Hippo159

KILLIE HIPPO

AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINE

ISSUE NO. 159

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JOHNSTONE MUST GO MISSING KENNY SHIELS WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?

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SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO Just at the time when I should be unwinding for the summer hols, Killie go and get themselves in a play off so a quickly chucked together fanzine is required. The one good thing about supporting a club that has to be the worst run professional club in the country is that there is always plenty to write about. MJ’s naughty list is now a full size book and there is talk of making it into a Hollywood blockbuster with Jo Brand playing the fat lawyer.

The last league game of the season against the relegated Arabs provided more evidence of how our club is run. Johnston left his couch in the directors box to go down to the touch line and speak to Lee Clark. Of course he could have sent got one of the backroom staff to pass on any message but that would mean less publicity for him. Anyway it seems they had realized that another booking for certain players would see them miss the play offs!! Just think about this for a minute, we were playing the final game before two of the most important games in the clubs history and we had fielded a team without knowing the potential for suspensions to key players. As I’ve said before there are amateur teams in the town are better organized and better run……and its all down to one man.

You will see the “Johnston Must Go” article in this issue where I’ve tried to give as much information as I can regarding the current situation. Suffice to say there is loads being done in the background to remove him from the club once and for all.

There is some stuff that I simply can’t put out there as it may impact on what is happening and of course there will be loads of stuff that I simply don’t know about.

From what I can tell he is closer to the exit door than ever before and before the first issue of next season there will be lots more information available. To simplify matters it all comes down to Billy Bowie, if he finally sees sense and stops propping up Johnston then we will see big changes and we will see wealthy folk looking to get involved with the club. As far as the fans are concerned I would suggest holding off the purchase of Season Tickets until we see what is happening.

All that rubbish can wait until after the play offs however as we need to focus on turning in two mammoth performances on the bounce……something we haven’t done all season. The highs and lows were perfectly demonstrated recently with fans being given real hope with a fine win at Hamilton only to be let down with a shocking display against Thistle. That pretty much sums up our season, if we can replicate the Hamilton performance we will probably stay up but a repeat of the Thistle shambles and we are offski.Falkirk have done well this season and we will need to match their hard work and enthusiasm. They score goals but leak them too so it’s a simple case of being tight at the back and snatching the chances that come our way. Let’s just do this Killie as I don’t like thinking about the consequences if we lose.

Thanks once again for your fantastic support and please enjoy your (shorter than ever) close season.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT Killie have been in the middle of a relegation scrap for a number of months now and inevitably some discussions turn to what it will be like if we end up in the championship. Many fans get a bit misty eyed thinking back to the 80’s and early 90’s when we were touring around the less than glamorous towns that host lower league football. I loved it myself as it was a pleasant change to see different places however the world has changed a lot since those days and relegation now could have very far reaching and depressing consequences….relegation is not an option I want to think about.

I’ve often said that my happiest times as a killie fan were the Fleeting/burns years when we were on a upward curve after dropping to the bottom division.

There was a real togetherness about the club, something that the younger generation of fans have never experienced. Everyone was proud to be a part of the club and the match on a Saturday couldn’t come round quick enough.

We eventually made it up to the “promised land” and the final day survival at Easter road will forever be one of my favourite three Killie games until my dying day. It’s a bit ironic that we will face either Hibs or Falkirk as we have had several end of season jousts with both over the years. As I write this article Falkirk have just scored the opening goal in the first leg at Easter Road but there is a long long way to go before we see who we will face in the “squeaky bum” play offs.

I’m hoping we will look back at this article as a bit of a waste in the coming weeks however I have had a wee look at all the venues we would invade if we were to drop a league. The first thing that strikes me is that there is far less travelling than we have at present. Our longest jaunt would be Tannadice which is only a two hour/six cans of beer journey before hitting the Clep Bar for pre match refreshments. There would be a couple of Fife trips but the rest are mainly in this part of the world…..should I mention a possible derby??

Here is a wee look at some the towns/grounds with a wee memory of each thrown in for good measure..

DUNDEE UTD It’s been a rapid fall from grace since their chairman decided to sell all their best players to Celtic. Not surprisingly they have offloaded most of their squad and it will be interesting to see how they readjust to the lower league as many teams struggle in the first year down….just ask St Mirren fans.

MEMORY – Obviously we have been there many times recently so it’s all a bit familiar. However one cracking memory was a few years back when it was the opening day of the season on a baking hot day and a cracking killie crowd witnessed Rory McKeown score a worldy to give us a 1 – 1 draw. It’s just as well I remember I can remember the game as I don’t remember too much from later in the day!!!

RAITH ROVERS If memory serves me well our last game there was about five years back on a Monday night when I think we won something like 2 – 0. Killie fans will be housed in their own stand behind the goals and there are a few boozers not too far from the ground. They may well be losing their manager to the arabs so it will be interesting to see if their recent improvement is affected if that move happens.

MEMORY – One memory was the howard minibus breaking down outside Glasgow on the way back from the afore mentioned friendly. However my fave recollection was losing in a midweek league game and a big huge fat guy was giving me and mate pelters only for Williamson to grab a last gasp equalized…..the large chap nearly choked on his king kebab.

DUNFERMLINE It would be interesting to lock horns with Alan Johnston but I’m genuinely glad to see them getting promoted. The Pars have a similar history and tradition as Killie and their slide down the leagues should be a sharp reminder to the Killie board as to what could happen. On the bright side it gives me a chance to grab a few beers with my brother in law who stays just outside the town!

MEMORY – Our last visit was a few years back when we went there on the last day of the season and beat them 2 – 1 after they had been relegated.

Unfortunately I missed the game as I couldn’t find my way out of a town centre boozer but I do know Jude Winchester grabbed a last minute winner.

MORTON If some of our younger fans haven’t had the pleasure then they are in for a culture shock when visiting Cappielow. The ground sits between a Beirut type housing scheme and the shipyards, it’s not the kind of place you would spend your summer hols. It was never a happy hunting ground until that brilliant Scottish Cup Quarter Final win in 1997…..that was the day I truly believed we could finally win the cup.

MEMORY – Lots and lots of old memories from Greenock mainly Jim Tolmie or Andy Ritchie scoring against us, buses getting bricked and pouring rain.

Even our last game there was a pathetic 3 – 1 defeat in the cup however I’m happy to take all of that as 1997 was as good as it gets.

ST MIRREN The Buddies have struggled to cope with their first year back down in the Championship although I would expect them to improve next season. It’s handy enough for travel purposes and Killie generally take a decent crowd to Paisley. I can see crowds being not too bad in the division as there will be Renfrewshire derby games, Fife derby games and dare I say it…………

MEMORY – My favourite memory of an away trip to Paisley was actually while they still played at Love Street. It was a boxing Day game and a good Killie crowd went through but there was weather issues…..you couldn’t see the other side of the pitch for the fog. We trailed 1 – 0 at half time and to a man the Killie crowd were roaring at the ref to abandon the game. Thankfully he ignored us because Paul Wright was inspired after the break and grabbed a hat trick for a fine three points.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH - Another place that brings mixed memories but it will be good to revisit some Dumfries hostelries. They have established themselves in the Championship although their treatment of James Fowler was poor. Yet another place where the locals enjoyed tanning bus windows back in the day!

MEMORY - We played last year in a pre season friendly but the obvious memory was our relegation back in 1989….even the Good lord couldn’t save us with his five goals. Thankfully it turned into a blessing in disguise and the fans got the boardroom change they craved…… wouldn’t it be good if we got the same this summer.

DUMBARTON If we do face the Sons in a league game next season it will be our first League game played at their new stadium. I watched Killie play a pre season game a few years back and it’s a pretty soulless ground. They currently have ex Killie players Fraser Wright and Darren Barr in their ranks but who knows if they will still be there after the summer. Regardless of who else is in the league you have to fancy that the Sons will be one of the faves for relegation along with the winners of the other play off.

MEMORY We used to have good days out on the train when Dumbarton still played at Boghead. As a food lover I remember that Boghead was the last place to sell “real” Bovril, how sad is that? My fave memory was back in the old 1st division days when Killie were promoted after a win (3 – 1??) sometime in the late 70’s or early 80’s. it was a cracking summers day and killie fans were celebrating behind the goals with bottles of Pomagne….we have always been a classy bunch.

FALKIRK/HIBS In terms of who we finally get I really don’t think there is anything between these two, it depends what Killie team turns up on the day. As far as away jaunts are concerned I would probably prefer Falkirk as we have seen plenty of Easter Road over the years. Whichever team stays down will be one of the favourites to come up next year and you do get the impression that if Hibs don’t come up this year then they probably will next time.

It should be said that we seem to be a bit of a jinx to Falkirk and their fans must hate the sight of us. Apart from the famous cup win we gubbed them in the League Cup semi final then relegated them on that nerve jangling final day in 2010.

Of course there will be one more place to fill and that will go to either Stranraer or the twelve fingered banjo players from south of Symington. I don’t want to waste any column inches talking about the scum but if we do meet next year it will boost the crowds for a couple of games at least. The same cannot be said of Stranraer who would undoubtedly struggle in the higher league and have to survive on home games of around 500 – 600. As I say, I hope that after the play off games this article can be filed under “pointless”.

SPARE A THOUGHT……

Many of you will know my big mate Stewart who is the main man at Rainbow Ink on Bank Street. Like the rest of us the big man was buzzing to get to the play off games however it’s a big year for him between 50th birthdays and silver anniversaries. The big man is a hopeless romantic and he booked a romantic break for him and Natalie in the historic city of Rome……..leaving on the 19th May and returning on the night of the 22nd. He misses both play off games but would have made both if Hibs got through. I’d ask you all to spare a thought for the big man, whilst we will be watching Killie in the lions den he will be in the Coliseum!!

CLUB SHOP + STRIPS! We briefly mentioned in the last issue about a couple of things that are changing for next season. Firstly it seems that we will be getting our strips manufactured by Nike next season although this has still to be confirmed by the club. Unsurprisingly the new home strips are not available as yet, we will maybe need to wait until the season starts like we did before!!

Secondly it appears the club shop will no longer be run by the club but will be put out to a sports company who will pay us so much for the privilege. Yet another example of how poorly our business is run although I’m sure the club release will try and spin this as positive news‌..sorry Michael but everyone can see through your nonsense these days.

MANAGERS REPORT CARD Here we are at the end of another long hard season and in our case it’s been a longer season than normal. By the time you get round to reading this our fate will be known and, depending on what league we are in, our hapless board will need to sit down and assess the management and squad before deciding who to let go and who to keep.

Rather than look at the players we are going to have a look at the managers in the Premiership and see how they have performed during the campaign.

We regularly have pub discussions about the importance of a manager and I reckon Ranieri at Leicester has provided the best evidence ever of how a boss can transform a seemingly average team. Sadly we probably saw the polar opposite this season under Gary Locke when it was clear that the team were simply not performing. That was in part due to several poor signing by GL and that is the difficulty that Lee Clark has had since he was brought in. Anyway here is a run through each team: RONNIE DEILA – CELTIC It was no surprise to anyone when Celtic announced that Deila would be leaving in the summer shortly after their Scottish Cup exit. From an outsider looking in it may appear strange that the league winners were sacking their boss but you have to look deeper into the situation. Deila had a budget that dwarfed that of all the other teams and a league win should be the very least they expect. His record in Europe over the last couple of years has been mince and the board knows that is where some serious money can be made.

Unfortunately we now have to watch the tabloids go into overdrive about his replacement and a new name gets thrown in the ring every day. At the moment the likes of Davie Moyes, Paul Lambert and even Neil Lennon are getting touted, all guys with a Celtic connection. I think it’s fair to say they won’t go for an unknown foreigner again so look out for endless boring column inches before a successor is finally appointed.

DEREK MCINNES – ABERDEEN The league has ended up as many would have predicted with the Dons in second place so they have probably done as well as can be expected. It all looked like going wrong

for McInnes after a promising start after rumours persisted that he was messing around with the wife of one of his players. I’ve no idea if this was true or not but it couldn’t have done too much for team spirit!

Some Dons fans may be a little frustrated that they got so close to Celtic who were average in all honesty. Perhaps they will see this season as an opportunity missed however the manager still seems to be held in fairly high regard and it would be no surprise if his name was linked with jobs down south, probably at Championship level.

ROBBIE NEILSON – HEARTS Even though they just got promoted last season they will still have a decent budget and it was no surprise to see them finish in 3rd place. The manager has been under some pressure recently as many don’t appear to enjoy his style of play however looking from afar I don’t see how they could have expected much more. You get the impression that Levein will still call a lot of the shots around the club so Neilson will be under constant scrutiny. You would imagine that he will still be there come the new season however it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if they decided to bring in a fresh face.

MARK MCGHEE - MOTHERWELL I’ve never liked McGhee so would shed no tears if he was bumped, but that isn’t going to happen. After Killie beat them up there they went on a fantastic run and quickly went from play off candidates to European hopefuls. I’m not sure they have got too much cash all the same so I can’t see the manager splashing the cash in the summer. Credit where it’s due though to McGhee for their form in the last few months.

TOMMY WRIGHT – ST JOHNSTONE It’s been a bit of a topsy turvy season but a top six finish will ensure that the manager will be there come next season. Wright goes about his business quietly but they looked decent early in the season before hitting a dip around Christmas. The manager won’t have much in a big budget either but he picks up a few from the lower divisions and gets them to do a job…..decent season for them.

JIM MCINTYRE – ROSS COUNTY The ex Killie striker has had an excellent season in Dingwall with a top six finish and a league cup win to boot. A fine achievement when you bear in mind he is handcuffed to that we walloper Dodds as his assistant. I’m sure his good work has not gone unnoticed and I’m sure his name may be linked with other jobs at “bigger” teams if

they become available. He has a chairman that invests in the club so I’d expect to see him there for a while yet.

PAUL HARTLEY – DUNDEE They just missed out on the top six but apart from that it has been a reasonable season for Hartley and his team. They looked like world beaters when they gubbed us in the opening game but that was down to us being so bad as much as anything else……..we have made a few teams look like world beaters this season!! I think Hartley could be a decent manager and wouldn’t be surprised if he was tempted away at some point by a move down south. It probably wont be this summer and they can all bask in the glory of relegating their arch rivals.

JOHN HUGHES - INVERNESS It hasn’t been a great campaign for Yogi up in the highlands and they weren’t too far away from getting dragged into the play off scramble. Not for one minute do I expect any managerial change as they seem quite loyal to their managers up there but I do think there is some warning signs for the fans. They punch above their weight in terms of crowd/budget and Yogi will need to improve the squad or they could be in trouble next season.

ALAN ARCHIBALD – PARTICK TH. Having just signed a new three year deal it seems the Thistle board are quite happy with Archibald. Much like Killie it always looked like a bottom six scrap for the Jags but Archibald has ground out important wins when it mattered most. They were better than us in our crucial game two weeks ago and with the fans chanting the managers name it seems he wont be heading anywhere soon.

MARTIN CANNING – HAMILTON If you read some of the forums it would be fair to say that Canning does not have the full backing of the fans. They only just got away with it this time and it may well be the manager position is reviewed after the final game. If he does last until August I expect a poor start to the new season may see Accies make a change.

DUNDEE UTD Unfortunately we cannot do a wee report on their current manager as they don’t have one…..although Ray McKinnon may be appointed by the time you read this. Mixu had been touted as a probable replacement earlier in the season but judging by his performance at United we may have dodged a bullet. Macnamara had taken the Arabs to the bottom of the table but they were only one point off 11th place when Mixu took the reins.

All in all it has been a disastrous campaign for Utd and to rub salt in the wounds it was neighbours Dundee who finally sent them packing. The thought of Killie getting relegated at Scumerset would probably see me locked up in a secure facility for many years. Anyway, whoever the new manager is at tannadice will have to work on a much reduced budget and answer to a chairman who is as popular as our parasite.

Hard times lie ahead but I’m sure they will be challenging at the top end of the Championship in a years time.

LEE CLARK – KILMARNOCK As always we leave the best until last but I have to say that after the Thistle my glass has quickly gone from half full to half empty. The manager was brought in far too late and if the worst happens and we go down I will attach no blame to the manager. He was brought in about three months too late and with the transfer market already closed all he could do was sniff around looking for guys that were out of contract. It really was a case of bungling directors dithering for way too long and they will be totally responsible if our proud club slips out the league for the first time this century.

Let’s rewind to last summer when Gary Locke was in charge and in all honesty there was a bit of optimism with the new signings and some felt we could have a decent season. It quickly became apparent that nothing could be further from the truth and several heavy defeats may have seen the manager bumped in the opening weeks of the season. At no time did it look as if GL would turn things around and for many months it was just a case of when and not if he goes. It’s a disgrace that he lasted as long as he did and ultimately the hesitation by the board may cost us our top league status.

The million dollar question is can Lee Clark motivate, organize and instill the belief that will see us through these two nerve jangling games? If we repeat the Hamilton performance we will be ok, if we repeat the Thistle showing we can look forward to Cappielow in the middle of winter……I’m worried!!!

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE It goes without saying that we need to be positive and only a win in the play offs will do……..but there is a wee chance that might not happen.

Just in case things work against us it’s important to remain upbeat whilst ensuring that the parasite isn’t here for the new campaign!

It’s not all doom and gloom so here are a few advantages of

visiting

the Championship:

a)

We won’t have to pay money to watch that psychopath obnoxious fud Joey Barton who is reportedly joining Sevco……..has the phrase “marriage made in heaven” ever been more appropriate?

b)

We get to return to the beautifully named Alamo bar in Paisley. Cracking wee pub if you enjoy a game of Head the Tumbler…….i can taste the blood as I write this.

c)

A trip to the dark side to see how life is in a third world sh*thole. They would need to spend a million on it to get it fit for condemning.

So there you have it, all the delights of relegation and that’s without even mentioning the Dunfermline steak bridie….damn I’ve just drooled all over my laptop.

MISSING KING KENNY (writes Callum Scott) With Kilmarnock’s place in this year’s play-off final all but confirmed, the top flight status of the once proud Ayrshire club hangs in the balance.

In 1993 Killie gained promotion to Scotland’s top tier after almost a decade in the Scottish footballing wilderness which also saw the Ayrshire side slump into the third tier of Scottish football in 1989.

However, there was light at the end of the tunnel for the Rugby Park side and it came from a fiery haired pioneer called Tommy Burns.

Burns guided Killie back into where they have been for the last 23 seasons – the top tier of Scottish football.

Now as we approach the eighth year since the passing of Killie’s saviour, we may also see the death of Kilmarnock football club as we know it.

There is a real sense of fear amongst the Killie support who believe the prospect of relegation could see the club plunge down the divisions again like they did in the dark days of the 1980s.

Although there has been 23 years of consecutive premiership football for Kilmarnock - there has been a few scares along the way. A final day showdown with Falkirk in 2010 which saw Killie scrape a draw at Rugby Park to regain their top flight status was followed by a few years of hope for the Ayrshire side.

That summer in 2010 saw the emergence of Mixu Paatelainen – oh, and his assistant manager, Kenny Shiels.

Although Shiels was little known to Scottish football at the time, he would quickly make himself known to the Kilmarnock fans and the Scottish media after getting the manager’s job when Paatelainen left to manage his native Finland in March 2011.

Shiels had a relatively successful two seasons at Rugby Park before he was controversially dismissed in 2013. His sacking was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back with regards to the Killie fans’ relationship with controversial chairman Michael Johnston.

The support was hurt with the decision to relieve Shiels of his duties as he became a cult hero at Rugby Park with his cup success in 2012 – beating Celtic in the League Cup final and delivering the club’s first major honour in 15 years.

The cup win is undoubtedly the best achievement of Shiels’ managerial career to date, and would do well to top that success he achieved as Killie manager and as one could imagine, it’s a day the Irishman looks back on with great fondness.

Killie received plaudits in the national media for their style of football and how they took the game to the all but confirmed champions of Scotland that day – and this is a factor which Shiels believed to be key in bringing the League Cup back to Rugby Park: “It was always my intention to stay in the game but it was always my intentions to throw on an extra striker.

When teams go to Parkhead and Ibrox, they think about staying in the game and defending because with 20 minutes to go a lot of teams would have played for penalties but we went for it.”

This decision from Shiels certainly paid off as the “extra striker” he spoke about went on to nod the ball into the back of the net and give Killie their first ever League Cup at the sixth time of asking.

Shiels’ record against the Old Firm was another aspect of his managerial ability and character which likened him to the late Tommy Burns. In fact, it was Shiels who became the first manager to defeat Rangers at Rugby Park since Burns – and this is what filled Kilmarnock fans with hope.

Both managers set out teams to go out and not fear the best in the country, and this can be seen from both managers’ records against the Glasgow giants.

But it wasn’t just the cup success which made Shiels popular amongst the Killie support. His community engagement and vision for the club, and town of Kilmarnock, was something the Killie fans took a real liking to and drew comparisons between Shiels and the late Tommy Burns.

His famous quote of “If you live in Kilmarnock you should support Kilmarnock” after a victory over Rangers at Rugby Park bedded well with the Kilmarnock support but not too well with the media: “That was so genuine because I wanted an affection between what I was doing and the local supporters, the true supporters. There are people who are born and bred in Glasgow who support Rangers and Celtic and maybe come to live in Ayrshire but they still have that attachment to Rangers or Celtic – I can understand that. However, when people are brought up in the borough (Ayrshire) and support Rangers I don’t see the logic in it.”

The Ulsterman added: “Football is parochial, it’s about where you’re born and bred and you need an identity. That is what I was trying to push through to the supporters.”

Both Shiels and Burns were devout to their respective religions (protestant and catholic), and in their own way broke down religious barriers. Burns of course in Scotland and Shiels in religious hotbed Northern Ireland where he saw the hatred first hand.

Shiels, a protestant, had to mourn the death of his elder brother who was killed during the troubles at the hands of the Irish Republican Army but never allowed the tragedy let bitterness get the better of him. The Shiels family were one of the few families in his home town which tried to unite both sides, mainly through the influence of his father: “Maghera was totally divided. The top of the town was all catholic and the bottom of the town was all protestant but my father was the only protestant who drank in a catholic pub.

“He was so well respected, he was a councillor who got Catholics houses away back in the 60s and looked after both sides of the divide.”

Shiels concluded by saying: “It’s so ironic that the people who came to murder Dave had realised the family we were –probably wouldn’t have changed things but they would have understood what my father was about.

“It’s so ironic that this tragedy happened to one of the only families who did not favour any side but tried to bring them together.”

Although Shiels is back managing in Northern Ireland with Derry City, the Irishman admits his heart is still across the water with Kilmarnock: “I would love to come back to Kilmarnock some day and manage them when it’s right for the club and right for me – I believe that would be a very good step.

“I just want the supporters to know that I’m watching things and how they’re getting on.”

Tommy Burns and Kenny Shiels are both very different characters but also share so many characteristics, particularly in relation with their time at Rugby Park. The success of Kenny Shiels at Killie is the proudest the support have been since the Scottish Cup win in 1997 and the promotion back to the top flight under Burns in 1993.

The community engagement first brought to the club by Burns was resurrected under the stewardship of Shiels which saw the Ulsterman handdeliver season tickets to fans of the club as well as talk up the town itself.

Shiels who stayed in Edinburgh whilst managing Killie spoke about how he would get his haircut in Kilmarnock barbers, eat in Kilmarnock restaurants and drink in Kilmarnock pubs optimized what he was all about and how being manager of Kilmarnock was more than just a job to him. The legacy of Kilmarnock football club started by Tommy Burns and rejuvenated by Kenny Shiels, firmly hangs in the balance as the Ayrhsire side head into what are likely to be the biggest games in the history of Scotland’s oldest professional football club.One thing is for sure is that, for Kilmarnock to survive both on and off the park they must be led by someone of the ilk of Shiels or the late, great Tommy Burns.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE SOUTH BEACH A cosy, intimate, up-front-and-personal live music project aimed at bringing some of the very best musicians and bands to Ayrshire.South Beach Sessions is based on the principle that if we offer good music then the audience will pay to hear it. It’s a small venue and the tickets may not always be cheap but we believe that The South Beach Sessions will always provide value for money with the very best artistes in an exclusive setting.

The host venue at the South Beach Hotel seats an audience of around 100 and we offer an eclectic mix of music and artistes throughout the year. 2015 will see us venturing into other venues in and around the town with the aim of building a habit of watching and listening to live music in Troon.

This is an exciting project for us and we hope that by offering quality live music we will tap into a niche in Ayrshire for those who are looking for something just a little different.

JOHNSTON MUST GO I’m writing this article on Sunday 15th May, exactly 8 years after the death of one of the finest men to ever walk into Scotland’s oldest professional club. Tommy Burns was quite simply a hero, the nicest guy you could wish to meet and without doubt one of the finest players to ever pull on the famous stripes. As a manager he was an inspiration to players and fans alike, he is the man that somehow kept us up in our first season in the SPL. We would probably never had all the fantastic cup wins, European adventures and famous wins in Glasgow had we not clung on for a goalless draw on that never-to-be-forgotten day at Easter Road……a truly great man.

I mentioned TB to show what one man can do for a club, now contrast that to the imposter who was gifted over 80% of our club from his pal Jamie Moffat. Make no mistake, the club has been in freefall from the minute he walked through the doors and I will take a day off work to celebrate when he walks away from our club never to return……check local press and social media for details of the MJGTF party at the Howard!!

Now I know we have all been here before whereby there are stories flying around about MJ on his way out, potential investors coming in etc. We are at that stage once again but I genuinely get the impression that the end is nigh for the parasite. The club AGM was an eye opener as it was the polar opposite of the normal sweetie rustling, “positive spin” bullshit event. You had to feel sorry for outgoing chairman Jim Mann who was obviously taken aback by the groundswell of anger against Johnston as he was really just wanting to his emotional farewell.

I really have to laugh when fans on forums or supporter groups plead for the fans to stick together and do their best to back the team. In the main the fans always do that regardless however the irony is that the boardroom has more fractures than Crosshouse A + E. To put it in simple terms Bowie props up Johnston for God only knows what reason.

The rest of the board know the problem at the club but much like Jim Mann, they are powerless to do anything as all the important decisions are made by the two majority shareholders. Don’t believe the nonsense bout the one person one vote nonsense, the club is less democratic than North Korea. Billy Bowie claims that he is there simply to help the club, well his actions don’t back up his words. Anyone who thinks that supporting the man who is blocking investment and chasing away fans is doing the best for the club is totally deluded….or in it for the same reasons as Johnston.

So what is going on I’m sure you want to know? I will tell you what I can but it’s fair to say I don’t want to end up in court and I don’t want to say anything that may damage any potential deals so accept my apologies as I can’t tell you everything I know. Lets start with what the fans are doing and importantly WHAT EVERY SINGLE FAN CAN DO TO HELP. At the AGM one fan stood up and proposed a vote of “no confidence” in Johnston.

Unfortunately you have to go through certain procedures to ensure this is done in the proper manner therefore nothing could be done on the day however it could be done by calling an EGM. For that to happen it required 5% of the shareholding to put their names to it, which is harder than you think when two folk own over 80%. In terms of actual numbers about 95% would likely vote for it but doing it this way meant a lot of hard work for my old chum Higgy. The big man has played a blinder and at the time of writing he appears to have things in place for the EGM. There are still things to be done all the same but hopefully there will be an announcement in the not too distant future.

One thing that needs to be highlighted is how much Johnston’s continued involvement with the club is costing us in terms of lost revenue both from fans and businesses. One idea that we are currently looking at is producing a “pledge sheet” whereby both fans and businesses can pledge how much they will invest once the fat lawyer is chased out of town. This was something that we had in place a few years back but it never came to fruition at that time. Hopefully it is different this time around as we seem to be at a far more advanced stage and most importantly almost every Killie fan seems to want rid of him once and for all.

There are all sorts of meetings go on behind the scenes at present and I don’t know that there is any one person who will know absolutely everything as there is so much

happening. One thing I will predict is that an EGM will definitely go ahead at some stage unless of course MJ doesn’t fancy it and just walks away…..aye right.

Time is against us or it may well be we can use it in our favour. The other thing currently under scrutiny is setting up an escrow type account where fans can put money into and it will go to the club once certain conditions are fulfilled i.e. MJGTF. I’ll contact the Standard and ask if they will put “Join the MJGTF Campaign” on the front page…… surely they can’t refuse me???

There are certain pitfalls to be avoided when dealing with these types of account so it’s not something we will rush into. However I may contact someone at Hearts who have been through this type of thing and can maybe advise on the best way to go about it. The only way to genuinely force change is to hit them in the pocket, it’s all they listen to when they have no actual feelings for the club. I won’t be renewing my season ticket until he is gone and I know many others who feel the same way. I do think it’s all coming to a head one way or the other so my advice would be hold off with your hard earned cash until we see in what direction the club is heading.

That’s what is happening from the fans side of the fence however there is much more going on behind the scenes and this is where I’m limited about what I can say. Let’s just say there are many business folk, most of them wealthy, who feel the exact same way as me. I read the other week that John Gall stated he had put forward his catering proposal and the deal included him putting in over half a million in the coming years…….that is just the tip of the iceberg as well. Of course he is in the middle of “Pie-gate” just now but if that is resolved and MJ then vanishes he may be back on board at the Theatre of Lies…….time will tell.

There are people waiting in the background waiting to invest and there are people holding meetings to try and pull everyone together with the end result being the parasite leaves and we can start to reunite the dysfunctional Killie family. Keep the faith folks and I hope the next issue will be looking ahead to a bright future……YNTTK and the “K” stands for Killie.

SPFL 7/5/16 KILLIE 0 V 2 JAGS KILLIE – MCDONALD, O'HARA, HODSON, BALATONI (HENSHALL 83), ADDISON, DICKER, SLATER (HIGGINBOTHAM 68), KILTIE (OBADEYI 67), MCKENZIE, MAGENNIS, BOYD SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, FINDLAY, FAUBERT + FRIZZELL BOOKED – MAGENNIS GOALS – NOT EVEN CLOSE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PARTICK TH – SCULLY, MILLER, FRANS, SEABOURNE, DUMBUYA, OSMAN, WELSH, AMOO (ELLIOTT 18), EDWARDS, LAWLESS, DOOLAN (NISBET 90) SUBS NOT USED – GALLAGHER, LINDSAY, WILSON, NISBET + POGBA BOOKED – DUMBUYA + OSMAN GOALS – LAWLESS 32 + DOOLAN 66 REF – A DALLAS

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DICK OF THE DAY – THE WHOLE TEAM We really should hate the sight of local lad Kris Doolan since he is one of those players who seems to score against us every time he takes the park. I almost gave him the award however he is married to a good Killie lassie and if I gave him the gong his mother in law Jackie would probably kill me…..so I’ve bottled it. The award goes to the whole Killie team who showed yet again we can’t put two decent performances together back to back.

Everyone was on a high after Hamilton but we showed just why we are in the play offs. As they say the league table doesn’t lie and if we repeat this showing then the Championship is very much a possibility. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was a thoroughly depressing performance from every player for the full 90 minutes. We just did the hoofball routine and you would have been excused for thinking Gary Locke was back in the dugout……..crap day all round.

A DATE FOR THE DIARY FOR ALL KILLIE FANS

SPFL 11/5/16 DEES 1 V 1 KILLIE DUNDEE – BAIN, MCGINN, ETXABEGUREN, OʼDEA, HOLT, ROSS,

COLQUHOUN, WIGHTON, STEWART, LOY, HEMMINGS (RODRIGUEZ PEREZ 68) SUBS – MEGGATT, MITCHELL, BLACK, GADZHALOV + CURRAN BOOKED – COLQUHOUN GOALS – LOY 18 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> KILLIE – MCDONALD, FINDLAY (O'HARA 35), HODSON, BALATONI, ADDISON, DICKER, FAUBERT (SLATER HT), KILTIE, FRIZZELL, BOYD, MAGENNNIS SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, HENSHALL, WHITTAKER,TAYLOR + FRIZZELL BOOKED – MCDONALD GOALS – HIGGINBOTHAM 44 REF – D ROBERTSON

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DICK OF THE DAY – DUNDEE BOARD/MJ A trip to a meaningless game on a Wednesday night doesn’t exactly get the juices flowing. Therefore well played to the 96 hardy souls who headed up to see if we could get ourselves sorted after the thistle disaster. You wonder who makes the decisions regarding seating of away fans all the same. Earlier in the season we took a decent crowd up there on a Saturday afternoon and were seated at the end of the main stand. This is where we have been in recent times whilst the stand behind the goals sits empty. Fast forward to Tuesday and with 96 away fans they open the stand behind the goals to accommodate them. You can only assume they took advice from the parasite! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Once again Macdonald was our MOTM and we could have been beaten by half time. The manager made changes and it was a much better second half with Balatoni earning us a draw……all pretty inconsequential all the same.

SPFL 14/5/16 KILLIE 2 V 4 ARABS KILLIE – MCDONALD, HODSON (FAUBERT 70), TAYLOR, BALATONI (CLARK 67), ASHCROFT, HENSHALL, SLATER, HIGGINBOTHAM (MCHATTIE 80) , FRIZZELL, OBADEYI, MCKENZIE SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, KILTIE, DICKER + WHITTAKER BOOKED – BALATONI + HODSON GOALS – HIGGINBOTHAM 27 + OBADEYI 34 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DUNDEE UTD – ZWICK, KNOYLE, DURNAN (SOUTTAR 83), DONALDSON, DIXON, JOHNSON (BALLANTYNE 85), FRASER, RANKIN, SMITH (SMITH 66), OFERE, MURRAY SUBS NOT USED – KAWASHIMA, DILLON + MORRIS BOOKED – DURNAN GOALS – DURNAN 12, MURRAY 73 + 82, SOUTTAR 86 REF – B MADDEN

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DICK OF THE DAY – THE PARASITE As you will read elsewhere there is a lot of stuff going on in the background to remove the parasite from the club once and for all. In a perfect world ths would be his last ever DOTD award as he would be gone in the summer but knowing what he is like there is no way anything will happen quickly. In Michael’s deluded wee world he is the king of RP and can do no wrong although the massive naughty list would tell you otherwise. About the only job he hasn’t had is team manager and we had to endure the embarrassing sight of him going down to chat with Lee Clark during the game to update him on potential suspensions!!! Are we the most pathetic and amateurish run club in Scottish football?? Do us all a favour Johnston and GTF. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This was a like a pre season friendly and we should have had it wrapped up long before the mad substitutions……lets move on to the real stuff now.

NUMEROUS FOOD OUTLETS TO CLOSE

There was more bad news for the economy of Kilmarnock when several food outlets announced today they are pulling down the shutters for the last time. McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza hut, Papa Johns and Dominos all stated that they had made their financial projects based on Hibs making the play offs and their keeper Conrad Logan (pictured above) coming to town with his family. The good news for Conrad is they are all now doing closing down sales and he has been spotted house/curry hunting this week in Bellfield.