The Hardie Boy?

The close season inevitably brings a downturn in media coverage and potential transfer targets are the most common way to get a mention in the tabloids. You may have read some of the reports last week that Martin Hardie had left Partick Thistle and was signing for Killie last Monday. That was never going to be the case as boss Jim Jefferies has been away on holiday and isn't due back until today (Friday). The truth of the matter is that Killie has shown an interest in the player but no deal has been done as yet. JJ will be studying all signing options when he returns and you can expect to hear further news in the coming weeks.

Not knowing much about him we decided to talk to

Thistle die-hard Craig Walker to see what he thought

of him. Craig said: "Hardie is a towering midfielder who likes to attack, nicknamed Big Mad Mental Martin Hardie by the Firhill faithful. He likes to get stuck in and is a bit of a hard man. He is good going forward but can come back too. He was a revelation for Thistle after signing from East Stirlingshire, and scored over 30 goals in two seasons finishing top scorer and second top respectively.

"However after two seasons of high scoring he never seemed to get into it this season and only scored a hand-full of goals, though he still contributed a lot to the team going forward. His main strength is probably in the air and going forward, however whether he could recapture his goal scoring touch for Killie next season would remain to be seen. His main weakness did look as if he wasn't up to the pace of SPL football, although maybe after another pre-season and his second season in the SPL he will get back to his best."

General Manager Update

The closing date for applications was 17th June and at the close of play over 100 applicants had fired in their CV's to Rugby Park. Obviously the board won't rush into a quick decision however a small panel of directors has been sifting through all the applications and they will interview seven candidates next week. A second interview process will follow soon after, before a final appointment is made. Former Killie favourite Davie McKinnon was mentioned in the press as a contender and we can confirm he did apply but at this stage it is not known if he is one of the seven candidates to be interviewed. We'll update you with any progress just as soon as we hear.

Season Tickets Update

We spoke to David Heath this week regarding the latest position with our season ticket sales. We're well on our way to achieving record numbers although there has a predictable lull in the last week or so. We discussed the leaflet drop that will target 100,000 throughout Ayrshire. This will take place in the latter half of July and a surge in sales is expected around this time. Can I remind anyone who has put their name on the Share Centre database but has now paired-up to call us so we can take your name off the list. Call Sandy on 0774 771 8754.

Killie Open Day

The club have confirmed that the Open Day this year will be going back to the usual format i.e. it wont be lumped in with a pre-season friendly. While things went okay last season it was felt that there was just too much being crammed into the one day hence the change. The date selected is Sunday 3rd August, the day after the home match against Sunderland, and as usual there will be a host of stuff happening to keep kids and adults alike amused…providing the weather man plays ball of course! 

To Hull and Back...

Dave Hannah reports on the Killie internet supporters progress…

Last Saturday (21st) was indeed the longest day for a bunch of fearless and committed Killie fans flying the Ayrshire flag south of the border. As the hippies danced around Stonehenge celebrating the Summer Solstice, the Kickin' Squirrels made the 10 hour plus round trip to Hull to waltz around their counterparts from Millwall to reach the final of the TFG Internet Football Association British Cup.

Having beaten Watford in a quarter final in London only a few weeks ago, Hull was the agreed neutral venue for the clash between the men from the capital and Ayrshire's finest supporters. This made for a rather torturous train journey, however the Killie boys secured their first "result" of the day by getting upgraded to first class for the first leg to York thanks to a smooth-talking Stevie Hill and an accommodating customer service rep.

The Costello Stadium is a fine venue, somewhat different from the Squirrels' usual home of the Dean Park, however blazing sunshine and a hard pitch made for testing conditions. Nevertheless, it was the Killie boys who made the early running with big Davie Yeates heading just wide after only a couple of minutes. Shortly afterwards he went one better with what proved to be the only goal of the game - and what a goal it was. Billy Kiltie fed the unmarked Stevie Scott with a quick free kick on the right wing, and his left-foot whipped cross was bulleted home by the head of the giant centre-half.

The goal gave the Lions a sense of urgency and it was they who went on to make the most of the first half. Indeed, they did get the ball in the net only for the ref to bring play back for a foul - to Millwall! As passions rose the game got a bit testy at times, with the Londoners putting it about a bit. However, the Scots refused to be intimidated and, on a least one occasion, one of our number returned the compliment with, let's just say, a little interest.

The second half started well for Killie with a couple of substitutions aiding the cause. In fact, one of these, yours truly, was denied a clear run on goal by a scything Millwall leg. Chances also fell to Ian Cowan and the tireless Neil Mackay however Killie were unable to add to their lead and, as the half wore on, Millwall threw more and more bodies forward in search of the equalizer. Shortly after skelping the post, the Londoners looked to have got their reward as the ball was fired home from close range. However, once again the "goal" was disallowed - this time for a clear offside.

Cue much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but the Ayrshiremen stood firm to the final whistle, valiantly marshalled by the man-of-the-match, Davie Yeates. Just prior to the end, the moment of the match was provided by young Kris Ferguson who treated us to an exquisite drag-back that left one tame Lion on his backside staring at the summer sun.

On-pitch animosities were quickly dispelled in the game's aftermath and, to their credit, Millwall were very gallant in defeat raising a cheer of praise for their conquerors. Socialising afterwards was limited to a quick pint before heading for the off-licence for homeward rations. The arduous return journey was, naturally, softened by the combined comforts of the win and the obligatory free-flowing alcohol. Terrace banter abounded, songs were roared, and the hours passed by amid a wash of football spirit.

The Squirrels will now face a tough tie against either Hearts or Hibs in the final, scheduled for Leeds on July 18. However, having disposed of Ayr United, Doncaster, Watford, and now Millwall, the Killie boys are confident of finishing off the job and parading the Cup around Rugby Park next season. Player-Manager John Kirkland is relishing the task ahead: "It will be a very hard match whoever we meet, but it's a final and on our day we can compete with anyone," he said. "My boys are a committed bunch and we will give it everything we've got for the name of Kilmarnock FC".

Kirkland also mentioned that the team were still looking for a sponsor to provide the players' suits for the big day, however he remained tight-lipped over the rumours of the team recording a cup final single. Kickin' Squirrels: Brown, Dick, Yeates, Kirkland, McFadzean (Richard), Ferguson, Reid (Hannah), Cowan, Kiltie, Scott (Hill), Mackay.

Campaign Crazy

Last season was a pretty good one by all accounts, with the club only just missing out on Europe when many another season fourth would have been good enough. Not bad considering the bottom six finish the previous season. It could also be considered a good season for the fans...well some of us anyway! We set ourselves quite a few goals last August and have made decent progress in what we set out to achieve.

We campaigned for more media coverage... We got the B&H column in the Standard. We were looking for more national coverage but small acorns etc.
We campaigned for better catering... The club has now given the catering contact to local firm Brownings The Bakers who have a fantastic reputation for their produce. Furthermore, John and David Gall who run the company are Killie daft and are well aware how important the grub is at the Theatre of Pies! They are also reducing prices and donating a percentage of their profits to the new Killie Youth Trust...that after just agreeing to replace T4 Toys as the main sponsors of the Killie Kids. What more can you ask?

We campaigned for a more sensible fixture list... As much as we thought this one had fell on deaf ears it looks as if someone has been listening. There was obviously more than just Killie fans looking for fixture changes and while it's not ideal just yet, improvement is always welcome, at least there are no more three in a rows.

We campaigned for cheaper season tickets... The club responded by offering the fans a deal that no other Premier League club in Britain can even get near. And hopefully if things keep going the way they are at the moment we can break the record for the number of season ticket holders at Rugby Park and not lose a washer in the process.

Not a bad start in hindsight although it remains to be seen how everything pans out. The big question is...what do we do now? Don't think for a minute we are going to let up on anything when the new general manager comes in. We will continue to try and let the club know where the fans are coming from and what it is they want. There has never been a phrase truer than "If you don't ask you don't get!" Now where have the club hidden that Ayrshire Cup...

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