KILLIE HIPPO
AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINE
PRE SPLIT 2023
DAVID WATSON….FUTURE STAR
• THE LIVES OF REILLY
• A FAN REFLECTS……..
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BACK ISSUES 2–204 INCLUSIVE AVAILABLE
All views expressed are those of the contributors
SHOOTING
FROM THE HIPPO
Our editorials all season have been boring the pants off you all harping on about Alston winning the league at Rugby Park. So how fitting was it that on the first anniversary of that iconic night that we ended our away league hoodoo with a mighty fine and badly needed win in Paisley. The manager got his tactics right (finally) and the players were excellent but for me all the credit goes to the fans. We have had to endure numerous abysmal performances on the road this season so to sell out the away end with 1650 fans making the trip was a magnificent effort…….when I say we are the best in the land I mean it.
It's been slow getting this issue out for various reasons that I won’t bore you with but we will have three issues out in jig time and we will be putting an issue out during the close season…..no sleep for hippos I’m afraid. Having said that there is very few weeks between the paly offs ending and the League Cup starting in mid July so make sure and take your holidays in the window in between Killie fixtures.
My positive thoughts regarding the manager have gradually diminished throughout the season and I’m afraid my faith had totally gone a month ago. We did well against Hearts at home then St Mirren away however our early capitulation against Celtic was down to wrong personnel and baffling tactics. I always tried to hold on to the belief that he would keep us up then kick on next year, that is still my hope however if we continue with the tombola team selections we will do nothing.
The elephant in the room is Premiership survival and the win against St Mirren shifted my glass from half empty to half full. We have a 4 point gap going into the post split fixtures and this week’s trip to Motherwell is massive…..all 5 games are I suppose. However a win at Fir Park and a loss for Ross County would see a 7 point gap that I don’t see them closing. Dundee Utd have hit form at the right time and although they could still collapse you get the impression their momentum should see them through.
The dark horse for relegation is St Johnstone who hit the panic button and sacked Davidson a couple of weeks ago. They are 4 points above us but could easily get dragged right into the mix if the first couple of games go against them. They are at home to the Arabs on Saturday so that is a huge game for both teams, a win for the Saints would go a long way to seeing them safe. Our last fixture of the season is at home to Ross County, here’s hoping they are gone by then but you get the feeling the either 11th place, 12 place or both will go to the final game on the 28th May.
I’d like to say a public huge thanks to our generous donors for the Growing the Killie Family initiative……see article inside if you want to help, KTID
Sandy
LEAGUE CUP REFLECTIONS
As you know we are always delighted to get articles from the fans and I was contacted recently by John McRobert. John is a great Killie fan who has travelled around the globe meaning he has had to support Killie from afar. He has written a couple of books as well so here’s a chapter from the book of what John had to say……..we hope you will enjoy his League Cup memories in this issue.
Hi Sandy,As I mentioned earlier on Twitter, here are a few chapters from my book, "Football, Killie and Me".
It would be a bit much to send you the whole book, and it was difficult picking suitable chapters to send you, so I've attached four. The cup wins are probably a bit obvious, and been done to death over the years, but you can't beat a bit of nostalgia! I've included the chapter which covered the time I was working in the Middle East (1988-1991), which made following Killie a bit tricky in those pre-internet days. It's basically the experience of an exiled Killie fan, going through the emotions of relegation, promotion and the signing of Tommy Burns from afar. I've also added the final chapter, which I realise might be putting things a bit back-to-front, but who could forget that night against Arbroath?
The book can be purchased from Amazon: Amazon.co.uk: John McRobert: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle along with another book I've written about my long-distance walking adventures. As I mentioned, I'll be happy to give you a printed copy of my book. Those who have read it said they really enjoyed it, although to be fair, they all know me, so they might be a bit biased, ha ha!
To give you a bit of my background, I was brought up in Kilmarnock, and have been a Killie fan since my dad took me to Rugby Park for the first time in 1964. But in 1975 I joined the RAF, and the first part of the book relates the games and stadiums I visited over the years in England and Europe, as well as going to see Killie whenever I could. After three years in the Middle East, I returned to Scotland and my work took me to Stanraer, where I stayed for nearly 30 years. Now retired, I moved back to Kilmarnock last year, and one of the first things I did was buy a season ticket!
Cheers, John
The League Cup Final 2001
As I mentioned previously, Killie had achieved a couple of decent runs in League Cups at the start of the century, so I want to go back a few years, and cover these all together in this chapter.
League Cup matches back then, particularly in the early rounds, were generally played midweek with evening kick-offs, so I couldn’t get to as many of them as I would have liked. I couldn’t get away early from work often enough, so it was a caseof picking and choosing for the most part. Consequently, many of the rounds will only get a passing mention, as I wasn’t there towitness them for one reason or another.
***
2001
Killie negotiated the early rounds of the 2000-01 League Cup with three narrow wins: 2-1 away to Clyde (after extra-time), 1-0away to St Johnstone, and a 2-1 victory over Hibernian in the quarter-finals. A semi-final at Hampden beckoned, and Killie were drawn against St Mirren, giving them a great chance of reaching the final of the League Cup for the first time since that controversial loss to Hearts in the 1962-63 season.
Luckily, I managed to get some time off work to get to the game, which was played on a soaking wet Tuesday night in February. My sister Anne came along with me, and together we braved the elements as we made our way to Hampden.
Unfortunately, the attendance was only 9,213, and it wasquestioned as to whether Hampden was the best venue for this tie, with such a low turn-out. The dreadful weather conditions certainly didn’t help.
Anne and I took our seats in the North Stand, which at least gave us a bit of shelter from the incessant rain.
A few minutes before half-time, Killie took the lead. In a complete reversal of roles, Paul Wright took possession wide right, and crossed for Andy McLaren to head home. I would normally have expected McLaren to cross for Wright, but no matter, Killie were 1-0 up!
Although Killie were playing reasonably well, I was always aware that St Mirren were far from out of it. If only Killie could get a second goal, I could relax just a little. Halfway through the second half, they got it – and what a goal it was!
Amazingly, it came from a St Mirren corner. The ball was floated into the penalty area, and headed clear to Craig Dargo. He just ran up the left with it…. and ran…. and ran…. and ran! He showed tremendous pace, and none of the St Mirren players could get a challenge in. Eventually, he reached the corner of the St Mirren penalty area, and placed a superb shot right into the farcorner of the net, giving the ‘keeper no chance. What. A. Goal. Itmust rank as one of the best Killie goals I’ve ever seen live, andit had surely all but booked a place in the final.
Peter Canero put the icing on the cake with a third goal after 78 minutes, to complete a 3-0 win. As Anne and I walked away from Hampden, the rain suddenly didn’t seem to bother us as much, it’s amazing the difference a good win makes! Four years after their Scottish Cup win, Killie were in another final!
And in that final they would meet Celtic, who had high hopesof winning a domestic treble, and would understandably be hot favourites. Not only that, they had beaten Killie 6-0 a couple of months earlier. Undaunted, Anne and I got tickets for the game, but I went there more in hope than expectation, if I’m honest. Outside Hampden, we bumped into our cousin Marion, whom we hadn’t seen for years, and it was good to see her, albeit briefly.
On the 18th of March 2001, the teams lined up as follows in front of a 48,830 crowd at Hampden:
Kilmarnock: Marshall, MacPherson (captain), Hay, McGowne, Innes, Dindeleux, Holt, Durrant, Mahood, Cocard, Dargo.
Celtic: Gould, Vega, Mjallby, Valgaeren, Healy, Lambert (captain), Lennon, Moravcik, Petta, Sutton, Larsson.
Although Celtic had most of the possession (as expected), Killie started the game reasonably well, and were more or less holding their own. Ian Durrant was having a great game, so itwas a bitter blow when he had to go off injured after 38 minutes.
We didn’t know it at the time, but it was to be his last game for Killie, apart from a cameo substitute appearance at the end of the following season. Although he had spent most of his career at Rangers, he had been a great signing for Killie.
Mark Reilly replaced Durrant, and half-time arrived with the score at 0-0. Could we dare hope for a shock Killie win? Sadly, the answer was no. Just two minutes into the second half, Henrik Larsson knocked the ball in from a corner.
A few minutes later, Killie were forced into another change, with Andy McLaren replacing the injured Christophe Cocard.
After an hour, Chris Sutton took Gary Holt out with a shocking tackle. Well, I say “tackle”, there was absolutely no attempt to play the ball, and Holt was sent flying. Sutton could have no complaints about the red card, he was lucky he wasn’t arrested!
With Celtic down to ten men, perhaps Killie could bringthemselves back into the game? Sadly, once again the answer was no, and once again it was Larsson who did the damage. His shot cruelly deflected off Chris Innes, and looped over Marshall into the net. There was still 20 minutes to go, but I couldn’t see Killie coming back from that.
After 80 minutes, Larsson rubbed salt into the wound, and completed his hattrick with the best goal of the game. He broke clear, sold Marshall a dummy, and slotted it into the net. It pains to me to say so, but it was a fantastic goal.
Celtic saw out the remainder of the game for a very comfortable 3-0 win. A lot of the Killie fans had gone longbefore the final whistle, but I would never leave a game early unless I really had to, and Anne and I stayed to watch the presentation of the trophy.
Fair play to Celtic, they deserved their win. And Larsson was unplayable in the second half. Would things have been different had Durrant stayed on the pitch? It’san unanswerable question, but I suspect Celtic would still have had a bit too much on the day for Killie to handle.
***
The League Cup 2007
I was lucky enough to get to Killie’s first League Cup game in the 2nd Round of the 2006-07 competition on the 22nd ofAugust. They were drawn away to 1st Division Queen of the South, and it made a change to travel along the A75 instead ofthe A77, plus I had never seen them play at Palmerston, so all in all it was a bit of a novelty.
The game didn’t go well for Killie. They struggled to get a grip all through the first half, and it was no great surprise when Queens took the lead early in the second half. The home side hadchances to increase their lead, before Grant Murray equalised with about 15 minutes to go. Queens were still looking dangerous though, and the game could have gone either way before the 90 minutes were up.
However, the game went into extra-time, so it was going tobe a late drive home along the A75 for me. Penalties was startingto look like a distinct possibility, until Steven Naismith scored the winning goal with seven minutes left. Phew, that was astruggle, but at least Killie had scraped into the next round and avoided a shock result.
I never got to the next two rounds, which were both home matches. Again, it took a 2-1 extra-time win to beat Livingston, followed by a narrow 3-2 win over Motherwell. Killie were in the semi-finals, where they would meet old cup foes Falkirk.
And in a similar vein to Killie’s Scottish Cup win in 1997 over the Bairns, Falkirk had knocked Celtic out in the previous round. An omen, perhaps? Not only that, Rangers had also gone out of the competition, so with the Old Firm out of the picture it levelled the playing field a bit – any one of the four sides left could win it: Kilmarnock, Falkirk, Hibernian or St Johnstone, and I would fancy Killie to beat any of those sides on their day.
The semi-final was played on the 30th January 2007 at Fir Park, Motherwell. It was a wise decision to avoid Hampden, as the 10,722 crowd generated a much better atmosphere there than would have been the case at the national stadium.
Killie had already beaten Falkirk three times in the leaguethat season, including a 2-0 win just a few days previously, so were clear favourites to make the final.
The kick-off was delayed for 15 minutes, due to traffic congestion, which I had luckily avoided. I used to work in Motherwell at one time, so had got there a bit earlier, parked my car outside my old workplace, and walked to the ground from there.
Falkirk looked the better team in the early stages, and it took Killie a while to settle into the game. In 30 minutes, they took the lead with a fine goal. A long ball was punted forward, which Colin Nish nodded on perfectly into the path of Steven Naismith, who shot under goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (son of Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel).
Killie led 1-0 at half-time, but Falkirk were far from out of it, and playing some good stuff themselves at times.
In the second half, Carl Finnigan had a great chance to equalise, but Alan Combe in goals managed to block. Then Naismith had a shot superbly saved by Schmeichel, as play swung from end to end.
Just when I was starting to think we might have another nail- biting end to the game, Naismith struck again. Once more, it wasa long ball which sent him clear, he took a touch with his head, and volleyed it into the net. Schmeichel did well to get a touch, but there was no way he was stopping that, another superb goal.
From there, Killie just had to see out the remaining 20 minutes or so, but Naismith wasn’t finished yet. After 78 minutes, he wriggled his way into the penalty area and wasbrought down – penalty. He was unplayable that night, and Falkirk just couldn’t handle him.
Naturally, it was Naismith himself who stepped up to take thepenalty and blasted it into the net for his hat-trick. What a game for the young lad, who was only 20 at the time.
Killie held on for a comfortable 3-0 victory, and made my long journey home a very pleasant one indeed. Killie were in another final!
By a curious coincidence, the final was held on the 18th March, exactly six years to the day since Killie’s 3-0 defeat to Celtic in their last final appearance. This time they were upagainst Hibernian, who had beaten St Johnstone 3-1 after extra- time in their semi-final. I was quietly confident that this could beKillie’s year. The team were playing well under Jim Jefferies,and would surely be a match for Hibs at the very least. In the league, they had played Hibs three times so far that season, and had won one, drawn one and lost won – honours even.
By this time, Anne was happily settled into married life with Rae down in Derby, but they both travelled up for the match, in the hope of seeing Killie win some silverware.
On the day, it was absolutely freezing, with occasional flurries of snow. The teams lined up as follows:
Kilmarnock: Combe, Ford, Greer, Wright, Hay (captain), Di Giacomo, Johnston, Fowler, Leven, Nish, Naismith.
Hibernian: McNeil, Whittaker, Hogg, Jones (captain), Murphy, Sproule, Beuzelin, Brown, Stevenson, Fletcher, Benjelloun.
Killie started the game quite well, with Naismith lookinglively up front, although it was hard to see the opposite end of the ground through the snow occasionally. But it was Hibs who took the lead after 27 minutes. It was a very straightforward goal, Rob Jones heading in from a corner. Damn!
Hibs were now on top, and I was glad that it was still only 1-0at half-time. I was hopeful that Jim Jefferies would get things sorted out, and have a word or two in the dressing room, but unfortunately the second half continued pretty much from where the first half finished, with Hibs in control.
In 59 minutes it was 2-0, Abdessalam Benjelloun scoring from the edge of the penalty area. It would be an understatement to say I wasn’t enjoying this, but worse was to come just a few minutes later. Every time Hibs went forward they looked like they would score, and Steven Fletcher made it 3-0.
The Killie defence was all over the place, and this was turning into a day to forget. So much for my earlier confidence, I really should know better!
Gordon Greer managed to head a goal for Killie after 77 minutes, but it was surely too little too late. It was actually the first goal Killie had scored in a league cup final, unless you count that controversially disallowed one by Frank Beattie way back in 1962.
Naturally, I was hoping that Killie could gain some momentum from that goal, and perhaps even sneak another to make the last few minutes interesing at least, but it wasn’t to be. Benjelloun scored again, and then just two minutes later, Alan Combe had a horrendous miskick, which gifted Steven Fletcher another. 5-1 to Hibs….ouch! Benjelloun hit the post near the endas well, so it could have been even worse.
Most of the Killie fans had gone by the end of the game, but as usual, Anne, Rae and I stayed on to watch the cup being presented, and trudged disconsolately away to the sounds of the Proclaimers reverberating around Hampden.
Killie had now been in five League Cup Finals, and lost the lot. It was the only major domestic trophy they had never won, and it felt that day that they never would. ***
The League Cup 2012
I only got to one League Cup match in 2011-12 – the Final…What a glory hunter! The early rounds were fairly straightforward affairs, with 5-0 and 2-0 home wins over Queen of the South and East Fife respectively.
In the semi-final, Killie had a mouth-watering clash with Ayr United at Hampden. I would normally have been there like ashot, but at the time my daughter Fiona was in hospital in Edinburgh having major spinal surgery.
She had two operations which lasted a total of over ten hours, and was in hospital for three weeks. Such was the stress of that situation, I barely noticed that Killie were playing. Fortunately, the operations were a success, due in no small part to the skill and dedication of the surgeons and the medical team, and Fiona made a full recovery.
It seems almost incidental under the circumstances, but Killie beat Ayr 1-0 after extra-time, with a goal by Dean Shiels, son of manager Kenny. Killie were in yet another final, their third in recent years, and sixth overall. They were up against Celtic once more, who were overwhelming favourites in their quest for a treble. Killie were looking for a treble of their own though. They had won the League and the Scottish Cup, but had never won theLeague Cup.
Amazingly, for the third time in a row as far as Killie were concerned, the final fell on the 18th of March! I realise that if finals are scheduled for a certain time of year, they’re liable to fall on the same date occasionally, but it was weird that it should happen on all the ones Killie were involved in.
Anne and Rae didn’t come up for the game this time, andeven my dad had decided not to bother watching it on TV. No- one could see beyond a Celtic win, and to be fair, they were overwhelming favourites, but I was going no matter what. I mustconfessthat I wasn’t too confident myself, but you just never know….
The teams lined up as follows:
Kilmarnock: Bell, Fowler (captain), Sissoko, Nelson, Gordon, Kelly, Buijs, Harkins, Hay, Shiels, Heffernan.
Celtic: Forster, Matthews, Rogne, Wilson, Mulgrew, Forrest, Wanyama, Brown (captain), Ledley, Stokes, Hooper.
For each of these cup finals, I was in roughly the same area,by the southwest corner flag, but this time I was considerablyhigher up. I still had a good view though, so wasn’t complaining.I knew it would be important for Killie to keep things tight to begin with. The worst thing that could happen would be an earlyCeltic goal.
So my heart was in my mouth after just fourminutes, when Mahamadou Sissoko passed the ball straight to Gary Hooper, giving the Celtic forward a clean sight of goal.Fortunately Cammy Bell came smartly off his line and made agreat save, but I got the feeling that this could be a long afternoon.
Bell made another great save from a Stokes header. It was a powerful effort down into the bottom corner, and it took fantastic reflexes from Bell to keep it out.
But it wasn’t all Celtic, Killie carved out a few chances themselves. Dean Shiels shot narrowly past the post, and had another effort pushed past the post by Forster. From the resultantcorner, Sissoko’s header was cleared off the line by Stokes. This was turning into a good game, and it was great to see Killie give as good as they got.
However, Celtic were still dominating, and Scott Brown hit a superb shot from about 20 yards, which Bell somehow managed to tip over the bar. Bell had picked the right day to have the game of his life!
Just before half-time, Paul Heffernan briefly got a sight of goal, but Forster blocked his shot. 0-0 at half-time, and Killie very much still in it.
The first chance of the second half fell to Dean Shiels, but he mishit his shot from a decent position. Celtic were soon in the ascendancy again though, and Bell made two more saves. The first was a shot from Stokes, which was straight at him, but the other was from a Wanyama header which he acrobatically tippedover the bar. He was looking unbeatable, and was certainly keeping Killie in the game.
After 73 minutes, Kenny Shiels made his second substitution.(The first was an enforced change in the first half, Lee Johnson replacing the injured Danny Buijs.) I must admit to being slightly taken aback, because midfielder Gary Harkins was replaced by forward Dieter Van Tornhout. It was obviously tactical, but I think most people expected a more defensive change, perhaps with a view to forcing extra-time and penalties.
As the game reached the last ten minutes, Killie were still holding their own, but my nerves were in tatters. One slip, one silly mistake, and the dream was over. I always get a bit pessimistic under these circumstances, I’ve been there so often!
But then, it happened. And I’ll be honest, I’m getting goose bumps even now, just writing about it!
Killie worked the ball forward down the right, then GarryHay switched play to Ben Gordon on the left. He passed it on to Lee Johnson, who was advancing towards the touchline.
From my seat, I had the perfect view of the flight of the ball across the penalty area to the back post, where Dieter Van Tornhout met it with a perfect header. The ball hitting the back of the net is forever imprinted in my memory, what a goal! Kenny Shiels’ substitution had paid off, big time!
The whole west side of the stadium erupted, and bedlamensued. Myself, and everyone around me were jumping aroundin sheer, unadulterated joy. Like the cup final back in 1997, I ended up hugging someone I had never seen before in my life.
Once things had settled down, I had one thought: how long togo? How long for Killie to hang on? The answer was seven minutes plus added time, but I knew that was going to feel more like seven hours.
As expected, Celtic threw everything at Killie, but they still couldn’t get the ball past Bell. He superbly parried a shot from Georgios Samaras, and held the rebound from Kris Commons.
As the clock ticked slowly – ever so slowly – into added time,Celtic kept the pressure on, and Stokes went down in the penalty area under a challenge from Michael Nelson. The Celtic fans screamed for a penalty. I held my breath. It happened at the far end of the pitch, so I couldn’t really tell.
All eyes were on referee Willie Collum, who produced a yellow card – and booked Stokesfor diving! Phew!! Having seen it back on TV, I think it was the correct decision, but many a referee would have given the penalty. The kindest thing I could say about Stokes, is that he went down easily.
There were seconds remaining, my heart was going like the clappers, and I had no fingernails left. Killie launched the ball upfield and made for the corner. At this stage, I wasn’t watching the ball, my eyes were glued to the referee, surely he would blowfor full-time? The ball went out for a goal-kick, and then he did just that.
Glorious! After losing five League Cup Finals, Killie had at last won it, and had now won all major domestic trophies. It was party time in the stands, (well, at the west end of the ground at any rate) and all previous disappointments were forgotten.
It was a fantastic feeling to watch stalwarts James Fowler, Garry Hay and the rest of the team lifting the trophy, certainly on a par at least with watching Ray Montgomerie lift the Scottish Cup at Ibrox back in 1997.
And like 1997, as soon as Marie Osmond’s dulcet tones singing Paper Roses started reverberating around the stadium, I was unable to join in as the sheer emotion got to me. Not that I was caring a single jot, I was loving every single second of this, and will never forget it. It’s moments like that which make all the heartache, all the disappointments, all the bad defeats, and allthe other ups and downs of following a team like Killie worthwhile.
After the celebrations, I drove back to my parents’ house in Kilmarnock. They were naturally delighted with the result, even though they hadn’t watched the game. Dad said that he switched on the TV to see the cup presentation, only to notice that it wasn’t Scott Brown lifting the trophy! A pleasant surprise.
I should mention at this point, that the day was tinged with sadness when we later learned that midfielder Liam Kelly’s father had had a heart attack at the end of the game, and later died in hospital.
I wasn’t aware of what celebrations would be taking place either in town or at Rugby Park, but I had to get back home anyway. Instead, I went to the home match against Motherwell the following weekend to see the cup being paraded. And Killie won 2-0 to make it all the sweeter.
BITS + PIECES
We were disappointed to hear that the KFCSA Player of the Year dance had to be cancelled this year. As a previous chairman I fully understand all the issues that make arranging it so difficult. It has to be booked at the start of the season however with the split in place it means the committee have to look at a date which is far earlier than is ideal. Hopefully the fixtures will be kinder to us next season and with a bit more publicity it will return to being sold out in a matter of days.
It was great to see the club getting Vassell and Wright signed up on two year deals even though we don’t know what league we will be playing in. Vassell has gradually improved his all round game with the glaring issue that he doesn’t score enough. He holds it up and links play well so with a decent scorer next to him, he could be useful next term.
I thought there may be a few teams in for Joe Wright so was surprised but pleased when I heard he had signed a deal. Hopefully this is the start of a far more stable ongoing plan because changing squads every year due to loan signings and short term deals is a contributory factor to our decline iin recent years.
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Finally a wee moan relating to Callum Hendry who we chose not to re-sign and who is now banging goals in weekly at Salford. He got a raw deal from McInnes and even when he was selected it was to play out wide. Good luck to the big man down south but I can’t help feeling we shot ourselves in the foot.
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ON THE ROAD TO KILLIE
(writes the Fitba Nomad)
We found this article from three years ago from a guy who travels all over Scotland, both juniors and seniors, and gives an entertaining and honest review of each journey……..here’s his thoughts on a wee trip to the home of football:
When telling friends I was off to Ayrshire again for another matchday their eyes lit up. Having already enjoyed reading about my previous adventures in that neck of the woods they began to guess which of the big SJFA sides I was heading for this afternoon. One confidently stated “It has to be Auchinleck Talbot at last”, while another tried to remind me that “You promised to go to Beith this season”. After dismissing these ideas, along with further guesses of Cumnock and Kilbirnie Ladeside, there was visible disappointment on their faces when I announced I was off to see Killie. They couldn’t believe that I’d forgo some of the magical names in the heartland of Junior fitba for a day out at Rugby Park. I knew they had a question for me; why would I miss a juicy Junior clash to see some boring SPFL side?
Well for me there is nothing mundane about Kilmarnock Football Club; the oldest professional side in Scotland, who celebrate their one hundred and fiftieth season this campaign. They are the answer to the question of who were the last ‘provincial’ club to win the Scottish Football League, proud participants in the very first Scottish Cup match and able to boast of being one of the very few teams in the country to have played in all three major European competitions. The fixture certainly ain’t an average one either, for their first match in a new decade the romance of the Scottish Cup has brought Killie together with the only side in the land older than them; Queen’s Park.
Kilmarnock were formed on the 5th of January 1869 by a group of local cricketers at Robertson’s Temperance Hotel on the town’s Portland Street. Allow me to give this some historical context: while Notts County had been going in England for seven years by the time of Killie’s formation, Germany wouldn’t have a football club until the creation of BFC Germania 1888 in the April of that year.
Recreativo de Huelva didn’t become the first Spanish team until eighteen months later in 1889 and Genoa only introduced ‘calcio’ to Italy in 1893. In the beginning Killie briefly played a sport more akin to rugby but the success of today’s opposition encouraged them to take up the freshly cemented rules of association football and they never looked back. In March 1873 they became one of the eight founding members of the Scottish Football Association, seven months before that inaugural Scottish Cup match; a 2-0 loss to Renton. League play commenced in 1890 but it took five years for Kilmarnock to join and even then they were only admitted to the Second Division. Consecutive tier two titles in ’98 & ’99 however meant Killie started the 20th Century in the top flight.
almost exclusively dined at the top table of Scottish football, having pretty much always occupied a place in the highest division with the exception of the ten years following World War II as well as the late seventies to early nineties. Two decades of the last century could be regarded as particularly significant for Killie, the first being the roaring twenties when the Rugby park side won the Scottish Cup twice. The first win came in 1920 when Killie bested Armadale and Morton on the way to Hampden where Albion Rovers were defeated by three goals to two. Nine years later in the fifty first edition of the tournament Raith Rovers and Celtic were dispatched before almost 115,000 watched them conquer strong favourites Rangers with a 2-0 win.
Then in the sixties Kilmarnock, under the management of ‘Gers icon Willie Waddell, almost became known as the greatest chokers anywhere in the history of the game. They lost two Scottish Cup Finals in 1957 and ’60 to Falkirk & Rangers respectively as well as falling at the final hurdle of the League Cup in both ’61 & ’63. Worse still came in the league itself as Killie finished runners up at the end of four of the first five campaigns that decade. Their main rivals for the flag in the 1964/65 season were the side that beat them to the title in 1959; Heart of Midlothian, whom they faced on the final day of the season at Tynecastle. Going into the epic title decider The Jam Tarts had a two point lead meaning Killie required a win by two goals to achieve glory and glorious that day they were. The Ayrshire men went 2-0 up in under half an hour and that allowed their keeper Bobby Ferguson to become the hero with second half saves. It was Kilmarnock’s finest hour, their sole title win thus far and the last time a club from outwith a major city claimed the league flag.
foray down to the third tier, Killie returned to their rightful place in the Premier Division under Tommy Burns in 1993. Then just four years later, under future Uganda & Kenya gaffer Bobby Williamson, Scottish Cup number three was on its way to Rugby Park. After seeing off Dundee United in a semi-final replay Kilmarnock found themselves facing Falkirk on the 24th of May at Ibrox in the first town vs town final for forty years (the previous one featuring the very same sides in 1957). I remember watching it as a fifteen year old and it was no thriller, a solitary strike from Paul Wright in the twentieth minute taking the old trophy back to East Ayrshire.
Last season Killie were on fire under highly regarded head coach Steve Clarke, a third place finish being their best since the summer of ’66. I was at Tynecastle late in the campaign to see them; the team played good football with confidence, while a massive away support drove them on with chants and song. Then Clarke left and was replaced by former Juventus & Chelsea deputy Angelo Alessio, but the bold move was a disaster when the Italian was sacked after twenty two games in charge. Before the winter break Killie sat in seventh place, having lost the last five. Today perhaps then was an opportunity for a rested squad to reboot their season and start the new decade on the front foot.
Pre-match Pints
Leaving the station and right across the road I’m confronted by a pub with the frankly ludicrous name of Fanny by Gaslight. Formerly known as the Railway Tavern, and briefly the rather whimsical Fifty Waistcoats, why it has adopted the title of a 1940 novel that explores prostitution in Victorian London I’ll never know. Poking myself in through a rather tight entrance I find a rather cavernous interior with one of my favourite pub features, a 360 degree central bar topped in mahogany and clad in oak. The old mangle in the doorway is an unusual touch however.
In terms of drink it is mostly the usual fayre with the exception of the Marston’s 61 Deep pale ale which is only £2.90 a pint. I explore a bit as I drink and see that the place is a live music venue with acts advertised weekly until mid-April. The instrument artwork hanging from the ceiling and barmaid’s heavy metal vest accentuate the musical theme. This of course means I’m visiting at the wrong time to see the place in its pomp, good boozer by day but I bet it is excellent when the bands are rocking.
Just round the corner we have a really beautiful place with another unusual name; The Tartan Sheep. From the outside it does look like a fancy tea shop but through the door and up a flight of stairs we have a boozer that combines quaint old fashioned features with modern design. The carpet and stools are obviously made from the wool off the sheep on the sign, with a large hearth containing a fancy electric fire and LED lights. I like the bookcase wallpaper which gives a cosy feel and the TVs are so massive in such a small room it makes me feel like I’m in a hospitality suite at Vicarage Road as the game kicks off on Sky. All is immaculate and pristine.
Braw surroundings aside the drink selection is great and the service excellent. Twenty three gins, craft beer in bottles and plenty of malts or rum to choose from. Because I rarely see it I opt for a Caffrey’s which the Englishman behind the bar pours an inch short of the £2.50 pint and insists on only charging me for the half. My £1.25 almost pint then comes with a free pie; scotch in variety, hot and excellent. It is the product of Killie’s Wm. Luke & Sons and they are being doled
out in vast numbers to the arriving Queen’s fans. Of course I didn’t just pay for a half pint, eat a free pie and bugger off. I stayed for a bottle of Joker IPA, not only to make sure the place made a profit from me but to just to enjoy more time in a fine bar that shows how spending a bit on décor and putting in the effort to treat punters well reaps rewards.
Finally closer to the ground came a pub that had been highly recommended to me by Killie supporters, the Brass and Granite, a deceptively large place geared towards the needs of fans (both home and away) headed to the match. Before going for a pint I’m drawn to a double glass cabinet that contains all the various awards the venue has won, including a Sunday Mail ‘Pub of the Year Award’. Over in another corner around the pool tables is a shrine to Kilmarnock Football Club, walls clad in old shirts, programmes and other artifacts. The ’97 Scottish Cup victory seemingly the most celebrated event. Across the whole pub I count twenty televisions and at least two beautifully restored vintage carnival slot machines. The theme is football but done with subtlety and a great deal of respect to the local team.
At the bar we have cask ale, premium beer, Hoegaarden and spirits galore. Estrella is a serious lager and thus comes at with a serious £4.60 price tag, what a pint it is for the money however. There is also a matchday menu with mac ‘n cheese or double pork burger with chips at a very reasonable cost. The place has a capacity of 270 and whether by choice or regulations it means that it is busy but remains comfortable. No queues at a well staffed bar, no squeezing through crowds to go for a pee. Perfect final stop off before the game.
The Ground
Rugby Park is one of the grand old ladies of Scottish fitba grounds having been home to Killie since 1899, although it was majorly rebuilt it the mid-ninties. Surrounded by houses on three sides (very tight to them on the east) and a newish hotel at one end, I like that it is in the middle of the community and by walking towards it you follow in a century plus of other footsteps. Before heading in I have a pint of Ye Olde English cider in the Killie Club and it is vastly superior to the Motherwell and Partick fan bars I’ve visited. Big queues are not an issue when you are served quickly.
Inside the stadium is like a more homely McDiarmid Park with modern single tier stands on three sides and the tidied up old main stand on the western touchline. Some grounds can feel rather generic these days but Rugby Park just maintains a sense of uniqueness. Off note there are two small sections of safe standing which remain largely empty today, making it difficult to judge what benefits they bring. Good to see a club experimenting with them however.
Finally I’m no expert on plastic pitches but I have been to grounds where you’d never know by looking that the surface wasn’t real grass. Here you can tell it is fake a mile off, it looks nothing at all like the real thing. Whether how a synthetic looks affects how it plays is not for me to say however and during the ninety minutes to follow Killie didn’t seem to have any issue being on it.
The Game
After a cracking build up the game itself did very little for me, no cup shock rather a walkover for the home side and the very result they needed for that mid-season reboot. Killie burst out of the blocks determined to avoid and upset and looked vastly superior to their League Two opponents from the get go. Goal less since November Kilmarnock started to make up for it after just nine minutes when Alex Bruce nodded in a Chris Burke free kick. It was the first of three first half assists for the thirty six year old ex-Rangers, Cardiff City and Birmingham City winger who looked every bit the player he was ten years ago. Three nil half time and a relaxed Killie were easily cruising to a Scottish Cup fourth round victory.
Second half and same story. With my Killie pie consumed (as good as they say but not as good as a Kilwinning Rangers ‘Buffs Pie’) the goals kept on rolling in, Greg Kiltie killing the game as a competitive fixture in the sixty second minute. At the death Kabamba and Johnson brought the total up to six; a straightforward, controversy free win and a very strong performance from the home team.
The Aftermath - Half an hour from Glasgow by train. That’s no journey at all for a great day out in fine pubs and at a legendary football club. Three boozers today; two were fantastic and one had the potential to be if you go when a band is on. I’d travel longer and further for just a Tartan Sheep or Brass and Granite, but getting both in one day left me spoilt.
Yes the football wasn’t up to much but it was nice to sit amongst long suffering season ticket holders getting treated to a first win (and first goals) in months. Killie needed a lift and got that by getting a huge win at just a canter. While I’ve already highlighted Chris Burke’s performance it needs to be said again; what a player.
I greatly underestimated Kilmarnock Football Club. From the moment I started my research to arriving at the ground itself I was amazed by the size & scale of the club in terms of history, infrastructure and support. Being the oldest professional club in Scotland isn’t their only claim to fame, Killie have many as one of the country’s truly top clubs. While there ain’t one team in Ayrshire, my journeys to the Juniors have shown me otherwise, the Rugby Park side can certainly claim to be the biggest and perhaps even the best.
THE LIVES OF REILLY
Those of you of a certain vintage will know Killie legend Mark Reilly, a great guy who did a tremendous job with Killie and is now doing a tremendous job raising money for Rett Syndrome.
Mavis has written a book about his unbelievable exploits and it’s a must buy for all Killie fans. I’m lucky enough to be going to the book launch this Thursday 4th May for the official book release:
**COMING SOON**
“The Lives of Reilly” with David McCarthy and Dickson Telfer.
Foreword by Ally McCoist.
It’s a story about my gruelling physical challenges to raise awareness of Rett Syndrome an incurable genetic disorder that my daughter Dionne suffers from. Ironman events to 100 mile runs and the epic Marathon des Sables(MDS). It’s a 156 mile self sufficient race which takes place in the Sahara desert.
The 35th MDS in October 2021 was the hottest on record with temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius and a stomach bug ravaging the camp making it the toughest MDS in history. Drawing on the themes of positivity, resilience and hope, walk every step with me and see how I survived and meet some incredible characters I encountered.
The story goes from the desert to the football pitch where you get an insight into some of the biggest characters in Scottish football with some hilarious tales. You get to know a little girl called Dionne and her struggles with Rett Syndrome. David and Dickson have done an incredible job turning this story into a fabulous read.
All profits from the book will be donated to the charity Reverse Rett. I will be having book launches in Kilmarnock and Motherwell.
More info coming soon.
ONE FAN’S THOUGHTS
Hi Sandy,
How Jack Sanders can’t get a game at the centre of that Killie defence is incomprehensible. His distribution might not be the greatest but he is young, strong and good in the air. We are losing goals for fun away from home so why not give the lad a chance. The players in front of the centre backs aren’t helping enough to cover defensively. They don’t seem to be working hard enough.
Sanders and Fraser Murray were two of the best players that we had last season and neither have had a look in this season. I know that we need experience but there are too many old and slow players in the squad and too many loan players. We haven’t got a goal scorer either. Doidge and Vassell try hard of course but neither of them can finish. In midfield Alan Power is too slow now. Recruitment at the club has been awful. I know that there are budgetary restrictions but we should be improving as a squad but we are not.
Regards
Harry B
Hippo says - Yes it's never easy being a Killie fan and this season is certainly no exception. I was delighted when we got Mcinnes but afraid I've ran out of patience. He constantly chops and changes the team, our style of play is horrific to watch and his recruitment has been poor.
I Iike big Sanders and have no idea why he isn't getting a chance, Murray and McInroy are in the same boat.
Best wishes and hopefully we somehow manage to survive this season and have a good rebuild in the summer.
Killie till I die
Sandy…………………………………..
GROWING THE KILLIE FAMILY….AGAIN
With the new season ticket prices now out we are once again asking anyone, who is in a position to do so, to help out their fellow Killie fans.
Once again we are doing our fantastic we campaign to donate tickets to families or individuals who for one reason or another wouldn’t manage it next season.
The response so far has been tremendous and the guys at the Trust are following our lead again and doing the same thing. Whether you do it via us or the Trust doesn’t matter, let’s just keep the momentum going and get as many folk along to RP as possible.
If you are an individual or a business who would like to sponsor/donate a ticket then please email Sandy at killiehippo@aol.com and we’ll facilitate it for you and everything will be kept anonymous unless requested. Most importantly if you know a family or individual who deserves a ticket and for whatever reason can’t afford one please nominate them via email to killiehippo@aol.com and we’ll do our best to get as many sorted as possible…….huge thanks again.
IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT PLEASE MAKE A DONATION AND ALL MONIES WILL GO TO TRUST IN KILLIE. THE NORMAL COST IS £2 BUT FEEL FREE TO DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN. BANK
DETAILS ARE:
SORT CODE – 074456
ACCOUNT - 46480868
NAME – A ARMOUR
IT’S SNOWING AGAIN IN GLASGOW
