It would be Ayrshire’s Finest return to the top flight of the Scottish game, since being relegated in 1982/83 season, Kilmarnock fans had endured some difficult times. Falling into the second division for a year in late 1980's.
Kilmarnock in 1992/93 season would be promoted in second spot behind eventual champions Raith Rovers. Amassing 21 wins in 44 league matches. Cult hero Tommy Burns, the player manager, proving instrumental again in Kilmarnock’s success on and off the pitch. Burns had arrived in 1989 and helped drag Kilmarnock up and out of the old second division. Finishing in 2nd spot in the first division by the end of 1992/93 season winning the club promotion.
Burns would be a pivotal figure in '92/'93 season winning Killie promotion, featuring 39 times for the stripes that season. That year, a season which saw a few humpings of Ayr United and Morton and two consecutive 5-0 wins in a row, one of which was against old whipping boys Meadowbank. It would come down to a goalless draw though, at Rugby Park against Hamilton Accies. 13,000 bodies watched on as promotion was secured for Killie, finally back in the big time after over a decade of absence.
The summer of 1993 came and apart from myself being born early pre-season, highlights would include the signing of a certain 30-year-old Alan McInally, on a free from German giants Bayern Munich. Incidentally McInally, son of Killie legend Jackie and resident of the dark side of Ayrshire, struggled to feature much, only mustering 8 appearances before calling time on his career at the end of the season to come scoring zero goals. Further signings that summer would include 36 year old Billy Stark, Andy Millen from Accies and a young Colin Meldrum.
Killie would play their first match in a decade in Scotland’s top flight against Dundee at Rugby Park, winning 1-0 in front of 8,500 supporters. Form would be inconsistent across the season with varying results.
Scenes...
On 23rd August 1993, Kilmarnock played away at Ibrox with nobody giving us a hope in hell, having lost our three previous games. Rangers also hadn’t lost at Ibrox since March 1992 domestically. Kilmarnock supporters flocked to Govan in their thousands taking over the Broomloan Stand behind the goals. Kilmarnock would line up against a Rangers team flooded with internationals including Durrant, Hateley, Steven and Gough.
After an even first half it would be a dream goal for 17 year old Killie supporting forward Mark Roberts with a diving header in the 62nd minute, sticking the Ayrshire side ahead. Unfortunately ten minutes later a young Steven Pressley would rise above Geddes and nod into empty net. Game on.
Time wore on with Killie coming close on occasion. Until a aimless ball by MacPherson is put into the corner down the right and is chased down and won back by Killie a shot from edge of box is parried by Maxwell in the Rangers goal and as if in slow motion Bobby Williamson gets in front of Trevor Steven and taps it into the net.
GOAAAAAAAALLLLL!
96 minutes on the clock. Absolute bedlam in the Killie end which I have watched numerous times on the video and heard many stories from my dad about that day.
Our line up: Bobby Geddes; Gus MacPherson, Andy Millen, Ray Montgomerie, Tam Black; Mark Skilling, Ally Mitchell, Mark Roberts (Ian Porteous 90 min), Sean McSkimming; Bobby Williamson, George McCluskey (Tom Brown, 90 min).
A very hit or miss next eight months follow with Killie floating just above the three place relegation zone. A win over the South side of Symington in the 3rd round of the Scottish cup would be the catalyst for us reaching the Scottish cup semi finals, losing unluckily in a replay to Rangers.
Celtic also fell to the mighty Killie in April '94 after coming to Ruggers and getting pumped 2-0.
Kilmarnock would go into the last two games of the season with Rangers and Hibernian as our opposition. It was a tough task ahead with survival the aim, but Kilmarnock found some consistency and skelped the Bosch 2-0 at Rugby Park in front of 18,102 souls. This would be the final game at the old Rugby Park stadium before moving into the current format.
D-Day
It would come down to match day 44, the final fixture of the season. Killie needing a point to avoid the last of the three relegation places due to crazy league reconstruction which reduced league size from 12 to 10. Killie ventured to Leith knowing they would be in a three-way battle with Partick and St Johnstone to avoid that final relegation place. Having gone down to the wire on final day of season the year previously, drawing 0-0 with Accies to clinch promotion, the Killie boys had some experience under this pressure.
Burns played only 12 games that season and his final game he would lead the team to the point that they needed. Securing a 0-0 draw and an eighth place finish in the league. Killie would finish with 12 wins and 16 draws. Top goalscorer and future Killie legend Bobby Williamson with only 7 goals. A nervous encounter which I have heard much about. God knows where we would have been if we had gone down that day. Thank god.
Killie 25 years later still never taken by relegation. Pushing forward and back to where we belong.
This team including legends such as Tommy Burns, Gus, Monty and Williamson laid the foundations for our recent glories to happen. The fans turning out in incredible numbers at Ibrox and Easter Road, backing the boys. Hopefully we will see it increase again soon. Aberdeen being the start. We go to Ibrox on Saturday hoping for another 95th minute winner.
That season a period of time many of you will have lived through and appreciated going with your friends and family. My papa (who recently passed away) was in his element at Ibrox that day with my Dad, celebrating Bobby Williamson’s winner. A photo that sums him up, a good Killie man at his happiest, celebrating with his boy.
Thanks for listening
Forever and Ever
No comments:
Post a Comment