Hippo 131

AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINE

ISSUE NO. 131

SHOW MJ THE RED CARD FROM A BURDZEYEVIEW MARKETING THE MJ WAY THE RETURN OF MCCOOL

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SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO It’s been a while folks but thanks for your patience and welcome to issue 131……not a lot has been happening!! I’m afraid that all the time taken up by Killie stuff has pushed me too far and I tried to get a start at the local battery hen farm as it would mean less hours. Sadly they had no place for a two ton hen and they weren’t prepared to build the world’s biggest hen hoose to accommodate me.

It’s been a sad season so far and not one that I am enjoying in any shape or form. Our club continues further into meltdown as Johnston holds out for as much as he can get and causes untold damage to the club in the meantime. It’s almost as if he sees just how far he can noise up the Killie fans…..well most of them at least. Never in the history of football has a chairman simply ignored his own fans but offered the away fans a cut price deal………but that is what we were subjected to at the Celtic game. His afterthought about giving the Killie fans a deal was embarrassing and everyone saw him for what he really is. If there is one silver lining to that story, his desperation has reached new depths so maybe he knows the end is nigh.

The KFCSA open meeting proved to be a positive affair, I was expecting more of a civil war!! I just got the impression that everyone is sick fed up and all the nonsense and just want a quick resolution. The Killie Futures Consortium chose to stay away even though they were going public the next morning via a tabloid.

The meeting would have been the perfect platform to speak to the fans and give us some detail but no such luck. The biggest positive for me was the announcement that the working party was getting set up tp look at how we reach community ownership. I think there are still a load of misconceptions about this so I’ll try and put something in the next issue. Suffice to say it wont be fans running the club, picking the team blah blah blah. Proper qualified people would be in jobs that matched their skills, but all money made would go back into the club and community rather than into individual pockets.

The proposal to attend and protest and the Ross County and Hearts games was also carried and the red card protest was well received as we got our first win against the staggies. Some stay aways chose to go back whilst others carried on the NAPM stance and the most telling statistic still is the number of empty seats.

Johnston did the kids for a quid plus adult deals yet there was around 3500 there….I’m afraid the problem is far more deep rooted than this season’s stay away fans. The biggest problem for the new board will be getting the missing thousands to return…….a massively difficult task.

It was a relief all round to get three points at last and I hope the confidence can be carried on when we face the Jambos in a vital clash. A victory for us would make thye gap 16 points and that is a long way back……mon the Killie.

Sandy

WHERE WILL IT ALL END? As this is only our second issue of the season there has been plenty of stuff going on since august so I’ll try and summarise everything that has been going on as far as I know. I’ve no doubt that by the time this issue hits the streets things will have developed further but here goes. I’ll break it down to each of the “players” in this modern day tragedy and give you my thoughts on each:

AYRSHIRE BUSINESS GROUP This group was pulled together by Killie Pie boss john Gall. It was a collection of local business folk who weresayimg “enough is enough” and no more money will be given to the club until there is a change in regime. In the last issue we explained the Ayrshire Business group had approached MJ with a view to establishing how much he was looking for. The Sun showed a text from MJ to Costley that quoted £2.5m and the message was simply that he wasn’t for moving.

The ABG continued their stance and the club loses a fortune as a result. There was a perception that the ABG was a group looking to take over the club however that was not the case however there were people within ABG who did have an interest in taking on the club…….let’s call them ABG2 and have a look at them.

ABG2/KILLIE FUTURES CONSORTIUM Cards were being played close to the chests and as a result not a lot of specific information was coming out to the fans. That leads to rumours, inaccurate in many cases, so lets try and separate the fact from faction.

Kiln Group are constantly mentioned however we read out their statement at the KFCSA AGM in June that clarified their position. They made a bid for the club last October and are there if required however they are not part of ABG2 although they are very keen on the Community Ownership model.

We have been aware for a few months now that there were parties keen to take over the club but there is one consistent sticking point ……..MJ’s desire for an

obscene amount of money for his own pocket. Very little was being made public however some sources were telling us that progress was being made…..although not as at fast a pace as we would all like.

We had been trying through various sources to get the ABG2 to come out in public but all to no avail. However there was one plan afoot that was to change all that…….the announcement of an open meeting which we will address separately.

The open meeting sparked a huge amount of action with MJ announcing fresh investment and an urgent requirement for a meeting with the fan groups, something he has been avoiding like the plague. On the day of the meeting we officially learned who the ABG2 actually were…Alan McLeish (QTS), Chris McMail (Microtech), Ian Welsh and Kenny Alexander.

Alan McLeish/QTS are the current shirt sponsor and it appears the business has been booming in recent years. Alan has attended both the POTY dance and the Trust Ball, being very generous on both occasions.

Chris McMail has also been very successful in recent years and used to be regularly seen around the club a number of years back when his business looked after the club’s I.T. There was a parting of the way however and I haven’t spoken to Chris for a number of years.

Ian Welsh was previously at the club as a Chief Executive so has a bit of an insight into how the place runs….or doesn’t as the case is now. I have attened a meeting with him in the past but don’t know what he has been up to recently.

Kenny Alexander is the guy who enquired about buying the club a few years back. He is a Killie fan who again has done well with his business, an internet gambling site which I believe he sold for big bucks. It has always been reported that he was keen to invest in the club so maybe this is his chance to do so.

All the names were reported and we tried to persuade them to show their hand at the open meeting but all to no avail. They have called themselves the Killie Futures Consortium (KFC) and are in ongoing talks with Johnston with a view to acquiring the club. We are assured there plan is to take over completely and that MJ will not be involved if/when they get in.

Some fans seem to think the KFCSA and Trust are involved with the consortium but again that is just inaccurate rumours. Neither group will give their support to something we know nothing about. I’ve no doubt they would be a million times better than what we currently have but it’s pointless commenting further until we know what their plans are. Our focus is purely on the Community Ownership idea (more details below).

KFCSA + TRUST As stated above a huge amount of information was output after the KFCSA announced an open meeting at the Grand Hall on October 10th. It was our hope to get everyone along on the night to let the fans hear all sides of the story.

Neither club nor consortium was there on the night however we did manage to draw some information as we had hoped.

The meeting was a very positive affair and many fans have commented that it seems at last that there is a sense of unity among many fans. I’m sure you have read much of what happened but there was strong support for Community Ownership much in the same way as all the German clubs are currently structured. Paul Goodwin (Supporters Direct) has been tasked to set up a working party that will include Cathy Jamieson MP, local business people, local government and reps from the fan groups with a view to taking this forward and making it happen.

MJ + BILLY BOWIE We knew that MJ would come out with some stuff to try and distract from the open meeting and we weren’t disappointed. In a matter of a few days he had announced cut price deals for the ross county game, he asked for an urgent meeting with the KFCSA + Killie Trust plus he announced fresh investment from Billy Bowie.

He had stated that a meeting was necessary with us before our meeting, strange when you consider he has had no desire to speak to us for ages. Paul Goodwin was also invited however we were given short notice and were unable to meet although we stated we would be perfectly happy to meet in the weeks ahead.

It remains to be seen if that happens or if he was simply trying to put a spanner in the works of the open meeting. Paul Goodwin did meet with MJ but there was nothing came of it. PG is firmly in the community ownership camp whilst that won’t suit MJ as he wouldn’t financially benefit as he wishes.

So where will at all end?

It’s like a game of Call My Bluff at the moment. Johnston wants to remain in his cosy little number using Killie as a cash cow whilst hoping that the bank don’t come calling. The appearance of Bowie has thrown a spanner in the works but the initial reports of a £1m+ investment are total nonsense. He has put in £200k

apparently although he still hasn’t been named as a director at Companies House. It is looking increasingly like Bowie is the only thing saving the parasite at the moment and if he decides he wants to ump ship then M will be history.

Johnston has apparently been scrambling around other local businesses trying to get them to put money in a bank account (not a club account) and they can get their cash back if we go into administration. I’m not quite sure how this is being sold to the bank but they can obviously see the money isn’t going into the club.

I’m told Bowie wants the best for the club……so he should walk away from Johnston now.

If anyone has had any doubts about his motives until now should surely realise how desperate this man is. He is knocking back investment that will ensure the club’s survival and gambling that he can boost his pension fund before the bank run out of patience.

In recent days we have been trying to get as much additional information as possible but it is proving pretty difficult. Negotiations are ongoing from what we hear and the consortium think they will succeed in the end however all this nonsense just makes me more determined to keep pushing down the Community Ownership route. We all really need to learn quick from the disasters that befell the likes of Hearts and Dunfermline and ensure Scotland’s oldest professional club doesn’t follow suit.

The one thing we have asked all parties for over a number of months and beyond is information and something for the fans to get behind. There is good reason for interested parties to keep their plans out the public spotlight however they cannot expect the fans to back them when we don’t know what they are proposing.

Hopefully all the protests, stay away fans and drop in financial backing will have the desired effect and we will get rid of the poison that is slowly killing our club.

I’m sure ALL fans can agree on one thing, we all want a club to support and the sooner we can all get back to on field disagreements the better.

THIS SEASON’S DICKS I apologise to all you Hippo afficianados who love our remarkably in depth match reports but I’m afraid I’ve just run out of room this time around.

You can expect to see them return in issue 132 (maybe) and I’m also hoping to have an interview with arguably the finest moustache ever to wear the stripes, Tom Black.

Even if we don’t have the reports there are still a healthy number of dicks around the Scottish game so here is a brief run down of the wallopers so far this season: MICHAEL JOHNSTON – We may as well start with the biggest of them all, the problem is he could win our award on a weekly basis and prevent others getting the gong. There is no doubt the biggest cock up of the season in Scottish football was his decision to let Celtic fans in cheaper than Killie fans……a shameful episode that wont be easily forgotten. The fact of the matter is fans will not return as long as the balloon is in charge and he will do more damage every day he is still here.

HUGH KEEVINS – There’s nothing like a neutral journalist who writes well balanced articles……..and Keevins is nothing like a journalist. His articles have been cringeworthy but he is now so blatant about his chum MJ that nobody takes him seriously. His Bowie article was full of misleading guff although some fans seem to believe what he writes. Even the anti-MJ journos try and add a bit of balance but not oor shuggie….time to write your last ever back page scoop Keevins and stick your DPTD award beside your MJ photos.

GAVIN MASTERTON – The East coast version of Johnston who very nearly got his wish of killing a great old football club. Even after the fans had won their battle Masterton tried to beat them in court and force the club into liquidation.

Thankfully the good guys won in the end and another piece of crap has been forced out of Scottish football hopefully never to return………unless of course he fancies a shot just south of Symington.

RYAN STEVENSON – The fat lad cant keep his cakehole shut and his anti Killie rant prior to our game against Ross county worked a treat. Hopefully he will attempt to string another sentence together before the Jambos game and another 3 points will be in the bag.

MARKETING THE MJ WAY It is with a growing sense of disbelief that many supporters of Kilmarnock Football Club look back at the events of September 2013. The Chairman of the Club appears to be developing a new business model for football that requires no fans at all.

At the start of the month the Club informed the Trust that no one would be attending the charity ball to celebrate the Trust’s tenth anniversary. The reason given was they faced a moral dilemma as the ball was not being held at the club’s hotel. The Trust had planned to hold the ball there but were told the chosen date was booked.

A matter of days later the Chairman wrote to the Kilmarnock Supporters’ Association to inform them that the club would no longer provide any member of staff for question and answer sessions at Association meetings, until the democratically elected chairman of the organisation was removed from office.

These Q & A sessions have always been a great way for players and coaching staff to engage and communicate with the supporters. This format permits an open and honest dialogue without any agenda or loaded questions. It allows questions to be answered fully without them being distilled down to a sound bite or a headline. They are heaven sent for a new manager who is trying to mould a team, as he can get across his hopes and fears for the season to a receptive audience. Unfortunately Alan Johnston has now been denied this opportunity by the Chairman.

Just as fans recovered from these localised PR disasters, news broke of the Chairman’s offer to drop ticket prices by 20% for Celtic season ticket holders for the game at Rugby Park. This one day only offer was available until the ticket office closed at Celtic Park on the Tuesday before their Cup game. No equivalent offer was announced for Killie fans for more than 24 hours and any Celtic fan that had purchased their ticket before or after Tuesday had no recourse for a rebate.

Mr Johnston has chosen to hide behind rules, a tactic he has used many times before. Rules that were written with no expectation by their authors that a club would ever try to deliberately disadvantage its own supporters. Imagine how long a shop would last if it only ever offered discounts to people that live outside its town. There has been no explanation why the two offers were not announced

together. In order to calm the situation the Chairman took to the local paper in order to inform the support that they had over reacted.

Crowds at Rugby Park have been in decline for a number of years and the current chairman seems incapable of reversing this trend, in fact his actions at times seem to be hell bent on chasing away as many home supporters as possible. Many Killie supporters this season have made the incredibly difficult decision to not attend home games as they refuse to prop up the current regime.

They have been driven to this by a number of decisions that have alienated fans over the years. This decision in particular seems almost perverse at a time when the Club should be working hard to build stronger bonds between themselves and the supporters.

The Killie Trust believes that the only way to save our Club is to urgently take it into true community ownership. This ownership would draw upon the skills and resources available within the support to develop a club that puts its supporters and its community at the very heart of everything it does.

There are a huge number of community owned clubs that are doing amazing things. They have achieved this by fully engaging with their supporters and have incredible levels of participation at all level of the club. There is no room any more for people that believe there is money to be made from exploiting football fans.

As a great Scottish manger once said “without fans football is nothing” apparently Michael Johnston knows better.

Hippo says – This is an article from the Killie COG Blog which can be found at http://thekillietrust.wordpress.com/ You will see the second last paragragh talks about the amazing work bing done at many clubs……..and Dunfermline are the latest club to be run by the folk who really care. Lets hope we can enforce change before MJ leads us into a similar state that the Pars fans had to suffer.

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE CHAIRMAN Michael Johnston has stated that he cares about the 200 people employed at the Club and the Kilmarnock supporters that have chosen not to attend Rugby Park do not. He blames the reduction in attendances at Killie home games on factories that shut over 30 years ago.

Yet the population of Kilmarnock has grown in recent years, while crowds at Rugby Park have continued to decline. The greatest risk to all the hard working staff at Kilmarnock Football Club is the loss of customers and the resultant loss of income. There seems to be no plan or strategy to reverse this decline. The chairman’s attitude to fans for many years has been “give me your money and shut up”. Now some supporters have had the temerity to question the quality of his leadership and his ability to attract new customers.

The Chairman has recently brought a new director on to the board; stating that this has been his long term plan, a long term plan that no one had heard of until attendances reached their currently catastrophic levels.

It is curious that the Chairman can now bring new people on to the board when the club is in such a financially perilous state. For many years he said the company’s finances meant it would be too risky for others to join the board because of the strong possibility of an insolvency event.

He has also stated that he intends to get another 3 or 4 investors on to the board in the near future. If each of these investors match Mr Bowie’s contribution this will still leave the club with a debt of £7.75 million. If this is Mr Johnston’s plan to turn the club around, then he will need to find another 31 investors to put in similar amounts. This is assuming that the debt has not risen in the last year as it did in the previous year’s accounts.

We, the supporters of Kilmarnock Football Club, have to hope that these very generous individuals are not expecting a return on their investment in the short to medium term, if ever.

We must also hope that this money is being used to reduce the debt and is not being used to maintain cash flow as happened at Heart’s in the dying days of the Romanov regime. The Board of Hearts FC undertook a share issue that

emotionally blackmailed supporters into investing, knowing it would only pay the bills in the short term.

The “angry fans and their ringleaders” have been told that they do not care about the 200 jobs at Kilmarnock Football Club. The Trust sees a far bigger picture where the prosperity of the Club is vital to the town and the prosperity of the town is vital to the Club, a virtuous circle that supports both. Rather than be positive about the club’s home town Mr Johnston perpetuates a view of Kilmarnock as seen in “The Scheme”, a ghost town of high unemployment.

The Chairman blames everyone but himself for the problems faced by our Football Club. Yes he took on a very difficult situation and he has managed to reduce the debt which he is happy to take the credit for. This was only achieved by selling the clubs assets. Without strong governance can we be sure that every opportunity was taken to realise the maximum value of these assets? Some of the young players sold could have generated a far larger transfer fees if they had been given longer to develop in the Kilmarnock first team.

Sadly he has also presided over a massive decline in the number of people coming through the turnstiles. Unfortunately in this world you have to take the good with the bad, so he has to take credit for this as well.

If Mr Johnston had engaged with the supporters in an open and positive manner earlier in his reign, he would have been able to draw upon the skills of fans to develop long term strategies that would have helped build the business.

Being a football fan is about a sense of belonging, a sense of family. This is the most powerful marketing tool any football club can have, but it has to be nurtured.

Kilmarnock’s Chairman appears to know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

A BIT OF CHEER I think the one thing we can all agree on is that the current crisis is doing nobody any good. The club is a shambles, some fans are in dispute whilst many others have simply walked away. I’m sure every single one of us would love to get back to what we truly love…….arguing like loonies about on-field matters.

Having just hit my half century I have had some fantastic days watching Killie and the sooner I can get back to that the better rather than all the current nonsense.

With that in mind I thought it would be good to reflect on some memorable days……..just to cheer myself up really.

Now don’t jump down my throat but several good memories have one common theme….Ibrox. Firstly when we came up to the top league in 1993 our famous 2 – 1 win at Ibrox was the catalyst to us staying in the top league in our first season back up. Perhaps even more surprisingly we went one down in the game so to come back was fantastic.

My abiding memory, along with every other Killie fan on the day, was the Killie fans filling the bottom of the Broomloan stand and every single one of them going berserk as fat Boab rolled in the 96th minute winner. Agent Roberts had grabbed the equalizer and I’m sure many fans feared the worst when they saw there was so much injury time being played. A win that will always live with me and as Rangers had been on a very long unbeaten home run the win spawned a new song “44 in a row then the killie had a go…….”

Fast forward 7 years and we had this

It was 28th October 2000 and me and my mate Tetley had both made a schoolboy error. We had left it late to buy tickets but the Killie end sold out……we were gubbed. There was only one thing for it, dive up to Ibrox with no

colours, grab a ticket for anywhere and sit with our fat gubs shut. We managed to acquire Broomloan Stand tickets and were stuck in the middle of the non ST home fans who were mainly gobby neds who questioned the religion and parentage of the Killie fans. It should be said we were just next to where the killie fans were seated but we had to sit on our hands for 90 minutes……..not an easy thing to do as Killie rattled in three. It was good to see a few well kent faces in the same predicament as us, biting tongues and trying not to react as the goals went in. Of course we had then place to ourselves from 4.30pm as they all headed off for their trains…….a truly great day and one never to be forgotten.

The next common theme that brings a grin to my chops is reminiscing about the derbies against the scum…..too few and far between these days. The current generation only get the odd cup tie to sample the hatred, sorry rivalry, and as much as I like to see them suffer in the lower leagues it would be good to play them ever year or two.

I remember standing with my dad at a Scumerset new year game when he had a wee half bottle to share with one of his mates form the Glacier Metal…….nowadays you get chucked out if you have a carton of Um bongo!! I remember the fans swapping ends at half time as well as a game getting called off as we literally walked up to the turnstiles. Of course I remember last years 1 – 0 annihilation, I honestly don’t think I would have coped if we had lost that game.

Of course our two cup final wins were the pick of the bunch, both highlighting just what the football club means to the town/county. Both had their highlights……1997 for the crowd, the fact it was the Scottish Cup and the town centre afterwards.

The League cup was just as good, something I thought would never be the case.

Never again in our lifetime will we gub the scum in a semi then beat one of the OF in the Hampden final in such dramatic circumstances…..I’m just saying that to tempt fate really. Happy memories indeed and that is just a few wee examples of why it is so special to be a Killie fan………here’s hoping we have similar great days in the not so distant future.

THE RETURN OF MCCOOL Remember the name. This man is going to change the "anus" of our history.

Women are forever telling us that men can't multi task, but Mikey is the man to blast that theory out the water. He's Kilmarnock FC's chairman, board or directors, chief executive and banqueting manager. Stick a blue bikini and a pair of fake tits on him and he would be the club's calender girl. At the same time, he's been alienating the fans and the local business community a little more every day.

In the past, even when we were poor on the park, we were an asset to the league off it. We had a healthy home and away support and our stadium provided one of the best matchday experiences in the country. Now, a band of fans are refusing to attend home games and Rugby Park is a soulless white elephant which we struggle to quarter fill. In fact, seeing the game can be quite difficult with all that tumbleweed flying past you.

Away games? Typically less than a thousand if they're local, three men and a dog where a journey is required. Still, at least they give the stay away home fans a day out. Shame most of them only bother to get drunk and give him abuse. If Walter mitty was a real life character, he'd have an injunction out to stop his name being in any way associated with this imposter.

Michael Johnstone's Kilmarnock offer the SPFL nothing. If we were relegated, it would be like turning off the telly in an old folks' home. No-one would notice and no-one would care. The club is starting to replicate the town. Depressed, with a nothingness about it, having had it's heart slowly ripped out over a period of years.

Not to worry though, he says he wants out. Ah, but only if the Macklin family, or anyone else daft enough, gives him two and a half million quid for a shareholding he got for the price of a bag of jelly babies.

Now, Billy Bowie has joined the board and come out fighting in his defence and even claims that more could join in the months ahead. Yes, oldest political trick in the book that one. Surround yourself with the few like minded mortals you can muster and get the PR drums banging' real loud! How stupid does he think people are? As a successful lawyer and businessman, you'd think this whole episode would be embarrassing for him, but obviously it feeds his ego sufficiently to override that.

Oh and Michael, your decision to sack a trophy winning manager for non footballing reasons, when a warning would have done, and replace him with last season's second division storm trooper, is looking like a master stroke, eh?

Which brings me nicely to.......

......ALAN JOHNSTONE Dead man walking. I'm sorry, but he is. Absolutely reeks of Mark McGhee at Aberdeen, Paul Le Guen at Rangers, or Levein and Burley with the national side. i.e. probably a decent enough manager, just not here. So what's the problem then? He has an experienced assistant in Sandy Clark in the dug out next to him and he's been allowed to bring in players other clubs in the league were keen on.

The fact that he hasn't picked the same team twice in our nine competitive matches to date and appears no closer to his best starting eleven than the day he came to the place, should help your understanding. As should the fact that he's sent our own excellent crop of youngsters into apparent exile, to make way for average loan signings. Yeah, injuries and players leaving at the end of last season have combined to make his job harder, but this argument papers over a lot of cracks.

Say what you like about the club's financial situation, we have no excuse for being involved in a relegation battle. We have a fairly strong squad on paper, including the SPL's all time top scorer, players with a wealth of experience at this level and even a number of recent and current internationalists.

Anyone whose knowledge is based on what they're fed by the Glasgow press and media would think managing Killie is only a small step up from managing Queen of the south, but the Kilmarnock job, in Scottish football terms, is a fairly big one. An established top level club, with a rich history and plenty of that as recent as the last twenty years. There is an expectation level that goes along with it and it already looks to big for Alan I'm afraid. I'd love to be proved wrong, but I really don't see it.

None of it augurs well for...........

......THE SEASON AHEAD Whenever you see the letters TFFH&SM at the end of any posts I put on here, I'll give you a clue, the last four characters stand for Hearts and St Mirren. It was always going to be a tough slog for the Jambos and despite the hysterics their relatively positive start has brought in some quarters, I still think it will be.

As for St Mirren, it's quite remarkable that there appears to be a worse team in the league right now than us. Well, as bad perhaps.

St Mirren and Kilmarnock are two clubs who need to have a serious look in the mirror. How is it possible in the current SPFL, for two outfits to have played fifteen competitive games between them and failed to win any? St Mirren have two points on the board and needless to say, one of them came against us. Both have lost to Hibs, both have played the league's new boys Partick Thistle and failed to win and St Mirren have gone to Ross County, who themselves have taken some meaty doings, and been turned over three nil.

To say it ain't good is to say Tony Blair is a questionable choice as a UN peace representative. Next up for us, it's Dundee United away. A load of talented youngsters buzzing round our static forces like a rabid dog hunting down a hapless rabit. Just what we need before two home games with the aforementioned fellow strugglers Ross County and Hearts. If we still don't have a win by the end of this run of matches, one has to genuinely fear the worst.

So why have I written this diatribe of gross negativity? Football is not my God and doesn't pay my wages. Well, the first reason is obvious. Namely, that you wouldn't be human if our bastion of dysfunction didn't depress you, even just a wee bit. Secondly, being based in Inverness and watching ICT's success hasn't made my struggle any easier.

Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted for them and not jealous in any way. I even go to watch them whenever their games don't clash with ours. They're well worth the admission money and some of the football they've been playing has been phenomenal. It's just that, well, I feel a bit like a Sunderland fan living in North London next to Arsenal.

Maybe it will turn. Maybe hope will spring eternal. Then again, maybe my new found sobriety will look like a very bad idea. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hippo says – It’s been a while but welcome back to our old chum McCool who is now spreading his wisdom in Inverness but is still a regular attender at Killie games.

Obviously this was written before the arabs defeat but I think his concerns are still valid. AJ has found it hard to take the step up to the top league and nobody seems to be impressed by his experienced sidekick. The Ross county win was more than welcome and I hope it acts as the catalyst for an unbeatun run……but I’m not convinced.

I’m all for giving managers time so I’ll support AJ in his endeavours but I cant say our style of football will win back lapsed fans. This season is simply about survival…..both on and off the park.

I thought that you would be a perfect lover……. (writes burdzeyeview) You seemed so full of sweetness at the start…

It was what you did when Danny Coffey died, you see. You made sure the club supported the family, you made sure the whole of the Park Hotel was available for after his funeral and you stood at the door of the hotel personally greeting everyone who arrived. Elsewhere, the then manager Jim Jefferies led a goodly number of the first and youth playing squads into the chapel, all of them there to pay respects to the tragic early loss of a lifelong Killie fan. He had been a stalwart too of the supporters’ association and countless other related club initiatives.

Then there was how you responded to the news that the town was to lose its century old connection with Johnny Walker whisky.

“Diageo’s decision to close the Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock must be reversed. Kilmarnock Football Club will support the employees whose jobs are under threat and our local politicians in their campaign to keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock where it was founded in 1820.” The club was at the forefront of that campaign, launching a petition, taking part in the march and rally.

Here was a man with not only the best interests of the football club at heart, but who also understood that those interests were intertwined with those of the town as a whole. Who seemed effortlessly to get that it really was all about club and community.

So, how did we end up here?

But like a big red rose that’s made of paper, there isn’t any sweetness in your heart..

There was the sacking of Kenny Shiels. Now managers come and they go. But it is widely acknowledged that Scottish football has to do different if it is to survive, as an entity and as the sum of its parts. The splash and bling model of old is over, except that clubs are still nursing their debt hangovers and will be for a long time yet. For those who cannot come up with a suitable, sustainable future model the writing is on the wall and for Hearts and Dunfermline, the fat lady has indeed sung her last.

But Kenny Shiels got it. The way of the future was to develop the youth and bring on our own players. Killie has had a fine tradition of doing so – it’s a little known fact that Kris Boyd donated his Rangers’ signing on fee to Kilmarnock youth development to say thanks for what it did for him. Shiels was determined to use his talent, tenacity and temerity to deliver more, with a five year plan at least that kept the footballing side of things healthy. The fact that he was a character, that he stood up to the suits and defended his wee diddy club’s right to exist and to be treated fairly was a bonus. At times, his philosophical ramblings were hard to decipher but that was all part of the charm. Here was a thinker and a do-er and we were lucky to have him.

Then there was the dumping of Garry Hay. The boy who was only ever Kilmarnock and while his best days were behind him, a more loyal servant on and off the field in Scottish football is hard to name. He played all his career at his hometown club and Kenny Shiels realised the value of that commitment, ensuring he went for his coaching tickets, guaranteeing him a start on the managerial rung where his heart belonged. But with Shiels sacked and Nicholl departing, you decided to call time on Hay’s career too. Eighteen years and gone in a phone call. Shocking.

Many have commented on Killie’s shoogly finances – a debt of £11 million is pretty huge, much of it incurred before your time in the hotseat. But that ignores the overall financial picture and here you deserve praise.

Costs are generally down and the club has significant assets and alternative income generators in the hotel, the flats and the fitness centre. Kilmarnock has suffered badly in the economic downturn so the fact that these assets are continuing to generate similar income and profit to sustain the club as in previous years is evidence of sound fiscal management. And if the worst came to the worst, a fire sale would at least realise sufficient to cover the principal debt sum. The fact that you have resisted temptation to sell anything off is welcome.

But you have also closed the door firmly to the prospect of alternative investment. During your time as chairman, you have increased your shareholding, spurned the chance to bring others on board and tightened your grip on power. There is only one director these days, you.

When key club sponsors - even the bakers of the famous Killie pie are rebelling – then the game’s a bogey. In a few short weeks, you have managed by your actions to unite the town, the fanbase, local businesses, the football commentariat and segments of the wider Scottish footballing community. No mean feat.

They are all of a mind – Johnston must go. They might disagree on the tactics: not everyone agrees that the way to force your departure is by starving the club of bums on seats. You might calculate that this provides a glimmer of hope, a sliver of a wedge which you can wield to cling on to your power base. You’re wrong. This only demonstrates that some love their club so much they are prepared to follow it no matter what happens off the field. For you, of all people, to try to use such commitment to your advantage sums it all up.

And for you to try to stave off the inevitable by conducting public slanging matches with potential investors, in an attempt to demolish their credibility, suggests that it has indeed, become all about you and no longer about Kilmarnock FC.

Therein lies the crux. When it comes down to it, you want to preserve your fiefdom at all costs, even if that results in the demise of one of Scotland’s oldest and proudest football clubs.

As the song suggests, no matter how real the roses and the love for Killie seemed in the beginning, they have been found out, in the end, to be only imitation.

BURDZEYEVIEW HIPPO SAYS – THANKS FOR THAT VERY WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE WITH MANY VALID POINTS BEING MADE. I’VE SAID BEFORE THAT KENNY SHIELS AND KILLIE WERE A GOOD FIT FOR EACH OTHER. CLUBS LIKE KILLIE NEED TO HAVE A LONG TERM PHILOSOPHY AND IN KILLIE’S CASE IT SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND YOUTH + COMMUNITY. KENNY TOTALLY BOUGHT INTO THAT ETHOS AND WE COULD HAVE ALL MOVED TOGETHER WITH THIS IN MIND. SADLY ONE PERSON IS DAMAGING THE CLUB, CHASING AWAY FANS AND SPONSORS ALIKE PLUS CAUSING UNTOLD DAMAGE. HOPEFULLY THE ONGOING PROTESTS WILL FORCE CHANGE AND WE CAN GO BACK TO BEING ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY….OK I TOOK THAT TOO FAR!!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

SCUM RHYME AGENT ROBERTS WENT TO AYR TO CARRY OUT A PLAN TO KEEP THE SCUM IN LOWER LEAGUES NAE HIGHER THAN LEAGUE WAN THAT PLAN IS WORKING PERFECT THE SCUM ARE HEADING DOWN OOR MARK WILL KEEP THEM TROPHYLESS THEN RETURN TO KILLIE TOWN

A STRANGE DAY……BUT A GOOD ONE As most of you are aware the KFCSA meeting at the Grand Hall saw a proposal carried asking all fans, including all that are staying away, to get along to the Ross County and Hearts games to support the team and protest against MJ at the same time. Many suggested the best way to show our disapproval like going in late, walking out early etc however it was decided to simply have a peaceful protest outside and a red card protest inside.

I headed over around 2pm and met big Stewart who was already selling the blue/yellow scarves…….which he sold out. Thanks to a number of volunteers we were able to dish out 2000 red cards at both ends of the ground. It really is strange seeing the reaction of some fans when you ask to take a red card simply to show your disapproval of the current regime. Don’t get me wrong, the big majority of fans either took a card or were sympathetic to the protest we were making.

However a few fans made comments along the lines of “why not support the team”? Well guys I have news for you, it is possible and very very easy to do both. Indeed it appears the Ross County game was easily the best atmosphere at the Theatre of Pies all season even with a low crowd (more about that later).

The protests on the 18th and 69th mins were excellent and sent a strong message to the parasite as well as all the press and media guys in the ground. Equally, the support given to the team was superb throughout the game.

On the face of it you’d think I should have headed to the Howard to start developing my fourth chin but I headed home with a strange feeling. It really felt like even after a fine win, that we are starangers at our own club. The chairman is damaging the club with every minute he stays there. Long standing dyed in the wool Killie fans are at odds with each other and I’m afraid it is only one man’s personal greed that is causing the whole turmoil around the place. Make no mistake, if MJ was to agree to go for the same as what he paid we could all get back to simply supporting the team and trying to repair the extensive damage.

Many fans on the forums were discussing the pros and cons of the protests however surely the biggest and most concerning protest is the increasing number of empty seats. On a day with lots of cut price admission and some stay aways

making a temporary return, a crowd of around 3500 is truly pathetic and highlights the apathy out there.

Forget the nonsense put out there about NAPM from folk who clearly don’t understand that it is simply a personal choice. The missing fans this year are no different from the thousands who have gone missing over the last decade……..the only difference is that a label has been attached to their personal choice.

Every single fan has the right to do as they wish with their disposable income, MJ’s assumption that we should all just turn up and hand over our hard earned is ludicrous but not surprising given that he lives in his own wee bubble. When we get rid of MJ there will be no mad surge of thousands through the turnstiles. It will be the priority of the next board to work their arses off to get out among the community and make fans feel part of our club again…………the fans are still out there.

KILLIE BITS + PIECES We’d like to send our sincere best wishes to die hard Killie fan John Miller who has been poorly recently. John is a great supporter of both KFCSA and Killie Trust…..he’s the guy with the white beard you will have seen at the Trust desk on match days. Get well soon mate and hope to see you back at the Theatre of Pies ASAP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We announced in the last issue that Hooky looked like he was on his way to Airdrie. Well in typical fashion it was announced soon after that the Killie legend had retired for good and has taken up a full time role at the SFA. It still makes my blood boil when I think of how guys like Hooky and Alan Mahood were treated by the club….well by MJ in reality. Best wishes to Hooky and hopefully we will see guys like Garry and Alan back at RP once we remove the parasite. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Killie Trust 10th Anniversary Ball was held on Sept 7th and was a huge success. The Fenwick Hotel did us proud and all monies raised went to two very worthwhile charities…..Reverse Retts (via Mark Reilly) and Ayrshire Hospice. I don’t have the exact figure at the time of writing but we raised in the region of £6500 - £7000. Huge thanks to everyone who contributed and a special mention to my big mate Samo who successfully bid for Mark Reilly’s League Cup Final shirt. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I’ve had the pleasure of chatting to Kenny Shiels a few times in recent weeks. He may have been treaty despicably by the club but he still talks about the club and its fans in glowing terms and retains his huge passion for Killie. Kenny has been doing some coaching for the SFA (sot the irony) as well as doing some TV and Radio work as well…………he passes on his best to all Killie fans.

CREAM OF AYRSHIRE 2013 COMMUNITY AWARD WINNERS

Huge congratulations to our friends at Young Kilmarnock on winning the prestigious Community award and confirming what we always knew……they are the cream of Ayrshire (and beyond).

CAPTION COMPETITION

a) AJ has an instant reaction when he hears his chairman wants to give the players a half time pep talk. b) SC has had enough of the fitba and starts singing “I'm a little teapot, short and stout, here is my handle here is my spout……… c) SC refuses to throw back the match ball and then stuffs it up his jumper. d) AJ pisses himself laughing after telling SC that QTS really means Quite Tight Sweatshirt