Crocks To Return

BEING back shift last week I had to go to the gym in the morning. When you’re in so early it’s quite normal to bump into one or two of the players and so it was that I got chatting with Stevie Fulton, bet you he was chuffed! It seems that contrary to press reports he is not out for the season and should be in contention for a starting place in a few weeks, maybe just as well as we need some midfield cover with Skora ‘s loan contract up after the Celtic game. Hoody is another long-term injury victim who is on the mend, despite vicious rumours that his playing days were all but over. Seemingly if all goes well he too could make a return to first team duty, providing his knee stops filling up with fluid.

The majority of the players at the club are out of contract in the summer but this may not be as big a problem as first thought. Stevie, who used to room with Andy McLaren, says that everyone has learned from Andy’s mistakes and no one is expecting to simply walk away

and join another team for more money. Andy wanted to stay at Kilmarnock but went on the advice of his agent and ended up getting even less than Killie’s bottom offer. Every club is working under similar financial constraints these days and there are going to more and more players out of work and willing to accept less as a consequence.

Speaking of agents, it was refreshing to hear last week that former Killie favourite Gordon ‘Casper’ Smith has severed his ties with Raymond Sparkes and his ProStar Management stable. No matter what your opinion is of Gordon you have to admit that it’s a step in the right direction. Okay, he may be more of a hun these days, but the reaction he got from Killie fans over the Canero transfer saga really affected him and brought about this latest move. The more cynical among us may wonder if he was going to move jobs anyway, but why then go to the bother of phoning us

Share and Share Alike

WE were just as shocked as everyone else last week to hear about the proposed ground share with the gypsies of Scottish football, Clyde FC. So much so when WestSound phoned for a quote last Thursday we had to admit we didn’t know what on earth they were talking about, that would have been some quote! There has been great debate the country over about the subject, which has quite literally come out of the blue, but the upshot is it looks like the death knell for the mob from Maryhill.

Having had a few days to think about it we reckon that if Clyde do win promotion and Partick finish bottom of the SPL then this deal can only be good for Killie. We get a reputed £200,000 rent for Rugby Park when it would normally be lying empty and the spin offs for local businesses should be quite lucrative. We’re not sure that the neighbours will be too keen on the idea but if you buy a house next to a football stadium then what do you expect?

The deal when it’s eventually thrashed out will have to be rubber stamped by the SPL, but no matter what agreements will be made there are sure to be a few strange scenarios for us in the season to come. Season ticket holders paying in to Rugby Park – do we sit in the away end? Does the team have to go into the away dressing room? Nothing really ground shattering there but still strange nonetheless.

Another bonus for us is the ‘more home games’ scenario, but then again Clyde will have the same amount of ‘home’ games as us. In fact when you think about it, with the Clyde support still under the 2,000 mark then in effect it could be like another home game for the old firm as well. Surely Clyde would take the smallest section possible and give the rest to Rangers and Celtic fans in an attempt to cash in…after all that’s what they are doing it for in the first place.

A major drawback will be the reserve games getting moved to Broadwood if that proves to be the case to protect the pitch. There is a small hardcore of around 200 who attend all these matches but I can’t see many people traveling on a Monday night to see an Under 21 fixture. The Messiah will need to invest in a new motor, or run a bus even! There surely must be somewhere closer we can play these games, there are plenty of Junior grounds out there that could accommodate us and have before i.e. Troon, Hurlford etc.

It is good that the SPL have decided to address issues brought up by the fans instead of ignoring them like they normally do. Promotion/relegation has to happen, seating criteria has to be reduced, fixtures scheduling has to be seriously looked at…however, the timing leaves a lot to be desired. In an ideal world this would have been sorted out last season and Motherwell would have been relegated and while it has to be done sometime it does seem a bit out of order that Thistle find out they are getting relegated with only a couple of months to go.

Of course if you finish last you should go down, but you should at least have some warning and not be crapped on from a great height at the whims of the SPL suits, just because they have now decided that it ‘s in their interest. The rules and regulations they supposedly adhere to is a decidedly grey area which they seem to manipulate when necessary, what worries us is that there is no telling where it will all stop. Do we introduce some new rules at the end of the season if Rangers are in danger of being caught by Hearts for the second Champions League spot? You can bet your life on it that something would ‘turn up’.

It’s even more galling to think that if we hadn’t taken nine points (so far) from Thistle then it could be Firhill that Clyde would be going to next season and it would have been us that had been cast asunder by our so-called friends. In summary, the board have pulled a flanker and found a way of earning us some serious cash from a vastly underused stadium so fair play to them for that…but the SPL board still have a lot to learn about running a successful league and the sooner they get some ‘football’ people (fans or otherwise) involved, the better.

Amateur Dramatics

CRAIGIE Amateurs, who are based in North West Kilmarnock, have reached the Ayrshire Amateur Cup Final for the first time in their history. The final is being held at Rugby Park on April 10 and, as is tradition, all amateur games in Ayrshire are cancelled that day to allow fellow players to come along and watch what is regarded the highlight of the season. Craigie play their games at Altonhill and, as their squad is comprised of purely Kilmarnock lads, will bring along a large support of family and friends.

FBS - Nearly There!

THE finishing line is in sight for the ‘Fat Boys Slim’ troops and with two weeks to go we are looking for a surge of late sponsorship. Whether you are a business or just someone wanting to help get kids into the Theatre of Pies for free contact us on one of the following numbers: Sandy - 0774 771 8754 or Baz - 0771 055 3693. The weight loss continues and the "Klin weigh-in" gave us the latest (reduced) figures - Baz lost 4lbs, oboab lost 3lbs, Bluehand lost 2lbs and Hippo remained unchanged.

Some more wonderful Killie fans handed over their hard earned loot at East End Park last Saturday - your support is greatly appreciated. Finally our sincere thanks to the local companies who are doing their bit to get the kids into Rugby Park for free - main sponsor Klin Homes, Brownings the Bakers, Kilmarnock UPVC Ltd, Millennium Vacations International, J.R.D. Partnership (Accountants), Fortress Security, Goldsmiths, Millennium Beauty, The Cut Above, Duncan McLean Solicitors, Ritchie (UK) Ltd. & Fitness First…and also a big up to Claire Stuart of the Killie gym and Mrs B&H for putting up with us.

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