Thursday 31 May 2018

Press Release 31-5-18


Cathy Jamieson Joins the Kilmarnock FC Board via TIK Initiative


Kilmarnock Football Club have issued the following statement today...

Kilmarnock Football Club is pleased to announce that Cathy Jamieson has joined the Board of Directors. A lifelong Kilmarnock fan, Cathy will join the Board as a Director after The Kilmarnock Supporters Society Ltd (The Killie Trust) reached their £100,000 funding target through the Trust in Killie initiative. This appointment represents a milestone moment for Kilmarnock FC, further strengthening the bond between supporters and the club and ensuring the views and skills of fans can be utilised to help the club to thrive.

Directors John Kiltie, Billy Bowie, Bill White and Phyllis McLeish are delighted to welcome Cathy on board as we look ahead to an exciting new season. Cathy enjoyed a career in politics,  serving as an MSP and  Cabinet Minister in Holyrood, and  MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun and a  Shadow Treasury Minister in Westminster. Outside of her passion for Kilmarnock FC and Auchinleck Talbot, Cathy has long been a champion for young people,  dedicating her time to social work and Who Cares? Scotland, the advocacy organisation for young people in care. She currently holds the position of Chief Executive of Care Visions Children’s Services, which provides residential and foster care placements for vulnerable young people across Scotland. 

Cathy said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board at such an exciting time for Kilmarnock FC. I look forward to working with the Club and the Trust to ensure fans have a voice and that we further develop links with the local community and fans of the future.”

John Kiltie said: “From the list of high calibre candidates, selected by the Trust Board, whom we interviewed for the position, it was a unanimous decision to appoint Cathy. She has a vast knowledge of community issues and business both locally and nationally; we are confident in our selection and welcome Cathy on to the board of Kilmarnock Football Club.”

Killie Trust Chair Jim Thomson said: “This is a truly historic day in the lifetime of the Kilmarnock Supporters Trust. The commitment and vision of the Killie supporters who have subscribed to the ‘Trust in Killie’ initiative have given us this important and vital voice and I’d like to thank them once again. They have recognised that we cannot rely on a few individuals to sustain the club we all love and have created a long-term revenue stream to help ensure it will prosper for generations to come. Cathy was the unanimous choice of all Trust Directors to be the voice of our supporters. We now look forward to a positive working relationship with the KFC Board of Directors on all issues to move our great club forward as it approaches its 150th anniversary.”

The Trust Board put forward Cathy as our preferred candidate for the directorship because her experience and CV were second to none. Beyond Cathy’s extensive educational background she has a long association with the Co-operative movement, was one of the early advocates of Supporters’ Trusts and was a Scottish Cabinet Minister when first funding was given to set up Supporters Direct at the very first conference (Tynecastle 2002) which our own Trust founders attended and took inspiration from. She has also been involved in anti-sectarian initiatives in education and is currently a board member of the Scotwest Credit Union, one of largest in UK. We are more than certain that Cathy is the right person to make this work and to pave the way for future candidates elected by the membership for the post.

Getting a Director appointed to the Club Board is only the first milestone achievement. Your Club - Your Time

Monday 14 May 2018

2017-18 Diary Week 41


Another point off the champions and a home win at the weekend, it’s the story of our season really.

Erwin pounced to lash home the winner in the first half against Hearts and Killie finish with more points than we’ve ever had in the SPFL since being back in it.

Veteran Kris Boyd also managed to finish as the only ever top division goal scorer we’ve had in the same period, it has been an immense season for the big yin.

The man behind it all, Steve Clarke, ably assisted by Alex Dyer and his back-room staff, has now lifted the Sportswriter’s Manager of the Year award, and quite rightly so.

A heartfelt address to the support at the end of our final match summed up how important the fans have been to him and he gave everyone credit for our meteoric rise up the table.

It is important that we match the manager’s ambitions in the upcoming season and purchasing a season ticket and subscribing to the Trust In Killie initiative are just two ways you can do that.

2017-18 has been a blast, I can’t wait until we go again.

Wednesday 9 May 2018

The Best Defender We Never Had..Neill Collins


Today we have professional footballer and massive Kilmarnock fan Neill Collins joining us to talk us through his career and about some of his highlights following Ayrshire's finest. We have some excellent stories featuring below today including a disagreement with ex-Killie Assistant Billy Brown,  hilarious story about a last minute winner at Somerset and many other Killie favourites.

Let’s get started then...

1) Who was your biggest influence growing up as a kid?
The biggest influence on me growing up was my parents and in terms of football my Dad. He played professional football himself for Airdrie and spent time playing for a very good Auchinleck Talbot team. He knew when to push me and when to encourage me. Without doubt his influence gave me the confidence to believe I was good enough to have a career in the game especially during times when other people doubted me.


2) I read that you were released by Kilmarnock's youth team at age 13, how difficult was that to take and also as a fan of the club?
I was released by Killie at around 13 years old. It was terrible at the time but probably proved to be the making of me. I remember Stuart McLean telling me the news and I was devastated. I managed to hide my emotion until I got in the car with my Dad then burst out in tears. I genuinely believed I was going to play for the club I supported and this was not what I had in mind. The biggest disappointment looking back was the short sightedness of the decision as I hadn’t developed as much as other players physically. For example Kris Boyd was in my team but he was like a man and I was still a boy while technically I was good I was hadn’t fully developed physically. What this whole episode did was give me the biggest motivation and desire to prove the people that had made the decision wrong.

3) Queen's Park followed for you a year of two later and then onto Dumbarton. How were the lower leagues for your development?
I joined Queen's Park at 15 and loved every minute of my time there. I played in their under 16 team that won every game that season and comfortably beat Killie 8-2 amongst other Pro Youth teams. It was one of the most enjoyable points of my career. I think Queen's Park is a fantastic place for young players to begin their careers and learn the game. After playing a full season for Queen's Park first team at the age of 18, Dumbarton came in for me after playing against them in pre-season. Dumbarton was a step up the ladder and I got the opportunity to play with better and more experienced players. In my first season I played with Gary McCutcheon and one of my favourite players growing up, Tam Brown. I captained the team at 19 and we narrowly missed out on promotion by one point. It was a huge part of my development and I made some very good friends during my time at both clubs. I don’t think I could have had a better learning experience after playing over a 100 games in the Scottish 2nd and 3rd Division.


4) You were on trial at Kilmarnock before signing for Sunderland in 2004, why didn't that move materialise for you do you think?
I did join Killie on trial before signing for Sunderland but the move never happened as the club never tried to make it happen. Gordon Smith arranged for me to go in for pre-season before my trial at Sunderland. In my first week we got ran in to the ground in what was possibly one of the hardest pre-seasons I have ever done. I was one of the fittest players there but I never got the opportunity to play any football or impress during any practice games with the team despite the fact they were desperately looking for a centre back. At the end of my first week Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown pulled me into the office and explained that the £25k transfer fee to activate my get out clause would be too expensive. To be perfectly honest I don’t think they made any effort to look at me as they weren’t interested in signing a young centre back from the second division. One of the things that motivated me most after the whole experience was Billy Brown’s condescending attitude towards me. He tried to patronise me at first by saying they would come to watch me next year at Dumbarton. After I explained that I wasn’t going back to Dumbarton he retorted with “Who do you think is going to sign you?” He quite clearly couldn’t get his head round the idea that there might be some good players in the lower divisions that you actually had to go and scout and see for yourself what they had to offer.

5) You showed Billy Brown up that is for sure and went on to make a great career for yourself and played against many great players,  can you name the top three opponents you faced?
Wayne Rooney, Kevin Phillips & Bastien Schweinstiger - all exceptional footballers.


6) Having played for some really big clubs in England such as Sunderland, Leeds, Sheffield United & Wolves...what would you say your best moment was during your time in England?
That is a really tough question as it was filled with many great moments. Winning the
league title at Wolves and Sunderland were both special but I was probably too young to really appreciate both of those achievements. I really enjoyed the FA Cup run with Sheffield United as we broke some records along the way winning ten games on the bounce and keeping eight consecutive clean sheets I think I played some of my best football during that period.


7) If you had to choose a favourite goal you have scored in your career which one would it be?
Again very tough as I have been fortunate to score a few important goals. I scored a last minute winner for Wolves away to Doncaster that sent us well clear at the top of the league at Christmas time. The away end was packed that day with thousands of Wolves fans and the atmosphere in the dressing room after that goal was hard to beat so I will go for that one.

8) You are now playing out in Florida with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, how is it going out there?
I love living in Florida and really enjoy playing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. It is a great club that is really well run and our home stadium is unique being based near a Marina with a beautiful pitch. The travelling takes some getting used to but it has been great to experience a different culture and meet new people.


Now onto some questions about Neill's life supporting Killie...

9) You make it no secret that you are a massive Kilmarnock supporter but how did your love of Ayrshire's Premier club come about?
My Dad was brought up around a lot of staunch Celtic fans but he chose to support his local team, Kilmarnock. He took me to my first game around the age of five. If my memory serves me correctly it was against Brechin at Rugby Park and Tommy Sloan scored the winner. I have various memories from my first few visits and I particularly remember a bad defeat away to East Stirling and the Killie fans voicing their displeasure. This was before things started to improve and our rise through the divisions.


10) Who were your favourite Killie players growing up?
This list could be much longer as I loved so many players growing up for a number of different reasons. My all time favourite was Tommy Burns but I had a variety of different names on the back of my various Killie jerseys, Gary Holt & John Henry to name but two. As a centre back I used to love Andy Millen and the way he played. He was a class act. Ally Mitchell was an under rated player that was also one of my all time favourites. Dylan Kerr, Drago Lekovic I could go on forever.

11) Do you have a favourite match that you attended as a supporter?
There have been many fantastic days as a Killie fan and it would be easy to pick the Scottish Cup final but a personal favourite was beating Rangers at Ibrox 2-1 when Bobby Williamson tapped in a last minute winner. It was our first year back in the Premier League. I was surrounded by Rangers fans at school and they were the dominant force in Scottish football at that time. When the ball was put in the net the feeling was unbelievable and I can remember going absolutely berserk. It was also great to know I was going to have bragging rights amongst my friends even if it was only for one night.


12) Your favourite Kilmarnock shirt of all time?
Would have to be the jersey we wore the year we got promoted out of the first division. Absolutely loved that one.

13) You played against the mob South of Symington a couple of times in your career, how was it playing against your boyhood clubs rivals?
I think I am right in saying I have played against "THEM" twice in my career with a 100% record. At Dumbarton we played them in cup competitions two years running. In the first game at The Rock we beat them 3-0. I was directly up against Eddie Annand and James Grady. When the third goal went in we celebrated right in front of the main stand and I caught eyes with one guy in the A*r end that looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel as he tried to get on the pitch to throttle me. I absolutely loved it. A year later we went down to the Piggery and were drawing 1-1 until late on. When we came out for the 2nd half the Ayr fans started abusing me and singing “Dirty Killie b@#$&rd” every time I touched the ball. We scored a winner right in the last minute and instead of celebrating with the boys down at the away end I turned round and gave it loads to all the home fans behind the goal. It was one of my favourite moments in football. I had taken their abuse all night and I made sure to take my opportunity to get it right up them.

That last answer is probably one of my favourite answers ever in any interview I have seen. I, like many other Killie fans I'm sure, have dreamt of doing something similar at Somerset. Fantastic Neill. Hilarious!

14) Tommy Burns was a Killie icon in the early nineties, what are your memories of his period at the club?
Tommy Burns was my hero as a player and as a manager. I have many great memories of the great man. I remember running on the pitch after our last away game of the season at Raith Rovers and shaking his hand while he was surrounded by Killie fans. He had been in temporary charge and had led us to a fantastic end of the season. I just knew the next year was going to be our year with him in charge and the Killie fans obviously all felt the same way as they sang “Tommy Burns Blue and White army” and completely mobbed him on the field at Kirkcaldy. I once wrote to him after we beat Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup 5-1 and you won’t be surprised to hear that he wrote back later thanking me for my support and to keep getting behind the team. I still have the letter in my Mum and Dad's house somewhere. Without doubt a Killie legend.


15) Steve Clarke is a guy you probably know from your spell in England. What are your thoughts on his half season Killie revival?
There are no words to describe what Steve Clarke has achieved at Killie during the past few months. I wrote a blog after Lee McCulloch was sacked and it seemed the club was destined for relegation but more than that we were a laughing stock to the nation. The whole club has been rejuvenated since that point and thankfully people are now getting a sense of what the club is really all about and just how big a club we are. We have such a faithful and loyal following that deserved so much better than what the club was providing on and off the pitch. It is brilliant to see the numbers travelling to places like Hamilton and Easter Road in recent weeks. It reminds me of the good times under Tommy Burns. There is no higher accolade than that for Steve Clarke.

A Journeyman's View is Neill's blog well worth checking out.

16) If you personally could have featured for Killie in any game of the clubs history, which game would it be and why?
I would love to say the last game of the season when we won the league all those years
ago but instead I am going to go for a game that I attended. It would have to be the Scottish Cup final in 1997. To lift a trophy as a Kilmarnock player was my dream as a youngster and still is now. Winning a trophy at a club like Kilmarnock etches your place in the history of the club. I also think I could have handled Kevin James in the air so we would have been fine with me slotting in at the back.

17) Do you feel disappointed that you never got a proper opportunity to pull on the famous blue and white stripes at some point in your career?
Without doubt it is a disappointment that I never got to play for Killie although I can’t have too many regrets about my career as I have been fortunate to play for some great clubs in England. There have been opportunities in the past few years but just never at the right time and if I am being brutally honest the installation of the Astro turf pitch didn’t help matters. I was used to arriving at Rugby Park as a fan and seeing the best grass pitch in the country. It is one of the most frustrating parts of playing in the US is the Astro turf pitches we have to play on from time to time. It is like a different sport. I really hope for the fans and players sake we can get back to a grass pitch soon.

18) Can I have your best eleven that you have played with during your career?
1. Matt Murray (Wolves) 2. Kevin Foley (Wolves) 3. Steven Ward (Wolves) 4. Harry Maguire (Sheffield United) 5. Gary Breen ( Sunderland) 6. Karl Henry (Wolves) 7. Robert Snodgrass (Wolves) 8. Dean Whitehead (Sunderland) 9. Sylvan Ebanks Blake (Wolves) 10. Marcus Stewart (Sunderland) 11. Joe Cole (Tampa Bay Rowdies)


19) What does the future hold for Neill Collins in the next few years, future Kilmarnock manager possibly?
I have always had an eye on the future and had an appetite to be a manager as long as I can remember. I have my UEFA A License and I am getting as much experience of coaching as I possibly can. It would be a dream to manage Kilmarnock one day but for now I would love to play at least another couple of seasons and then see what transpires. One thing I have learned in football is that things can change on a day to day basis so you have to be prepared for that and never think to far ahead.

20) Finally do you have a message for your fellow supporters before you go?
I want the fans to enjoy the fact that they have a good manager in charge and a team to be proud of on the pitch. There has been so much negativity that has followed our club for the past few years and it is the fans that have had to suffer more than anybody. No one should ever under estimate the passion and loyalty of the Killie fans it is one of the reasons we are such long serving members of the Premier League. Unlike our closest rivals we will never accept mediocrity and that is what makes us so special. Some younger fans are only just starting to get a glimpse of just how big the club really is.
Buy your season tickets and back the club. K.T.I.D


Before leaving Neill also provided us his favourite Killie team also having seen previous interviews.


I'd like to thank Neill for taking the time to answer these questions so well and give us all a great insight into his career and Killie supporting life. Id like to wish Neill all the best for the rest of his playing career and maybe we will see him back at Rugby Park some day in the future. Signing off today with a message to the Ayr fans who are still firmly in our shadow...

WFAANW

Ladies match report

Kilmarnock Ladies 2-1 Central Girls FA

It was a truly entertaining match at Rugby Park last night with both sides throwing everything into it. Central were dominant in the first half, Killie the second in what was a great advert for the SWPL2.

Central Girls attacked the Killie goal from the outset and got a deserved lead in the ninth minute from the in form Chelsea McEachran slotting past Hunter in the Killie goal. Central hit the woodwork minutes later almost doubling their lead, luckily for Kilmarnock the rebound landed at the defender who managed to clear her lines. The midfielders on both sides worked hard trying to get a foothold of the game and a heated contest ensued. Kilmarnock carved out a clear opening in the 30th minute with Fleming creating a yard of space, but her shot flew wide of the far post.

HT 1-0 Central Girls

The halftime team talk in the Kilmarnock dressing room must've been explosive because that's how the home side came out in the second period. Stewart Hall's team  were a different animal first in the tackle, quicker movement of the ball and sharper passing. It was a notable vast improvement in terms of quality but this was what was required if they were going to get anything from the game. After some pressure Kilmarnock equalised following a Ponton corner. The ball broke in the box and Colette Fleming prodded the ball home 1-1 and game on. With their tails up and in the ascendency, Kilmarnock began dominating the game forcing Central deep in their own half but defending brilliantly at times. The decisive goal came after Abby Robinson was upended in the box after some tremendous wing wizardry by the youngster. Sara Paterson converted the resultant penalty 2-1 Kilmarnock. Both teams fought for every single ball right up until the final minute of the game.

The amount of energy used by the players was evident when they trudged off the pitch shattered at the final whistle. A brilliant game of two halves and credit to the young Central squad in the way they got the ball down and tried to play football in the right manner. However, it was the home side who were to be commended for coming back from a goal down to take the 3 points and set themselves up for their next match at home to Glasgow Girls.

Tuesday 8 May 2018

2017-18 Diary Week 40



If our Easter Road match was a paragon of excitement then the trip to Govan was the antithesis.

We did okay in the first half but lacked application a bit in the second, allowing The Rangers to sneak a winner.

It says a lot about how far we have come as a team that we can go to Glasgow expecting to get something from the game and leave slightly disappointed that we never.

It is literally all over bar the shouting now though and we are finishing fifth in the league this year…how good is that?

Absolutely top notch is the answer.

It has been a difficult few matches at the end up but we have only lost narrowly against the top teams and the players and the fans are thinking about next season already.

Season tickets are on sale now, discounted until May 16th with an under 16’s ticket thrown in free…bargain!

Let’s also try and get as many bodies there next Sunday against Hearts as well...together we are stronger...together #WeAreKillie !