The Truth Should Out

IT was good to see Jamie Moffat speak to the Standard last week but we're still mystified why he previously refused to answer the questions we wanted to ask via the B&H column. After a reluctance to speak to the media for months our chairman elect has given a number of interviews in the last week or two. Perhaps he wants to try and give assurances to the shareholders prior to the AGM but to be honest he's raising more questions than he's answering.

It all appeared a little sad when he tried to have a few cheap shots at Klin who were keen to invest a significant amount of money. If Jamie felt they were "bad for the club" why did he approach them to invest in the first place? It was Moffat who contacted Klin in the summer so he obviously felt they had the

There is no doubt the hotel is a fantastic facility however it is being put forward as the answer to all our financial worries. At the 'big match' fiasco we were told the loan repayments were deferred so I dread to think what the interest charges will be when we start paying back. In the long term the hotel has the potential to be a great money spinner for the club but short term is the worry and anyone who thinks the hotel will solve all our problems is on a hiding to nothing.

The Dundee scenario has raised the blood pressure of Killie fans and having spoken to many it would be fair to say there is little confidence in Jamie turning things around. We need to get everyone connected with the club to pull in the same direction but at present that's a million miles away. Shareholders have a massive opportunity at the AGM to ensure all the concerns are raised and adequately answered or else we'll be the next club rattling the tin cans to keep us from going under.

In the meantime, despite our differences with the board, we would like to make it clear that we are still supporting the club via every avenue we possibly can and would like to encourage everyone else to do the same. We've bid for Davie Mack's strip, sold raffle tickets, bought shares (despite them being technically worthless) and publicised all the Youth Trust events etc. This may seem a tad strange given how we feel about things but we think it's important to emphasise that our number one concern is, and has always been, to get the best for Kilmarnock Football Club.

The politics are important of course, but at the end of the day the fans will be left carrying the can and it's in everyone's best interest to try and keep the revenue streams open while things are being sorted out. The Howard fatties are doing their bit as well and there's a table of ten booked for the Motherwell game - if you see us on Saturday night just step over us!

Burns For Killie

IT was great to share a few beers with our old mate Tim Turnbull last week as he settled into his new job as the gaffer in the Burns Inn, Low Glencairn Street. The big man is a dyed in the wool Killie man and will be a 'weel kent' face to many Killie fans. He used to drive buses and liked nothing better than driving a supporter's bus to an away game allowing him to watch the super Killie and get paid for doing it. Tim and Karen decided to take the plunge into the pub game and all football fans will be assured of a warm welcome - the more Killie-friendly pubs in the town the better. I was reminding Tim there used to be a regular supporters bus from the Burns so once he's settled in he may try and get it up and running again - although he wont be at the wheel this time.

The Rumour Mill

WE thought we'd give you an update on the killiefc.com Rumour Mill so far this season. There have been 53 rumours sent in so far and out of that lot 23 have been confirmed, 17 unconfirmed and only 13 have been total mince. Once again, not bad percentages, nearly half of the rumours being right, and there have been a few real scoops.

Readers of the Rumour Mill were the first to hear about - the failure of the club's Youth Academy bid; the signings of Martin Hardie and Gordon Greer; Davie Mackinnon getting the General Manager's job; the trialists at Il Ciocco, Dylan Kerr chucking the Youth Trust; the tie up with Japanese side; Sir John Orr's resignation…and so it goes on!

Some of the crap rumours have been real corkers, the majority of them regarding players who would be signing for Killie. On the way in we had Rab Douglas, Alan Combe, Roddie McKenzie, Paul Ritchie, Alan Johnson, Simon Donnelly and Phil O'Donnell. On the way out we had Sean Hessey to Leeds Utd, Ruby Murray to Partick Thistle, and Boomer Boydie to any team who needed a striker.

To take matters to the extreme we could have had Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown being either sacked or resigning at Christmas. Then, in the Bill Costley run Park Hotel, with former Stynx singer Natalie James and Cyril Squirrell and Hazel Nutt in attendance, the new management team of Walter Smith, Ian Durrant, Gus McPherson, Mark Hately or Jimmy Clark (perm any two of five) would be revealed to the press. Strange days indeed!

The most recent rumours on the go are that we are sniffing around Morton's star striker Alex Williams. JJ has also been spotted down South checking out several players in a Middlesbro v Portsmouth reserve game, those players being striker Alun Armstong, young midfielders Matt Bloomfield and Nabil Abidallah and defender Chris Hogg. We are also supposed to be introducing a $700 a week wage cap similar to the $500 one in place at Firhill, not a bad idea in theory but look what happened to them!

Paul McDonald

B&H would like to extend a warm welcome to new Community coach Paul McDonald and wish him well in his time at the club. Having dispensed with Eric Young only a few months previously, Davie Mackinnon managed to persuade the board that having someone in this position was essential to the future of the club, and thankfully they agreed. Paul starts his new job on December 1 and already he has arranged to meet representatives from supporters groups and the like (including the fat laddies) to go through how he's going to run his operation. His role is an important one within the organisation and we hope that everyone will help him in his endeavours.

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