B&H At the Launch

As you'll read elsewhere in the paper it's the big launch weekend for the season ticket offer and the publicity for the campaign should take off from next week. The club will have huge boards showing all the seats available and fans will be able to walk up and purchase the seat they want for next season. Season ticket holders have until the 2nd May to retain their current seat after which it will be first come first served.

The ladies in the club shop have informed us that they will also be opening Killie Connections on both days at 10am for the benefit of those who want to purchase this season's top at half price. This offer is only available to people who are purchasing season tickets and only while stocks

last, so you better get in there fast if you want a new one el cheapo.

There will be a 'B&H' stall at the launch where we will be helping out fans that are struggling to find a 'partner' to share the cost of their season ticket with. Please note though that we are urging everyone to try and find their own partner first, this way we can maximise the number of fans who come back to Rugby Park, however we appreciate not everyone will find someone.

With that in mind, as a last resort, we will be setting up a database for each of the various categories i.e. Adults, Senior Citizens, Students, Youths and Kids. We're hoping that we'll be able to sort out the current season ticket holders who are unable to find a partner then we'll turn our attention to pairing up those fans who are new holders.

Come along to the big launch even if you just want to meet some of the players or ask some questions that you may not be clear about. It's going to be the start of a big signing-up campaign and you may well be part of history in the making. Don't panic if you can't make it though, the details of the 'roadshows' will soon be finalised and the Killie 'battle bus' could soon be in your area…and you will be able to purchase a season ticket in your own back yard!

The Muppet Show

Don't you just hate it when there's no football on a Saturday afternoon? You are left with the choice of wandering round a retail park spending money you don't really have or staying in the house shouting at the so-called football experts on the TV and Radio. That was my dilemma last Saturday so I decided to play the couch potato and listen to all the action from the comfort of my sofa.

Thankfully the radio coverage was very interesting since my old chum Colin Hargreaves, chairman of the KFC Supporters Association (and affectionately known online as the Muppet), had been asked on to Jim McSherry's WestSound show to discuss our beloved Killie. Colin was a little apprehensive prior to going on the show but he acquitted himself very well as he spoke very positively of Jim Jefferies achievements in his first full season.

Colin also took the opportunity to explain what was happening with the Supporters Trust that he is currently helping to set up. Baz and myself will be lending a hand once the season ticket campaign has run its course. We'll be giving details in the coming weeks of the initial Trust meeting that will take place on April 3rd. Watch this space.

Staggered!

Unfortunately I missed Killie's thrilling comeback at Dens Park the other week due to the small matter of a stag night in Dublin…granted it never took much arm-twisting…Dublin or Dens…it's not exactly rocket science! I know there are those of you who couldn't imagine not taking in every live match possible, but when you are used to work commitments limiting your away games (and home games for some of us) you tend to appreciate away days more, and choose carefully those which you attend. Dundee is certainly not high on my list of popular destinations due to their over officious approach to Killie fans and I'm led to believe that we are not the only supporters who suffer at the hands of the stewards and Tayside's finest. It must be something in the water up there!

Excuses aside, I awoke that Saturday morning with the prospect of a weekend off and no game to go to. Anyone remember when stag nights were just for a night and the most that would happen to a bloke was that he'd get tied naked to the Irvine bus? However, I need not have panicked about not seeing some footy, via the miracle of modern technology and satellite television. The hotel bar had two live matches on offer, with the international rugby match from round the corner at Landsdowne Road sandwiched in between them for good measure. So nine of us parked our large behinds in front of the telly and ordered some 'breakfast'.

The first game due up was the old firm game, not exactly to our taste but one of our company was a Celtic fan, aptly named Ryan, and it's usually a good laugh watching them kicking lumps out of each other. The strange thing was that although the bar was packed, no one (well apart from a wee guy from Greenock) seemed to be bothered that it was five minutes until kick off and the game wasn't on the screen yet. I had always been under the impression, having visited both the Republic and the North on several occasions, that in the South they were Celtic daft, but how wrong can you be? The hotel owner and the bar staff took some intense persuading to switch channels and even then, the majority of the punters in the bar totally ignored it and went on singing Irish ditties oblivious to the 50,000 fans on the television joining in!

After the twisted sisters had strutted their stuff we moved on, indifferent to the Ireland v France international that was next on the bill of fare. The O'Connell Street and Temple Bar areas were heaving, but there was no trouble to be seen, Glasgow could learn a thing or two from this city! It probably cost us more money on mobile phone calls and text messages to and from Dens Park that afternoon than it would have cost us to fly to the game and back. But the Guinness is just not the same in Dundee so we made do with celebrating Canero's equaliser in Fitzpatrick's beside the Liffey. Ah well, such is life, I just hope Big Tam's wedding coincides with our next Tayside venture!

Read the B&H column in the Kilmarnock Standard every week