AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINEISSUE NO. 145

New management Team?FAN OWNERSHIP - THE SAVIOUR?

THE HOTSEAT HANDICAP

A BRIGHT SCOTTISH FUTURE?

THE KILLIE HIPPO IS ON SALE AT

HOWARD ARMS, GLENCAIRN SQUARE, KILMARNOCK FOG’S SNACK BAR, KILMARNOCK RUGBY CLUB CAR PARK KILLIE TRUST DESK (PARK HOTEL FOR HOME GAMES) MATCH DAYS AT RP + AT ALL AWAY GAMES  HUGE THANKS TO ALL ADVERTISERS, SUBSCRIBERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND KILLIE FANS FOR THEIR SUPPORT. All views expressed are those of the contributors.  

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SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO

Happy February chums and it’s that fun time again when we are looking for a manager and some strange rumours circulate. Let me clear up a few myths – Kevin Keegan was not seen in the Forum Café buying a double nougat, Teddy Sheringham was not seen in the Indoor Market buying chocolate dog treats and Harry Redknapp was not seen leaning out his car window in the Asda car park however I can confirm that McCoist was seen in the Howard Park sewing some daffodil seeds. Welcome to the mad world of KFC where our strikers namely Magennis, Miller and Ngoo score about as often as a nun so we decide to sell the one promising youngster we have who knows the way to goal. You will see a Muirhead article in this issue but it is beyond lunacy what we did. I genuinely believe AJ when he says he knew nothing about it….the Muirhead knew nothing of the Celtic/United interest until the last minute. I reckon the big man will be a big success with the arabs and they must be delighted at how cheap they got him. Our club stinks to high heaven and the desperation for some cash can be the only reason the sale was rushed through,,,,,,,but don’t worry we are debt free!!! Are there still Killie fans out there who actually believe the bank deal was done for the good of the club? I am firmly of the belief that we are now a million times worse off and we are a financial disaster waiting to happen. The parasites wont care however as they sit in their hotel and count their takings from the mugs who still want to hand them their hard earned cash. The self interest and asset stripping is a mirror image of what is happening at Sevco but the press aren’t interested as Killie stories don’t sell papers. One other employee to leave the club is kit man Peter Logan. Peter was on our books as a young keeper but gave up his professional career and he has been the kit guru for over 10 years. At one time I knew everyone who worked at the club but the revolving door policy means there are lots of new faces about the place. Good luck to Peter who is away to work with a kit supplier. Gary Locke is now on charge of on field matters and is in effect on trial to try and get the job on a permanent basis. The board will be screaming desperate to sell ST’s in the summer but many will simply refuse until we see some signs that the club’s health comes before personal greed. I suspect the board will appoint a popular Killie minded person who can connect to the fans since the board don’t know how to. It looks like this season will just play out with us languishing in the bottom six but with little hope of finishing better than 8th and little chance of going down to the dreaded play off spot. There is not a lot to get excited about and that will be reflected in dire crowds between now and May….oh the joys! Sandy

Fan ownership: The saviour of local football clubs

Football is just not the same these days. The players are more concerned with their hairstyle than their first touch and those same muscle-bound egomaniacs won't get out of bed for less that £100,000-a-week. I'll stop there, because it's probably sounding rather familiar to you at this point.

The idea that football is now worse off because of the globalization of the game is one that is widespread. A growing number of fans are pining for the days that high boots were ignored and two-footed challenges were cheered; the game at its highest level has moved on from those seemingly barbaric days.

But as the Premier League takes a monopoly on British football, there is a growing realisation that the not-so-successful clubs are having to call on the local community, not the Russian oligarch, to stay alive. It is an idea that is spreading fast.

Fan ownership is taking British football by storm. Now, over 30 clubs in the UK are owned or majority-owned by trusts with the likes of Wrexham, Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth recently saved by fans willing to put their hands in their pockets.

But fans needn't wait for their club to be on the brink of extinction before getting actively involved in ownership. Most clubs in the Bundesliga have flourished while having a majority stake held by fans for years, while Barcelona and Real Madrid are owned by members, who elect their hierarchy through a democratic voting system.

Since the turn of the millenium, the UK has seen over 180 supporters' trusts created, of which over 100 enjoy at least a minority shareholding in their club.

Following the trend, supporters all over Scotland are attempting to take a controlling stake in their local sides.

Benefactors are running out of cash as revenue streams dry up and more and more clubs are finding themselves with unsustainable amounts of debt.

Ultimately, clubs run into financial trouble because owners have either run out of money or grow tired of losing it after prolonged spells of unsustainable spending. In that sense, Portsmouth FC are the classic example of a club rescued by fan ownership.

Debts in excess of £100 million were brought under control in 2012 after the Portsmouth Supporters' Trust took loans from both the local council and local businesses. It brought Portsmouth out of administration with fans owning 60 per cent of the club. They're prohibited from selling shares or taking dividends.

They're not exactly heading back to the glory days of FA Cup finals, but at least they're future is more secure. In the end, sustainability is more important than success. And in a period of austerity and a dominant Premier League that eats up the lion's share of the fanbase, staying alive is more difficult than it sounds. Giving fans the chance to get involved with a club and own a small part of it would help to secure their loyalty for the long-term.

Michael Wood, network support manager at Scottish Fans, has recently helped Hearts, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Annan, East Fife, Livingston and Falkirk in gaining ownership and governance of clubs. He thinks securing the fanbase is key to keeping football alive at a local level alive.

Wood explained to GiveMeSport: "It’s very hard for investors to make a decent return, not just in Scottish football but any football club. Frankly, when you start running out of individuals that are willing to invest sizeable funds, the thousands of fans committed to that club in the long-term become your best option.

Taking control

Hibernian are hardly a club on the brink of financial meltdown but with a loss of £800,000 in the year to July 2014 and a revenue stream down by over 25 per cent from the previous year, trouble is on the horizon.

Andrew Sibley is one of the founding directors of the movement Buy Hibs, who are trying to gain enough fan support to purchase 51 per cent of shares in the club and gain seats in the boardroom, ultimately having influence over future decisions.

He told GiveMeSport: "In a recent survey it became quite clear that there was an appetite for a form of fan ownership. And the reason behind that is because the club has grown debt of up to £9.5 million, which the current owners have converted into new shares and a £5 million mortgage, which is not the same as bank debt, but will need to be paid back."

The owners sensed the tone and tried to launch their own movement, asking fans to invest in Hibernian Supporters Limited, which would gain a controlling stake in the club when a certain target was raised. The catch is that fans investing in the scheme would never directly own shares in the club and therefore wouldn't gain influence over board decisions. For Mr Sibley, that wasn't acceptable.

He continued: "To us that’s wrong because fans can contribute funds but there is still no voice on the board. That is a different model from what we want, which is to create share ownership amongst the fans and gain seats on the board. Fan ownership can only work if we are able to directly influence club decisions."

In a sense, the majority of football clubs are still important at a local level but representation from local people went missing as football moved to a business-led model. But now that is changing and there is proof that fan ownership does work right up to the elite level.

Swansea City: The blueprint

Swansea City have been the second team of choice for a lot of fans since they won promotion to the Premier League in 2011. Now they are established in the top flight with the Swansea Supporters Trust maintaining a 21 per cent holding in the club.

The trust has one executive director on the board purely to represent the views of fans and also have an associate director. Ten years ago they were in the fourth tier of English football and in 2013 they won the League Cup. This is the model other clubs are aspiring to.

Government intervention

Even the government are involved, launching an initiative to explore how more fans can get involved with the clubs they follow. Labour announced the radical proposal of giving fans the right to buy a significant share of a club when ownership changes.

It would be "the biggest legislative shake-up in the governance of football clubs since the advent of the game", as Labour put it. But there are major drawbacks to fan ownership, not least because it takes away the opportunity for an experienced businessman or woman to make tough decisions fans may not agree with.

But fans in Scotland are trying to work together with current board members and/or owners to create a joint venture between small businesses and themselves. It is working for Hearts, who are dominating the Scottish Championship after fans completed a successful takeover in conjunction with Edinburgh businesswoman Ann Budge in February 2014.

"At the moment it is the clubs with smaller revenue streams that are more inclined to explore the benefits of fan ownership," Wood continued.

"Hearts, who are in the transitional process of their current owner transferring her majority share to the Foundation of Hearts, are doing very well. What we’ve seen there is a relationship with fans and local businesses that has been very successful."

"For clubs with smaller revenue streams, community ownership is better from a sustainable point of view because if you have a group of supporters invested in the club, the chance of them withdrawing their support is very unlikely. Alternatively, if you have one individual in charge of the club looking for a return on their investment, they might not be willing to support the club for the long-term."

Since the demise of Rangers Football Club in 2012, which saw one of Britain's great clubs banished to the bottom tier of Scottish football, the clubs who have lost out financially have had to make major changes to their business models. There is now an acceptance that they won't enjoy the money that the Premier League is generating and will have to turn to their loyal supporters to survive.

Former chief executive of the Scottish Premier League Roger Mitchell believes that fan-led takeovers of clubs is a result of a realisation that they will never be able to compete with their English counterpart.

He told GiveMeSport: "Football in Scotland has come back to its community roots. You’ve seen that happening in Motherwell, the phoenix that has come out of Hearts has been fan-led, what’s happening at Rangers is now fan-led and what is happening at Hibs is coming from people that realise their club is really a community club competing with local rivals, not international rivals.

"As such I think those are the right people that should be making the decisions because it is about what they are doing for that community, and that will probably happen on the playing side.

"There was a time when Scottish football went for the cheaper Eastern European import and ignored the local boy, but now it is going back to where football was in the whole of Great Britain in the 60s and 70s."

The good old days that so many fans have pined for is on the brink of returning, but it seems that fans of elite such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea will have to wait until their clubs look seriously at adopting the opinions of fans into their strategies for global domination.

But with the Premier League continuing to grow in popularity, taking the majority of new football fans along with them, it will be the local communities that the smaller clubs ultimately turn to. Scotland are already arriving, failing to benefit the Premier League gravy train and now looking at devolving their clubs right down to the heart of the fan Base.

The model has been set by a small Welsh club, who are enjoying almost unbelievable success. But, Wood believes Scottish fans will have to deal with a lack of short-term success if they want to adopt the same sustainable model.

He finished: "We might see one of these fan-owned clubs challenging for titles but not for another ten to 15 years. It’s more about sustainability and making sure the game in Scotland is not just one season after the other of fighting to stay alive."

WHO WILL WIN THE HOT SEAT HANDICAP?

I must confess to feeling truly sorry for we Chris Johnston this season. The wee man has loads of ability and I predicted he would have a cracking season but it just hasn’t happened so far. It may be he is being played in the wrong position, it may be a complete lack of confidence however I reckon the answer is simple……..he has the wrong surname. The name Johnston has been synonymous with abject misery both on and off the park in recent years and the wee man could do himself a favour and change his name. I reckon if he changed it to Chris Dindeleux he would become an instant favourite with the Killie faithful. I’m sure like all the other players he will simply looking for a fresh start as the Killie managerial merry go round continues on its manic way. I’m delighted that some big news broke before the fanzine went to print, that’s a step in the right direction. It should be written into the new manager’s contract that all major news must break on either a Thursday or Friday. The announcement of AJ’s departure was no huge surprise although the timing was a little bit strange. If you take what AJ says at face value he knew nothing about the Muirhead transfer…….I can confirm from a source very close to the action that is 100% correct. AJ announced on the Thursday that he would be stepping down in the summer however that was obviously never going to be allowed to happen. He was probably just angling for a pay off although he is reportedly pretty well off and I don’t think money was ever his motivation. Mj was away skiing at the time so it was left to the rest of the puppets to try and do something decisive. Predictably it was quickly announced that AJ would be offski with immediate effect as it would have been madness to let a manager hang around who is no longer committed to the club. Here is a graph that shows AJ’s record alongside that of previous Killie bosses.

Of course these make interesting reading and it backs up the notion that AJ hasn’t been doing a very good job. It is unfair all the same to compare like for like e.g. Mixu had a decent win record but was only in charge for 30 games….about 10% of the matches that JJ was in charge. Kenny Shiels stats are interesting in that his win ratio isn’t great but his loss record is decent…..all that tells you is he drew a lot of games in comparison to others. We also need to factor in the league we were in and the quality of the opposition. Jim Fleeting has a decent win record however his tenure was all in the lower leagues unlike the managers in the last 20+ years. Ultimately you can be selective with stats and they can be used to back up almost any argument. The simple reality is that AJ was not getting the best from the players, he wasn’t developing the younger players, our style of play was poor and there can be very few fans arguing that he should have got any longer. I would go as far as to say that he would have had no complaints if he had been punted last summer along with his dinosaur sidekick from last season. Unsurprisingly Gary Locke has been asked to take caretaker charge at present and it is in effect a trial period for him to prove to the board that he is the man for the job. When GL was appointed in the summer many fans saw it as a bit of succession planning and that is probably the case. My only doubt was that both GL + AJ are good friends outside football and there was a chance that GL would walk with his pal. That does not appear to be the case and GL will be out to show that his sterling work with the jambos was not a flash in the pan….he certainly has experience in working with a restricted budget. Another feature of his time at Tynecastle was the number of youngsters who were brought through albeit by necessity due to their financial troubles. The ability to bring through the kids and have the confidence to play them is exactly what should be required of a Killie manager. Our budget is going to continue to plummet and we simply cannot afford to go out speand any cash so the youngsters are vital to our future. Locke has just been in charge for his first game at Hamilton where we managed a no score draw……..no obvious improvement but its early days so we won’t make judgment for a while. Let’s have a look at the runners and riders for the hotseat handicap:

I have been trawling through bookies websites but I can’t find any with odds on the next manager…….they are too busy pricing up the next Sevco to enter Barlinnie. Perhaps they are just avoiding it just now and we will see odds at the end of the season. It will also be interesting to see if the club advertise the post as that often brings some unexpected names to the fore. We’ll start with the probable favourite: Gary Locke Pros – He has to be the favourite since he is the guy in caretaker charge at present and if he does a good job between now and the summer it will be hard for the board not to give him it. He has a connection with the club both as a player and a coach and appears to be fairly popular with the players. He did a decent job working on a restricted budget and that is something that he better get used to if he remains at the Theatre of Pies. Cons – He is seen as AJ’s sidekick so has to shoulder some responsibility for the poor run of results as well as the basic style of play. It may be deemed that a totally fresh start is required and he will be sacrificed as a result. One hugely important factor is that the under fire directors will be relying on good season ticket sales in the summer, is GL the man to entice the punters back? GARY HOLT Pros – A Killie fan, a cup final legend and someone who would bring some genuine desire to the club. I feel that will appeal to the board as they would pretty much do anything that takes pressure off them. He has had good experience at a decent level down south and he got some glowing reports for his time as manager at Falkirk. He also has a Killie tattoo which should be a prerequisite for any new manager!! Cons – He is fully aware of the problems and unrest at the club and wouldn’t want his reputation damaged by coming to a shambles of a club. I’m pretty sure he will want some concrete assurances if he was offered the role and of course any compensation due could be a stumbling block as we are beyond skint. The biggest drawback could be that GH would be my choice as the new boss and my tipping is hopeless.

Stewart McCall Pros - Of course the board may look to go down the tried and tested route and opt for someone with a bit more experience. McCall did a fine job at Motherwell for many years and had the knack of unearthing a few gems from both down south and abroad. He also brought through some decent youngsters so his profile certainly ticks a lot of boxes. He is also part of the Scotland coaching set up and is settled in the west of Scotland so he might just fancy a new challenge. Cons – He has stated a couple of jobs would be of interest in the past namely ex teams Bradford and Sevco. Most Killie fans would not let his past associations affect his potential employment at Killie but he wouldn’t bring the “Killie factor” that the likes of Holt or Fowler would. Of course the fact that he is OTT ginger with a tendency to dance about on car bonnets would be on his CV but they are a huge factor! James Fowler Pros - Another Killie legend who made an incredible 409 appearances for the club. He was treated shabbily when he left the club but that is simply the Johnstone way. In his short time as a manager he has made a very positive impact with a famous victory over Sevco and as I write this QOS have just beaten St Johnstone to reach the quarters of the Scottish Cup. He is a cracking guy with a huge connection at Killie and that may just work in his favour. Cons – The obvious negative for Fow is his lack of experience. That could be countered by appointing an experienced assistant or he may even be offered the assistant job to the likes of Holt…..that sounds good to me. However he now has the taste of being the boss and may not want to take a step down. Another issue is that he is following the exact same route as AJ and through no fault of his own that may just count against him. Dylan Kerr Another hugely popular Killie man who is back in the country after a successful stint as a manager in Vietnam. He doesn’t hide his love for Killie and has openly stated that he would love to be the manager at Killie one day.

He doesn’t have any experience in the UK but has a lot of useful contacts and may just be a dark horse. His cause is also helped by the fact he was in the Howard a few weeks back and bought me a beer! Cons – As stated above his lack of managerial experience in this country will count against him but he may have a role to play. Going by the front page picture he seems to get on well with Gary Holt so maybe that could be the dream team….as long as they stick to wearing men’s clothes. Terry Butcher Pros - Much in the same vein as McCall in that he has great knowledge of the SPL but whereas McCall is associated with ginger hair TB is remembered for bloodied bandages. He was a good fit at Inverness and did a fine job there over a number of years and I’m sure he regrets the move now to Easter Road. Again we don’t know if the board will be looking for an experienced boss but if they do butcher’s name is sure to be in the frame. Cons – His time at Hibs was a total nightmare and he would have been working with a bigger budget than he would be down here. He is another who may fancy getting involved at sevco if they ever sort their problems and he wouldn’t be my choice but that goes for nothing. Kenny Shiels Pros - Still a popular figure with many Killie fans and the decision to bag him and bring in AJ has proved to be an unmitigated disaster. He was on the shortlist for the Motherwell job and is very keen to get back in the game. He had a long term vision for the club that involved working with the community and bringing in youngsters…..what a pity the parasites don’t know what a long term plan is.

Cons – There is no love lost between him and MJ so I reckon it would be a minor miracle if he wanted to come back and work under the same regime. If things were to change at board level things may change and if we had a proper youth academy KS could be the man for the job.

That is just some of the runners and riders and it will be an interesting few months ahead. If GL does well the job could be his however if the board desperately need ST sales look out for a Killie legend getting selected. One pub regular reckons McCoist will get the job……..no comment.

A BRIGHT SCOTTISH FUTURE?

Once considered a breeding ground for new talent in the 70’s and 80’s, Scottish football entered into a somewhat dormant phase of its history with few Scottish born players making the move to other countries to ply their trade. Of the ones that did, only a handful succeeded such as Paul Lambert who joined Borussia Dortmund from Motherwell and helped them to the Champions League title in 1997 before returning to join Celtic. Others like Gary O’Connor lasted only a few seasons abroad before returning sheepishly to Scotland to rebuild his career. But now a new generation of talented players is emerging and interest in Scottish football has spiked again with many clubs now sending scouts to watch specific players. The latest player to agree to the move is Stephen Hendrie, the Hamilton left back who has signed a pre contract with West Ham and will depart for the Premiership in the summer. The 20 year old has had a superb season helping his side perform above expectations in the Scottish Premier League. Over the years Hamilton has become one of several clubs in Scottish football who continuously discover, develop and sell on young talent. Previous graduates include midfielders James McArthur and James McCarthy who both left the club to join Premiership sides and have since built notable careers. Whilst the latter of the two has chosen to represent the Republic of Ireland at national level, he is still Scottish by birth and a good example of how the clubs youth system is progressing. Similarly Dundee United, Inverness Caley Thistle, Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian have all had talented Scots leave their ranks in recent years to test their skills at a higher level.Switching to the English Premiership has been a common theme for several Scottish players once they start to out shine the other players in Scotland. Alan Hutton, Charlie Adam, Andrew Robertson, Steven Naismith, James Morrison and Steven Fletcher are all examples of players who have made successful switches and continue to play in England’s top league on a regular basis.

But now other European leagues are sitting up and taking notice of the Scottish talent on show. The recent move of Ryan Gauld from Dundee United to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon is probably the one that springs to mind to most after his £3 million move. The player dubbed “mini Messi’ by the Dundee United fans is still only 19 but excelled in Scotland over a two year period before Sporting came calling. He is now pushing hard for a starting spot in the Lisbon first team after performing well in various cup matches. Gauld is considered one for the future for Scotland national manager Gordon Strachan who is reaping the benefits of work carried out former Performance Director Mark Wotte. The Dutchman was drafted in by the SFA in 2011 to revamp the countries failing youth system and immediately set about implementing the recommendations of a review conducted by former first minister of Scotland, Henry McLeish. These changes most notably included a shift in mindset around how clubs were developing its younger players, focusing more on technique, fitness and healthy living. The plan, partially backed by the SFA with significant investment saw the appointment of Wotte and the birth of a new generation of players. Whilst it’s the clubs that deserve most of the praise for the way that they have nurtured talent, McLeish and Wotte deserves some credit for starting the conversation and helping Scottish football to get back on track. THE BLOGGER Hippo says – an interesting article from our online blogger and one that gives some optimism for our much maligned national sport. I was having a pub chat last week and we were impressed by the number of Scots playing in the English Premiership now compared to 10 – 15 years ago. That league has more money and more quality than ever before therefore it could be a sign that young Scottish talent is stepping up to the mark. Strachan has brought a lot of belief to both the players and the fans so that allied to the emergence of several talented kids may see us once again qualifying for major tournaments. There are no guarantees all the same and the important thing is for these kids to keep developing and progressing rather than hitting the skids at a young age. I’m hopeful all the same and if the country as a whole can produce good youngsters the next challenge is for Killie to do the same.

LEST WE FORGET

Many clubs take great pride in their history during the world wars….and rightly so. Hearts have memorial tributes in Edinburgh in memory of their players who served in the Great War and never made it home. There is not a lot of information out there however

It’s not something you hear a lot about at Killie however I’m grateful to Richard Cairns who covered this topic published in the club history in 1919 as follows:

Seven signed Kilmarnock FC players were killed during the First World War. Six had played in the first team:- Alexander Barrie b. 19th August 1878, Camlachie, Glasgow. Died 1st October 1918. 2nd Highland Light Infantry. Buried at Flesquieres Hill cemetery in France Alexander McCurdie b, 7th January 1895, Trabboch, Stair, Ayrshire. 14th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Died 24th April 1917, Beaucamp, France. Buried at Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery, near the village of Villers-Plouich. Daniel McKellar Died 13th April 1918. 9th Highland Light Infantry (the "Glasgow Highlanders"). His name is one of 11,000 with no known grave commemorated on the Ploegstreet Memorial, South of Ypres. James Morton Maxwell b. 26th July 1887, Kilmarnock, Died 21st April 1917 in Mespotania. 1st Seaforth Highlanders. His name is listed on the Basra Memorial, which was moved in 1997 to the Nasiriyah road, ironically the scene of a major battle in the 1991 Gulf War.

David Glencross Slimmon b. 2nd August 1895, Kilmarnock. 419th (West Lancs) Field Company, Royal Engineers. Won Military Medal. Died 23rd July 1917. Buried at Hop Store Cemetery, near Ypres Charles Thomas Vickers b. 12th February 1891, Hutchesontown, Glasgow. Royal Field Artillery. Died 21st June 1917. Buried at Lapugnoy Military Cemetery. near Pas de Calais A seventh Kilmarnock player, John Rollo, is listed in the "Roll of Honour" in the club's 1918 history. John only played in the Reserves. He was killed while serving with the 63rd Royal Naval Division. Notes (1) The 1917 KFC AGM must have been a sombre affair,. The deaths of both McKellar and Maxwell, within days of each other, were announced to the assembled shareholders. (2) In contrast only one signed Kilmarnock FC player died during the Second World War. Popular winger Benny Thomson went down with his ship, the SS Balmare, on 12th November 1940, whilst serving in the Merchant Navy. (3) Both Slimmon and Maxwell are listed on the plaques within Kilmarnock's War Memorial. Maxwell left a young son who would go on to find fame as a free scoring forward with Kilmarnock & Preston North End, James "Bud" Maxwell. (4) The aforementioned War Memorial lists over 800 names of locals who died. A surprising number, like Maxwell, are shown as serving in the Seaforth Highlanders, a percentage far in excess of what could be expected, as Ayrshire was firmly the recruiting area for the then Royal Scots Fusiliers.

I always thought it strange that so many Kilmarnock men had joined what was essentially a Regiment from Ross and Cromarty in the far North of Scotland., and had assumed that it was because of the introduction of conscription in 1916, when men were simply sent where they were needed. However, looking for something else I found the following in the "Kilmarnock Herald" of 11th September 1914, just weeks after the start of the war - "It is a remarkable fact that the overwhelming majority of recruits in Kilmarnock have gone the Seaforth Highlanders. The Seaforths will largely be a Kilmarnock Regiment". Perhaps it was an early example of the "Pals" Battalions, when men from a local area elected to join and fight together, or maybe it was the fact that the Seaforth Highlanders were a kilted regiment (the Royal Scots Fusiliers wore trews) was a better way to attract the girls?! Also James Rae Armstrong, who made a couple of League appearances for Killie in 1912/13, although he had moved on to St Mirren and Girvan Athletic before he was killed at Loos on 10th October 1915, whilst serving in 5th Cameron Highlanders.

Killie also did their bit during the second world war and our scared ground was used as a munitions dump. I’m sure there are Killie fans out there who have Killie tales through family who served in the wars……..please send your stories and we will be delighted to print them.

PROVOSTS PAGE

If there is one thing that gets on my considerable man boobs it’s the constant sniping you hear about our famous old town. If you jump on to the social media sites all you see are moans and groans about town centre, junkies blah blah blah. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of problems out there but we are no different to any other town or city in Scotland. One of the reasons I’m getting involved in setting up community projects is to give some positivity to the town, If you ever get out and about and meet some community leaders, local business folk and local provosts…..if you haven’t chatted to Jim please do so and he will tell you about loads of folk doing loads of hard work to try and improve the town. Jim is a fantastic ambassador for the town and goes out his way to help anyone who is trying to do their bit for the community. We all have our ideas on how we can improve our town centre, Jim is well aware of many ideas and will do his best to make things happen. However these things take time and money so don’t expect major changes overnight. Having said that the new college plus the Halo Project will transform the town and will bring much needed jobs to the area. It’s been fantastic getting out to the likes of Centrestage and the Dick institute, places that we can all be hugely proud of. If you have some spare time take the opportunity to get out there to see your town and to meet some great folk.

SPFL 5/1/15 KILLIE 0 V 2 CELTIC KILLIE – SAMSON, BARBOUR, CHANTLER, ASHCROFT, CONNOLLY, MCKENZIE, O’HARA, HAMILL (PASCALI 80), JOHNSTON (MUIRHEAD 35), EREMENKO, MAGENNIS SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, CAIRNEY, SYME, SPLAINE + HAWKSHAW BOOKED – HAMILL + CONNOLLY GOALS – ZIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CELTIC – GORDON, MATTHEWS (FISHER 75), AMBROSE, VAN DIJK, IZAGUIRRE, BROWN, BITTON, JOHANSEN, COMMONS, HENDERSON (MCGREGOR 85), SCEPOVIC (GUIDETTI 82) SUBS NOT USED – SALUSKA, GRIFFITHS, O’CONNELL + TTHOMSON BOOKED – IZAGUIRRE + COMMONS GOALS – IZAGUIRRE 36 + SCEPOVIC 72 REF – K CLANCY CROWD - 5329

DICK OF THE DAY – MICHAEL JOHNSTON There are quite a few candidates here mainly due to when this game was played. Are we the only country in the world who are stupid enough to wait until all the xmas holidays are over then play a

game on the day when everyone goes back to work? There are several horrible low life from this lot but they are not even good enough for our prestigious gong. Brown is a thug, Deila is an alien and the support is barely human but we have someone who is lower than all of that. The parasite has made numerous calls over the years and that sees us with a crowd of no more than 2000 fans at a home game against the league leaders. If you want to sum up the long term damage he has done just take a look at the crowd for this game. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> When you look at some of our performances against the old firm under AJ it is throw back to the JJ days. We look like we are beaten before we kick a ball and this was a case in question. The first half was embarrassing, we looked like we didn’t want to be there. The second was a slight improvement but Celtic were cruising and I reckon 2015 isn’t going to be a fun year!

SPFL 10/1/15 KILLIE 1 V 2 I.C.T. KILLIE – SAMSON, BARBOUR, CHANTLER , ASHCROFT, CONNOLLY, SLATER, MCKENZIE, O’HARA (CAIRNEY 84),EREMENKO (JOHNSTON 70), MAGENNIS, MILLER (MUIRHEAD 64) SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, WESTLAKE, PASCALI + HAMILL BOOKED – CHANTLER, CAIRNEY + MILLER GOALS – EREMENKO 47 (PEN) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> INVERNESS – BRILL, RAVEN, WARREN, MEEKINGS, TREMARCO, TANSEY, SHINNIE, DORAN (WILLIAMS 62), DRAPER, ROSS (CHRISTIE 84), MCKAY SUBS NOT USED – ESSON, DEVINE, POLWORTH + HORNER BOOKED – DRAPER SENT OFF - RAVEN GOALS – MCKAY 53 + 81 REF – D ROBERTSON CROWD - 2793

DICK OF THE DAY – JOHNSTON This is a first for the DOTD award, we have just chucked up the surname and we will let you decide for yourself who is the most worthy recipient. When he klooks back on his managerial career at Killie

AJ may see this as a pivotal game…..or more accurately a pivotal decision. In a tight game with little creativity he made the decision to remove Eremenko, a move that was met with derision by the whole Killie crowd. That brings us onto his namesake who has ran the club into the ground and a grand total of 2793 hardy souls turned up to watch a humiliating defeat. I hate the negativity all around the place right, its much better to write about good news however there is not one positive aspect to the club right now. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If AJ is to lose his job during the transfer window then this will be the game that sealed his fate. There wasn’t a lot in the first half but we took the lead and they got a men sent off right after the break. That was the trigger to ICT to step up and us to bottle it. It was a shocking defeat and the nature of it makes you wonder if the players are putting it all in for the manager.

SPL 21/1/15 DEES 1 V 0 KILLIE DUNDEE – BAIN, IRVINE, MCPAKE (GADZHALOV 74), DAVIDSON, MCGOWAN, MCALISTER, DYER, HARRIS, HARKINS (CLARKSON 62), STEWART, TANKULIC (WIGHTON 80) SUBS NOT USED – KONRAD, FERRY, THOMSON + SCHENK BOOKED – DYER GOALS – STEWART (PEN) 19 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> KILLIE – SAMSON, BARBOUR, CHANTLER, ASHCROFT, PASCALI, SLATER, JOHNSTON (MUIRHEAD 68), CLINGAN, EREMENKO, OBADEYI (CAIRNEY 68), MAGENNIS SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, SMITH, WESTLAKE, O’HARA + SYME BOOKED – BARBOUR, EREMENKO, CHANTLER, SLATER + PASCALI GOALS – SFA REF – A DALLAS CROWD - 5141

DICK OF THE DAY – DALLAS/MCALISTER A midweek trek to Dundee in the middle of January….it doesn’t get any more appealing than that. After the festive period most regulars chose to stay at home and missed Pasca telling a Killie fan

to f***ck off……another sign that all is not well. We couldn’t possibly give the award to fat Gaz because since he has left the town the stock has steeply risen in all the curry and kebab shops resulting in super meal deals for all the fatties that are still here. It’s a joint award again given to the diving Dundee scumbag and the gullible ref. It is clear that the player took a dive when he realised he wasn’t getting the ball and the dick of a ref fell for it…..pair of wallopers. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Our couple of wins over the festive period seem like distant memories and we have reverted back to being crap. We did ok in the first half but after the break when we should have been pushing on we didn’t have one effort at goal. Our lack of goals is scary and we seem to be relying on midfielders since Muirhead hasn’t had a proper run in his true position.

SPFL 24/1/15 KILLIE 2 V 2 JAGS KILLIE – SAMSON, WESTLAKE, CHANTLER , ASHCROFT (O’HARA 64), PASCALI, SLATER, MCKENZIE, CLINGAN, OBADEYI (JOHNSTON 74), MUIRHEAD (NGOO 88), MAGENNIS SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, BARBOUR, SYME + CAIRNEY BOOKED – NONE GOALS – MAGENNIS 33 + PASCALI 79 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PARTICK TH – GALLACHER, O’DONNELL, FRANS, SEABORNE, ELLIOT (FRASER 64), USMAN, CRAIGEN, LAWLESS (MCDAID 76), STEVENSON (BANNIGAN 57), HIGGINBOTHAM, DOOLAN SUBS NOT USED – BALATONI, ECCLESTONE, KEENAN + BASALAJ BOOKED – NONE GOALS – STEVENSON 2 + FRANS 84 REF – W COLLUM CROWD - 4130

DICK OF THE DAY – DAVID CHANEY Firstly let me wish a speedy recovery to all those Killie fans who took unwell at the sight of our team scoring two goals in one game……we even managed one from open play. It is very dangerous

to health when these freaks of nature come along and I suspect it will be decades before we see it again. I would also like to think my friend Google who supplied me with the name of David Chaney…..anyone heard of him? He is credited with leading the team that invented the 3G pitch and I play him because there were no bookings in this game. That is a disgrace between these two old rivals and I blame the plastic pitch for taking a lot of physicality out the game. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It is never a good sign when you hear the opposition cheer a goal when you are not even in the ground. I was chatting to Baz at my usual spot when fatty scored and it seemed like another bleak defeat. Credit where it is due for coming back but having taken the lead we contrived to chuck it away…….AJ is becoming increasingly unpopular.

SPL 7/2/15 ACCIES 0 V 0 KILLIE HAMILTON – MCGOVERN, GORDON, CANNING, TENA, HENDRIE (LONGRIDGE HT), GILLESPIE, MACKINNON (LYON 89), CRAWFORD, ROUTLEDGE, REDMOND, SCOTLAND (BROPHY 82) SUBS NOT USED – DEVLIN, LYNCH, HILL + SUMSKY BOOKED – CANNING + TENA GOALS – NADA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> KILLIE – SAMSON, BARBOUR, CHANTLER, CONNELLY, PASCALI, SLATER, CLINGAN, EREMENKO (CAIRNEY 89), OBADEYI ( JOHNSTON 81),MCKENZIE, MAGENNIS SUBS NOT USED – BRENNAN, BARBOUR, SMITH, HAMILL + SYME BOOKED – EREMENKO + MAGENNIS GOALS – SFA REF – A MUIR CROWD - 2245

DICK OF THE DAY – THE BOARD What a strange industry Scottish football really is or more accurately how strange Killie is. We have a transfer window throughout January and as it ends we punt a promising young goalscorer then AJ

announces he is quitting in the summer. That was never going to be allowed to drag on so he got bumped and Locke came in with the transfer window just closed….great. We have been struggling for goals all season and punt a striker with the manager saying he knew nothing about it. This leaves us with one glaring conclusion, we are beyond skint and were desperate for cash so punted a youngster even though we would have got at least the same amount even if he quit in the summer. Madness doesn’t start to explain it and the board should do the decent thing and F*** off. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Locke’s first game in charge and it was a typical game against Hamilton i.e. boring. We were poor in the first half but did ok in the second before surviving a late penalty appeal for a Pasca lunge….how unusual!!

ROBBIE GATE

Hamilton Accies should be a template that we should follow…..there is a line I never thought I’d write. The Accies are well aware they have a small fan base and will struggle to get decent crowds so they ploughed their money into a professional youth set up. They have made millions in the transfer market via the likes of McArthur and McCarthy. I suppose the theory is simple, get a manager who believes in the youths and is confident enough to play them. They gain experience and after a few years are sold for decent money……killie have a somewhat different strategy. Dump a manager who buys into the youth policy and replace him with a guy who opts for experience over youth. Play youngsters in strange positions to destroy their confidence. The youngsters get fed up, don’t sign a new contract and are then sold to one of our rivals for peanuts. I know Robbie’s family so may be a bit biased but he was treated appallingly bu the club. The big guy has the magic knack of scoring goals but was rarely used in his preferred position…..strange when you consider we cant buy a goal. There were also huge problems with the parasite who was up to his usual tricks with the contract namely offer crap money and try to include ridiculous clauses. I honestly believe Robbie will go on to have a fine career and I hope he blossoms under some decent guidance at Tannadice.The whole episode sums up our club at the moment and I wont be surprised if we lose more good kids……..its embarrassing.

RETURN OF THE OLD FIRM

Exclusive pictures from the League Cup semi final at Hampden where the two teams showed us all what we have been missing…..sh*t football, domestic violence, pointless bigotry and in breeding. Oh how we long for a return to the days when we can repeat this 4 times a season!!!