The protracted will-he-won’t-he Gary Holt contract saga served as a timely reminder that time is almost upon us when none of the Cup Final heroes of 1997 are still at Rugby Park. It’s astonishing that in the relatively short space of four years that so few remain and even fewer of those are still first team regulars. How long before they too head for the Rugby Park exit door (or to give it the correct title, the First Division).

To refresh your memories and at the same time doff our caps to those fourteen good men and true, we here at Hippo Towers present a nostalgic look at the Cup Final team and see what fickle hands of fate the footballing Gods have dealt them.

Dragoje Lekovic – The big Slav keeper once memorably gave an interview to Scotland on Sunday in which he explained his lack of prowess at dealing with crosses by claiming that where he came from, the ball was never in the air (What- Never?? – perhaps they didn’t have corners in Yugoslavia). His Eastern European origins and apparent fear of crosses lead to the inevitable “Dracula” jibes.

Not long after the Cup Final his agent engineered a move to the sunnier climes of the Primera Liga in Spain where his team was relegated with a record low number of points. He is currently on the lookout for another club and would consider a move back to Scotland.

Defining Cup Final Moment – That marvellous save from the unfeasibly tall Kevin James. Not only did Lekovic reach the header, he managed to cling on to the ball as he dropped to the ground. As in all the best football clichés “Falkirk hearts were broken”.

Gus McPherson – Now in his testimonial year Gus is very much the senior pro at Rugby Park and has had a steady if unspectacular sort of career. Maybe never thought he would have a Cup Winners medal after failing to break through into Rangers first team but then again he probably realised he was making a step up when he joined Killie.

Defining Cup Final Moment – The extravagant forward roll into the net when a team swallow dive took place at the end. He’d taken that too far.

Dylan Kerr - A left back who joined us via Leeds and Reading, he was that rapidly disappearing animal – a footballer who played with a smile on his face. Yes he liked a drink and probably the odd unhealthy food product as well but you could tell he enjoyed playing and loved to interact with the crowd. His one senior goal with Killie came in a 4-2 win at Rugby Park over our lowly cousins in the Ayrshire Cup Final. Running on to a pass down the left hand side Dylan fired in a shot from an acute angle and his (ahem) momentum took him into the crowd in the Moffat Stand (This was in the days when there was a crowd in the Moffat Stand). Instead of immediately returning to the pitch, Dylan proceeded to take up residency amongst an adoring crowd and eventually had to be “persuaded” back by the over-officious ref.

Recently in the papers appealing against a sacking by a lower league English club for taking an extra day off. He was tired after a long trek back to Scotland to collect his belongings (ALLEGEDLY). Returned to Scotland for a trial period at Hamilton Accies and has just joined them on a permanent basis.

Defining Cup Final Moment – It’s all too tempting to opt for the (rather fetching) blue and white curly wig incident but it has to be the post match interview with a satellite station when he dedicated his winners medal to “those two ba***rds that let me go at Reading”. Literally tens of viewers were horrified.

Ray Montgomerie – If you ever wanted anyone who was never more than a dedicated professional to be rewarded with a winners medal then it was Ray Montgomerie. The season he joined Killie we were relegated to the Second Division (then the basement league in Scottish football) and he remained with us. Despite successive managers leaving him out of the team he always fought his way back in and never moaned about being left out. He always played every match as if it was a privilege to wear the blue and white stripes and it was entirely fitting that at the pinnacle of his career he was marshalling the defence as Falkirk besieged the Killie area in a torrid final twenty minutes.

After a thinly disguised fall-out with Mr Williamson Monty eventually moved on to Partick Thistle where he ended his career. In a way I’m glad he never got to play against Killie. I wonder if he would have.

Defining Cup Final Moment – It was, and ever shall be “When Monty went up,to lift the Scottish Cup”

Kevin McGowne – Imaginatively nicknamed Big Kev he took a rather round about route to play for his local team and was given the unenviable task of marking even bigger Kevin James in the final. A measure of how well he did his job was demonstrated when James eventually got a header on target – when Big Kev was off getting treatment for a head injury. Although still at Rugby Park his appearances have been limited due to a persistent back problem.

Defining Cup Final Moment – His re-emergence on the pitch with his head swathed in bandages. Craig Brown would no doubt have called him “Braveheart”.

Mark Reilly – Never the type of player to invigorate the fans and more often than not referred to as a player’s player. Hard to define exactly what Mark does during a game. Gets the ball, passes the ball (short distances). Had a great couple of seasons with Killie and it dawned on you how important he was whenever he missed a match. After a short lived spell at Reading he returned to the Killie fold but is no longer a first team choice on a regular basis.

Defining Cup Final Moment – Well, er………you know.

David Bagan – Emerged into the team when Bobby took over from Alex Totten and decided to give youth a chance. A midfielder/right winger, Bagan failed to live up to his earlier promise and after fading from the first team he is enjoying a resurgence of form with Inverness Caley Thistle.

Defining Cup Final Moment – In the day and age where young player’s heads are filled with nonsense about agents, contracts and enhancing their international opportunities it was utterly refreshing to see Bagan look exactly what he was – a teenager with a Cup winners medal.

Gary Holt – OK. Hands up all those Killie fans who were praying John Henry was fit so that Gary Holt wasn’t in the starting line-up. Thought so. In 1997 Gary had yet to acquire his fan’s favourite status so his industry and drive in midfield were not fully appreciated especially if they were at the expense of the ball playing goalscoring skills of John Henry. Gary has of course gone on to greater things, winning Scotland caps and by the time you read this may well have moved on to pastures new.

Defining Cup Final Moment – It must be the “seemed like a good idea at the time” Killie tattoo half the length of his leg.

Paul Wright – He must be thoroughly sick of the words “underachieved” and “unfulfilled potential” but better footballers than Paul Wright have nothing to show for their careers, far less scoring the winning goal in the Cup Final. Now uncertain about his future at rugby Park and no longer a guaranteed first team start, Paul has secured his place in Killie folklore. A peel away from the marker a swivel of ample hips, a sclaffed shot and Ayrshire sees it’s biggest ever party.

Defining Cup Final Moment – You may think it was the winning goal. However it was the moment after the final whistle when he went straight to the opposing manager to shake his hand and acknowledge that if it hadn’t been for Alex Totten, Paul Wright’s career may have taken a different path.

Jim McIntyre – Arrogant, cocky and temperamental, big Jimmy Mac had a birthday to remember (that’s if he does remember it since he was perched precariously close to the edge of the open-top bus rather the worse for wear). Jim arrived from Airdrie where as well as managing a few goals he even managed a cup final appearance. Also famously managed to run amok in Bonhill after an old firm game and picked out his Celtic supporting pal at Parkhead after scoring against them. Astonishingly, Reading paid £400,000.00 where he is now regularly injured.

Defining Cup Final Moment – Sent clear on the halfway line midwaythrough the second half, he could have settled the game but his lack of pace allowed Andy Gray to catch him. The ba***rd.

Alex Burke – Another youngster who burst on to the scene in the wake of Alex Totten’s departure, he was very much in the mould of the traditional Scottish player. He was small, very quick and he liked a drink. Unfortunately his early promise petered out and he joined Alex Totten at Falkirk which was a tad ironic since Totten essentially lost his job at Rugby Park because he wouldn’t give youth a chance. Burke actually won “Young Player of the Year” in 1996-1997 which speaks volumes about the Scottish game given that he only played half a season.

Defining Cup Final Moment – No it’s not the indecent haste with which he (along with the others) donned the Sports Division t-shirt over the Killie top, but rather the moment he collected his winners medal and looked for all the world as if he couldn’t believe it was really happening. Only nineteen and barely a handful of first team appearances and here he was with a winners medal.

And that just leaves us with the three who didn’t manage to start the game, but all of whom made it on to the pitch before the end. John Henry for his stunning quarter final performance at Morton and who would have started had he not been injured. Ally Mitchell who having been at the club for so long did not deserve to miss out. Finally Tom Brown (Broono to you and me) a player not blessed with natural skill but whose effort and heart endeared him to the Killie crowd. Henry is now at Falkirk ; Broono is at St Mirren and curiously enough Ally Mitchell is now a first team regular but wasn’t at the time of the cup final.

So, a swindling bunch indeed but we won’t forget them. Unless of course the current lot win a cup………….