greek Islands and have been very sad at their recent woes…….especially if it means an increase in a pint of Mythos. However it all has a happy ending as the Greek government have taken a lead from Sevco and are just changing their name to The Greece…….same country, same history but no debt!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I’ve just seen the walk up prices for this season……..why are the club trying to chase fans away??? Prices are as follows: £24 adults £18 U21 & OAPS £5 U16s. It seems that the two parasites are still trying to squeeze every single penny out the current fans rather than attracting new or lapsed fans….I truly despair. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You know we like to track the progress of former Killie players and it has been a fairly lively summer for a couple of them. Dylan Kerr is a popular lad and is continuing his world travels by taking up a managerial post in Tanzania. Closer to home and Colin Nish is now player/manager of Cowdenbeath, will he be coaching 6ft tall players how to jump 5ft 7ins????

Former Killie fave Mark Reilly is a fantastic bloke and he has been going out of his way to raise funds for “Reverse Retts”. Retts syndrome is a disease that Mark’s lovely daughter Dionne suffers from and Mark does all sorts of fundraising. We have done a bit of fundraising over the least couple of years but Mark has just undergone the Ironman Challenge for the first time to raise a pile of money. It was a fantastic effort and Killie legend Tommy Adams is doing his bit. Tommy was going to do “Tommys Trek” when we were arranging events but it had to be postponed due to injury. Thankfully Tommy has recovered and he did his trek over 20 laps of his beloved Rugby Park. The response from the Killie (and other) fans has been amazing and he has raised in excess of £5ooo with the promise of more to come. If you would like to donate visit - https://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Reilly3 MEET BOBBY FLEETING If you are a long term Hippo reader you will know that we hold him in the highest esteem for his amazing time at the club. It was the best time ever as a Killie fan to see everyone pulling together and the club fulfilling its potential as the best community asset in SW Scotland. The hotel thieves have done their best to undo all the good work but nothing can detract from the great work of Bobby, Jim Moffat and the Chadwicks. Bobby always keeps in touch and you can see his sister Mary at every Killie game.Bobby is back over from USA for a week in August and will be at the Ross county game on the 22nd. He will be popping into the Howard after the game so drop in a share some great memories with Bobby and Annie.

GET THE PRICES DOWN We rarely compare the issues north and south of the border these days as they are on a different planet when it comes to finances. However the working man down south faces the same issues when it comes to clubs overcharging even though they have a superior product. Here is a letter from a fellow Palace fanzine editor, a well written piece to the Norwich chairman: David McNally Norwich City Football Club Carrow Rd Norwich Norfolk NR1 1JE 9 July 2015 By email and post Dear David, Norwich City v Crystal Palace â&#x20AC;&#x201C; away ticket pricing decision We write in relation to your recent decision to charge Crystal Palace supporters ÂŁ45 for admission to Carrow Road for the first game of the 2015/16 Premier League season. By way of introduction, we are a Crystal Palace fanzine which has been running for over 12 years. While we would never be so presumptuous as to state that we speak on behalf of all Palace fans, who are a diverse bunch from all walks of life, we are, however, all ardent fans of the club and attend matches home and away, come rain or shine. Congratulations to all at Norwich City on your recent promotion to the Premier League. Having only recently been promoted through the playoffs ourselves, many Palace fans watched your club enjoy its very own May day of jubilation at Wembley with some interest.

It was good not only to find out the identity of the 20th name in the hat for the 2015/16 Premier League, but also to remind ourselves of the excitement and fervour of the Championship playoffs. We empathised with the joy your fans showed on the final whistle, having been in the same position – albeit while making more noise, of course – only 2 years ago. We also know only too well how difficult the Premier League can be for clubs recently promoted from the Championship. This is a league where teams of more modest ambition and humble roots attempt to rub shoulders with global giants but, as fans, it’s hard not to be seduced by some of the glamour that comes with being part of a league that is subject to so much media exposure and public interest. Being a fan of a Premier League club is not, however, without its pitfalls and disadvantages. Fixtures are frequently changed at the whim of broadcasters, and with scant notice, to inconvenient times with many fans having already paid for travel (and other expenses) and with no avenue for recompense. There are, of course, also fewer opportunities to see your favourite club play, given the league’s smaller size, and when a high profile fixture comes around there is a greater scarcity of tickets than there would be against a smaller team in the Championship (like, say, Ipswich Town). On top of that, and most pertinently, ticket prices can often be prohibitively expensive. Some tickets for away matches are priced appropriately, reasonably and proportionately. Tickets for Palace’s away match at West Brom last season were a sensible £25, for example. All too many clubs, however, charge prices for away fans which are disproportionately high. Chelsea have twice charged Palace fans over £60 for the pleasure of watching a match in the cauldron of silence that is Stamford Bridge. However, not all clubs are, or have to be, like that. Which is probably just as well as I am not sure the universe could take 20 clubs like Chelsea without some form of mass immunisation programme. The issue of clubs overcharging away fans has become so acute that, as I am sure you are aware, Swansea City have even gone so far as to subsidise the price of away tickets for their fans in instances where the home side has taken the decision to charge an exorbitant amount. You must agree that this does nothing to address the underlying issue of unreasonably priced tickets, as it provides little motivation for the home club to do anything other than to continue increasing prices, knowing that a portion of the cost will be subsidised by the away club. For Swansea City’s part it does at least attest to a club putting the interests of supporters ahead of short term gain, which we and many other fans of various clubs applaud. We expect that many Palace fans are sadly resigned to, and expect, the fact that tickets for away matches at clubs like Chelsea will be priced at an inappropriately high level.

We do not, however, expect it from a club like Norwich, whose background, fanbase and wealth is largely similar to that of our beloved Palace. You may be surprised to hear that numerous of our fans were excited at the news of Palace playing at Carrow Road on 8 August. Norwich is a fine and welcoming city, and is a destination which Palace fans are always happy to visit. It was therefore a source of immense disappointment and frustration that a club of a similar standing to ours has taken the decision to charge adult away fans £45 for admission to the forthcoming match. In the circumstances we, and many other Palace fans, are of the view that the decision taken is plainly unreasonable and ill-judged. You will no doubt point to the fact that the market can sustain £45 tickets at present. And you would be right. But football, and indeed the Premier League product as promoted overseas, is dependent upon more than market forces. In any other industry the market would have dictated that the customer base of a club the size of Norwich City would dwindle to a negligible level following your relegation in 2014, such is the relative disparity between the quality of football in the Premier League and other levels of the English game. Fortunately for Norwich City, and many other clubs who have been in your position (including Palace), fans value, perhaps naively, the virtues of loyalty and devotion rather than value for money and return on investment. Moreover, even those global viewers who tune into the Premier League on television from around the world do so not only for the stars on the pitch, but also because of the atmospheres in the stadia. Those fans are in some ways the very essence of the Premier League’s appeal, not extraneous to it. We also anticipate that you might believe that many fans can afford to pay £45 for a ticket to a football match. Again, you would be correct in stating that some can afford to pay £45 for a ticket. Many, however, cannot. Football may no longer be the preserve of solely working class men, but not every spectator earns a middle class income. For many, the price of admission to Carrow Road will amount to nearly a full day’s work at the government’s recently announced minimum Living Wage. Clubs that implement ticket prices at the level you have set for our forthcoming match are, in the circumstances, clearly doing a disservice to their many fans for whom £45 amounts to a substantial sum, let alone for a mere 90 minutes or entertainment (or not, on very many occasions). Those fans who do engage in the quaint practice of attending matches rather than watching everything on the red button, are also obviously acutely aware of the extent of TV Revenues received by Premier League clubs. The marginal nature of the gain created by increased ticket prices, which creates greater relative strain on the individual fans’ finances than the benefit accrued by the clubs (in the context of their wider finances), is keenly appreciated by fans.

The additional £56,000 Norwich City will generate in charging Crystal Palace fans £45 for admission rather than £25 is a small drop in the overall TV revenues that Premier League clubs receive. We understand the need for clubs to obtain financial advantages in such a competitive league, but there are clearly other ways to achieve this aim which do not adversely impact the lifeblood of the sport. While you will probably reflect on the fact that your club is likely to sell out many games in the Premier League this season in any event, we urge you to take into account the effect upon overall away ticket prices throughout the league that your policy will have and the consequent increase in expense to your own supporters when they travel away from Carrow Road. Crystal Palace fans do not deserve to be charged £45 for admission in the same way that Norwich City fans do not deserve to be charged £45 for admission to the Hawthorns or Selhurst Park or the Liberty Stadium. Clubs like Crystal Palace and Norwich may receive vast sums from broadcasters at present but it is the fans who sustained those clubs when they were on the brink of liquidation or relegated twice in a row or made it through nailbiting playoff semi-finals against their bitter rivals. And it is those fans who will stand by both clubs should something go wrong and the TV money dry up following another relegation. We urge you to take a principled stand, not just in the interests of Palace fans for the upcoming fixture but for all away fans attending Premier League matches, including your own. Yours faithfully, FIVE YEAR PLAN FANZINE …………………………………………………………………. This highlights one glaring difference between England and Scotland, they have fanzine editors that can string a couple of sentences together!! Seriously, it is an excellent piece and makes you quickly realise that fans are treated as “turnstile fodder” regardless if you support a small Scottish provincial club or a big city enterprise. The news that Killie amongst others are pumping up the walk up prices this season defies belief as well as logic. Clubs all over the country are seeing crowds drop but in all honesty I only give a hoot about one club. I hate it when fans seem to think its ok to watch crowds fall”because it’s happening to other clubs to”. That is a pathetic outlook, I’d love Killie to take the bull by the horns and so something like Bradford have down down south i.e. slash prices and get a huge rise in crowds…..dont hold your breath.

PRE-SEASON SHENNANIGANS Ifyou have bought the fanzine for a few years now you will know we love nothing better than a wee jaunt around the country before the real stuff starts. Two years ago we had a fantastic trip to Portrush and I’d love to go back there at sometime whether there is football on or not. Last season saw us head down south with Morecambe and Shrewsbury providing the watering holes for the boozehounds. Shrewsbury was a great day and I was delighted to see then get their promotion to League One. The glamour ties didn’t dry up this year and at the time of writing I have had to dig out the passport to cross the border to Berwick quickly followed by a midweek jaunt to Dumfries. Sadly I was unable to make the Irish trip to see us play Crusaders but there were a few boozehounds in attendance…….more later. The first chance we had to see our new signings was our trip down to Berwick. My vague memory of Berwick is the good lord Willie scoring a hat trick even though he spewed in the dressing room following a heavy Friday night session. I’m not sure if that is an urban myth but will ask the great man the next time I see him. The thing I love about travelling away is that you never stop learning new things about chums that you’ve known for years however the Berwick trip was a real eye opener especially when it was time to purchase some culinary delights.

• Senior boozehound D2 can speak Russian and I don’t mean after he has downed a bottle of grouse. Comrade Davidson impressed us with his Eastern European ramblings although I think the whole bus was talking Russian by the time we got home. • Comrade Davidson used to work beside a guy called Hugh Rae who had the epic nickname “hip hip”. That has nothing to do with anything but it made me chuckle. • Berwick has a fish and chip van inside the ground…….heaven. I can honestly say I’ve watched Killie while munching a sausage supper. The game was nothing special but a McKenzie goal three minutes from time gave us a satisfying victory before we hit the road home. The minibus was wheeled out again three days later as we headed down the A76 to see how Fow was getting on in Dumfries. It was a good night for fans to get down and see the new faces and we were treated to one of the better friendly games. The hosts were better than us in the first half and led by an odd goal however the second half was a different matter. Killie played some decent stuff with Higginbotham catching the eye……..I’m hoping he can be a start for us this season. McKenzie grabbed an equalizer then put us in front only for QOS to go straight down the park and curl in a free kick. A draw was a fair result all round and my abiding memory probably is that we looked ok going forward but will need to tighten things at the back. It’s early days all the same and I’m sure performances will improve as match fitness gets better.

RYAN STEVENSON HAS LET HIMSELF GO!

The summer has generated a few talking points like Lee McCulloch bringing his “flying elbow” show to Killie however nothing compares to Thistle’s new mascot. I can only assume Thistle have no cash for new players so this horror show will stand behind the goals to scare the oppo goalies…it could work!