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SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO You have to laugh at our tax dodging chums from Govan. Given all the disastrous headlines they have endured in recent months I stumbled across a wee sash wearing jakey wandering around the streets of Killie grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Whit you so chuffed aboot” I enquired to the buckie swilling goat. “I couldnae be happier big yin” he replied “the teddy bears have made it doon tae Engerlund at last, we are aff tae Berwick in three weeks”. Welcome to another season after the maddest, most mental and depressing close season ever. Fans from other countries looking into the embarrassing state of our game must simply shake their heads in disbelief. Regan and Doncaster have behaved like a pair of balloons who are terrified to make a decision and both removed from the Scottish game immediately. You then hear that MJ has found himself a job at the SPL…….it really is no wonder that we are the laughing stock of the football world. It defies belief that less than three weeks from the start of the season we still didn’t know who we were facing. That can be laid firmly at the feet of the two jokers above who seemed happy to bully the SFL into making a decision for them. I’ve no doubt that many clubs had voted to appease their fans as they had been promised sevco would get into the first division. Well done to the SFL for showing they had a pair and sticking to the correct decision. Balance that with the scummy SPL chairmen who were trying to wangle last minute deals that would have seen the tax dodgers out of the SPL for only a year. It was a shameful summer for Scottish football and the only good I can see coming of it is the removal of the imposter in charge at Killie. On a positive note well done to Kenny Shiels for coming up with some imaginative marketing to sell some extra ST’s. When Killie finally return to being a genuine community club it is this type of initiative we will see on a regular basis. It has been a difficult time for Killie fans who want to support the club but don’t want to prolong MJ’s time in charge. Many feel they must still buy a ST to support the club whilst others feel the only way to get rid of Johnston is to starve him of cash. I can fully understand both sides of the argument and either way it is done with the best intentions of Killie. On the playing front KS has had his budget slashed again it would appear on the back of the disappearing bigots. We have brought in Rory and Boulding and Jeroen Tesselar only so expect to see the Killie youngsters get their chance. Having watched the under 20’s game at Kilwinning I’m convinced we have some decent kids coming through and KS is the man to give them a run. One name to look out for is Robbie Muirhead, he has just turned 16 but is very well thought of and is making a name for himself in the Scottish set-up. Sandy
Music, Killie and Me (writes King Kenny) Fitba and music. Two mediums inexorably linked throughout the ages, from Julio Iglesias' Real Madrid...ahem...career, Rod Stewart's (alleged) apprenticeship at Brentford as a lad and Elton John buying a bloody club, to the flip side of Hoddle, Waddle, Cole and Gazza all trying their hands at singing, with mixed results. The mix of these results ranged from horrendous to merely terrible, but fair play to them for trying. Point is, there has always been a common link between the two, with most footballers wanting to be rock stars and most rock stars wanting to be footballers. More so recently, with the whole cult of celebrity surrounding footballers, you hardly have a week going past without Noel Gallagher and <insert Man City player> hanging around like best buddies. The great thing about both football and music, is the way it can conjure memories, good and bad. Who can't remember various musical highlights from gigs or festivals, and rate these moments as high as seeing their team winning a cup or turning over their biggest rivals? With this train of thought it led me to think of my own personal memories of music and football. Both are great passions of mine and as someone who's followed Killie from the late 80's a youngster through a fairly successful past two decades, there's a wealth of great music and results to choose from. 1993...promotion to the top flight for the first time in my memory and a return to the big time. I was dragged to away games every second week by my uncle and his cronies and as the bus left for Ibrox on August 28th, even the most optimistic Killie fan wouldn't have predicted what was going to happen. I was only twelve and music was just starting to really creep into my life. American acts were taking over and the whole "grunge" scene was taking off. Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins were huge, Wu-Tang were carrying the hip-hop torch but what I was more interested in was...bloody hardcore. I was having a phase unfortunately, and it was all Q-Tex, Dance Overdose, Ultrasonic and getting a free issue of Clubscene from Our Price..but it was broken when my brother gave me a tape.
On one side was Modern Life is Rubbish, Blur's second album and a gateway into a love affair with music whch lasts till today. It's not a great album, certainly not Blurs best and its not even a favourite of mine, but it was a stepping stone and a start at least. Lets just say it planted a seed. On the other side, was an album which was far better, far cooler and as far removed from Blur as you could get...Black Sunday by Cypress Hill. Hip hop was something I'd never listened to, but this was something else. Insane in the Brain and When the Sh*t Goes Down were awesome tracks and like nothing I'd ever listened to before and even though I hardly had a clue about the lyrical content and what Hits from the Bong was about, I really got into it and thought I was pretty cool. Mainly because it had loads of swearing. These two albums were the first real "proper" albums I'd ever listened to, and although two different genres I felt a little something that made me think "I could get into this music lark"...well maybe not quite those words, but along those lines at least. As for the football that year? Well August 28th 1993 is singularly my greatest ever moment as a Killie fan and, like putting on and hearing Cypress Hill for the first time, I remember it like yesterday. I remember the feeling as Marko dived to head in the cross and the deflation when "Elvis" Pressley rose to head an equaliser. That was that then, but we somehow managed to hold on and were on course for a point when something amazing happened. Iain Porteus managed to get clear and was through...he shot and Ally Maxwell parried it to a waiting Bobby Williamson, who showed all the poise and composure in the world as he seemed to take an eternity to roll it into the empty net...cue pandemonium and me getting grabbed by a wee ginger guy in front of me and hugged to within an inch of my life. All this in the 96th minute. At Ibrox. It was an amazing moment and one that will stay with me forever, along with the picture of me in the Daily Record, on the shoulders of a well known publican from the following days paper, as proof of my attendance. Amazingly, we ended Rangers unbeaten home run of almost 18 months and made headlines, literally, around the world. 1993....the year both music and football became huge loves of my life and gave me memories to take with me to my death bed.
The first sure sign that the football season is about to start is when I go into google, type in “oddschecker” and start searching for the football odds for every Scottish and English league. I was hoping this time around that there may have been odd available on how long Craig Whyte will get in Bar-l but apparently the odds are too short. This really has been the maddest close season of all time so it’s good to get back in the old routine. I’m not sure how we fared last season since I never back my own tips but we generally have a bit of success. Here we go with the usual offbeat tips that will ensure that your tip to the “Killie Convention” is fully paid for: S.P.L. One down and one to go you could say if we want this to be a truly competitive league. Perhaps we could persuade the “easily offended” that their future lies in their beloved Ireland and then next year the cream cookies would be giving odds that are proper value for money. Celtic are add the highly attractive odds of 1/33 which means if you stick £33 on them to win you would get a £1 profit if they pipped Killie at the post. Alternately you could bet Lennon at 20/1 to be Sports Personality of the Year, that means if you stick a fiver on………you have lost a fiver. Killie are a mouthwatering 250/1, giving money away of you ask me. Once the current batch of youngsters find their feet we will be flying and our Benidorm jaunt will just be a rehearsal for our Champios League extravaganza. Anyway in terms of bets I’d say you should do the same as Burnett does every year and have a few quid on Killie for each of the cups. Which reminds me Burnett…….you are due me a pint with your LC winnings.
SCOTTISH DIV.1 I’ve had to leave this to the last possible moment since the super efficient SPL/SFA can’t make a decision as to who is playing in what league. With Airdrie, Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath now in the league it looks far less wide open as it has in recent seasons. The betting have Dunfermline just favoured at 3/1 closely followed by Falkirk, Livingston and the Harry Wraggs. I would rule out Thistle as they simply haven’t been competing in the upper reaches recently. That leaves the top three in the betting, I actually tipped Livi at a big price last year and with Yogi in charge I can see them having a good campaign. I always find it hard to tip the team who has just been relegated, especially Dunfermline who were holing out for a return to the SPL to replace the tax dodgers. They also have JJ in charge and I don’t know how motivated he will be in the lower league having spent so much time in the top division. That leaves Falkirk (7/2 at Ladbrokes) and I will take them for the honours after having a decent campaign last term. They don’t have a lot of dosh but they have brought through a number of youngsters who will benefit from the experience they gained last year. HIPPO TIP – FALKIRK TO WIN AT 7/2
SCOT. DIV 2 Much like the 1st division this appears to be between the teams at the front of the betting…..apologies for being unimaginative. The scum and Queen of the South lead the way at around 7/2 closely followed by Arbroath and Alloa. Unlike above I do think the teams who came down could go back up although I think Alloa could be worth a saver at 13/2. With Marko in charge it goes without saying I won’t be tipping the scum so that leaves the doonhamers to spend only one year in the lower league. HIPPO TIP – Q.O.T.S (7/2) PLUS A WEE SAVER ON ALLOA
SCOTTISH DIV.3 Hahahahahahaha, sorry I’ve just seen the betting table and when I saw “The Rangers” were favourite I had to look and see if the mighty Berwick had been bought over by a Russian billionaire. Oh how the mighty have fallen, being quoted as faves in a league with Peterhead as second best. Once again there is no value whatsoever, it may actually getting on to Betfair and lay them at around 1/20 as who knows what other financial disasters lie ahead and they may get into further trouble in the coming months. The big Glasgow derby (Queens Park v Clyde) should be a belter and you could maybe have a wee side bet on Lee McCulloch getting a few red cards as he is clearly out his depth at this level. HIPPO TIP – LAY RANGERS AT 1/20
PREMIERSHIP Just as the top Scottish league continues to struggle and the Sky money reduces, the opposite is happening down south. Money is simply no object however it’s almost certain than further down the line they may hit the wall if they don’t ensure clubs are run for long term sustainability rather than short term greed. The fact that Andy Carroll cost £8m more than the Olympic opening ceremony says it all!! On the field you will never see a more dramatic finish that that of last season. It made for fantastic viewing, unless you are a Man utd fan……who I had tipped to win!! The noisy neighbours snatched it in the dying seconds and having won their first top league title they may be very hard to stop once again. City have limitless funds and they will strengthen in all areas before the season starts. City are around 5/4 whilst United are second best at 5/2 with Euro champions Chelsea at around 5/1. Arsenal will underachieve as usual and Liverpool will need a minor miracle. HIPPO TIP – MAN CITY @ 5/4……….AND FOR ANOTHER WEE BET TRY SWANSEA TO GET RELEGATED AT 9/4
CHAMPIONSHIP If you buy the hippo every season we always say this is the hardest of them all to pick…..and this season is no different. The clubs with the parachute payments should have a big advantage but the drop from the big league is often a traumatic experience. I can remember tipping Middlesbro last year at a big price and although they started the season well they ultimately fell away. Leicester and Bolton lead the way at around 15/2 closely followed by the likes of Wolves, Cardiff, Leeds and Blackburn, Leeds could be interesting as they are meant to be getting taken over which could mean a big injection of cash. Blackburn are not a happy camp and if Kean can unite everyone at Ewood Park and get them a promotion he will have done a sensational job. I don’t fancy Leicester although they do have a bit of money behind them….as do Forest who have also got new owners. Bolton are the team I would fancy out that little lot as Coyle has experience in this division and I may end up kicking myself for not tipping them. At last I’m going for a bit of a price with Ian Holloway’s Blackpool available at around 18/1. Holloway has been there before and has a knack of building a good team spirit and plenty of confidence in his teams. Hopefully they can build up a head of steam and we can collect some serious beer vouchers come May…….yes I may have a wee punt on them. HIPPO TIP – BLACKPOOL (EACH WAY) AT 18/1
LEAGUE ONE The league is a lot poorer this time around for the loss of the mighty Rochdale but League One’s loss is League Two’s gain. It’s another tough league to call with some big teams down there having been in the top league not too long ago. Portsmouth continue to have horrific financial problems and if they don’t get it sorted quickly they may well plunge another seven leagues…..yet up here the tax dodgers still think they are being hard done to!!
Coventry find themselves down in League One and although they have not been in administration they are struggling big time. They are fourth faves at about 12/1 but I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole. You could bet Portsmouth at about 40/1 but if you bet them you obviously have too much cash. Sheff Utd narrowly missed out last season, just losing out in the play offs and are faves to return at around 6/1. I do think they will be challenging and have every chance of going however I do like to search for a bit of value. Swindon under the guidance of Italian loony Di Canio have just been promoted but are third favourites at 10/1, just a point bigger than second best MK Dons. The Italian may well do the trick again but I think he is more liable to be taking touchline tantrums rather than doing a lap of honour. We’ll go for a bit of value once more and have a bash at Notts County an 16/1. They have languished in the lower leagues for a few years now but they have been showing signs of a revival and the league is not as strong as it has been in recent years. HIPPO TIP – NOTTS COUNTY (EACH WAY) @ 16/1 LEAGUE TWO Everyone will be wanting to beat the mighty dale so it may be hard for them to come straight back up. Rotherham are faves at 7/2 closely followed by Fleetwood then every other team is 12/1 or bigger. I don’t know enough about these lower leagues to have a strong opinion so will just have a bit of a stab in the dark at a bigger price. Oxford with Peter Leven in midfield challenged for a while last season and are priced up at 16/1. They are another club who have been in higher leagues in the past so I have gut feeling that they will be there or thereabouts. HIPPO TIP – OXFORD (EACH WAY) @ 16/1 So there you have it folks, a surefire way to lose a whack of cash by listening to my tips.I like a nap every year so make your main bet NAP – BLACKPOOL (E/W) AT 18/1
THE 90’S KIDS
BY THE 90’S KID The demise of one of the Twisted Sisters has severe financial effects on the transferring dealings of the majority of SPL clubs. We have been lucky enough to bring in Jereon Tesselar from St Mirren and Rory Boulding from Livingston on free transfers. Although we managing to bring some fresh faces in, we’ve seen loanees Ben Gordon, Mo Sissoko and Lewis Toshney all return to their parent clubs with Danny Buijs, David Silva, Dieter Van Tornhout, Zdenek Kroca and Dean Shiels having being released or contracts expiring. We now find ourselves in a position where our squad is smaller and more crucially missing some key players from the fantastic League Cup Winning Side. Undoubtedly we are not the only team in this situation and because of this we will see many more youth players getting a shot at first team football to plug the gaps. So here’s some more information on the young lads who will be knocking on Kenny’s door this season. Matthew Kennedy D.O.B 1/11/94 Winger Mattie broke into the first team half way through last season after coming off the bench against Hibs in a 1-1 draw. He has started 2 games since and made 9 sub appearances. The 17 year old has plenty of pace to get up and down the wing and at young age isn’t scared to run at defenders with the ball at his feet. Reports from pre-season matches say that Mattie is playing well and could well be in the starting line-up for the visit of Dundee. Rory McKenzie D.O.B 17/10/93 Striker Rory has made 1 start since being promoted to the first team squad at the end of season 2010/2011. He was sent out on loan by Kenny Shiels to get some first team football at Brechin City where he appeared 17 teams netting 7 times for City. He has returned and will certainly be in around the first team this season as our strike force is lightest it’s ever been. Rory has been selected for Scotland Under 19s last season also.
Gary Fisher D.O.B 6/6/92 Midfielder Gary is a holding midfielder who was another player to make his debut at the tail end of season 2010/2011. Gary has featured several times against the old firm in hard fought battles in the centre of midfield. He was sent out on loan to Cowdenbeath making ten appearances with the Cowdenbeath fans singing his praises. Gary adds a much needed bit of steel to the Killie midfield and will come in very handy for Kenny this season. Gary will be looking to establish himself as a first team regular. He is contracted until the summer of 2015 and has the potential to be a big asset to the club in years to come. Rory McKeown D.O.B 8/4/93 Left Back Rory signed at the start of last season from Ipswich. He made his debut in the first game of the season against Dundee Utd scoring an absolute screamer from 35 yards. Appearing 18 times for the stripes he was squeezed out the side in January when Ben Gordon returned on loan from Chelsea. Having watch him play for the first half of the season he established himself as a regular in the side bombing up and down the left side providing a decent out ball for the strikers many fans were bemused as to why he wasn’t playing. I think some of them forgot he was still young at only 18 and still had plenty of things he could develop to his game. Rory has been included in the Under 20 side for this season but I’m sure he will feature with the first team and will be more than capable when called upon Alex Pursehouse D.O.B 6/5/12 Right Back Alex signed from Tranmere by Kenny who he had previously worked with at his old club. Alex managed to establish himself in the team during last season before injuring his knee and being out the side for most of the season. With the right back position having been somewhat of a problem area to fill over the last few years this may well be Alex’s chance to shine
William Gros D.O.B 31/3/92 Striker Gros joined from Le Havre at the beginning of season 2010/2012. Having played 16 times for the team he was often on the end of a lot of criticism from the Rugby Park faithful. He can show flashes of brilliance yet can look completely out of place on a football field in a matter of moments. He has been used as a striker since the day he joined and has managed to find the net once. Perhaps lacking in confidence a run of games may be just what William needs to get his career back on track. Jude Winchester, Chris Johnston, Ross Davidson, Ross Barbour, Ross Fisher are all young players who have featured on the bench last season and I expect to make more appearances on the bench in order to provide some under 21 players and a bit of depth to the 18 man squad. P.S How many Rory’s and Ross’s do we have in the squad this year! Cheers Ben a.k.a The 90s Kid Hippo says – Thanks Ben and I think we should all take note of all the youngsters as we are going to be seeing plenty of them this season I suspect. Along with Ben and a few of my fellow boozehounds we headed to Abbey Park last week to see a young Killie under 20 side take on Kilwinning Rangers. It’s great to be able to spot a promising youngster from an early age then watch him blossom into a quality player. Naismith was the prime example of this, it was clear even to a numpty like me that he had all the raw talent to be a top class player. The game against the Buffs gave us our first chance to watch many of the young Killie lads and they did very well to record a 3 – 2 win. Chris Johnston had a little first team action last season has fantastic ability on the ball. Young guys like Slater, Fisher and Davidson could also see some action this time around but the jewel in the crown may well be Robbie Muirhead. The big striker has just turned 16 but is a stick out and has established himself with Scotland too. Lets make sure there is no pressure put on these youngsters and we may unearth another £2m star.
Scottish football’s summer of drama edged closer to Rugby Park in recent weeks, leaving a host of all-new questions as the new season kicks off. Typical pre-season debate tends to focus on prospects for the year ahead, new signings and some gentle speculation on when the first cries of “he’ll no’ dae” and “get it furrit Killie” will ring round the home end. But this summer there has been a whole new world of intrigue to keep the attention of fans and the media firmly fixed on Scotland’s national game. Just what are we to call Rangers these days? Is it ‘The Rangers’, ‘new’ Rangers, Newco, Sevco 5088 Ltd, the club formerly known as Rangers? Just what future does the game have? Are we as doomed as some would have us believe? And closer to home, just how precarious are Kilmarnock’s finances? Just what is ‘fiduciary duty’? And just what does 36% really mean? The new season brings a dramatically changed landscape. Glasgow Rangers are gone, debts of up to £134million leading to their liquidation; a new club aims to rise from those ashes and is set to take up its place in the Third Division; and football’s chiefs have spent the summer bickering over how to carve up what remains. Change is the watchword for Killie too, with a cost-cutting string of senior players departing, with only defender Jeroen Tesselaar arriving from St Mirren and young striker Rory Boulding attracting Kenny Shiels’ attention with a promising end to the season at Livingston. But, crucially, one thing should have made football’s ruling elite, and indeed Killie chairman Michael Johnston, sit up and take note. The burgeoning awakening of rank-and-file football fans across Scotland. In an edifying example of grass-roots democracy in action, Scotland’s sometimes-corrupt, oft incompetent, and regularly useless cartel of cosy powerbrokers failed to get their way as an uprising of passionate fans made their voices heard. Around barroom tables, in fanzines, and, crucially, online on blogs and fans’ forums, football supporters reclaimed the sport’s agenda from an inept cartel and a print media which has been shown up, caught out and left trailing, battling to keep readers while the agenda left them firmly behind.
‘Sporting integrity’ might well have become a meaningless cliché in recent weeks, so let’s just call it plain old integrity instead. If Livingston were bounced down to the Third Division, if few tears were shed for Gretna and Clydebank, then Rangers had to face a similar fate – while also being punished for the £47million tax avoidance debacle, which had arguably been skewing results for years. A fate they very much brought upon themselves. SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster has been caught out as a worthless corporate mouthpiece whose only role has been in keeping the Old Firm cash cow alive and protecting Rangers, while his SFA counterpart, Stewart Regan, with his semi-literate roadmap for the future of Scottish football, can most generously be termed hapless. Both are living on borrowed time, having spent their summer making their positions untenable in the eyes of most fans – and more than a few clubs, following the SPL’s 10-1 vote in favour of removing Rangers. Make no mistake, Rangers’ deserved demise and ‘new’ Rangers’ ongoing punishment for a string of crimes would never have happened without fans making their voices heard. But what of the man at the helm of Kilmarnock Football Club? The decision to consult Killie fans on the club’s SPL vote seemed a welcome change of direction – a glimpse into a welcome new world where the club voted ‘No’, gave a rousing call to arms which led to a flood of new season tickets and we all marched forward arm-in-arm. The reality? A frustrating abstention which left everyone puzzling over just how bad things are, followed by a statement which really set alarm bells ringing; the Killie chairman claiming it was his “fiduciary duty as a director to act in the longterm interests of Kilmarnock". All well and good so far, and it might well be that details yet to be revealed prove abstention was his only option, but the statement which came next was dripping with contempt for fans. The claim that ‘only 36% of all shareholders and season ticket holders aged 18 or over voted in favour of "NO" to "Newco”’ left far more questions than answers – primarily what percentage of voters actually voted no, because that’s surely the crucial figure which was lost in the ‘summer of spin’. Don’t get me wrong, Michael Johnston has performed the role needed in a reasonable enough manner in recent years - he's kept a struggling shoestring club afloat in a time of real danger, he's managed necessary cuts and sold the assets possible to keep Killie going when that wasn't always a certainty.
He also takes credit for excellent managerial appointments, and giving those managers the support needed to allow them to bring in some excellent signings. So it's not all bad. But, the eternal nagging doubt remains that, essentially, he just doesn't quite get it. Football is all about passion, bias, taking sides and being partizan. It's about uniting a support and tapping into the completely irrational, visceral joy and anguish of football – and that is where our chairman falls short. The lawyers’ natural instinct is to avoid opinion based on emotion, to base everything on legal guidelines and precedent. And unfortunately that left him sitting on the fence with nowhere to turn when it came to having to take a stand. His don't-rock-the-boat, fans-at-arms’-length attitude to every situation is the last thing many Killie fans want or need right now, particularly at a time when fans of so many SPL clubs are backing their boards’ decision to reject Rangers. Killie’s support craves someone who has their back, who'll represent them and fight for them, rather than someone with an eye on the corridors of power, placating, arguing against, and feeding lawyerly words which could mean anything, everything, or nothing. But will simmering frustrations and resentment boil over into open revolt this season? Much of that will come down to Kenny Shiels’ ability to squeeze another successful season out of a threadbare squad which will undoubtedly miss Dean Shiels and which will increasingly be looking to homegrown youngsters to fill the gap. That, at least, is something we can all get behind. TRAVIS ………….............................................................................................................
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DIETER VAN TORNHOUT AN 18 MINUTE HERO The cup final appearance summed up his Killie career – short but momentous. Dieter van Tornhout made 13 appearances for the club, starting in just 6 of them. After the cup final header, his only other goal in a 4-2 defeat away to St Mirren a fortnight later. After just 6 months at the club, the big Belgian returned home in order to be closer to his terminally ill father. Tragically, his dad died a few days later, and the thoughts of every Killie fan are, of course, with Dieter and his family. When the big striker replaced Gary Harkins in the 73rd minute of the League Cup final, even some of the 11,000 Killie fans inside Hampden would have been asking “Dieter who?”. At the full-time whistle, however, his was the name on everyone's lips. But who is Dieter van Tornhout? Dieter was born in Gent, Belgium, on 18th March 1985, and started his career at Club Brugge. He made his debut for them as an 18 year-old, coming on as a very late sub in a 4-2 home win over Excelsior Mouscron in November 2003. He had to wait nearly a year for his next appearance, but it was a memorable one as he came off the bench to scored in 5-0 victory over local rivals Cercle Brugge. The first start of his career came a couple of months later, also against Excelsior Mouscron. Van Tornhout made 9 more substitute appearances that season and scored 3 times as his side secured the Belgian title. The big striker also tasted European football, playing 11 minutes over 3 sub appearances in the UEFA Cup group stages. At the end of the season, Dieter faced the first of two final heartaches, with the striker coming on as a sub in Club Brugge's shock defeat to Germinal Beerschot in the Belgian Cup final. The following season started with a sub appearance in a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Valerenga in the final Champions League qualifying round, but that was one of only two appearances for van Tornhout in the first half of the season. In January, he moved on loan to Sparta Rotterdam, scoring once in 13 appearances in the Dutch top flight. His performances did enough to attract the attention of Roda JC, and he made a permanent move to the Kerkrade-based club the summer of 2006. He appeared 25 times in the Eredivise in his first season, scoring just twice. While at Roda, he played alongside Jeanvion Yulu-Matondo, who played on trial for Killie last summer. The following season saw him make just 5 starts in the league, as he was used mainly from the bench. Roda reached the Dutch Cup final, and again van Tornhout had to settle for a place as a substitute. Within minutes of coming on, he damaged his cruciate ligament, putting him out of action for 8 months.
Roda lost the final 2-0 to Feyenoord, who had Dieter's future Killie team-mate Danny Buijs on the bench. He returned in February 2009, but started just one more game for Roda and left the club just after the start of the 09/10 season to move to Enosis Neon Paralimni in Cyprus. For the first time in his career, he was a first team regular, and he reaped the benefits, scoring 12 times in 25 league games. He scored the first double of his career against APOP Kinyras in April 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the only other time he has scored twice in a game was also against the same opposition a few months later. There would prove to be another Killie connection in his second season with Enosis, as former Killie striker Mark Burchill joined him at the club, and indeed he would play a part in van Tornhout's move to Killie. Despite having a team-mate of the calibre of Burchill, the goals dried up slightly last season for van Tornhout, as he netted just 6 times in 25 league games. He moved on in the summer, joining another Cypriot club, Nea Salamina. He played in 15 of the club's first 16 league games, scoring twice, before financial trouble at the club led to him seeking a move elsewhere. Kenny Shiels was alerted to the Belgian's availability, and he joined Killie in mid-January. His Killie career had an inauspicious start - after two uneventful sub appearances, he made his first start against Hearts at Rugby Park and was sent off in under an hour. After serving a suspension, he returned to make two more appearances before the L/Cup final. This final appearance proved to be third time lucky for the Belgian. 11 minutes after taking to the field, he was on the end of Lee Johnson's pinpoint cross, and sent a bullet header beyond Fraser Forster and into the net to secure the League Cup for the first time in Killie's history. Killie became just the 9th club to have won all three major trophies in their history. Dieter made a lot of history with his goal at Hampden. It was only the second time Killie had scored in a League Cup final, and it was the first time a foreign player scored a cup final goal for the club. He was the first Belgian player to score a cup final goal in Scotland, and the first Belgian to score for Killie - he was also the first to play for us (Michel Ngonge was born in Belgium, but played for DR Congo). The goal came on van Tornhout's 27th birthday, and he wore number 27 on his shirt. The cup final goal was the 33rd of van Tornhout's club career, and the 10th he scored after coming on as a substitute. . It was his first goal for Killie, making him the first player since Mark de Vries in 2008 to score his first goal for a Scottish club in a cup final. This feat was matched by both Darren Barr and Danny Grainger in the Scottish Cup final in May. Of the 25 players Killie used in the cup run, van Tornhout spent the least time on the field â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just 18 minutes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yet he managed to make the biggest contribution of them all. STATMAN