Youth Academy - Way Ahead

It's no big secret that most teams in Scotland are struggling with their finances at present. The revenue from TV has dropped alarmingly and with less disposable income clubs are aware more than ever that bringing through their own youngsters is vital to their long-term success.

Killie have done well in this department in recent years and current first team players like Canero, Fowler, Boyd and Dillon show that we have a productive youth set-up in place. It's no time to sit back however and in the next few weeks we'll get a decision from the Scottish Executive letting us know if we have permission to go ahead with the Youth Academy at Townholm. It's a joint venture with the local council and Kilmarnock College that will provide a fantastic community facility to all

parties concerned as well as benefiting the town as a whole.

Killie have worked hard at meeting the strict criteria including all weather pitches and an indoor pitch and have received invaluable financial backing from local companies like Klin Homes, Microtech and Brownings the Bakers. A sub-committee is being set up to organise financing for the academy ensuring the facilities are maintained and improved in the months and years ahead. With a little luck it should be good news all round later this month and the facilities will be there for Killie to produce a stream of top quality youngsters for many years to come.

Hippo Hospitality

The penultimate fanzine of the season will be on sale at the Hibs game this weekend...however this will be the only home game where it will be on sale. This issue includes Hippo's All Time Favourite Killie 11, an SPL mid-term report card and a competition where a lucky reader can win a days hospitality for two people at the Park Suite courtesy of Browning the Bakers. The prize will be for our final (non old firm) home game of the season after the split, probably against Hearts.

Into The Net

One of the website regulars posed a question that has been on many fan's lips in recent weeks on a thread on the Killie Kickback forum on Monday which elicited quite a response from other fans and the club, so for the benefit of those who are not yet online here it is…

Twisted: "Me and some mates were planning to just pair up with each other but none of us are season ticket holders. Will we be allowed to do that or do you have to be with an existing holder?"

Baz: "We have plenty of people in the database who already have their blue slips that they can sell you...please contact us first, and if the club let you all sign up as new ticket holders together without suggesting you come to the bank first then something is going far wrong. The only advantage two new season ticket holders have of signing up together is that one of the tickets will be transferable...but if anyone sees that as a major advantage (to be giving your season ticket away) then why buy one in the first place? Think of the big picture...if someone is not going to buy a season ticket they should be paying at the gate anyway...or the club will end up losing cash big time…and then we go back to the way things were and everyone loses out. Sorry Twisted, I'm not picking you out in particular, just some points worth noting in general. In hindsight the offer should have only been open to existing season ticket holders, and only opened up when everyone had a 'partner'. Hindsight is a great thing."

Willie Wisdom: "I have been watching this (and related) points quite closely and have to say that I disagree with the sentiments expressed. I am all for the 135 and think it will drive fans back to the stadium, which is a good thing (credit due massively to Baz, Hippo et all as they got off their back sides and did something about it!). However I am not for it if it will cost Killie money and I am not sure how when two non-season ticket holders pair up and want to buy a ticket, giving their £135 to an existing ticket holder doesn't do this? Surely if two 'new' people pair up that is a new £270 to the club and therefore we should be encouraging this? Howls of anger will follow from existing ticket holders who have paid £270 and are in the bank of names I am sure. I'm sorry but my attitude to this is that the Club have made you an offer you can't refuse. Buy your ticket at normal price and they'll give you one you can sell - so get off your bum and get out and sell it to your mates, family, in laws anyone but don't put your name in to a database and expect Baz etc to do it for you. I am sorry but all I can see by pairing up with existing people in a database is that the Club don't benefit - if someone can point out where the club win in this scenario then I will understand (and potentially change my view) but other than better atmosphere and the odd pie purchase I see the club losing money which I think they can ill afford given last years results! Can someone enlighten me?"

Chubbs: "Four season ticket holders will still generate £540 for the club, whether two new guys pair up with two existing holders or get together themselves. The point is that if all the new season ticket buyers paired up with each other then there will dozens (hundreds?) of existing holder left with vouchers that they can't get rid of. This effectively means that they have paid £270 for their ticket while the new guys have paid £135."

Baz: "I take both points but...our initial aim was not to generate more season ticket cash for the club but to put more bums on seats...thereby increasing the fan base and in turn the revenue from said fans. Couple this with the better atmosphere from more fans which should help persuade people that Rugby Park is the place to be on match days and make them want to come back and bring their friends and families. Our priority has always been the fans and not the club but both should benefit from this arrangement if it works properly...and if it works properly we should have lots of new season ticket holders who will need to join together because there is no one left to share with and the club should be better off cash wise. The last thing we want is the scenario mentioned by chubbs whereby existing season ticket holders who have been financially backing the club for years are left having to pay full price when new fans are getting in for half that. The club has done their bit effectively by giving the fans the mechanism to recoup half their money, and of course it should be down to each individual to find someone to share with and help themselves...but as the people who instigated the whole deal we still feel that morally it is our duty to do our best to help those season ticket holders who for whatever legitimate reason can't find a partner to do so...and so the Share Centre came into being. It is not the ideal situation with our phones ringing off the wall constantly and some people demanding that they get a 'partner' before they buy a ticket (sadly), but things could be worse and there is still a while to go yet to get things sorted. The more publicity we get for this the better so everyone can do their bit in making the initiative a success...remember that the hacks are waiting in the wings itching to say 'we told you so' and it's only the fans that can prove them wrong."

David Heath: "We understand that it would stick in the throat of an existing season ticket holder if he/she ends up paying twice as much for a ticket than a someone who wasn't previously a season ticket holder and there may be genuine cases where this person can't find a partner to share the cost. In this instance we fully support and applaud the steps hippo etc. have taken in setting up a bank of names. However, we ask everyone to recognise that the club will lose significant revenue next season from walk-up traffic - most of our new season ticket holders of the 850 odd already signed up (including free ones) are people who went to a few games last season - we've lost that revenue. In order for us to recover that lost revenue we need brand new season ticket holders to pay us money. We need 1000 new purchasers to make this work - simple as that. Therefore the less people who have to resort to the bank of names, the less risk we take that this initiative will cost the club money. Money that we can't afford to lose If we extend this argument- the less money this costs the club, the more flexible we can be about continuing and extending the scheme in years to come. We can't afford to turn away two new season ticket holders coming to us with £270 between them. We simply can't afford it. After being dragged kicking and screaming by baz and co, KFC is leading the way in Scottish Football in making it affordable for fans. I know it's asking a lot of our existing season ticket holders to live with some of the anomalies of this system, but it's the best there is in this league and there's a chance for everyone to save money. (P.S. Even if you didn't get a partner - compare our £270 prices to the ones for the rest of the league when they are released). I know this might come across as being ungrateful to existing season ticket holders who have supported us through thick and thin and the 125 guys will argue that our first responsibility is to them i.e. to make sure all season ticket holders are paired up before we sell to new ones. Maybe it is and maybe I'm wrong but I just think it's a great offer, I think its imperative we show the media and all the doubters we can get 8,000 plus season ticket holders next year and to do that I just want to make it as easy as possible for some one who isn't a season ticket holder to get one for Killie. I don't want to make it difficult to become a Killie season ticket holder and turn them away to pair up with someone else when they've already gone to the trouble of doing it. In conclusion, I fully support baz's view that both club and fans should benefit and that if the "bank" of names is big enough then there should be plenty of new names left over. I only disagree with him on the point that we, the club should automatically turn new guys away and point them to the "bank". I think both baz and I agree that we encourage everyone to try and get their partners first before resorting to the bank. In relation to this I simply ask you to consider the risk we are taking on walk-up next year and help us generate the 1,000 new "payers" we need to make this risk pay off for everyone's benefit."

Jock: "It is a great deal and the club are taking a risk, that is exactly what happens with any business strategy. However, if we have the scenario where guys/gals who have supported (financially) the club for years through the purchase of season tickets and privileged seat money find themselves paying £270 and find other folk only paying £135 then it will be a truly sad/bad day for the club. Mr. Heath can say all he likes but if he had to pay double what somebody sitting beside had paid for the same ticket he would not be pleased that it was still cheaper than the likes of Dunfermlines. I was, obviously mistaken, under the impression that existing season ticket holders would be sorted first and I feel that is what should take place."

Hippo: "It is a great deal by the club but from a fans perspective we have to try and ensure that everyone who should get the benefits does indeed do so. I can see the 'bank' idea being a full time job and as my name is going in the Standard this week I better make sure Mrs. Hippo has everything organised! We'll do our best to ensure that everyone is paired up and its my belief that if the club publicise the offer correctly then we'll get enough names to make sure all current ticket holders are paired up AND the club get more than enough new paying customers. I'd still like to urge everyone to try and find their own partner in the meantime as that is the easiest way to benefit from the deal."

David Heath: "I'm not going to shirk this issue. If I disagree I have to say so. But to be clear I'm not saying that I don't care if existing season ticket holders don't get matched up. We want as many people as possible to get the best deal possible - we fully support the bank idea and will help the best we can with it, I'm just saying that I don't want to turn away people coming up in pairs who are not season ticket holders. I'm also saying that this scheme is not a half price season ticket scheme - its an incentive scheme - people are given an incentive (a free ticket to trade as they wish) in return for them delivering to the club a new season ticket holder. Also remember just because someone didn't have a season ticket last year doesn't mean they've not been a loyal supporter of the club and paid the club good money. I know people who by the end of the season will have been to more than 14 games this season and paid at the gate (and therefore more than the season ticket price). Also there are many people who have been season ticket holders over the years who just missed out this season or last season (for whatever reason) but who have been loyal followers and financial supporters of the club in the past. If what it takes to get them back is allowing them to get their own friend, buy their ticket with that friend and allow them to pick their seats together - no hassle, straightforward - is that so bad? I know its frustrating and annoying that some people, despite all the safeguards and incentives related to this, may end up paying more than someone else, but no system is going to cater for everyone. There are even some people who are happy to pay the £270 and not double up because its too much hassle to them - that's fine. There are some people who think the scheme is too risky and on principle are not going to double up - that's fine too. There are people I know who have free access to some games because they work here who have bought season tickets because they want to show the doubters that Killie can build a big season ticket base - that's fine as well. There are people who have phoned me and said "its a great scheme and even if I couldn't get a partner £270 is a fair price and I can afford it, but I can't bear the thought of someone maybe getting a better deal so unless you can GUARANTEE me a partner I'm not renewing my season ticket" In that latter case I put referred them to the web site for exchanges and I gave them baz's contact details - so there's an example of the club actively trying to retain customers - we're not trying to screw people here we're just trying to cater for all the customer groups."

Bluehand: "Well said David. As someone recently said 'Ask not what your club can do for you, but for what YOU can do for your club!' Forget the petty bickering and get your cash out!"

Shug: "Hard to believe that people who have been buying season tickets for years would now stop if they don't get a 'buddy'. most buy a season ticket to support the club…like any new scheme it was always going to have teething problems. What's important is to sell as many tickets as possible, and remember to make use of the ticket share forum on the website.... it's worked for me."

Interesting reading to be sure, but where do you stand on this issue? The only thing for certain is that if we achieve our aims then no one will lose out and the club will benefit in every respect. Anyone who wants their name included in our database can contact Hippo any night after 6.00pm on 07747 718754, we make no promises but we will try our best for you!

Killie Connections

The good ladies at the club shop have asked us to let you know that this season's home strip is no won sale at only £25 and the yellow one can be purchased for a tenner, not bad considering the prices of t-shorts these days anyway. There are still seven games to go before the end of the season so get yourself down there now before they run out!

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