Killie met one of the finest
teams in England - Leeds United - in the semi-final second leg of
the Fairs Cities Cup.
Semi Final 1st Leg at
Leeds
The first leg had taken place at Elland Road on Friday, May 19 when
Leeds won 4-2, all the goals coming in the first half.
Brian McIlroy Scores for
Killie
Leeds United: Sprake,
Reaney, Bell, Bremner, Madeley, Hunter, O'Grady, Lorimer, Belfitt,
Giles, Gray.
Kilmarnock: Ferguson, King, McFadzean, Murray, McGrory,
Beattie, Watson, O'Connor, Bertelsen, Queen, McIlroy.
Semi Final 2nd Leg at
Kilmarnock
But it was certainly not
beyond Killie to pull back the two-goal deficit at Rugby Park
against a Leeds team including goalie Gary Sprake, Norman Hunter,
big Jack Charlton and those great Scottish internationalists the
elegant Eddie Gray, Peter Lorimer, who was famed for his thunderbolt
shooting and lionheart himself, midfield dynamo Billy Bremner.
They also had full-back Terry Cooper who was a wing back before the
position had been invented. In the game at Rugby Park, Leeds
defended with 10 men behind the ball and Sprake was in excellent
form in goal.
Try as they might Killie couldn't find a way through and the game
ended goalless. The Killie team that night was Ferguson, King,
McFadzean, Murray, McGrory, Beattie, McLean, McInally, Bertlesen,
Queen and McIlroy.
Kilmarnock: Ferguson,
King, McFadzean, Murray, McGrory, Beattie, McLean, McInally,
Bertelsen, Queen, McIlroy.
Leeds United: Sprake, Reaney, Bell, Bremner, Madeley, Hunter,
Lorimer, Gray, Belfitt, Giles, Cooper.
This was Bobby Ferguson's last game for Killie before joining West
Ham United for a then record fee for a goalkeeper of £65,000.
This was the beginning of the great Leeds team that was to be
amongst the top honours for a great number of years. For Killie it
signaled another great year in European competition. Killie finished
7th in the first division that year.
