2018-19 Diary Week 14

I am trying hard to think of something nice to say about Hamilton, but they are a horrible lot and offer nothing to the league.

I have seen Ross County bring more fans to Rugby Park!

This may sound like sour grapes as our winning streak was halted, but fair play to Hamilton, they dug in and got the result they came for.

They never even started time wasting until they scored half an hour in, which is twenty minutes later than usual.

We huffed and puffed but never really looked like producing the goods as we have in previous weeks.

The first five to ten minutes we looked lively but Jordan Jones and Chris Burke especially proved to be a big miss.

I was preparing to go down at half time and give Rory MacKenzie money to get a ticket back into the game, he seemed to be getting constantly dragged inside and offered no width.

Then he only goes and scores, from a central position, just shows you how little I know about football!

Foodbank

The Kilmarnock Supporters' Trust are always keen to work in partnership with local organisations to bring our Club and the community closer together.

Making your way to Saturday's game, you might be aware of leaflets being handed out to publicise a very worthwhile cause which we'd like all Killie fans to contribute to at our next home game...our local Foodbank.

Thirteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK, with individuals going hungry every day for a range of reasons.

We don't think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry and the food bank provide three days' nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them.

Since January, with the support of our communities, the food bank has distributed 2,000 packs to those in crisis but sadly, they continue to struggle to maintain stock levels.

A typical food parcel includes breakfast cereals, soup, pasta, pasta sauce, rice, tinned beans, tinned meat, tinned vegetables and fruit, sugar, biscuits, tea, coffee and snacks.

Currently local stocks are particularly low in tinned fruit, dried pasta, UHT milk, breakfast cereals and tea bags.

In East Ayrshire, in order to keep stock at a sufficient level, the food bank have recently had to start spending their limited cash reserves that they have received as donations.

This is something that can't be maintained for long and with shelves running low they ask us all to please dig deep again.

David Skilling of the Foodbank stated: "The generosity we seen in our last visit to Rugby Park last season humbled us."

"Without the donations of the public there wouldn't be a food bank and we're extremely grateful to the club for working with us again to gather in donations."

"A massive thank you goes in advance to anyone who chooses to donate."

Donations will be greatly received at stalls near the Chadwick and Moffat Stand areas prior to kick off at our next home game against Aberdeen on Sunday 4th November 2018.

Safe Standing?

Do you yearn for the return to the ‘good old days’ of standing areas at football stadiums?

A series of fatal incidents led to legislation requiring major clubs to develop all-seater stadiums during the 1990's but new design options allow designated standing areas to be built in compliance with all safety laws and guidelines.

Supporters' polls repeatedly show a clear majority favouring the choice to stand and this is never likely to go away.

Scotland fans illustrate this regularly by standing in front of their seats at our national stadium.

Over the years too, the average age of football fans has inexorably increased with fans in their teens and early twenties under-represented at grounds throughout Scotland.

Rail Seating at Hoffenheim FC

Standing areas generate a noisier atmosphere, one of the reasons we fall in love with the game, and this would surely attract this age group to return to our game.

They are the lifeblood of our support going forward to keep our Club sustainable.

Our Supporters Trust are in the process of organising a presentation to have an informed discussion on the subject, involving all the relevant authorities, with a view to this being a potential funding project for the next phase of our ‘Trust in Killie’ initiative.

The Trust would urge all Kilmarnock supporters to be part of this conversation by joining the Trust and subscribing to our ‘Trust in Killie’ initiative.

Sign up to the Trust now - HERE

Learn more about the TIK Initiative at www.trustinkillie.com

Learn more about rail seating at FERCO SEATING

2018-19 Diary Week 13

Killie pick up where we left off prior to the international break with yet another league win.

I am starting to think that we should just allow our opposition to score first every week as that is now four in a row of going behind and then taking all three points!

Over 1,600 fans in the away end, some in hospitality (the Howard lot) and no doubt some in the home end sitting on their hands enjoyed the occasion to the max and were rewarded with a second half performance worthy of the win.

Our fans really seem to be buying into the Steve Clarke effect as much as the players, and tickets were like gold dust as match day approached.

Now we have to reach out to all those lapsed and potential fans to start coming to Rugby Park and getting the numbers at home up so we can get some cash in and give the manager options in the next transfer window.

2018-19 Diary Week 12

Gordon Simpson has provided us with some Killie related international stats which I thought worth sharing with no match this week…

Joe Nibloe (1929-32) is our most capped Scottish player with eleven, he made five consecutive appearances twice.

Bobby Ferguson played six consecutive, with Stephen O’Donnell equalling that last weekend.

Ian Durrant made five consecutive appearances in 1999.

The most Kilmarnock players capped by Scotland in a single match is three, Mitchell, Agnew & Templeton v Ireland (A) 1908.

There is several instances of two: Orr & Campbell v Wales (H) 1892, Mitchell & Templeton v Ireland (A) 1910, Nibloe & Morton v Netherlands (A) in 1929, Forsyth & McGrory v Northern Ireland (H) and Finland (H) both 1964,
 Ferguson & McGrory v Portugal (H) 1966,
 Dickson & McLean v Northern Ireland (A) and Wales (H) both 1970 and McCoist & Durrant v Estonia (H) 1998.

Eremenko played for Finland in nine consecutive internationals although technically he was a Metalist Kharkiv player.

Magennis made five consecutive appearances for Northern Ireland in 2015.

2018-19 Diary Week 11

I was offered the chance to accompany Director Cathy Jamieson to Dundee on Saturday due to several other people being on holiday, I’ve never accepted a freebie for Rugby Park but I was not going to say no to a ticket to an away match!

It was a strange situation indeed but offered a slightly new perspective on the game and my immediate reaction is…what a fantastic travelling support we have!

I can see how the players and directors really appreciate it.

So Killie, not having to get out of second gear, win again.

Steve Clarke has installed a winning mentality that the players and fans have all bought into.

It was clear that Dundee tried to play the ball away from Tshibola whenever possible and the big man’s frustration led to the incident at the second penalty…not pretty, but to me it shows that everyone is just desperate to play their part.

Jordan Jones has had a few critics this season but unfairly if you ask me.

Think about it this way, he was a stand out in a poor team, now he’s just fitting in with a team who have improved to his level so he doesn’t’ stand out quite as much.

He has not regressed, everyone around him has just got better!

The third Kilmarnock FC Hall of Fame Dinner is this coming Friday (12th October) and tickets are still available.

A table of 10 costs £500 with the event starting at 7pm.

To book for more information please contact – The Killie Shop 01563 545310 or email killieclubshop@justsport-group.com

Thanks to Hippo for filling in last week…teamwork, it’s how we do things at Killie.

2018-19 Diary Week 10

The Killie Hippo Writes...

In times gone by Killie's epic win over Celtic would have been followed by a disappointing result against a lesser team but our famous old club under Stevie Clarke is a different animal.

Yet again we went a goal down but the spirit and belief is there for all to see and once Jamie MacDonald made a game changing penalty save the outcome appeared almost inevitable.

Greg Stewart was a shining light and if he stays fit will play a huge part in what could be a season to remember for Killie fans.

The squad seems as strong as ever and with guys like Ndjoli, Boyd, Dicker and Kiltie not even starting we have good quality competition for all positions.

The fans have their part to play so I'd urge them to get along in decent numbers and support the best Killie team in many a long year.