Interview: Angelo Alessio

After reading the xenophobic diatribe by Parks in one of the tabloids (online of course, I wouldn’t buy that rag) I thought it was time to look out the old micro recorder and have a chat with the new manager myself; instead of reading the ravings of a frustrated ex-player who clearly thinks his ill-informed opinion is far more important than anyone else does. The word went out and we collated many questions and chopped them down and amalgamated them into something more deliverable and wouldn’t take all day as the grass won’t cut itself, sadly. Angelo Alessio didn’t need much persuading as he is keen to talk to fans so a day later we sat down in the Champion's Lounge with Scott McClymont and after a few introductions we got straight to it…

What would you say were the key factors that attracted you to the job here at Kilmarnock?
"The chance to restart my career as a manager at a great club like Kilmarnock. I watched the game last season against Rangers on TV and was impressed with the passion of the fans and the mentality of the team."
 
Did you have an in-depth look at the Club and at Scottish football before taking the job?
"I know Scottish football and I believe it is improving year by year again."

Has anything surprised you since you have arrived?
"No, not really, I think in Scotland now there are a lot of good players and this is good for the league, the quality of the Premiership is good and getting better."

Can you tell us about your preferred style of play for the team or will you adapt the formation to the players we already have?
"I have a lot of players at Kilmarnock who were here last season, and my preferred style depends on the players I have in the squad. In this case we have a good base and for this reason I continue to do, not quite the same work as Steve Clarke, I will change some things, but I don’t want to change the style too much. You will have seen in the previous game that ten of the eleven players were from last season, only Makrini was new. In the defence we had three international team players and Broadfoot. In the midfield we had Dicker, Power, Burkey and Rory with Brophy up front, only Makrini was different. It would be stupid to completely change style when the main body of players have been playing the same style for the last few years."

What do you think were the main factors in the team’s defeat against Connah’s Quay in the Europa League? What have you learned as a coach from this result?
"I believe that if we had scored a goal in the first half this would have changed the game. We had four or five opportunities to score a goal in the first half, but at the end of the game lost 2-0 and that result was bad. This is football though and we have to accept the result, but over the two games I think we deserved something more. I watched the games back and analysed them…in the first game we conceded one opportunity and Connah’s Quay scored a goal, but we dominated the game. At home we again dominated but conceded three opportunities and two goals. We made mistakes, but overall I feel our team played better, if we’d scored a goal in the first half everything would have been different. At the same time we have to accept the result, but I would like to say that not everything is bad, there were positives to build on."

What do you generally look to focus on in your training sessions and would you consider an open training session for fans to come along and watch?
"I like to focus on players training together, not alone, that is important. My focus right now is to find the same compactness that we had last year. The players work hard every day but of course at this moment in time, after the bad result, we have to work on them having the right mentality, the right attitude and the right focus to prepare them for the next match. We hope to arrange a session for fans to come along and see our preparation work."

What is your target for the new season, have you set any bench marks for us?
"It is important to start the league in the right way and then to do as well as possible this year and be the best we can. Every player will have to give 100% to reach our best position in the table. We will work to stay in the top six, but it is a new year and a new challenge for all of us. The players are working hard every day to maintain the standards they set last year and won’t let them slip. Coming third means there are high expectations, it was a great achievement but we have lost eight players who came in on loan and currently only have two so we have to focus on bringing more quality players in."

Do you treat cup competitions with the same importance as the league or do you see them as a bonus?
"Going into a new season, every game is equally important. We want to do our best in every competition."

In terms of transfers, are there any players close to joining and can you tell us how many players you hope to add to the squad?
"At the moment we are talking to a few players and I hope to sign them soon. It has not been easy, for many reasons, but now, with a week to ten days until the start of the Premiership, we are nearly there. Hopefully we will have some good news at the start of next week."

Have you identified any areas which you think you need to strengthen?
"We definitely need strikers, midfielders and one centre back. We are casting the net wide and we are looking at any player that has the potential to improve the team, but they have to be the right fit for Kilmarnock."

What is most important to you when assessing potential signings, mental, physical or technical attributes?
"I’m looking for players who have the motivation to come to this club, and the right mentality to fit in with this team…players with skill and experience."

Have you had an opportunity to assess the youth players and do you feel there are any showing enough potential to be considered for the first team?
"A couple of the younger players are training with the first team already and they are performing very well. I hope that they can improve in the next few months or so enough to be given the chance like every other player. For me age is not a problem, they are good enough they will go into the line-up."

Have you taken any positives from the start to the season and going into the new league campaign?
"It has been good to see the way the players train every day. They have the right attitude and the right focus and they also show motivation and determination and that is very important for me. These players give me confidence that we can get good results in the future."

The manager then turns the tables on me…

Fan perception is very important to me. What do you think about the start of the season?
"There are a lot of Kilmarnock fans feeling pessimistic at the moment as they are still hurting after the Europa league exit. It was a long time to wait just to go out that soon and I think it’s a long way back to try and recover the situation at all. As it stands at the moment there is a lot of silence and not much happening because there are no friendly matches lined up, and that’s why we are doing this today, to get something out there. When there is a vacuum like this people tend to create their own stories and it is much better for the fans to hear directly from the Club and yourself rather than read the fiction they put out as news copied straight off social media. Hopefully when things start moving in terms of transfers and results we can gather some momentum and the whole place will get a lift…the sooner the better of course."

With that and the shake of a hand the new manager is ushered away to discuss a potential friendly match. He’s seems a nice enough guy and pretty relaxed and not out of his depth whatsoever. His English is probably not as good as I initially thought (mine is not that great either) but when it comes to talking football it is noticeably better and I don’t really see there being a problem getting instructions across to players. Despite all the rumours no one is demanding a transfer, but a few are signing extensions and hopefully we see the benefit of the quality over quantity approach that is being taken. There is a lot of panic in the ranks but the season is almost upon us and we just have to get behind the manager and do what fans do…support the team and hope for the best because, together we are still stronger.

2018-19 Diary Week 43

It's a bittersweet symphony this life.

We finish third, we qualify for Europe, we get ditched at the altar by the best thing that’s happened to us in years!

Let’s start with the game.

A well-deserved hard fought win over the new team from Glasgow.

We’ve taken ten points off them this year so the SFA forced Steve Clarke to sit in the stand to give them a better chance.

Then they offered him the Scotland job so he can’t torment them next year.

Our directors decision to restore home advantage resulted in the biggest crowd at Rugby Park in years, hopefully many of them will return next season.

The atmosphere was fantastic, and the fans were outstanding, to which the players responded and delivered the three points we needed.

There are too many people who deserve praise for the season as a whole to name, but I am going to mention the foot soldiers of the blue and white army…this one was for you.

We loved Steve Clarke like a brother but we have to wish him all the best and move on, he was a massive part of our renaissance but we are Killie…and Killie are back!

2018-19 Diary Week 38

The latest date added to the sesquicentennial calendar is Saturday 7th September which will see the #Killie150 Legends (working title!) night take place in the Grand Hall.

The Trust and SLO are currently working on the details but it made sense to get the date out there.

It’s an international weekend with no Killie fixture, and Scotland are at home on the Friday and Monday so nobody should miss out.

The event will be informal, it’s not a black tie event, more a blue scarf event…although we’re drawing the line at jeans or trackies!

There will be entertainment of various sorts, but in the main it will be a dance and the live band will cover music from several decades…with top chef Alasdair Hood doing a finger buffet for each table.

Jimmy McGuire will host and we are inviting dozens of Killie legends to come and enjoy the night as well.

Ticket details will be released soon, and we will be making an effort to ensure that as many fans as possible get the chance to attend.

The big news of the week appears to be the fact that we are only allocating Glasgow’s new boys the Chadwick Stand, the same stand we give to every other away team, for the last game of the season.

The inevitable reaction was calls for a boycott and only to take one stand again next season, which is a bit presumptuous as they better wait and see what is on offer.

Clearly they think this is all about them, when in truth of course it is not.

This is a brave decision by the Kilmarnock Board to put people before profit and giving the fans what we have been asking for…home advantage at Rugby Park.

We will probably not fill the three remaining stands, why would anyone think we would, but at least we are going to give it a go and hopefully a less intimidating atmosphere will bring more people to the match.

Our job now is to back the Club’s decision and get as many bums on seats as possible, and that goes for the other two home games as well, not just the final one!

Money

How good is it to be a Killie fan right now? That answer to that is simple, it is fantastic! Now pass me that jug of cold water for a bit of a reality check. Matters on the pitch seem otherworldly at the moment and the new additions to the Club Board off the pitch have certainly livened things up as well, but how sustainable is this Killie resurgence and what can we do to keep it going as long as possible? Therein lies the big money question…and the answer is ironically, big money.

Football clubs generally have peaks and troughs and the trick is to push the boundaries when you are on the up so that the inevitable crash is less significant and the ‘rebuild’ easier to bring about. Successful (and unsuccessful) managers tend to move on quickly and as much as we definitely are all enjoying the wonder that is Steve Clarke while he is here, we are all secretly dreading the day that he has to be replaced. Apologies for even mentioning that, but nothing lasts forever, apart from Ayr United’s trophy-less run.

We can’t hold on to the big man indefinitely, but we can benefit from his time here and we can use that wisely and plan for the future with his guidance. The last thing we want is to have a couple of glory years and then leave his legacy to chance. As good as it is going toe-to-toe with the so-called ‘big’ teams and having no fear at the prospect, I would urge some thought be given to what lies ahead and how we can maintain our current high and do it in a sustainable fashion that will not leave us in debt again or even worse, in the grubber.

Many fans are expecting the club to lift the artificial pitch and replace it next season when we get a new training facility, which is fine apart from the fact we can’t afford a new training facility. The current surface is nearing the end of its shelf life and it would cost an absolute fortune to rip it up and put in a proper grass, never mind a hybrid, pitch. The truth of the matter is that we will be stretched even paying a couple of hundred grand for a direct replacement. There are going to be a lot of disappointed fans out there when they realise that idealism comes with a hefty price tag.

Then there’s the SFA and our inclusion in Project Brave. Lots of unnecessary wages and a training complex that includes a three quarter sized indoor synthetic pitch, a full sized outdoor synthetic pitch and at least one full size grass pitch. We have been ‘lucky’ enough to be selected as one of the clubs that will spearhead this nationwide initiative and save the future of Scottish Football. Sorry for the language, but balls to that, despite the fact we are allegedly only one contract away from meeting the criteria…one too many if you ask me.

Project Brave is a complete non-starter in my opinion, and in the opinion of most football clubs in Scotland. This Utopian master plan is just too expensive for most clubs to afford and the SFA will end up having to scrap it or completely change the current guidelines. Forget it, it is a waste of time and we should not even be considering it, we are probably only playing along safe in the knowledge that the goalposts will at some stage be moved, and there is no harm in staying involved up to that point as there might be something in it for us later.

That does not take away from the fact that we still need proper training facilities if we want to keep our players on top form and fighting at the right end of the table. The players deserve the best we can afford and Steve Clarke deserves no less. The problem is, despite the current resurgence in interest and the on-field heroics, we just do not have the funds available to build what is required and it would be grossly unfair to assume our current directors, whom have already splashed a lot of their own cash, should stump up the millions we are going to need. How can we expect our current manager, or any who follow him, to get the best for our club if we can’t even provide them with up-to-date coaching facilities?

Sadly there are no easy answers. Attracting big money investors is an obvious option but we have been there before and that well is all but dry. Selling all our best players wouldn’t bring in enough, and kind of defeats the purpose. The Board have an unenviable and near impossible task of not only trying to raise enough money to provide the necessary facilities, but to manage the expectations of a fan base on an unprecedented high. No one wants to think about practicalities when we are sitting in a lofty league position and don’t look like we have even got out of second gear yet.

This is not an attempt to depress you with pragmatism, this is a wakeup call that we have to strike while the iron is hot and do something now, not later. The proverbial lottery win is out of our hands, but that is not to say we should just accept what is deemed to be our lot and not aim high. Steve Clarke’s mantra has been “together we are stronger” and as per usual the big man has got it right. The only way we can secure the future of our football club is to start chipping in ourselves and looking for ways to raise the funds which are needed.

The majority of Killie fans are already contributing in some way, and the obvious thing to do is to encourage more people to support their local team and spread the load. More ticket money, more strip sales, more sponsorship, more hospitality…with more fans all that becomes achievable and certainly helps us on our way…but it is not quite enough. The Foundation of Hearts have just announced they’ve reached £8m worth of donations, which is enviable to say the least and understandable as they are a big city club; but that’s not to say we couldn’t emulate that, albeit it might take a bit longer and we might need a few generous cash injections along the way.

Last year the Trust in Killie initiative raised in excess of £100k with only 250 fans contributing on a regular basis. With 4,000 fans we could have raised £1.6m which is not too shabby when you think about it, but obviously still well short of the mark. Does that mean to say we shouldn’t go for it anyway? Of course not, it’s money in the bank for the club for free and to make more money you need money to start with. If you think this is a sales pitch for TIK you’d be partly right, to be fair though its more of a sales pitch for everything Killie related as it is all going in the same pot and all counts toward our goals.

The new £10 TIK entry level has been launched already at your request and the Trust will soon be giving it a big push. The bottom line here is that we need our fans to buy into this as much as they are buying into attending games again. It’s fantastic that we are on the cusp of selling out three away matches on the bounce…but how much money does Kilmarnock FC make out of that? It’s brilliant, but it’s not profitable, we need to sell out Rugby Park, and I mean with our fans, not old firm fans…would that even be possible? I don’t see why not, not in the long term at least, and a few short term hits in the meantime would not go amiss.

I sincerely hope that the Steve Clarke revolution continues for many years to come, but ultimately what he can achieve will be down to how much the club and the fans can back him, financially and otherwise. The ‘otherwise’ is not a problem, away from home at least, we need to sort out the home attendances and seriously consider what it is going to cost to deliver a fit-for-purpose training facility and a transfer/wage budget that will ensure our club flourishes on the big stage and continues to beat as the heart of our community. It’s not all bad news, that’s the water jug empty, the good news is that the situation is manageable and that our future rests in our own hands, not in the hands of others. Ask not what your club can do for you…

Barry Richmond
(KillieFC.com)

Killie in Scottish Cup semi's

It’s a huge youth Scottish Cup semi final weekend for Kilmarnock Ladies, with 3 teams involved across two age groups.

On Saturday, after quarter final wins against Lanarkshire Hibernian and Queen of the South; both of our U13’s sides play their respective semi finals with the Whites facing Donside and the league cup winning Blues facing off against Musselburgh Windsor; kick off time is 2pm at Toryglen Regional Football Centre.

On Sunday it’s the turn of our under 15 side who after a good quarter final win against Hibs Development this time face the Hibs Performance side in what is sure to be a tough but exciting game. Kick off in this one is 4pm also at Toryglen.

This is a fantastic opportunity for our young sides and we hope to see as many of you as possible getting along to support.
#WeAreKillie

Match Preview - Kilmarnock v Motherwell

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.

Killie Masters Invitational 2018

Join a host of Killie footballing legends at the inaugural Killie Masters Invitational to be held at Ballochmyle Golf Club on Wednesday, 23rd May, 2018.

Your three-man team will be joined and captained by one of the following ex-players who wore the famous blue and white stripes and served our Club with both distinction and pride...

Alan Robertson, Stuart McLean, Derrick McDicken, Paul Clarke, Jim Clark, Robert Reilly, Robert Connor, Blair Millar, Sam McGivern, Tom Black, Gary Holt, Ian Durrant, Garry Hay or James Fowler…with many others still to be confirmed!

The cost of entry for a team is £200 which will include green fees, brunch prior to competition, two course meal at the conclusion, entry into additional course competitions (chipping and putting etc.) and the raffle. Following the evening meal, there will be a short prize-giving ceremony and auction.

Depending on availability, you may also enter as an individual at the cost of £65 and be allocated a team.

This is not a corporate event, this is a golf day for the fans and ex-players to have a bit of a laugh with a competitive edge (you never lose it apparently). We have worked with Ballochmyle and our sponsors to keep costs to a minimum while still putting something into the Trust In Killie kitty. If you are also interested in some sponsorship then please indicate that on your email to us and we can let you know what is available.

ENTRY SCHEDULE

12th - 25th April: Exclusive entry for ‘Trust in Killie’ Subscribers

26th April - 2nd May: Entry open to ‘Killie Trust’ Members (depending on availability)

3rd May Onwards: Open Entry (depending on availability)


Entry forms can be obtained by emailing KillieFC.com@gmail.com or calling Trust Chairman Jim Thomson on 07748 252455.

The ladies weekend preview

Here’s what you can expect for Kilmarnock Ladies this weekend:

After a successful first game together on Tuesday, the u11s will face Cumnock tomorrow at 10am.

The u13 Whites have an Ayrshire Derby against Ayr United at the Grange with a 9:30am kick off

The Blues will have an early start as they travel to face Queen of the South. The game will kick off at 11am at the David Keswick Athletic Centre.

Our u15s kick off their league campaign at home to Celtic tomorrow afternoon. The game will be played at St Joseph’s with a 12:45 kick off.

The seniors are also back in league action as they welcome Aberdeen on Sunday. Kick off is 4pm at Rugby Park.

Why not go along and support the girls? Let us know if you’re making it along to a game.

Good luck to all teams. #WeAreKillie

Weekend preview

This weekend, the u13 Whites are the only one of our youth teams in action as they welcome Wishaw Girls to the Grange on Saturday morning. The youngsters are really starting to gel together now and will be hoping to turn in another good performance.

It’s League Cup weekend for both our u23s and the Seniors.

The 23s travel to face Airdrie hoping to build on last weekends victory against Queen of the South. However, Airdrie will provide tough opposition and this could be a cracker.

SWPL Champions Glasgow City are this weekends opponents for the senior team. They have had a good start to the league campaign, turning in two good performances but this game will certainly be a huge test for the girls as they travel to face an experienced and impressive City team.

Good luck to all teams. #WeAreKillie

Happy Trailer

The football club have kindly donated the use of their advertising trailer to us to give the Trust In Killie initiative a boost.

A huge shout out also to See Saw Creative and Centurion Signs UK who put this together for us "because we're Killie" in no time at all.

We should get a good few months out of it and then we will transfer it back to the club for next term’s season ticket campaign, and then we can swap over again.

Meanwhile we have to try and make the best of the time we have the trailer for, so we are looking to our membership for someone who would be able to take control of the project and get it out and about.

This would involve being old enough to have a driving license with the correct category, for this you would have to have passed your test before 1st January 1997.

You would have to hook it up and take it back and find suitable places to leave it for several hours, and get permission from the relevant land owners - or organise some volunteers that are equally qualified to help you with it!

There will of course be a lot to sort out in terms of vehicles with tow bars, petrol costs, insurance etc. but those are things that we can sort out prior to going on the move, no one will end up out of pocket of course.

If you are interested in helping out, even as one of said volunteers, then please contact KillieFC.com@gmail.com and we will get back in touch with you.

And if you see our person out there…give them a wave!

The Weekend Preview

We almost have a full fixture card across the club as five of our six teams take to field. Here’s what’s happening at Kilmarnock Ladies this weekend: Our u13 Whites are hoping to build on recent good performances as they welcome Gartcairn to St Joseph’s on Saturday morning at 10:30. The Blues are in action for the first time this year as they head to face Motherwell on Saturday. Again this is a 10:30 kick off but this tie is being played at Ravenscraig. The 15s will be looking to build on last weekends positive result as Glasgow City come calling. The game is to be played at Loudoun Academy with a 12:45 kick off. The 23s are kicking off their league campaign after a positive preseason. They travel to Palmerston Park to play Queen of the South at 2pm on Sunday. And finally, the Seniors will be looking to bounce back from a narrow defeat last weekend as they travel to face fellow SWPL newcomers Central Girls. The game kicks off at 4pm at the Indodrill Stadium, Alloa. Good luck girls. #WeAreKillie

First Box TIcKed!

Trust in Killie Secures initial £100k Target - But we still need your Support!

The Kilmarnock Supporters Society Ltd (The Killie Trust) is delighted to confirm that it has secured the initial £100k investment necessary to achieve a place for a Supporter Director on the board of Kilmarnock Football Club.

The target has been achieved with the support of our regular monthly donors, premium donors, individual donations and a front funder (who wishes to remain anonymous) who approached the Killie Trust a few weeks ago wishing to assist us to make up the balance required. An agreement was reached to enter into an interest free loan and this has been formalised in line with the rules and regulations of the Kilmarnock Supporters Society Ltd.

Chairman Jim Thomson said, "This is a fantastic achievement by the supporters. To raise £100k within 9 months is a testament to their support of this great club. The front funding agreement is money that must be repaid and therefore it is essential that fans maintain their subscriptions or sign up to Trust in Killie. Trust in Killie is not a one-off campaign to achieve a Supporter Director but is to be an ongoing revenue stream for the Club for years to come. This is really just the beginning and, moving forward, Trust in Killie NEEDS as many subscribers and donors as possible."

Jim added, "We have informed the Directors of Kilmarnock Football Club that we have reached the initial target. We are now looking forward to working with the Football Club over the next few weeks and playing our part in many of the very positive changes that have been taking place recently. We would also like to place on record our thanks to the front funder who came forward. Without their support and the ongoing contributions of our regular and one off donors a Supporter Director would not have been achievable at this point."

The Trust will provide further updates as matters progress.

To sign up to Trust in Killie, please visit www.TrustInKillie.com

TIK Silent Auction

Premium Package member Brendan Maguire has once again stumped up a couple of tickets to a major sporting event to help fund TIK and this time it’s rugby and the chance to see Scotland take on the mighty All Blacks on Saturday 18th November at Murrayfield (happy hunting ground!). The tickets are for premium seats and face value is £80 each so we are going down the silent auction route to try and maximise what we can get for them and give everyone a chance to bid. It’s a difficult one for us as Killie are away to Dundee that day and we don’t want to discourage anyone from watching Ayrshire’s finest...but we are sure that everyone knows a rugby fan who would love to see this, so let them know, or be their mate for life and make a bid for them!

The All Blacks are current world champions, the number one ranked team in the world and are following up the summer’s dramatic drawn series with the British & Irish Lions with some brilliant performances in the Rugby Championship. Despite a few close encounters over the years, Scotland have never beaten New Zealand in Test rugby.  However, earlier this year the Scotland 7s famously became the first Scottish team to beat New Zealand (on their way to way winning the London 7s, the final leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series at Twickenham, for the second consecutive year). New head coach Gregor Townsend has already led Scotland to a win over Australia (in the Summer Tour) – can he pick up where the 7s team left off and guide Scotland to victory over New Zealand at BT Murrayfield? It’s a 5.15pm kick-off, and they are encouraging everyone to get to their seats early to be ready for the spectacular LIGHTS OUT show!

This game is sold out.

To make a bid please email KillieFC.com@gmail.com with how much you would like to bid in total for the pair of tickets and the winner will be declared on Thursday 16th November at 5pm.

Killie Trust AGM 2017

 A Community Benefit Society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority Register Number 2620RS

 

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Notice is hereby given the Annual General Meeting of the Kilmarnock Supporters’ Society Limited will be held in the The Portmann Hotel 42 Portland Road, Kilmarnock KA1 2DL on Monday 4th December 2017 at 7pm for 7:30pm.

Agenda

1)  Introduction and Annual Report.

2)  Treasurer’s Report and Financial Statement.

3)  Resolution to change audit rules.

4)  Reappointment of Independent examiners to the Society.

5)  Announcement of the results of the elections to the Board.

6)  Discussion about Trust in Killie initiative.

7)  Any Other Business.

By order of the Board

Andrew Millar (Secretary)
Kilmarnock Supporters’ Society Ltd
Registered Office: Duncan McLean & Co,
81 John Finnie Street,
Kilmarnock
KA1 1BG

Notes

A member entitled to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote in their place. Such a proxy need not be a member of the Society. The appointment of a proxy should be in writing to the Secretary, and in order to be valid, the form of proxy must be received by the secretary not less than 48 hours before the time fixed for the holding of the meeting or any adjourned meeting. Valid forms of proxy arriving at the Trust address by close of business 2 days prior to the meeting will be deemed to satisfy the above criteria.

A copy of the standard proxy form may be obtained from the Secretary or downloaded from the Trust web site HERE Completed forms should be returned to The Secretary at Duncan McLean & Co, 81 John Finnie Street, Kilmarnock, KA1 1BG.

No person other than the Chair of the meeting can act as proxy for more than 3 members.

Admissions to the Annual General Meeting of any shareholder or proxy entitled to attend will be on production of this notice.

 
Copyright © 2017 The Killie Trust, All rights reserved.

2017-18 Diary Week 09

 
It has been an eventful week in Kilmarnock with sad events dominating the news.

The untimely passing of club photographer and all-round nice guy Sandy Ferguson was a huge blow to our community and my condolences go to his family and many friends, of whom I was honoured to be one; he will be a huge loss to everyone.

Saturday’s match compounded the misery with a pedestrian performance and a deserved loss which prompted the departure of Lee McCulloch and Peter Leven by “mutual consent”.

Both were decent blokes, but more amiable than effective, and their fate was ultimately decided by poor results.

There can be no doubt that the appointment of a new boss and putting some sort of management structure in place will be crucial to our club and its top-level survival…we need leadership, fast.

There have been a raft of applicants already but some of the names being mentioned are way off base, Billy Bowie has confirmed that we want someone with both experience and tactical knowledge and if we have to pay compensation then we will.

One glimmer of light came from FC Kilmarnock Ladies who won their league and promotion with four matches to go, well done to everyone involved!

Ladies Secure Promotion

Sandy Ferguson RIP

Sandy Ferguson…son, husband, father, grandfather…policeman, photographer, golfer…we could go on but over and above everything else, to us at KillieFC.com and the fans organisations we represent, he was a great friend and supporter. There are no words to convey how sad we all feel at this time, and that is down to a sense of loss rather than a lack of eloquence, although Sandy in his inimitable style would not be long in telling us the latter.

Sandy had sarcasm down to a fine art but he was quick and funny with it and it would not have been the same not to hear “Whit dae you want noo?” any time he answered the phone. That said of course, he never once let us down and always went that wee bit extra to make sure he had something special for us to publish, and special it was, as was the man himself.

For years Sandy would literally get on his ‘bike’ and travel the length and breadth of the country in rain, hail or shine, to capture the exploits of his and our beloved Kilmarnock Football Club in times good and bad. He had an eye for the right shot that could convey a match in one image and his work for the Kilmarnock Standard and the official and unofficial websites won him the respect of not only the Killie fans but of his professional peers as well, such was his reputation.

It is difficult to sum up a man and his worth in a few short paragraphs, but we are sure that everyone who knew Sandy will appreciate how he loved, and was loved, by his family and his many friends. Our heartfelt condolences go to his nearest and dearest and we sincerely hope that it will be some consolation to appreciate what he meant to so many people and to know that he will never be forgotten in our hearts.

Liam's Mad Fer Tick!

We are delighted to unveil details of the next reward we have secured for our Standard and +Plus+ Package Trust in Killie subscribers.

On December 4th 2017, Liam Gallagher will be performing at the SSE Hydro, all Standard and +Plus+ Package subscribers who sign up by the end of September will be entered into a draw to win hospitality for two as guests of Trust in Killie.

The evening includes a three course meal for two in the SSE Hydro, drinks in the Capital FM Starsuite and tickets for this show, which is officially sold out.

The draw will be made once the October subscriptions have been collected.

In light of experiences with previously issued rewards, please note that all sign-ups are entering into a minimum 6 month contract.

Failure to make a minimum of 6 (six) payments without prior consent will result in action being taken to recover the shortfall. (Sadly a few people saw fit to sign up to TIK, were then able to secure tickets for the Ayr game through the Trust, and just cancelled their subscriptions after that match.)

Capital Punishment

Hibs Dev 2-3 Kilmarnock

It was a top of the table clash in the SWFL division 1 with the visitors coming away from the capital with 3 points.
The game was played at a frantic pace, and the young hibee's took the lead in the opening five minutes. However Killie responded immediately through Colette Fleming in her first start for the club, following a smashing run and cutback from Munro down the right hand side.
Kirsty McLaughlin then put Killie into the lead, midway through the half slotting past the keeper off the back of a corner kick.
HT 1-2 Kilmarnock
A change of shape for hibs to start the second half, had Killie on the backfoot and under the cosh. A dubious penalty decision drew hibs level ,the striker blasting high past Hunter in the Killie goal.
2-2 and it was game on, edge of the seat stuff with both sides wanting the 3 points.
Kilmarnock got the winner 15 mins from time, and it was Fleming again, who calmly put the ball past an outstretched keeper to seal the win for the visitors.
A brilliant 3 points to consolidate Killies top spot. A huge well done to Stewart and the girls.