Sunday 28 December 2008

Season Diary 34

Wednesday 24th December 2008

Well the scum beat the juniors three nil or something last night, but whos really counting, they beat a junior team, big deal? What it does though is sets up the dream tie, the Killie boys are on our way to the piggery once again and i hope against hope that it wil be my first victory for Killie seen by me inside that shitehole. Please!

game isnt till a fornight on Saturday so i suppose i shall sit on my excitement for now. Last nights game was watched by me on teletext, i was in the pub with the teletext page up on the tv in the corner, what a step back in time that was i have to say, it was just static, no movement then the next time you looked up it was one nil, then three then i dont know, text was plunked off because basically it was game over. in the age of Jeff Stelling (god) or even Sportscene at half 4 on a saturday (not Setantas version, its weird) teletext is a weird one. Dont want to be all snooty and MTV generation about it but while going back to radio from time to time instead of TV is refreshing, giong back to teletext from information overload tv such as Sky sports news sucks.

Also its Christmas and i have a Christmas tree, i like white trees, always have since we had one when i was little, i vowed that when it came to me getting a tree that i would get a white one and true to my word i did. Oh and i decked it out in blue and white. heres a photos!

Season Diary 35

Entry #35: Sunday 28th December 2008

After watching that garbage last Saturday it can be expected that I thought very little of our chances away at Hibs yesterday (Saturday) so it came as a major surprise when we won 4-2. Its one of those things being a Killie fan in recent times, you really don’t know which team will turn up on the day. Even the game, which I followed while working on the Sky vidiprinter thing, went so topsy turvy there was no way to predict its outcome. We went two goals up early on and then were pegged back to two each. At two nil up I will admit to being slightly bemused but on the whole elated that we seemed to be thrashing Hibs, it all seemed so comfortable and another couple surely wouldn’t be too hard to come by since there was still 72minutes left! But then we lose two penalties in three minutes or so, the second of which sees Combe sent off and the score goes level I had the sinking feeling that it was all going to go tits up and that our form of late especially last Saturday at home to St Mirren was going to come back and bite us not to mention we have now got Damien Rascle in nets whom I am far from keen on. But then we score another two including one from, amazingly probably even to him, Garry Hay and the game finishes with an emphatic scoreline in our favour. Garry Hay goals are real collectors items, his first game for the big team (don’t know why I described it as this but still) was against Aberdeen and him and his curtains haircut scored two but after that they have been pretty rare beasts, yesterdays being his 8th in his career I think, I once had a bet with my mate Blackie about Garry Hay goals, I claimed that his two goals were his only for the club, Blackie said he was sure there was more, but I spoke with enough confidence that he backed down a bit, after that I did a wee bit of research and found out that at that time he had scored a further two or three, suffice to say I never mentioned the bet again and to this day haven’t paid out, oh the shame, not that I am using this as some sort of cathartic device to get that wee fact out my head or anything. Anyway, I suppose I could have saved myself a lot of words if I had simply wrote that it had been a rollercoaster ride today, all highs and lows with a feeling of satisfaction at the end. But I didn’t. Hopefully we can kick on from this.

Looking at the fixtures coming up it could be a busy time for me as a Killie fan, and now as a Killie fan with Saturdays free. After Falkirk away next week which I wont be at, the following Saturday is the Cup game versus Ayr which I will be at by hook or by crook, then it’s a midweek rearranged Aberdeen fixture from when our pitch was frozen and they wanted to claim against us for cost incurred or something, then on the next two Saturdays Hearts then Hamilton at home and then the early kick of at the new St Mirren stadium live on the telly but I will hope to have a ticket and take my seat as one of the first visitors to their new ground, and it doesn’t stop there because provided we beat Ayr (not a probability more a guarantee…..PLEASE!) then the following week is Scottish Cup day so home or away it will be in the grand scheme of my plan to be at that too and to top it off we then have another home game versus Hibs again which kind of brings it all full circle to yesterday I suppose.

The game after the Hibs game is Rangers and I would doubt I will be at that, been a long time since I was at Ibrox, so that will be seven on the bounce I think, good times!

Suppose I should say what I got for Christmas, well Killie wise what I got, a long sleeved home top, its quite nice actually and fits pretty well, well pretty well for a Killie top as some in years past have been some of the ugliest shapes imaginable, I think they think every strip wearing fan is square or something. After all the fuss I have made about dodgy kit makers and clamouring for adidas or nike or something the 1869 top is a pleasant surprise. Just wish it was hoops, it really is time for hoops. I also got the cracking new tartan scarf which though is a bit short for tying round your neck is really nice, and also a calendar which is always good, no Hollyoaks babes for me, its just Alan Combe and Gavin Skelton.

Last piece of info for today, conflicting stories about the selling of tickets for the cup game, some say they go on sale tomorrow, others disagree saying its just privileged seat holders that get a crack, basically I don’t know what to believe so I have took my season book and gave it to my brother tonight and asked him to deal with it as and when they go on sale, he is off work after all. How a season ticket doesn’t know when he can get his ticket is beyond me but I am not alone in that boat, noone seems to have the definitive details. One thing less to worry about.

Sunday 21 December 2008

Season Diary 33

Entry #33: Sunday 21st December 2008

I work Saturdays but i have an arrangement with my gaffer that i work around the Killie home games and also that any away games i would like to go to he tries to work something out for me, its a really fortunate situation i find myself in. So a Saturday when Killie are at home my usual 12-6 shift alters and is generally 12 till 5 to 3 then run round to Rugby Park, then straight back to work til 6 or 7, as i say, a fortunate situation. Looking at it that way my boss is doing me a good turn by letting me go, look at it another i am doing my utmost to make all home matches even if it means i miss out on wages. Pity my team doesnt take these sort of stories of what people do to come and see them into account as yesterday was a completely gutless performance. See i have highlighted my situation, my deal, footballers are supposed to train then turn up and play a match with the intention of winning three points, thats their deal, today from what i saw from my seat they reneged on their deal, gutless. In fact it is was so gutless i am not even going to waste my time filling you in on it any, except to say we got beat one nil, a goal lost in the first half after half an hour or so, we had plenty of time to get level but offered little in way of any attacking prowess and the game finished with me walking down the stairs from my lofty seat in the Moffat with a fellow in the front row of the upper tier shouting “gutless Killie, absolutely gutless” and that was exactly what was going through my mind and why i have overused it in the lines above this one. I went back to work afterwards because thats the deal, i get time off to watch pish like that and then i go and complete my shift.

Actually, i have got a bit more to say about yesterday, i have been going to Killie games for many a long year and always with the same core of people; my dad, my uncle Jim, CharlieHill and Stew when he came back from America till he went back plus the weans; me, my brother, charlies boy David, and Stew’s boys Jon and his young brother Gordon, always. Now were all a bit older we sit in different places at times and there is a bigger group of friends but still that core are still going, still faithful. Let me tell you where one of them was today, David Hill had to go on his works night out so missed the football, where he was was the matinee performance of the Pantomime at some theatre in Glasgow where he works. Surely he could have said he would meet them after or something but no he was sitting enjoying the show while we froze our arses off watching the football (term used as loosely as possible) I was told where he was so i text him and asked him where he was, he replied minutes later, Pantomime he said. I decided to give him a chance to crack an obvious joke, i replied, oh no your not! and waited for the reply saying “oh yes i am!” it never materialised, i hope i never pissed him off.

Saturday 20 December 2008

Bienvenue, Cliches, and Pasca: 3 Hippo Things

All Articles Appeared in Killie Hippo 84 (on sale 20th December 2008)

Bienvenue à equipe premier Killie, Dizzy!
Or welcome to the Killie first team Dizzy, a warm greeting from me that takes in Gary McSwegan, the Scoreboard and Michael Watt?!


Over the two Saturdays past, both home games v Dundee Utd and ICT, Killie trivia questions that I thought up over a month ago have been debunked, first of all two weeks ago my "who are the five players to have the number 9 squad number since squad numbers were introduced?" was crapped on because it turns out I had missed one, then the ten keepers since the cup win was rewritten due to a half time sub. And yes I am claiming creation of both these questions!

Ok, for the number 9 poser I had Paul Wright as a kick off, then by my recollection we signed big Michel Ngonge, however he didn’t want to follow Paul Wright as number 9, he wanted 18, the 18 we had was a utility player called Sean Hessey, Ngonge wanted 9 but didn’t want nine, he wanted 18, 1 plus 8 equals 9, Hessey said he would give up 18 if he got 9, he did and it was weird. Then I had the jersey going to Kris Boyd who wore it and scored a hatful before moving on, less said the better. Then it was Colin Nish and now its Alan Russell, all well and good, that makes five. Well no, I got a late night phone call to let me know I forgot one.

Gary McSwegan, cant believe I forgot about him, in season 2003-2004 he was number 9 after being 25 in his first season (the one before), Boydie wore 12 that year, when I was told I went home and checked, I had a wee inkling at the back of my head that it might not be, maybe they were mistaken, he was number 10 was he not? No, he was 9. Arse. Also the Kevin McGowne answer came up, as I knew it would but my actual question insulates me from this as squad numbers came to pass in the season 98-99 and McGowne doesn’t count. The reason they mention this is because Killie had squad numbers in Europe after winning the cup. I don’t know whose bright idea it was but they were allocated on alphabetical order so Big Kev was 9 ,but that falls outside of the time limit so doesn’t count. I always thought that the Hessey answer was the tricky one, the one that would have got people thinking, how was I to know that my own question would goose me when it came right down to it! Gary McSwegan!

See that’s what happens with these types of questions, especially if they are dreamed up by dumb asses like me. I came up with it to test the usuals in the pub; Wee Cuthbert, big Aldo, Jake Sharp, big Davie and Burnett on a Sunday and the like, good Killie boys and they all accepted the 5 man answer (this question I had first asked back in mid October time, I was caught out at the end of November) but then one would ask another person at some point down the line if trivia questions come up in another pub (they do, regularly) and eventually Sweggy came out, 6 instead of 5, so I got caught out and insult to injury they aren’t slow in letting me know, not content to the next time they seen me a phone call at half 10 on a Saturday night was how I was told. So cheers for that fellas.

The next Saturday, it was the poser, name the 10 goalies to have played for Kilmarnock since we won the cup in 97. That’s 10, not including outfield players who have went in ala Gus McPherson who most people name first as if all you want to do is trip people up. No the question regards actual goalkeepers and till that day there was ten. Here goes.

Drago for starters, he won the cup and played on till he was sold to some Spanish mob, he was replaced by Gordon Marshall (arguably Killie best ever keeper, in my opinion anyway), both these keepers had excellent scoreboard animations, Drago had a dragon which scrolled down to a smiling baby dragon or a face made out of the dragons knees or something, always confused me actually. And Gordon Marshall, he had "you've been halted....by the Marshall" Hands down my favourite scoreboard animation (2nd place goes to the three stooges) Melly was back up to both these guys and so makes three. François Duberdeau was in there somewhere (THE worst goalie I have ever saw) Craig Samson (goes to expo) played a game too, a defeat in what has been my only visit to Aberdeen, Colin Stewart played in a mauling we gave Hibs, and Michael Watt too, all in some sort of order which I don’t know off the top of my head. Then comes the recent ones Graeme Smith played before following the cash to Ibrox, Chad Harpur, who my dad for no reason calls Chud, and so now do I and my brother, again for no reason, just Chud as well too, not Chud Harper, just Chud, I was to put it in a sentence the sentence would be "god, I hope Chud isn’t on the bench today" And Alan Combe our current number 1. this meandering rubbish has a point as such though as that Combe went off injured and the answer became 11. Welcome to the Killie first team Damien (Dizzy) Rascale, in your 45 minutes on the park you became the second Frenchman to guard our goal and already the best!


Fitba Myths, Cliches and P!$h Patter Explained

We have all heard them, I think it started with a game of two halves (though it probably didn’t) and has continued on and on and on and on even down to a new word being entered into the dictionary. Bouncebackability? This is a word invented by Iain Dowie who is a man who should be remembered forever as that ugly bloke that played for hundreds of crap teams in England rather than someone who has added something to the English language. But of course there is loads and we are all guilty at time to time of uttering them regardless of whether we think they make sense so I am going to look at some of the best.

You haven’t played the game: This is a popular myth perpetuated by managers and players to defend their actions and tactics in matches. If they get a proper towing they can always reply that football writers or fans have never played to any standard so know nothing of the intricate intricacies of football. Well, ma hoop im afraid. All these up their arse footballing men can stick it cos they have never had to pay to watch the tripe they put out on the park themselves. Mark McGhee came away with this one the other week, claiming if Motherwell fans didn’t understand his decision to take off lasley then they know nothing about football, no pal, if you sign Bob Malcolm and try to pass him off as a player it is you who knows nothing about football! Basically fans are the best and purest thing about football, let us rejoice in our position as gid fitba fans!

They cannie score fae row z!: What pray tell is the point of this shout, sure the team cant score from row z, that’s a given, that’s because row z isn’t in the playing dimensions so why do we need to put it up there, especially as the resultant throw or corner is taken from the same place (the side of the park or just outside (personal gripe) that wee quarter circle at the flag) not from the aforementioned row z. given our defending of set pieces this year, (fat dwarves like Scott Macdonald scoring headers anyone?) surely a better shout would be “eat the ba’ Frazer, they cannie score if its in yer belly!”

Yes, he's doing well but can he produce it on a rainy Tuesday night in January at Fir Park: A familiar shout in the present climate of multi national line ups. It comes from the fact that teams get their new expensive foreign signing in the late summer and he turns it on in August and September Saturday afternoons lighting up the league and firing himself to the head of the Sunday Mail starcheck standings (actually, does this still exist?) However despite this blistering form the naysayer’s begin to have their doubts and utter that phrase of phrases. But is it relevant? Is it baws, who actually excels on a rainy Tuesday at Motherwell, no one is the answer because the park is generally a disgrace.

Stonewaller: We all know what a dodgy penalty claim looks like; Andy Barrowman up in Inverness earlier this season, Graham Barratt of Falkirk here at Rugby park also this season. By the same token we know what a definite penalty claim looks like; Paul Wright at Broadwood early in 1997 a perfect example. And that’s what a stonewaller is; it’s a definite penalty. Though exactly what a stone wall and the ref giving a penalty have to do with each other is anyones guess.

Should have went to Specsavers ref!: This particular piece of wit must have been uttered more times than anything in Scottish football. It was funny the first one hundred times granted but the following six million times we have all heard it, lets be honest it starts to grate. It is further supported by the fact the refs are sponsored by specsavers, nothing like telling a joke to death. In fact considering they are continuing to do the same substandard job despite having a wage increase this season surely the shout should now be “should have got laser eye treatment!” they can now afford it.

He just about got there: This is a common commentator shout when a keeper almost gets his fingertips on a Taouil free kick, or Willie Gibson nearly keeps a ball he has chased down to the by-line in the park, or for that matter any cynical tackle a Celtic midfielder makes when Killie try to break quickly against them. Now correct me if I not following the English language here my understanding is that if “he just about got there” then that tends to mean “HE DEFINITELY F-ING DIDN’T!” To reuse my examples, the keeper was nowhere near Mehdi’s free kick, Wullie G didn’t keep the ball in the park and more importantly, Celtic are cheating fouling bastards.

He's got a decent touch for a big man: When a taller player shows some neat touches and good control he is tagged with this particular epitaph (I realise this is a word used for the deceased but its true that these guys will carry this tag till their dying day) It is a surprising shout I think because why shouldn’t he have a nice touch, its his full time job, its all he does and basically all he has done since he was at school. To look at it from the other perspective is it acceptable for him to have a crap touch since he is tall? I mean he can make up for a crap touch in so many different ways, such as standing in the back row in the team photo, you always need a tall guy for that job. Conor Sammon seems to have taken over this from Nish at Killie, a big striker who shows more promise when the ball is played into feet rather than pinged at his head. Would it not make sense to utilise this skill of touch and give it into his feet instead of firing balls at his napper and expecting miracles all because he stands slightly taller than rest. Which brings me to…..

He’s six foot two but jumps five foot three: Ah Colin Nish, two mentions for you, I bet you wish you never rejoined your childhood heroes, especially as the fat Finn has brought back Deek and Jonatan Johannsen is returning to these shores in January, you would no doubt be playing every week scoring goals hopefully and winding up the boo boys who savaged you in your time here. Alas its 4th choice striker for you on the east coast, the upside for us Killie fans is we never need to here someone over our shoulder say he is 6’2 but jumps 5’3, one because it was annoying and two because its physically impossible. As an alternative I preferred “you couldn’t fit a Standard under his feet when he jumps” because its area specific and paints a better picture.

Goalkeepers that can’t kick the ball: Some goalies have a reputation of not being able to kick the ball very well. I cant fathom this, what exactly did they do in their lives, surely at some point when young they took a shot out nets and developed some skills in kicking the ball. There is no way they turned up with their goalie gloves, probably those nylon things with the rubber patches stitched on, and simply played in goals for their entire lifetime. One thing you notice if you spend any time sitting behind the goals is the positioning of the outfield players for a by kick. Our own goalie Mr Combe is a perfect example, when he takes one they all migrate to the left side of the park, WHY!? Can he not turn his body in any direction and kick it somewhere else? And if not? LEARN! Practice kicking balls in particular directions, that element of surprise may prove useful someday would you think. Or is it simply the fact that when a goalkeeper has limited kicking abilities its merely shorthand for saying the goalkeeper is pish.

The notoriously hard to please Kilmarnock fan: We have all heard it and some people now believe it, but no, wait a minute, all teams have their fickle supporters who pay cash every week to have a right good moan. Basically this is something that is perpetuated by lazy Scottish journalists, if they say it all the time them people will begin to think its true, well its not.

Q: Who’s the referee?
A: The guy in the black: Whoever says this just stop it. No uncovering here, just give it a rest.

And finally,
Mon you up here and sit wi me: Actually, I quite like this one, it has the perfect balance of humour and nonsensicalness (in you face Iain Dowie) to be shouted at the football. I think it means that the player who is having a nightmare should come up and sit in the stand and watch himself play like a big fat coo but then if he cant do two things at once, he cant watch himself play after all. Its generally shouted by the chap you don’t know but like to sit near cos he always comes away with some corkers.

And there we have it, Saturday wouldn’t be Saturday without all this mince I have just covered. Let me put this to you, if we had summer football you would never again hear the Yes, he's doing well but can he produce it on a rainy Tuesday night in January at Fir Park now would you, and frankly football would be a sadder place without it, but then summer football, that’s another argument.


Chuck Norris Wears Pasca Pyjamas

> After a day roundhouse kicking everyone he meets, world famous hardest man ever Chuck Norris then wears Pasca pyjamas to bed.

> Manuel Pascali was originally going to be a star in the latest series of TV show Heroes, however when the shows creators and writers put their heads together they couldn’t come up with a possible power that bad guy Sylar could steal that would allow him to elude Pasca’s power of the crunching tackle, they decided to cut him from the series. Pasca wasn’t too bothered though, plenty of time for TV later.

> When Pasca first saw the Pasca 20/20 flag at Love Street earlier this season he was overcome with a mix of emotions, pride due to seeing his countries flag, but also disappointment, after a chat with flag maker extraordinaire Gaz Stafford he realised that his disappointment was unfounded, 20/20 was a reference to an away day enhancer that comes in multi coloured liquid form not a prediction on how many crunching tackles and yellow cards he will get this season. Naturally, Pasca thought he’d get more.

> Pasca has a an acute sense of time, as soon as he sees the yellow card being pointed in his direction, he knows there is 85 minutes to go.

> Usain Bolt was sent a selection of videos featuring Pasca’s meaty challenges by fellow Jamaican icon Simon Ford as way to drum up some inspiration to run fast in the Olympic 100m final. “imagine your running away from dis!” was the note Jamaican national hero and reggae boy extraordinaire Si put in with the vids. It worked as Bolt broke the world record. However, you may have read that Bolt described his pre run routine a little different, TV and chicken nuggets? No mention of thanks for Pasca? Pasca read this too, but isn’t too worried, a three match ban is never too far away, plenty of time then to deal with the ungrateful beanpole, in his own immutable style you understand.

Ruud Kerouac
Killie Beat Writer

Wednesday 17 December 2008

Season Diary 32

Entry #32: Wednesday 17th December 2008

Today Ayr drew away at Lochee. Tee Hee. So its still up in the air where we will be going when our Scottish Cup campaign begins. Sorry, our Homecoming Cup campaign!

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Season Diary 31

Entry #31: Tuesday 16th December 2008


the name of the pub i watched the game in was Smiths, its not far from the bus station which was good because it was freezing and didnt want to walk to far (also my time keeping sucks, i was still on the bus when the game kicked off so the closer to the station the better for me or i would have missed a fair bit of the 1st half no doubt) plus it would be good for getting back home as today was the second day of my new job after all. Incidentally the buses between Ayr and Prestwick after tenish arent as frequent as i thought and i had to go into another pub and wait half an hour on the bus coming, did get to speak to an old uni friend who had recently had a child with his girlfriend and was looking forward to their first Christmas, also that pub had upside down christmas trees which was kinda cool. got home at 11ish which wasnt ideal but ok, in retrospect if i had been up at Motherwell (is it up?) i would probably have got back at a similar time. Maybe, actually now as i type that i doubt its validity, i will leave it all in now and show the internal machinations of my mind rather than take some time to find out if that would actually be the case.

Back the the football and my rather strange decision to watch Killie on the TV in an Ayr pub. the football was excellent, a two nil win away from home, Alan Russell grabbed his first for us and it was a belter, a really well taken goal and we got a clean sheet both big plusses. Motherwell are pure mince though. Thats six points we have taken off them this season, earlier it was a late Bryson goal which nicked it for us but last night it was just a good performance. Getting texts from thjose that were there and those who saw the first ten minutes that i didnt say that Pasca struggled at makeshift centre half but but in the 80 minutes i saw i thought he looked fine. Invincibile was taken off which is a blow but Flannigan came in and kept the shape. basically it was a great performance from us, considering the line up and the fact the postponed game last week meant that Fernandez's suspension rolled over a further week.

As i have mentioned i watched it in this pub called Smiths in Ayr, wheni got in Jon and his brother Gordon were watching it at the door with Gordons mate and his girlfriend, no sound so we we got punted through the the bar where the game was shown with the sound up. So the five of us were holed up in the furthest corner from the door out and also the toilet, after a few pints i needed a wee pee and i have to admit that i was a little aprehensive about going incase i got any hassle. What a shitebag eh? who in there right mind would hassle a tall speccy geek who just happens to support Killie. but alas i did have a tiny bit of worry in my mind. In fact as far as hassle goes all that there was was some nugget shouting "fuck the Killie" every once in a while i suppose aimed at us as well as the tv. Thank god we won because i wouldnt like to see how many people in the quite busy bar would have cheered a Motherwell goal. I suppose i better add that we all were cheering wildly when our goals went in but managed to contain myself from chanting Ayr Ayr fuck yer Ayr due to my current predicament.

Toward the end of the game we had some steaming local join us up in our wee corner, he must have been a Killie fan so the five became six for a while. I suppose i should also add that all five of us noticed at exactly the same time when he was shown in close up that Mark McGhee seemed to be wearing eyeliner but no website i have seen today seems to highlight it, i dont have apicture to show you but if five of us thought it at the same time then surely it must be true, surely? anyway, a good win and now a home game on Saturday versus St Mirren so a wee back to back win sequence would be swell.

Oh, and Smiths sells a delicious pint of lager.

Monday 15 December 2008

Season Diary 30

Entry #30: Monday 15th December 2008


Tonight is the Motherwell game away. Its live on the tv hence the fact that it is Monday. I should be going, it was always my intention to go, even when it was announced to be on Setanta, in fact especially because it was scheduled to be on tv, the Monday meant it wouldnt interfere with my Saturday shift in pub. But now i have a new job and today is my first day and it is playing havoc. Not time wise, time wise its cool i finish at five o'clock so i can be up for the bus to fir Park easy, no to get to and from my job i need my motor and thats where my problem lies. Basically my car isnt in the best of health and its MOT is due in about a week and i dont want any extra journeys (such as to Killie and back) in case it packs in on the way and i cant get to my new job the next day. If my car can get throught those work runs then i will be happy. Plus my worries about my vehicle mean i cant go spending money going to an away game in case my MOT show i need to spend some serious dough in repairs, not to mention what i will shell out for the MOT.

OK, that was a bit of a long winded excuse for the fact that tonight i am not going the the football, in fact as i sit here and write this i have been sent a text to say that a mate of mine from Ayr is watching the game in a pub down there so i am going to throw on my jacket grab my book and take the bus to Ayr from where i am in Prestwick and watch it with him and his brother. Smert laugh.

Saturday 6 December 2008

Season Diary 27

Entry #27: saturday 6th December 2008

Games off. What happened to all the undersoil heating pish? can see us getting a bollocking for this as the SPL rules for heating systems is so things like this dont happen. A cold snap during the week puts off a game in the SPL, shouldnt happen.



Which is mince cos i was looking forward to the football today, booooooo!

Thursday 4 December 2008

Season Diary 26

Entry #26: Thursday 4th December 2008
On the right is Wullie G and his now famous pink boots, not that he is the only player to wear them this week, Nicklas Bentner for Arsenal and karim Benzama for Lyon wore them this week but it was Wullies on saturday at Hamilton which commanded the match reports in the papers yesterday. On Saturday i recall mentioning how atrociaous they looked, and basically how all those bright coloured Nike Mercurial boots were proper bloody hideous.
SO.....
yesterday as i mentioned in entry #25, i was in an Ayr charity shop when i learned of the cup draw, well i parked the car at the small comercial site beside the Police station so i could go through and go to the shops behind MFI (follow where i am?) anyway, i was kind of fearful of leaving my car in that car park in case there was someone watching and noticed i never used the shops (yes, its a weird paranoia but a paranoia nonetheless) so i ha to chose which shop to use, Lidl or Brantano. I didnt need any messages and who browses a supermarket so i wandered into Brantano and found these belters to the right! My new five a side trainers. So after all my Wullie Gibson boot bashing i have now jumped on the bandwagon.
I should add that though this is an admission that i will ease up on the boots, it is merely the colour and design, it wont halt my frustration at the size! (wullie g, size 6 feet size 10 boots, madness)

Monday 1 December 2008

Season Diary 25

Entry #25: Monday 1st December 2008


Ayr away in the cup!!! xmas has came early!!

This was the exact text i recieved at 14:54 today, i was in a charity shop in Ayr looking for cheap books. Oh ya dancer! Except its not, because they still have to get through their tie with Lochee United, and thats not a guarantee. Its a strange feeling, should i root for Ayr so we get to play them or should i root for Lochee because that means they have been beat by a junior team? What a quandry!

This cup draw means history should be made come January, either we will be playing our last ever derby match at Scumerset (hopefully my first ever victory seen there, a possible point to all this?) or we will be the first Premier League team to play junior opposition in the Scottish Cup.

Or should that be the Homecoming Cup as that is what it has been branded this year. In fact what a tie, it should be on the TV, after all the Homecoming Cup refers to getting Scots home to the country for the 250th aniversary of Burns birthday so what better than an all Ayrshire derby? Hearts Hibs, thats what. Seems a poor decision considering the magnitude of the Ayrshire derby i think anyway.

Here is some other sample texts i recieved:

Ayr Ayr fuck ur Ayr! Black and white bastards we dont care, won fuck all and never will!
-Fest

I know, cannie believe it. i was explaining earlier to someone that Ayr away is my dream draw
-D

looking forward to a wee trip to the black hole of the world next month?
-Skimmy

Kinda sums up the excitement and the rivalry quite well i think. Roll on the 10th January and a trip to Scumerset. Well provided they beat the juniors!

Sunday 30 November 2008

Season Diary 24

Entry #24: Sunday 30th November 2008
Yesterday i braved the freezing cold and made my way to hamilton for the football. I shouldnt have bothered. As i wrote yesterday, my plan was to get the travel club bus up, and we did. I picked up Blackie on my way to Gareths and his mrs ran us down to the snooker club with just enough time for a quick beer before the bus. On top of us three, Fauldsy turned up for the bus and the reformed Sellic supporter Chambers arrived with seconds to spare.

The bus journey was largely uneventful, a bus to Hamilton takes roughyl an hour so we were in Lanarkshire for jsut after one. We were dropped outside the Railway Club where someone had phoned ahead to make sure we would get in alright. Personally i thought we had hit the jackpot, cheap booze in these places for definite. Well not this one, regularly priced pints of lager was what it sold, the cynic in me says that if we went upstairs to the bar area instead of the hall for events we were in (someones 21st was the night previous as ballons were still up) prices would be a little kinder but i never got to follow up on that theory. At the same time, i wasnt going to heavy on the booze because had a night out in Glasgow planned and didnt want to give the doormen a skoosh reason to turn me away. Anyway, we sat spread out, our bus of less than fifty, in a room that could have held about 250 and dranka dn talked and watched Hearts beat Rangers throught he medium of Sky Sports News, cos thats another thing about this place, they olny had Setanta upstairs where the cheap ale flowed like water (in my mind anyway). I picked out my super single for the day, Burnley (thank you Owen Coyle, the man who Killie tried to sign a hundred times in my youth but he always went elsewhere (he probably only turned us down the once but like Tommy Coyne, Willie Falconer etc, it was always to Motherwell, a real bone of contention for me when i was young)) who duly won and proved a highlight of the football day.

Thats because the Killie game was absolutly rotten! After having walked round to the game down a side alley way along the railway line (felt as if we were being set up for a doing or something) we got to the away stand, called the Spice of Life Stand as its named after a local Indian restuarant. I have often wondered why Killie dont get our stands sponsored, the East especially, i suppose this is the fear, it might be Poundland that came in with the best deal (the Poundland Stand does have a ring to it i must admit) Also to get to the Spice for Life Stand we had to pass the other stand at this ground; The Ried furniture Stand, commercialism is alive and well in this neck of the woods it would seem. As we approached the turnstile, of which there were only two open (only two actually there) it was pretty busy. £22 for adults, £11 for concessions. I radied my pockets for a ten spot. Nothing in the front pockets, nothing in the back, i even keeked in the wee johnny pocket in the hope of a late November miracle, it wasnt to be, i had to stump up the 22quid because all i had were purple notes, cant believe i am complaining about only having £20s but turns out i am.

So with the waiting about outside to get in we missed the kick off, this wasnt a problem for me as when we debated going at all (staying for drink in the Railway Club being the other option, not Xmas shopping in downtown Hamilton) i declared my long standing belief that i am not too bothered about missing kick offs as they are generally all the same, never any varaiation. Which is true as well. I also maintained that i am not too bothered missing an early goal, especially if its for Killie, takes the nervous edge off, were one nil up, i am not quite there yet but i can go in smiling instead of worrying about when we will get one.
What i would have given for an early goal, because this way dreadful. Really we are the most toothless team in the league, we just cant make any chances. We lined up without a recognised striker in the team and played Wullie G in the wing to swing some crosses in, to who exactly? Och, the less said about the game the better, we got beat one nil after Offiong scored Hamiltons solitary chance in the match plus it was absolutely freezing. Not a good combo.

Plus side is that this was my first visit to Hamiltons ground and i thought it was ok, fair enough they only have two stands (plus one that holds about 50 fans with a wee patio outside) but the first rows are about 7 feet off the ground meaning every seat is a good one, pity the views were only pishy Killie displays on the park or supermarkets.

It was frozen at the game and the mist was beginning to settle as the game ended, that i suppose was ok as we would be ona bus soon but i had a night out in glasgow to go on and the thought of walking about in the frozen fog wasnt too appealling. Didint stop me though and i am glad i went. It was a couple of mates birthday night out so we went to ashton lane then a place called Boho, my recollection of getting to this boho place was basically walking into the fog and not being able to see five yards in front of you, we walked and walked not being able to see buildings at our sides until someone shouted stop, we stopped an turned and there was Boho. However the highlight of the night for me and Fest and Gareth was when we met John Henry in The Loft in Ashton Lane, Fest spotted him when he was standing having a pee (Fest was peeing, not watching JH peeing) and asked him to come over and see us which he duly did. Top bloke is John Henry. the picture is Fest, John henry and myself and taken by Gareth, the beauty of cameras on phones is taking photos of sleeping drunk friends with toothpaste on their faces and moments like last night.

Saturday 29 November 2008

Season Diary 23

Entry #23: Saturday 29th November 2008

I am going to the football today, I have a rare Saturday off so i am going to Hamilton. As of yet i have no way of getting there because the Pyramid Club isnt open and i havent booked myself onto their bus but it shouldnt be a problem. Worse comes to worse i can get the number 16 bus through but i would rather get the Travel Club bus.

Its the Scottish Cup today, not for Killie but its the last round before we enter the draw so you can see who we could possibly get from todays results.

Thursday 27 November 2008

Season Diary 22

Entry 22: Thursday 27th November 2008

Over the two Saturdays past, both home games v Dundee Utd and ICT, Killie trivia questions that i thought up over a month ago have been debunked, first of all two weeks ago my "who are the five players to have the number 9 squad number since squad numbers were introduced?" was crapped on because it turns out i had missed one. I had Paul Wright, then by my recollection we signed big Michel Ngonge, however he didnt want to follow Paul Wright as number 9, he wanted 18, the 18 we had was a utility player called Sean Hessey, Ngonge wanted 9 but didnt want nine, he wanted 18, 1 plus 8 equals 9, Hessey said he would give up 18 if he got 9, he did and it was weird. Then i had the jersy going to Kris Boyd who wore it and scored a hatful before moving on, less said the better. Then it was Colin Nish and now its Alan Russell, all well and good, that makes five. Well no, i got a late night phone call to let me know i forgot one.

Gary McSwegan, cant believe i forgot about him, in season 2003-2004 he was number 9 after being 25 in his first season (the one before), Boydie wore 12 that year, when i was told i went home and checked, i had a wee inkling at the back of my head that it might not be, maybe they were mistaken, he was number 10 was he not? No, he was 9. Arse. Also the Kevin McGowne answer came up, as i knew it would but my actual question insulates me from this as squad numbers came to pass in the season 98-99 and McGowne doesnt count. The reason they mention this is because Killie had squad numbers in Europe after winning the cup. I dont know whos bright idea it was but they were allocated on alphabetical order so Big Kev was 9 ,but that falls outside of the time limit so doesnt count. I always thought that the Hessey answer was the tricky one, the one that would have got people thinking, how was i to know that my own question would goose me when it came right dow to it! Gary McSwegan!

See thats what happens with these types of questions, especially if they are dreamed up by dumb asses like me. I came up with it to test the usuals in the pub; Wee Cuthbert, big Aldo, Jake Sharp, big Davie and Burnett on a Sunday and the like, good Killie boys and they all accepted the 5 man answer (this question i had first asked back in mid October time, i was caught out at the end of November) but then one would ask another person at some point down the line if trivia questions come up in another pub (they do, regularly) and eventually Sweggy came out, 6 instead of 5, so i got caught out and insult to injury they arent slow in letting me know, not content to the next time they seen me a phone call at half 10 on a Saturday night was how i was told. So cheers for that fellas.

The next Saturday, it was the poser, name the 10 goalies to have played for Kilmarnock since we won the cup in 97. Thats 10, not including outfield players who have went in ala Gus McPherson who most people name first as if all you want to do is trip people up. No the question regards actual goalkeepers and till that day there was ten. Here goes.

Drago for starters, he won the cup and played on till he was sold to some Spanish mob, he was replaced by Gordon Marshall (in my opinion he could be the finest goalie i have ever seen in a Killie strip), both these keepers had excellent scoreboard animations, Drago had a dragon which scrolled down to a smiling baby dragon or a face made out of the dragons knees or something, alwasy confused me actually. And Gordon Marshall, he had "you've been halted....by the Marshall" Hands down my favourite scoreboard animation (2nd place goes to the three stooges) Melly was back up to both these guys and so makes three. Francios Duberdeau was in there somewhere (THE worst goalie i have ever saw) Craig Samson (goes to expo) played a game too, a defeat in what has been my only visit to Aberdeen, Colin Stewart played in a mauling we gave Hibs, and Michael Watt too, all in some sort of order which i dont know off the top of my head. Then comes the recent ones Graeme Smith played before following the cash to Ibrox, Chad Harpur, who my dad for no reason calls Chud, and so now do i and my brother, again for no reason, just Chud as well too, not Chud Harper, just Chud, i i was to put it in a sentence the sentence would be "god, i hope Chud isnt on the bench today" And Alan Combe our current number 1. this meandering rubbish has a point as such though as that Combe went off injured and the answer became 11. Welcome to the killie first team Damien (Dizzy) Rascale, in your 45 minutes on the park you became the second Frenchman to guard our goal and already the best!

Anyway, the fitba, the Dundee United game showed me that our team is one which only plays when confident, we scored a penalty on the stroke of hal time and came out a new team for the seconf half, i feel that if we hadnt scored then probably we would never had! But we scored again and it was a topper and down at our Moffat Stand end too!

Inverness game saw our newest number 9 make his first start, it wasnt impressive if i tell the truth, but then the whole team were crap. Turning on the stye with half an hour to go and two nil down isnt the way to do it. the fact we had a chance to grab a draw is immaterial. The two goals we lost were defensive boobs and goalkeeping boobs in the first half. Combe never came out for the second half, an injury that to my knowldge hasnt came to light. Sub Wullie G came on and showed flashes that he could be a player scoring one and getting taken down for the penalty, my worry is that for a left winger he only kicks with his right and he never goes to the byeline, a frustrating enigm,a of a player he is. To wrap things up he won a penalty with minutes remaining and us down two one. Mehdi stepped up after not hitting our pen the week before (Hammill hit it and scored, Mehdi has since revealed an old habit from his days in France meant that if he was brought down for the penalty he doesnt hit the resultant spot kick, Wullie G went down this week so Mehdi places the ball) and blasts it high and wide, gutted. Fact of the matter was that we got exactly what we deserved from the game, sweet f.a.

Other info from this period where i havent posted much, a guy called Armand One has been reperted to be training with us. he has been released by soem Finnish mob i think, he still lives in Scotland from his time as a player of Cowdenbeath and Partick Thistle. Not knocking him or anything but he was reported in the papers as saying he read that JJ was looking for a tall striker so asked for a trail, is this really what it has come to?

Monday 17 November 2008

Do We Learn Anything?

Article appeared in Killie Hippo 84 (out 15th November 2008)

Do We Learn Anything?
(a story of apathy, training methods and fear from the Glasgow Science Centre)
(well not exactly from, as I have never been)
(but then who has?)

I really want to be positive about this season because it has really gone well I feel, good results here and there, a together looking squad, far removed from last year, I have written a fair few articles in here in past few years and it is nice to write positive things, but I sit here on the Friday after our CIS, Co-op or whatever its branded, league cup exit and I find myself unsure, I even left writing this an extra day as I could have easily written it yesterday but didn’t want to spout all sorts of venomous vitriol about the Quarter final game because its not really synonymous to our season. But as it happens I feel the same today so may as well give it both barrels because I fear these problems could rear their head at any point here on in. The game as you know ended three one.

After the game while walking back to my car I looked forward to the first person to utter the famous phrase "we were shite but there not much better" because sadly that statement is a load of meaningless bollocks, especially said after last nights display, I decided to go into the pub to wait for the traffic to calm down (I use this as an excuse, I could easily used; wanted to see end of Arsenal game or fancied a can of juice, however none of that’s true I was basically spoiling for an argument) someone did utter that stupidest of stupid sayings but I didn’t have the heart to take him to task, his girlfriend had their first child earlier in the week.

So effectively I am taking it that whoever reads this has said that thing to me, so this is how I would reply. Celtic were streets ahead of us, playing neat little triangles and breaking at pace when the opportunity arises. Personally it makes me wonder what we actually do when we go up to Glasgow to train, play hide and seek perhaps. Games like these show up how much fitter the old firm seem in comparison to us, this is something which can be easily reversed, we may not be able to bring in the top players or pay the greatest wages but surely we can get our team fitter than anyone else, we are a full time club with full time players, super fitness should be an easy attribute to acquire and keep for professional SPL players, we can harry them for 90minutes, close them down. It is also worth noting that pass and move exercises are performed by every team of all ages in every training session in every town in every country in every universe, and exercises where shutting down these passing movements are performed also, god, I did it when I trained, its the fundamentals!

Its these fundamentals that we seem to lack. Other gripes about training, why cant we defend corners. Scott MacDonald scored a header, that’s Scott MacDonald who a week earlier was described as one of Celtic seven dwarves, a wee mistake on our part then? It would seem no, he missed a further two or three headers from corners also, how does this happen? Free kicks that are played into our box, again in every training session in Britain you defend your 18 yard line, we don’t. somewhere closer to ten yards out is ok by us, where did we learn this? So set plays haven’t been mastered to any degree it would seem and even if they were the fact that it happens repeatedly in games means that we learn nothing from week to week, hell, from corner to corner. When attacking? Any set plays we had ourselves were wee floated in poofy balls that are meat and drink to the Caldwell’s of this world, no variation or anyone who looked like they had a clue. Turning defence into attack, non existent, this would come under the fitness aspect I suppose though, which I have covered and to reiterate WE DONT MATCH UP! Finally, err, do we ever shoot?

Tactics chosen seem odd, we change our system to play only these two teams, one man up front (our winger) one in behind. Two breakers in the middle, two wingers (our two most creative centre mids). it didn’t work, we didn’t change it. When watching the Man U v Celtic game a week earlier I felt that Strachan bottled the tactics battle. He played a Killie move against them. But why didn’t he pick out their weaknesses and punish them? make the game work for him, he had an opportunity with his wingers to crucify Gary Neville in the right back role, show Fergie that he is done as a Man U player, he never and Neville was allowed to push on and assist in the demolition instead of being hemmed back and ran ragged. Now that’s not to say that that would exactly happen but its would have been at the very least a showing of attacking tactics! Roll onto Wednesday and we can look at the Celtic line up, weak link possibly? Wilson at left back? He is predominantly right footed and cant tackle with his left foot, a perfect opportunity to put our right winger (Danny) up against him put him under pressure by going outside again and again. Make Strachan change his team. Again these things are great in hindsight and I am merely a punter, who am I exactly to come up with elaborate tactics to break down oppositions? Indeed, but then these managers are paid big money to come up with ways of getting results surely and us punters are only there to watch, yes watch from our elevated position in the stands (positions where team shape and players performances are far easier spotted, far easier than say pitch level where it is impossible to see exactly what positions the players on the other side of the field have taken up) but I digress…..

Back to my point, there seems to be a blatant lack of coaching in our players. It would be good if the fans all club together, a quid each and hire out the powerleague and see what actually goes on in a Killie training session, if were paying for it then surely they cant refuse? or like other aspects of our esteemed club (they're disregard of the website poty for instance, we are constantly asked to get out and support our team, our players but when they are asked to support us it’s a different story it seems to me) they are far more happy when they hide from they people who pay to see them and love them unconditionally. What a truly frightening combination that is after all.

Basically that’s how I feel, I could go into detail about my disappointment in certain players performances, but what would be the point. I could talk about the poor refereeing seen again this season, tell me how the common man can get behind these guys when they are paid £800 a week minimum for a second income! yellow cards for first tackles for our players, Caldwell makes ten fouls adjudged to be the ref merit able in stopping the play but he goes uncarded, but again what would be the point. I could talk about self belief, it too seems to be lacking, from comments from our players and our manager in particular it doesn’t seem to me that he feels we can beat them so basically were onto plums before a ball is kicked. Every other team in the league give the big two a good go every once in a while, I struggle to think when we did last, it gets to the point where I dread these games, including even the point this season where we came into our games against them unbeaten!

But no, the thing that stood out predominantly for me on Wednesday was the poor levels of fitness and obvious lack of the basic fundamentals that we are all taught from an early age. I haven’t played football to any sort of level in my life but I do know that at its core football hasn’t changed, the players may have, but the basics remain the same.

Saturday 15 November 2008

Season Diary 21

Entry #21: Saturday 15th November 2008

No one told me dundee United were ten games unbeaten. this afternoon should be good, i expect a big travelling support. Ten games unbeaten? You have got to be kidding.

Thursday 13 November 2008

Season Diary 20

Entry #20: Thursday 13th November 2008

Decided not to go back to posting after the second half. Another gubbing at Celtic Park and thankfully i never missed the famous victory that will wipe out more than 50 years of nae wins! I think that would be a nice thing to happen in this season (any season) for this diary as much as anything, were out the league cup and our league championship chances look slim (!) so that would give it a point. Yes i am still looking for a point.

Anyway a whole raft of games left before we have to play the Old Firm again so plenty of time to get the oppositons goalies kit dirty (Mark Brown didnt have asave i dont think last night) and i for one am looking forward to it. I shall ignore JJ and BB's coments about last night, by that i mean not read then rather than simply not report them, i will probably just get upset. We have our number nine hopefully fit, Mr alan Russell, and i hope he proves me wrong because i personally didnt fancy him when we signed him, but as i say; think positive! Its onwards and upwards now, Dundee Utd on Saturday and that bawnut Craig Levein moaning his way through 90 minutes, well i hope he is moaning.

Wednesday 12 November 2008

Season Diary 19

Entry #19: Wednesday 12th November 2008

Killie game is on at this very moment, first time i have written while match is going on, kinda weird. Anyway, no way was i going to Celtic Park tonight, its a shame because when the fixtures were announced i highlighted this one as a away game i would get to. Sadly our pathetic performances versus the big two means i havent wasted my money. its 1-0 to celtic as i type. Sheridan. Was listening to the radio on the tv but it was some sort of open all mikes thing that Sportsound are doing, not really sure whether i like it, so i have put on the full commentary online and decided to type too. On top of that, i have a stream off some foreign website going on another window but its maybe twenty seconds late so if anything happens i can flick it up and watch, feel bad bout having it on actually.

a wee shake up in the line up incidentally, Corrigan is at centre half which i am actually happy about, i remember him getting called the kaiser or something when at motherwell and wanted to see that sort of thing for us. he is almost been here a year!

Half time.

Im back, im back again!

two bets up in a row, the boy is back. sadly they are worth next to nothing but its nice to be a winner. had a fiver on Brechin on Saturday, their odds were slashed without me knowing though so instead of almost getting a tenner abck i got £8.50, ho hum cos i am back in the saddle. last night i had arsenals babes against Wigan. three one win sees me pick up £9.75 for my £6.75 on. Again small gains but a winner beats a loser any day.

I am conflicted about whether to bet tonight, i fancy East Stirling to beat Annan but seriously, East Stirling! i cant be thinking right.

Tuesday 11 November 2008

Season Diary 18

Entry #18 Tuesday 11th November 2008

The first email type post that i promised i was going to bring when i first started this. these went back and forward today.

RK: oh the killie are pish!

D: After such a bright start we've fell away horribly, why every team can compete with the old firm bar us is beyond me. We make them look brilliant every time we play them, and the annoying thing is there no!

RK: the thing that bugs me is that we dont take either a positive or a negative stance agaisnt them, its not backs against he wall and we will maybe grab something at a corner or a free kick, or we dont go out and harry them at every situation. ala jerome varaille in the late ninties, and we dont go out and have a go early doors like we did when gary mac was our box to box midfielder. we just dawdle through the game offering nothing for the fans to get gee'd up about.

D: Its depressing, I dread playing them cause its just a case of how many. If I hear from another celtic fan 'its always a tough game at rugby park' I'll scream because its there biggest banker of the season and anything but a tough game for the old firm. Can't even see a glimmer of anything about it changing. We seem to be worse at rugby park as well than we are in Glasgow. You just wanna put a rocket up every single one of them.

RK: fernandez was screaming at simmonds in the second half cos he his head was down and he wasnt pressing the gaem, which was good to se, what would have been better was one of ours screaming at ferdy and telling him to stop playing for fouls all the time and try and do something positive! in fact it was his fault for the first goal, not playing the whistle he let this man take the ball and a corner followed (goal!) while he was screaming for a foul, he then chased the referee about this so called foul. also JJ doesnt seem to think we can do anything agaisnt them and it show in the tepid performances we get in these games. dont get me wrong i dont expect great things in every game but a spirited display that makes the rangers and celtics have to actually do some work for a change would be nice.

by the way, did you hear the rangers party songs on the telly?

D: I heard the infamous famine song, what were the party songs?

RK: god, we were treated on sunday! the famine song, no surender, whos the fenian in the black and wait for it... the sash! not heard that in long enough! i see david murrays anti bigotry campaigns are going well.

D: and they say there victimised.

the only solution is too deduct points if any bigoted or racist songs are sung by any group of fans, a fine doesnt mean anything to the fans as its not them that has too pay it. If the sfa or spl did that it would go away over night as the fans would police themselves. Do they have the cohona's to do it, I doubt it

RK: yer right, fines mean nothing to anyone, points affect the fans who do it and if points keep getting taken away then the players wont want to sign,why would they, constantly hamstrung by bigoted idiots! i got a pile o old rangers programmes a wee while ago, dug out the Killie ones and passed them on, anyway, thirty years ago they had their code of conduct, no drinking on the buses, pishing in the streets sort of things and bogoted songs were mentioned. 30yearts on nothing has changed, would be good if someone pointed this out i the media or something. they try but clearly not hard enough. fuck if any other company business, family etc had a problem for thirty years would they be allowed to prosper they way rangers have? eh no. sadly its sectarianism and bigotry that is there biggest money spinner, if they never pedalled that then they would have killie esque crowds.

D: did chambers tell you of his new switched allegiance, and that he was on talksport talking to Ian Wright about why he has moved too the Killie side.

Chrissy will not be too happy about his change of team

RK: fuck i listened to it mate! plus i had to sit beside him at the fitba on sunday. ye can understand his point of view though.

D: too be fair politically me and chambers stand pretty much side by side on a lot of things.

Its just quite funny because Chrissy isn't too happy about it, he was saying on sunday if he ever asks for a champions league ticket again or a ticket for any big game he'll be told where too go.

RK: i would like to hope he wouldnt. if he is brave enought to make a stand on the radio and change allegiance. them he should stick by it. if he says he is going to be a killie fan thats fine, or a motherwell fan whatever, who cares but it wont come instantly, you dont instantly become the biggest fan ever overnight. speaking to him on sat and sun though he was genuinely angry and basically it compounded all the gripes he has had with celtic suporting all season. good for him i say that he has seent hrough all the baggage and bullshit, suppose its for us to watch now to see where it goes from here. ie wednesday night!

D: chrissy was asking if it bothered me on sunday, i told him not really because it has been on the cards for a while and its not glory hunting supporting a team that lets be honest have very little glory. He just wants too hang about with his pals on a saturday and since the vast majority go too rugby park you can understand it. Plus he has reasons like being an ex-forces and having a brother in the forces who are not welcomed exactly at celtic park by a minority of the cretins that dwell there.

Clearly bothers chrissy though, haha

RK: i cany understand how though? chalmers has spoke about his discomfort bein around silly wee dicks talking bout theior opinions of the british army in ireland and that when they know jack shit. i pretty proud o him actually, not cos he chose killie, as you say its more about him wanting to spend time wi pals and also cos he actually likes being from killie (community spirit and all that) but becuase he saw past the small mindedness that we as non bigoted citizens have been hoping people would at some point or another.

D: he deserves a statue outside the burns mall, or at least his name on a brick on the moffat stand

Monday 10 November 2008

Season Diary 17

Entry #17 Monday 10th November 2008

See that pal of mine from Sunday, the ex Celtic man, well he only went and called TalkSPORT and spoke on the air about his disgust with what the Celtic fans did and how he is changing his alegiance to Killie. Sadly he was talking to Ian Wright and Adrian Durham who dont care one jot about Scottish football and it shows when their show touches on it, good broadcasters but sadly one dimensional. Anyway, thats by the by, whats important was the call. Well done chalmers!

Sunday 9 November 2008

Season Diary 16

Entry #16: Sunday 9th November 2008

Got myself a freebie after all, pulled a few strings and got a ticket from the Killie Trust. Though i am grateful and all wish i hadnt bothered, what a waste of time. At half time i really thought we were onto something, not because we were playing any scintilating stuff, no more because the luck we were experienceing was unlike any seen in any 45 minutes of football at the theatre of pies. Kris Boyd had a penalty saved and then cracked the crossbar with a free kick. surely our luck was in, since that man left us for them he has scored in every single encounter at our ground, was this to be different? The answer is no, he scored one in the second half to keep up his record and his goal was added to by a further three more, four nil defeat, cant say i was surprised though.

I also must add that i turned to my mate next to me and said when he lined up for his penalty, "he has to miss sometime" and he duly obliged, I felt good about this, it was a good feeling in a game of mainly bad ones.

Oh, the friend i speak of is a guy who gave up supporting Celtic as recently as yesterday, he is ex forces and felt that the final straw in his gradual split up from Celtic was their fans (minority it must be added) protest and disrespect for Armistace Sunay and the poppy appeal. He did quite well i suppose, seemed keen to know the players names and that, he did continually call kenny Miller a judas so i suppose old habits die hard!

Anyway, thats that game out the way, only Wednesday to go and we dont have to have the bigots in our thoughts for a while, well into the new year actually! Yeah!

Saturday 8 November 2008

3 on the bounce

my gambles losing streak has stretched to three. Back down to a tenner which sucks. Inter Milan let in three crazy goals in Cyprus (Cyprus!) to draw three each and leave my 17quid with mr william hill and then Dynamo Kiev blew a lead to get beat 2-1 by Porto at home. Basically that 60quid away in three gambling days. decided to have a wee rest on Thursday, collect my thoughts. I had my eye on Ajax at 1/3 if i had got back to winning ways, but i didnt so i left them, they won one nil. lesson learnt though i just got a bit greedy and a lot excited.

So its a fiver on this afternoon, good luck me.

Season Diary 15

Entry #15: Saturday 8th November 2008

Well wouldnt you believe it, Billy Brown came out and said more or less what i did on Wednesday in his column in the Record! Of course in the weird world i live in i never read Wednesday paper (which has Tuesdays news in it) till Friday (yesterday) but that doesnt take away from the monumental fact that for once "one of our ain" has came out and said what the fans are thinking. His line about Celtic folk saying in the press that we are thugs who put the boot in and Nakamura complaining that he had been kicked off the park and couldnt come back out for second half due to injury was priceless. The fact that we were vilified for putting a man out the second half but he could still make the bench on Sunday and Wednesday was put by BB in stark contrast to the fact that Gary Caldwell put Fernandez out for 18months and he wasnt crucifed in the papaers by Kilmarnock players or officials. Double standards all the way. BB i salute you!

thats enough talk of Celtic, it seem to have taken over the last wee while. enough talk i suppose till midweek when we play them again.

Rangers tomorrow and i dont have a ticket, my Moffat ticket idea seems to have went awry at some point, might pick myself up a freebie before 2pm tomorrow but, you never no! Its a fact that we havent beaten them at home since Tom Black scored the winner in the last game at the old Rugby Park in our first season back in the big time! 14 years ago! I remember being at that game, behind the goals at the Rugby road end, down the front, thinking Andy Millen was going to score when he went clean through and put it wide, then the man with the best moustache ever scored the only goal. how it happened escapes me at he moment, if i am honest the biggest memory of the game was that Mark Hateley played at centre half, supposedly because it was a career path he was going to follow, ala Gullit. He was awful and never played there again, we won and gave ourselves the chance to stay up, on the last day at Easter Road and the rest is history. I shall have a wee look on youtube see if i can find the highlights of our last win v the Gers at ruggers.

Found it!



Cany believe i forgot that goal, a free kick, it was always going to be a free kick, he was a free kick specialist back in the days we had such a thing. Tam Black, god, i bet he cant beliee he was the last Killie player to score teh winner v Rangers at home. a victory is long overdue!

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Season Diary 14

Entry #14: Wednesday 5th November 2008

Just catching up with the weekend papers about the football. A bit late yes but reading throught them all the same. The Aberdeen game we lost, but the attacks on us by Celtic manager and some players about our bully boy tactics last wednesday. Mura'sNakas was picked on and came in for some heavy handed challenges according to Strachan (i used ot really like Strachan, his quips were always funny and he came across as a good football man, then he took the Celtic jobs, got snowed under with all the bile and paranoia and now he comes across as nothing more than an arse) and the silky tippy tappy scotland cap that is Scott Brown.

WELL FUCK THEM!


I wish our management team or chairman would show some balls and come out and defend us, even at the detriment of starting some sort of war of words. really, it would maybe stoke some fires in the belly for our trip to Parkhead next week. Why cant we cobble together a video of off colour challenges from the cup game and bookend them with the Fernandez challenge of two seasons ago, the amount of times Celtic resorted to cynical fouls in order to get themsleves back in position was alarming, shirt pulling, blatant obstructions, the lot, why dont we show this to the media, packaged nicley it highlight our plight. Teh Fernandez assault in particular shows what a "doing" actually is, and its not in the slightest like the hard but fair tackles put in on Celtics special teams player. In fact another incident i remember was from our 1st game of the season last year, we held Celtic to a nil nil if you recall. Wullie (Wullie) Gibson goes to go past John Kennedy and enter the box, Kennedy squares off his knee so Gibson has to go over it, effectively tackling him above the knee, he goes down and its a Killie free kick, all in the game i suppose, a cynical foul but a good one. But you have to remember that Kennedy himself was the victim of the most cynical of fouls while on international duty and had the sympathy of all Scottish football after that, for me when he did that it was a big kick in the teeth, how could he do that and risk injuring another player. These little incidents are forgotten.

My gamble at the weekend had me win with Leeds on Saturday afternoon and then Barca at night. Kitty increased to 70quid ish. 6 in a row! No bet on Sunday but £35 on Brum on Monday, they got beat! Gutted is not the word, thought i was untouichable, so much for that. Inter Milan made it two losses on the bounce last night also, drawing three each with a Cypriot team, a Cypriot team! managed by Temuri Ketsbaia who is most famous for kicking advertisment boards at Newcastle. The special one was not happy, and neither was Inter boss Mourinho!

Saturday 1 November 2008

Season Diary 13

Entry #13: 1st November 2008

Aberdeen away today, I'm not going, no chance. Bus would have left by now anyway.

Only been to Aberdeen once, enough to tick it off my list of Scottish grounds i suppose. It was the 3rd of January i went, a good few years ago now. Craig Samson made his only appearane for Killie in that game. Our bus left Macks bar at 8o'clock or something, i was still rough from Ne'erday, ate my breakfast in MacDonalds and spewed it up before Fenwick. We got off the bus and walked up a hill, incidentally the taxi rank where we got off was the strippers but we didnt know, instead we went to three of the worst pubs i have ever set foot in and got a taxi to the game, empty stomach i was drunk roughly half an hour after we arrived in Aberdeen. A brucie bonus, its as if i had known what was coming up next! Sportsound informed us that it was one nil to Aberdeen while we were still in the taxi. We still went and got beat 3-1. It was freezing, the seats are just put onto old terracing meaning they are seriously uncomfortable, there is always hundreds of seagulls (seagulls terrify me) and its hours away on a bus.

I suppose basing my opinions on a trip on a freezing cold third day of the new year isnt the best idea but really i cant see me back in Aberdeen anytime soon, i have maintained since then that Scottish Cup or league decider (!) would be the only way to change my mind.

Of course i am talking bollocks, i would go back if it was a European game also.

A draw would be nice today, and hopefully Killie turn it on again and do it for all they hardy bastards that do what i dont and trek all the way up there to follow us. Roll on 10to5 and a Killie victory creeping up the vidprinter.......................................

Friday 31 October 2008

Season Diary 12

Entry #12: Friday 31st October 2008

When i first started this diary thing i wasnt sure what i was really going to say and i kind of hoped that what with our great start to the season it would be a chance to write positive things and record good memories. After Wednesdays debacle i find myself unsure, i even left this post an extra day as i could have easily written it yesterday but didnt want to spout all sorts of venomous vitriol about the Quarter final game. But as it happens i feel the same today so may as well give it both barrels. The game ended three one as it happens.

After the game while walking back to my car i looked forward to the first person to utter the famous phrase "we were shoote but there not much better" because sadly that statement is a load of meaningless bollocks, especially said after last nights display, i decided to go into the pub to wait for the traffic to calm down (i use this as an excuse, i could easily used; wanted to see end of Arsenal game or fancied a can of juice, however none of thats true i was basically spoiling for an arguement) someone did utter that stupidist of stupid sayings but i didnt have the heart to take him to task, his girlfriend had their first child earlier in the week.
So effectively i am taking it that whoever reads this has said that thing to me, so this is how i would reply. Celtic were streets ahead of us, playing neat little triangles and breaking at pace when the opportunity arises. Personally it makes me wonder what we actually do when we go up to glasgow to train, play hide and seek perhaps. Games like these show up how much fitter the old firm seem in comparison to us, this is something which can be easily reversed, we may not be able to bring in the top players or pay the greatest wages but surely we can get our team fitter than anyone else, we are a full time club with full time players, super fitness should be an easy attribute to aquire and keep for professional SPL players. It is ilso worth noting that pass and move exercises are performed by every team of all ages in every training session in every town in every country in every universe, and exercises where shutting down these passing movements are performed also, god i did it when i trained, its the fundamentals!

Its these fundamentals that we seem to lack. Other gripes about training, why cant we defend corners. Scott macdonald scored a header, thats Scott macDonald who a week earlier was described as one of celtic seven dwarves, a wee mistake on our part then? It would seem no, he missed a further two or three headers from corners also, how does this happen? Free kicks that are played into our box, again in every training session in britian you defend your 18 yard line, we dont. somewhere closer to ten yards out is ok by us, where did we learn this? So set plays havent been mastered to any degree it would seem and even if they were the fact that it happens repeatedly in games means that we learn nothing from week to week, hell, from corner to corner. When attacking? Any set plays we had ourselves were wee floated in poofy balls that are meat and drink to the Caldwells of this world, no variation or anyone who looked like they had a clue. Turning defence into attack, non existant, this would come under the fitness aspect i suppose though, which i have covered and to reiterate WE DONT MATCH UP! Finally, er, do we ever shoot?

Tactics chosen seem odd, we change our system to play only these two teams, one man up front (our winger) one in behind. Two breakers in the middle, two wingers (our two most creative centre mids). it didnt work, we didnt change it. When watching the Man U v celtic game a week earlier i felt that Strachan bottled the tactics battle. He played a Killie move against them. But why didnt he pick out their weaknesses and punish them? make the game work for him, he had an opportunity with his wingers to crucify Gary Neville in the right back role, show Fergie that he is done as a Man U player, he never and Neville was allowed to push on and assist in the demolition instead of being hemmed back and ran ragged. Now thats not to say that that would exactly happen but its would have been at the very least a showing of attacking tactics! Roll onto Wednesday and we can look at the Celtic line up, weak link possibly? Wilson at left back? He is predominantly right footed and cant tackle with his left foot, a perfect opportunity to put our right winger (Danny) up against him put him under pressure by going outside again and again. Make Strachan change his team. Again these things are great in hindsight and i am merely a punter, but then these managers are paid big money to come up with ways of getting results surely.

Self belief seems to be lacking, from comments from our players and our manager in particular it doesnt seem to me that he feels we can beat them so basically were onto plums before a ball is kicked.

But to get back to my point, there seems to be a blatant lack of coaching in our players. It would be good if the fans all club together, a quid each and hire out the powerleague and see what actually goes on in a killie training session, if were paying for it then surely they cant refuse? or like other aspects of our esteemed club (they're disregard of the website poty) they are far more happy when they hide from they people who pay to see them and love them unconditionally. What a truely frightening combination that is after all.

Basically thats how i feel, i could go into detail about my disapointment in certain players performances, but what would be the point. I could talk about the poor refereeing seen again this season, tell me how the common man can get behind these guys when they are paid £800 a week minimum for a second income! yellow cards for first tackles for our players, Caldwell makes ten fouls adjudged to be the ref meritable in stopping the play but he goes uncarded, but again what would be the point. the thing that stood out for me on Wednesday was the obvious lack of the basic fundamentals that we are all taught from an early age. I havent played football to any sort of level in my life but i do know that at its core football hasnt changed, but the players have.



Because only one stand was given to away fans the moffat stand lay empty so fans were encouraged to bring their flags to be laid out. Sadly it all seemed a bit half arsed, the official sponsors ones were centre and pulled taut the rest maybe not so, mines is up there, to the right of the big strip all crumpled up. bit of a shame. its a good idea though and hopefully they flags get laid out in the big unused spaces in future. Our flag is three bars, blue white and blue with KFC stitched onto it. its been at ibrox, hampden, Dens, Stranraer, the piggery, shelboure and Nice to name a few. Hopefully it'll go further afield next year!

My gamble on Wednesday was Everton who obliged me with a last minute winner. 11and a half on won just over £30. So Saturday sees 15ish quid onto my single. Joy. Rest assured it wont be going on Killie!

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Season Diary 11

Entry #11: 29th October 2008

Surely we have a chance tonight, surely we do, we do dont we? Celtic in the Co-op quarter final tonight and i am hopeful. Not confident, hopeful.

Lets look at the evidence, Celtic got skelpt last week in Manchester and their reasons were that they had none of their big strikers, Samaras, Vennegoor and Killen. Well Samaras has tortured us at Rugby Park on his two appearances here so glad he is out and Vinegar has scored against us ans i always liked Killen as a player when at Hibs, always wanted us to try get him on loan. Anyway, that leaves "fatbhoy" Scott MacDonald and Cillian Sheridan, Sheridan no-one knows shit about but MacDonald really shouldnt strike any fear into us, i mean at the end of the day he is still the wee Australian guy who did fuck all at Ruggers when he was a Motherwell player, is he not? Plus he is "fat".

Actually who knows what team wee gord will put out agaisnt us and for that matter what team we will see in blue and white. I have my ticket, main stand, and hopefully we'll win. as i probably mentioned celtic are only getting one behind tghe goals stand and ticket prices have been reduced so the idea is thta us Killie fans will get out and behind our team, by looks of things this might not be the case but i still hope.

Saturday there we were robbed against Falkirk at home, i say robbed, we were pants poor but still probably deserved a point, cant remember Falkir making a clear cut chance apart from their two goals, a statement which seems strange but when you look at their goals which came form a horible Combe mistake and the dodgiest penalty ever (at least this week, Killie seem to have the monopoly on terrible penalty decision against us this season) them apart they created nothing. our goal, the first of the season for Donovan Simmonds was a good one but as it was in injury time it was too little too late. Would like to see the big man get a wee run in the team incidentally.

i say it was too little too late, it really shouldnt have been, there should have been at least another three or four minutes injury time but our referee deemed only three minutes were all we were getting. The referee in question is Mr Mike McCurry, remember him, he was our referee when Celtic were last down here, funnily enough on the day the national newspapers ran stories about him, this was covered in an earlier post so i will simply describe his ineptiude in this match. He was completely conned for the penalty, Barrett falls infront of our man Hamill but stages it in such a manner that as he is halfway down and stopped, Hammill can nudge him on the arse to seal the deal. Never a penalty, its baltant cheating. As much as i think McCurry is hopeless i feel slightly sorry for referees in general, their job is made that much harder due to the incessant cheating of the players on the aprk, from stealing five yards with a throw in or taking ocrners outside that wee marking, whats the point? But making the most of defenders to win penalties takes the biscuit. Its no wonder they get things wrong because they have to have eyes on the back of their heads to keep an eye on teh cheating players! STOP IT! Play the game right ya shower of dicks! All that said McCurry is an experienced ref and should have seen the challenge for what it was, a dive and gave a by kick. Something McCurry can take full blame of however is the injury time played. Most of it came from the sending off where Stevie Lovell kicks out at Hammill (he features a lot in this game) then thumps his face into the ground. The mellee that ensued took roughly three and a half minutes to clear up then the linesman shouts him over for a chat, another minute or two, but the board comes up on 89mins with 3 minutes injury time on it, what the fuck? Fairs fair, we the fans are the most important and we pay to see whole games so its time stuff like that is sorted out.

All in all a bad day at the office, i went back to work after the match knowing that the Killiefc.com POTY was being held in there and Combe was coming to pick up his trophy for his displays last year, well i was foaming at the mouth when he boobed for the first goal so it was refreshing to hear him put his hands up and accept responsibility for his part in the goal when he made a speech after recieving his award. Good bloke. Sad matter of the POTY awards ceremony was the lack of people at it, both website users and club representatives. From the club only Combe himself turned up, kudos to him however the cynic in me says he would have made it if he hadnt won it. It is really surprising that a club which constantly asks its fans to support them adn get behind the players doesnt support us the fans in return. Surely it would have been a good idea to get the players out amongst the fans to speak to them and strike up some bonds. Players like Danny Invincible and Willie Gibson who take pelters from groups of fans could have got a positve turn in reaction had they bothered to come. Its sad but it seems that our players think they are better than the fans who support them, they will learn that this isnt true and its a short career and the adulation and people whoa re keen to talk to them will dwindle as the years go on. We are crying out for some sort of PR person who would see these things for what they are, positive ways of creating a positive fanbase and not jsut a waste of fifteen or twenty minutes of pampered players time. The website users were thin in their numbers too, for a variety of reasons i am sure, poor show i would say considering soem have thousands of posts in their time on that site so it obviously is a integral aprt of their lives, but dont want to support it when the time comes to come from behind their online persona and avator.

Nothing much happened in the week preceeding the Falkirk match, we cant play an italian trialist in our games so we sent him to Dundee where i think he couldnt play either, great, and it now looks like he wont be signing. i have been informed that he is good in the fountian of all football knowledge that is Football Manager so we might actually be missing out here. To bring this segment full circle, i considered applying for the vacant Dundee job, it only required a CV and covering letter i think, but didnt because i havent played FM in about a year! It would be good if some eccentric chairman of some nohoper non league Englsih team decided to give a FM geek a go, in fact that would make a terrific British comedy idea, i think i will put together a wee treatment!

Motherwell game the week before, won one nil, a late winner from Bryson the highlight of a dull game. Nothing much else to report except that i am becoming increasingly despondant about my hopes of landing a coupon this season. so Bryson's goal was the highlight of my weekend that weekend. (provided you dont count Holly Willoughby, who i say it as Why-loaby and think i am great and dead cool but my girl says it Willow-booby which is actually far better, Holly is the highlight of my weekend most weekends these days)

Talking of coupons, let me tell you of my new gambling venture. I start with my £2 seed money, doubled because the girl has decided to join me on the adventure, so my £4 now will be put on a single bet, if it wins then i half the money and keep one half safe and gamble the other. doenst make sense? i have started it so it should come clear with this.

on the saturday of the Falkirk game i put my £4 on Exeter at 6/4 they duly won 1-0 so i have now a tenner in my kitty, by i, i mean we by the way, we (the girl and me) have a tenner. On the Sunday i halfed the tenner, kept one half and stuck the other on AC Millan at 5/6 away at Atalanta, another 1-0 win saw us collect £9.17, add that to the fiver i kept and we have £14.17. last night i put £7 (half of our kitty) on MK Dons at 5/4 and they returned £15.75 after winnig 2-1. So far so good, i will be putting on £11.50 tonight on a team i havent picked yet and i will report back on results. I should let you know also that as this grows obvioulst my stakes grow (provided i keep winning) I for one am looking forward to the high stakes game, Natalie isnt so keen!

Back to the game tonight. Fingers crossed were in the pot for the Semi final draw tomorrow and i can write positive stuff on here. i must remember to blog more often cos these pan 10days entries are time consuming and sore on the back.

Friday 17 October 2008

Season Diary 10

Entry #10: 17th October 2008

Things that have happened since i last posted, Killie won in Edinburgh. 2-1, but i wasnt there. wish i was as i wanted to see captain for the day (maybe longer) Pasca took Frazer Wright and Jamie Hamill by the hand i have heard after the final whistle and all three did a Klinsmann dive to the Killie fans. sounds good to me.

The Germans went home. (i will explain the significance of the Germans in the near future i think, in a slow week)

I went to Blackpool for an afternoon on my way to Liverpool. Blackpool is a bit of a shithole these days but it made me think that a seaside tour preseason type thing would be great. Play three or four teams all form the coast, they can be conference teams or league teams, whatever, but it would let the fans follow us in numbers, and i think it'd be great. While in Blackpool i had a shot of those camel races where you throw balls up a lane for points, i got beat, i had a mr whippy ice cream and had a pint down central pier. Really though give Blackpool the casinos, it needs some serious cash thrown at it.

Scotland played and drew nil nil. i was there, it was dire. type in greatest ever misses into youtube if you want to see the highlights of the match. Its the first time i have ever heard two groans of dissapointment for the same chance. once when it happened and again when they showed the replay on the big screens that replaced the old scoreboards. Kilmaurs collectively disowned their favourite son, statin that he was form Coatbridge or something anyway. Just kidding, heid up big Chris!

The next day Killie u19's went to Scumerset to play the enemy in the Youth Cup, we won on penalties. wonders will never cease. It may be the last ever derby at Somerset doue to it being a piggery and getting sold so its nice to leave on a win. though a cup game in January is on my lsit for Santa.

The other big Kris packed in international football the next day, Boydie! what a dick, grow up mate. His time at Killie was mentioned in press at time during the week, his aptitute during training, doesnt do enough work, only scores goals. YAWN! Thing is big Boydie is still a major topic of conversation in the Killie Nation, for all he left us to for a pittance and its said by some that he hates us and hopes we go down (i have heard from some guy down the pub that these were his words, i dont believe it incidentally) a good lot of Killie fans treat him like our own and dont like to hear bad about him. Lets face it, when playing of Killie we dont exactly play rampaging football and he was always back for corners so this pish about him not doing any work kinda stick in my craw. Anyway, enough about Rangers players, just to add, tell Smith what you told Burley because its him and Mcliesh and le Guen that have fucked up your head big man, they all wont play you either. Or come back to Killie!

The Scottish Cup got a sponsor, or rather it got sponsor cash, the name of the Cup will be "The Homecoming Cup" to publicise the SNP plan to bring expats home for the 250th Aniversary of Burns Day. To begin with i thought it was a bit of a mince name but im coming round to it, still not sure whether its this seasons cup or next though, some research required. Also it must be added that because of the Burns connotations Ayr Utd will not be getting a bye to the final, chances are they will be getting pumped in the early rounds. Oh it would be nice if it was us!

Dundee Utd chairman Eddie Thompson passed away due to his long battle with cancer. There has been links between the two clubs due to different circumstances over the past few years and Eddie helped to create these links. i hope there is at least one Killie top on show at the memorial at Tannadice. RIP Eddie.

And thats about it. Motherwell tomorrow and after Scotland last week, im glad to get back to domestic football (havent said that in years!), a team we havent beat at home in the league for three years or something. A statistic which hides rather a lot actually considering they have only been here one each year. In fact thats another fact i should check. I am going and i hope agaisnt hope for a win. I also have my ticket for the Celtic cup game, half price through my uncle, i have never been this organised!