Season Diary - Week 28

In a change from the norm Clark started with two up front for the rescheduled fixture at Dens Park with Boyd and Sammon getting the nod.

Boomer was fastest out of the blocks again for us with a fortunate dink around the keeper and by all accounts we appeared to be the stronger team.

Sadly, an uncharacteristic mistake by our young loan goalie who wandered off his line, cost us a goal and two points as we replicated last week’s result away to Accies.

I didn’t actually make the game due to a prior engagement but I am not going to moan about it being moved as it is just your luck, and to be honest I think there is credit due to both clubs in moving the match to a Saturday; likewise for moving the upcoming Motherwell match from midweek to the weekend.

KFCSA Season Ticket Survey

On 17th December 2016, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of KFCSA handed over a petition to Kilmarnock Football Club directors Billy Bowie and John Kiltie; the petition contained almost 3000 signatures from Killie fans seeking the removal of former Club Chairman Michael Johnston from the Club Board.

The Association has now received an acknowledgement of the petition and has been asked to supply some further details and information for consideration. The Committee will report on developments.

Following the SGM of the Association on 26th November the Committee have been investigating whether an Escrow account (into which fans could deposit season ticket money) would be feasible and manageable.

It was envisaged that fans could pay into such account to demonstrate to the Club their willingness to purchase a season ticket providing Michael Johnston was not on the Club Board.

The Committee's enquiries indicate that the operation of such an Escrow account would be extremely difficult for a number of financial compliance, legal and operational reasons. The Money Laundering regulations alone would create issues considering the anticipated numbers of people who would be paying and depositing funds.

Whilst checks, enquiries and considerations will continue the Committee feel that, given time constraints, other methods of progressing the matter should be pursued.

Accordingly, the Committee of KFCSA is now looking to clarify the likely number of:

A. Existing season ticket holders who would support a season ticket boycott if Mr. Johnston continues on the Board

B. Those non-season ticket holders who would purchase one if Mr. Johnston was no longer part of the Board.

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SHORT ONLINE SURVEY.


Iain Sherry 
(Secretary)

Email: 1965ktid@gmail.com

Be The Boss - Adam Lyon

Despite what was a disappointing draw at Hamilton last week, it seems that Lee Clark might finally be providing the team that he promised we could be proud of at the end of last season. Even though the football is not up to the highest standard that the team is capable of, the effort of that players cannot be faulted. We’ve had some mixed results against Dundee over the years, so hopefully we can take a big support up to Dens and get the three points we need to lift us up the table.

Formation is a basic 4-4-2

GOALKEEPER
Freddie Woodman - Although there have been some grumblings from the Killie support about the lack of game time for Jamie MacDonald, the young man from Newcastle has really impressed since his loan move in January. He has made some outstanding saves in the past couple of games, and so deserves his chance to shine in the second half of this season. And anyway, big Jamie deserves some rest after the marvellous few years he’s had at Rugby Park so far.

RIGHT BACK
Luke Hendrie - Possibly the most constant performer over the course of the season, Hendrie should always be the first name on the team sheet. You don’t see many full backs in Scotland who are equally as good in both defence and attack, but Hendrie is certainly one of that dying breed. Plus, if Jones is having a terrible game, we always know that Hendrie will be there to dig him out a hole.

CENTRE BACK
Gary Dicker - It seems to me that we’ve been playing Gary out of position the whole season. When he moved to centre back in the Ross County game, we looked as solid as we have all season. So whoever told Gary Dicker to play at centre mid when he was young, they’re an idiot! The chemistry between Dicker and Ajer in the past few games has looked as good as Ant and Deck, Laurel and Hardie, or even Jim Jeffries and Billy Brown…at a push.

CENTRE BACK
Kristoffer Ajer - The chalk to Gary Dicker’s cheese, ‘big Ajer’ has been a revelation at the back since joining on loan from Celtic. He is a prime example of a case where a player is far too good to play for a certain team. He has been touted to be the next Virgil Van Dyke, and it’s clear to see why. Defensively, he stands solid and imposing, a physical barrier for every striker in Scotland. Going forward, he reminds me of the great Momo Sissoko, striding forward on these mazy runs that can excite even the dullest of fans. It’ll be a sad time indeed when Kris leaves us for what is sure to be a very bright future indeed.

LEFT BACK
Greg Taylor - Just like his compatriot on the right flank, young Greg has been a star over the season so far, and there is better to come from the lad. Even though his performances have been so good over the course of the season, I wouldn’t care if he was shocking for the remainder. That tackle on Joey Barton has enamoured him to me forever and I won’t hear another bad word said about him, or else I’ll make Pasca look like a saint.

RIGHT WING
Sean Longstaff - Quickly becoming a fans favourite among the Killie faithful, Longstaff has scored some important goals so far, the winner against County and our only goal at the weekend. With his energetic running and an eye for goal, he is certainly looking like a good find by Lee Clark, but we’ll have to see how long his good spell can last!

CENTRE MID
Iain Wilson - A player that has come on leaps and bounds this year, he looks like a player with the experience of someone twice his age. Wilson will definitely be a key player next season, and so it is important that he gets as much game time as possible this season. His range of passing is phenomenal for someone who looks a bit ‘gangly’, which is the nicest way to describe him. They always say that you should look for experience over both but in this case, we seem to have both already.

CENTRE MID
Adam Frizzell - The wee man has really come on leaps and bounds this season, and should be starting every week. After his man of the match performance against Celtic, he should have been one of the first names on the team sheet. However, Lee Clark doesn’t seem to rate him, a huge mistake in my opinion. He can be used to fill that Kiltie-sized hole in our hearts at the moment.

LEFT WING
Jordan Jones - Possibly the most frustrating player in the entirety of the Scottish leagues, Jordan has one good game in every ten. He has been marginally better in recent weeks; however, we still need him to find that consistent form that we know he can provide. He can link up well with Greg Taylor at left back and could cause some serious problems for the Dundee defence.

STRIKER
Kris Boyd - Our main striker now, Boomer has been in good form recently and hopefully he can keep this going against Dundee. His effort in the past few games has been exemplary and a true example to the rest of the team. Although he won’t be scoring any overhead kicks against them like Souley did earlier in the season, I would still back Boydie to find the back of the net at Dens.

STRIKER
Conor Sammon - The fish is back, and ready to score goals. Big Conor is a perfect match for Boomer up front, as the fish can run while Boydie gets into the right positions to bang them in. Sammon could also be a huge asset at corners, if only Jordan Jones could actually get them past the first man. If the two front men could link up well, then I think our attack force could be lethal for this game and for the rest of the season as a whole.

Season Diary - Week 27

While a substitution won us three points against Ross County, it may have cost us a couple at Hamilton.

We started off well with Lobby (as Longstaff has been named) scoring yet again to put us ahead and we controlled the game for over half an hour, but when Smith went off injured the tables were turned.

In my opinion the right move to make at that point was to bring on Scott Boyd and move Dicker back into midfield to give us more steel in there, but instead Clark opted for Hawkshaw as a direct replacement.

As much as I like the wee man I don’t think it was a good move as the midfield started to get overrun at that point and it was no surprise when the Accies equalised.

We could have nicked it in the end but a draw was probably a fair result and I’ll take a point away from home any day.

Decent 'debuts' by both Umerah and Sammon, although like Boomer they had to feed off scraps; unsure whether the Charlton boy was aware he was going to be playing wide right, or whether he cared.

FC Kilmarnock Ladies Support Football v. Homophobia

This month is the international month of ‘Football v Homophobia’ (FvH) and FC Kilmarnock Ladies are proud to lend our support to the campaign. FvH is a campaign uniting fans, players, communities, grassroots teams, professional clubs and the Football Authorities in opposing homophobia and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in football.

The FA, The Premier League and The Football League back their work and year round, FvH enables people to take action against prejudice and discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity in the sport, and to celebrate and welcome diversity in the game. This culminates in an international show of support in February to raise awareness of the issue and to showcase new and existing work. The campaign has been around since 2010 and manages to generate global attention.

Fans and teams around the world, from Croatia to Mexico have taken part and across the UK there has been a massive show of support.

FC Kilmarnock Ladies Chairman David Howie said:

"FC Kilmarnock Ladies prides itself on people who want to learn and play football regardless of sexual orientation. We fully support the Football v Homophobia campaign and together we can make a difference!"

Homophobia and LGBT discrimination has long been an issue in football. In 1990 the first professional football player in the UK to come out as gay, Justin Fashanu, had an intense struggle with his sexuality and how it was received in the game. More recently we have seen Robbie Rogers come out. Robbie retired briefly when he made the announcement about his sexuality. But now, following massive support from players and fans alike, he has returned to the game to play for LA Galaxy. Former Premier League player Thomas Hitzlsperger has also recently come out as gay. Both of these players have talked about the challenge of being gay and professional footballers, and the impact that anti-gay jokes and language can have on confidence and self-esteem.

Kilmarnock Fan Organisations Support Football v Homophobia

This month is the international month of ‘Football v Homophobia’ (FvH) and the fan organisations of Kilmarnock FC are proud to lend our support to the campaign. FvH is a campaign uniting fans, players, communities, grassroots teams, professional clubs and the Football Authorities in opposing homophobia and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in all aspects of football.

The FA, Premier League and Football League back their work and year round, FvH enables people to take action against prejudice and discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity in the sport, and to celebrate and welcome diversity in the game. This culminates in an international show of support in February to raise awareness of the issue and to showcase new and existing work.

Killie Trust Chairman Jim Thomson said:

"Equality and inclusion are important in every aspect of life, not least at football matches where people come together to enjoy the catharsis (or lack of) of watching their team play football. Encouraging diversity is especially important in these uncertain political times and we are delighted to support the work of Football v. Homophobia in whatever way we can."

Homophobia and LGBT discrimination has long been an issue in football. In 1990 the first professional football player in the UK to come out as gay, Justin Fashanu, had an intense struggle with his sexuality and how it was received in the game. More recently we have seen Robbie Rogers come out. Robbie retired briefly when he made the announcement about his sexuality. But now, following massive support from players and fans alike, he has returned to the game to play for LA Galaxy. Former Premier League player Thomas Hitzlsperger has also recently come out as gay. Both of these players have talked about the challenge of being gay and professional footballers, and the impact that anti-gay jokes and language can have on confidence and self-esteem.

The comments of SFA Performance Director Malky Mackay, the head of the English FA and the alarming findings of a BBC survey that around 8% of football fans would stop supporting their team if they signed a gay player, it shows that the world of football still has a long way to go to embrace diversity. With that in mind, we are proud to support FvH and the work that they do in our game.

Be The Boss - Claire Morrison

This week's "Boss" is daughter of the KFCSA boss man James Morrison...say hello to Claire! Claire of course has her own views on our team and tactics and she has some tough decisions to make given she's having to make decisions on the morning after deadline day...

First match at Rugby Park: May 1997 Scotland v Wales – Hartson scored the winner. Been an East Stand season ticket holder since the following season ‘97/98 and loved wee Pat Nevin! My favourite Killie game was on 18th March 2012 which had the longest 6 minutes of my life after DVT scored.

With the transfer window having "slammed shut" Lee Clark now has even more options through signing The Fish, a young Charlton starlet and completing the permanent signing of Scott Boyd. Having stumbled on a football team (as opposed to a hoofball side) last week I can only hope Lee Clark is not “Tinkerman” and sticks with the team which finished and won the match against Ross County.

Formation 4-2-3-1 which seems to be the LC’s fave:

GOALKEEPER
Freddie Woodman - Young Freddie has been impressive since his move from Newcastle and his distribution does appear better than MacDonald’s at times through opting to play from the back rather than ‘hoofing’ up the park. I do feel bad for MacDonald though and a player of his quality is far too good to be sitting on the bench every week.
 
RIGHT BACK
Luke Hendrie - Luke has been one of Clark’s best signings and most consistent (apart from his daft red card in the final minute against St Johnstone). He isn’t afraid to put the odd tackle in and he appears to be developing well as a player each week.

CENTRE BACK
Gary Dicker - Wow, what a difference moving Dicker to the back made against Ross County. Gary ‘Mr Cool’ held his own in defence last week and was so impressive. I reckon Clark may opt for Scott Boyd in this position this week though but given how brilliant Dicker was I’d go with him as first choice.

CENTRE BACK
 Kristoffer Ajer - What a talent we have in this young Norwegian. Our central defence has looked so much more solid since he came in and his mazy runs through the pitch have been impressive. At only 18 years old, I can’t wait to see what sort of player he becomes in a few years time. He’s also a pretty gorgeous piece of eye candy too for the female fans!

LEFT BACK
Greg Taylor - For me there’s no other option for this position. Greg has been quite the starlet since coming in and cruising through the Play Off Final against Falkirk in May. He reminds me a bit of Garry Hay with his runs up the flank and he’s done exceptionally well making the jump from the Development Squad.

HOLDING MIDFIELD
Iain Wilson - Putting Wilson on last week was the best substituting decision Clark has made all season and was the first time we had an actual midfield. At just 18 years old, he ran that midfield like a seasoned pro with excellent passes and distribution. I only hope Clark sees sense and keeps Wilson in the starting line up this week and doesn’t resort back to the ‘Killie Bingo’ we’ve been so used to suffering.

HOLDING MIDFIELD
Steven Smith - For me Smith can be a bit ‘hit or miss.’ But he does put in several good tackles and closed down Ross County last week. He also seems to have formed a good understanding and partnership with Greg Taylor.

WIDE RIGHT
Jordan Jones - ‘Arrghh’ is all I can say about the majority of Jones’s season so far (especially his corner kicks!) He is so enigmatic and reminds me so much of Dopey Topey. He did improve against County and had more of an end product though, hence why I’ve picked him for this week. I would like to see Frizzell given a chance in this position though too as he was really developing well last season when given game time.

ATTACKING MIDFIELD
Sean Longstaff - Sean took his winning goal very well last week and appears to be a positive addition to the squad. Working in partnership with Rory and Wilson I feel this may be a good formation and given time, Longstaff could do well with us.

WIDE LEFT
Rory McKenzie - Rory is one of these players who many fans love a good moan at, which reminds me of James Fowler – Rory is regularly pushed to different positions and does a lot of the ‘dirty work’ like Fowler did but rarely gets credit for such as tracking back and blocking tackles. When on form Rory is a real burst of energy and can be a nightmare for opposing teams.

STRIKER
Kris Boyd - I bet no footie fan ever thought that big Boydie could make it to the 18 yard box in 10.4 seconds last week for the fastest goal in SPFL history! Kris continues to break records and he will forever go down as a Scottish footballing legend. I hope with the departure of Coulibaly, Kris can find his shooting boots again and become the prolific goal scorer we all know and love.