Do You Remember ?

Craig Dargo 2000-05

Craig Dargo Celebrates His Goal Vs Hibs in Oct 2004

Born:

Signed: July 2000

Previous Club: Raith Rovers

First Game:

Last Game: Inverness (A) Apr 2005

After Killie: Inverness CT, St Mirren

Position: Forward

Club Honours: CIS Runners Up Medal 00-01

International Honours: U-21 Scotland International

Other Career Highlights: 2000-01 killiefc.com POTY

Craig was brought in by Bobby Williamson during the close season of 2000 but due to his age we had to fork out a reputed £100,000 in compensation because he was under 23. The former U21 Scottish internationalist (with ten caps) had a good scoring record at Raith and, when eventually given a sustained run in the first team, continued that form for us. His Killie career has been hampered by injuries but he will always be remember for the fantastic goal he scored against St Mirren in the League Cup Semi final at a rain soaked Hampden in February 2001. Craig was a nippy wee striker who knows where the net is but needed first team football to return to the top of his game.

He won the inaugural killiefc.com player of the year in 2000-01, just sneaking it from Freddie Dindeleux on the last day.  Craig's end to his Killie career, summarized his whole Killie Career. With only 10 starts in season 2004-05, Craig made a super-sub appearance, scoring the winner Vs Dundee. The following week, it made a rare start and limped off before the hour mark, at Inverness. What a pity, great wee player, and a great bloke!

Craig was free'ed early in May 2005, as part of Killie's on-going cost containment, and just could'nt afford to carry Craig any longer, with him being repeatedly injured!

Dargo on Playing against Killie for the first time (Aug 19th 2005)...."You want to score in every game you play in, but there is no point in putting an onus on yourself because then you start snatching at chances.  It will just take a couple of games to get settled in and, once I hit the back of the net, I could go on a goal scoring run. At Kilmarnock, I had a successful start and was doing well, but then I suffered a bad injury. When I returned, a new manager came in with different ideas. I just had to be professional and get on with it, but I was very frustrated with not playing regularly. I had to be a man about the situation and take it on the chin. I could have let it affect me, but that would have made it worse, so I just tried to do my best in training and any games I played in. I am not a person to hold a grudge and I had a really enjoyable time at Kilmarnock."

Dargo Recalls the 2000-01 CIS Cup Run (Apr 2009)...  “We won 3-0 that night and it was a great occasion. The goal I scored in the semi was a decent one.  I picked the ball up and just kept on running, throwing a couple of dummies — losing myself to be honest — before knocking it past Ludovic Roy.  It was a great goal, a wonder goal for myself at the time, and I remember it well.  I have it on videotape somewhere — it was before DVD technology kicked in — but it’s still a great memory.

Dargo’s memories of reaching that final are clouded by the fact Killie lost 3-0 to Celtic. In fact, he remembers very little of the game...... “I thought it would happen more often and that’s not how things have turned out. “When you’re younger you’re a little bit more naive and think these games are going to come along every year, but they don’t.  That final was a disappointment though because we held Celtic at 0-0 until half-time. We were sitting in the dressing room thinking everything was going so well. Then in the second half Henrik Larsson scored a hat-trick. That was hard to take"