Jan 2003
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Greg Shields Stops Billy Dodds
in the Years First Game
Jim Jefferies
picks up his SPL Manager of the Month for Dec 2002. Before the SPL winter
shut-down Killie travel to Dundee to take on the Arabs on Jan 2nd, and it
took a last min Jim
McIntyre header to salvage a point for them in a
2-2 draw, in which United
"gifted" goals to both Peter
Canero & Andy McLaren. Gary McCutcheon is free'ed to
join Dumbarton full time, where he had been on loan. Killie get Motherwell
in the 3rd round of the Cup at home. Shaun Dillion is named
Dec SPL Young Player of the Month.
Jose
Quitongo, Samuel Boutal and Robbie Henderson did not get their
contracts renewed by Killie. The youth squad has added James Hamell and
Robert Campbell while Chris Boyle was been given a contract
extension. Colin Stewart returned from his loan at Queens
Park. Ally "Bully"
Mitchell is released and he signs with St Mirren. Ally was
the last remaining member of the 1997 Cup
Winning squad. Killie play to a
0-0 draw in a closed match with Raith Rovers, as they prepared for the
upcoming Motherwell cup tie.
During the club's
AGM a
near-£2m loss is announced. The month is closed out with both the
Motherwell Cup & SPL matches being decided by penalty kicks for each team
0-1 in the cup &
1-0 in the SPL. Kris Boyd scored for Killie from the
spot with their first awarded penalty in a year (since TJ scored Vs the
Huns last Jan!). Colin Meldrum also makes is debut for the
season as Gordon Marshall has undergone a shoulder
operation, and will be out 4-5 weeks.
Feb 2003
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Peter Canero Celebrates His
Goal At Livingston
Colin
Meldrum starts again for Killie and he keeps a 2nd consecutive
"clean-sheet", as we thump Livingston
4-0, and move into 4th place in the SPL. Goals came from McLaren
(2), Canero & Boyd (his 9th of the season). Jesus San
Juan is released by the club. Kris Boyd picks up his
2nd
SPL
young player of the month award of the season, winning the award for Jan.
Club agree to the "Killie 125" season ticket scheme for 2003-04. Killie
then travel to Tynecastle and lose
0-3, in a match that Jefferies said "we just did not compete". This
was a big disappointment to the 2,000+ Killie faithful that traveled
through to Edinburgh, to see if Killie could pull within one point of
Hearts for 3rd place. Killiefc.com on Feb 13th "host" an "official"
on-line chat with manager Jim Jefferies & CEO David Heath, a transcript
can be found
Here.
Killie's next match was
postponed at home to Thistle, with the SPL threatening to fine clubs that
did not appear to have taken "adequate precautions" to avoid weather
related "call-off's". Peter Canero then scores (again) to
give Killie a
1-0 home win over the Jag's, before he headed off to Turkey to join
the Scotland "Future" squad.
March 2003
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Kris Boyd Scores the Equaliser
Vs the Pars
Killie
start March with great news, that leading scorer (9 goals), 19 year old
Kris Boyd has signed a 3 year contract
extension to keep him at Rugby Park till 2006. Killie then host the
Dons and win
2-0, with goals coming from Gary McSwegan & Peter Canero.
This represented Killie's 3 consecutive home SPL win on the trot, with
"stand-in" keeper Colin Meldrum now having clean-sheets in 4
of his 5 starts. The same Canero McSwegan "duo" come to
Killie's rescue the following week in helping Killie ensure a top SPL 6
place finish with a
2-2 draw at Dundee, after trailing by 2 goals at
the half. Melly also "stands on his head" in stopping 3 "one on one's" in
the second half of that Dee match. Killie complete their 3 March SPL
fixtures unbeaten when super-sub Kris
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Boyd
came to the rescue the following week as he headed home for Killie
in a home
1-1 draw with the Pars, for his 10th goal of the season. Poor
Greg Shields (left) had opened the scoring for the Pars with
Killie's first & hopefully only O.G. of the season, in front of a 10 year
low SPL crowd at Rugby Park of 4,021, which had a Sunday 1PM kick off and
was broadcast live on BBC, before the CIS Cup Final. To keep fresh Killie
play 3
friendly's in Ireland where they go unbeaten.
April 2003
Gary McDonald Gets His First
Killie Goal Vs Hibs
Killie
destroy Hibs
6-2 at Rugby Park with Gary McSwegan netting four times
for Killie! Young Gary McDonald scored his first goal for
Killie to open the scoring and "super-sub" Kris Boyd
finished the scoring from the spot in the final min. Colin Stewart
also makes his first team debut in goal Vs Hibs! Former manager
Bobby Williamson looks
to be in serious trouble after getting hammered by his "old charges". Next
was a trip to Parkhead on Sun the 13th, and Killie lose
0-2. Big Marsh returns in goal as Colin Meldrum's season is now over
as he chipped an ankle bone in Ireland 2 weeks earlier.
The split
came after the Celtic match and the first of our "Final Five" fixtures saw
return to Dens Park (on a Sunday again!) Thanks to a Chris Innes
goal Killie won
1-0. Shock news prior to Euro Crunch game with Hearts is that David
Heath our CEO will be leaving in July
More.
May 2003
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Baggio in Action Vs the Tarts
Killie
open May by beating Hearts
1-0 with former Hearts man Gary McSwegan heading home an
Andy McLaren cross to ensure that Killie move to within 4 points of Hearts
with 3 matches left to play and keep their slim Euro hopes alive. It then
announced that up to 10 players will be released at the end of the
season.....inc: Gordon Marshall, Colin
Stewart
& youngsters
Jaconelli, Gold, Chris Boyle, McGlinchey, Coyle, and number
50, David "the Doomed"
Woodison.
More Killie then head to Ibrox to play Rangers who need to win by 2
clear goals to move back atop the SPL. Killie are defeated
0-4. Also during the week on a positive note, Stevie "Baggio"
Fulton wins the 3rd annual
www.killiefc.com Player of the Year Award. New contracts are also
reported to have been offered to Andy McLaren (who the Pars
want also!) & Gary McSwegan. Former manager from the early
80's Jim Clunie passes away. Killie's
UEFA
cup challenge effectively comes to an end the following week after they
could only salvage a
2-2 draw at Dunfermline. Gary McDonald and Kris
Boyd in the 91st min got the Killie goals. Boyd also
won this site's "Young Player of the Year" award this week it was
announced, and he also would go on to finish as the teams top scorer with
11 goals. Killie would then host Celtic in their last game
of the season, with the SPL championship on the line, between the Old
Firm. Rugby Park will be a "sell-out", perhaps in more ways than one
as Killie are being accused by many of being too accommodating to the
visiting "hoards"! The last week of the season saw killiefc.com's "2nd
annual day oot". The kicking Squirrels beat Bazcelona
5-3. Prior to Celtic match Gary McSwegan signs a
one contract from Killie. The final day of the SPL season arrives and
Killie are beaten
0-4, but Celtic's win was not enough as Rangers won the title winning
by 5 goals on the final day. Many Killie fans were not happy, not so much
with result of the Celtic game, BUT the handling of the "segregation" (or
lack there of!), as the Club, Rock Steady & the police failed to get "on
the same page" in how to have best handled the large traveling support
from Glasgow, many of whom ended up sitting next to Killie fans in the
home sections of the crowd.
In closing Jim Jefferies
Post Match Celtic Comments...he
says...."I
told the players they have had a magnificent season"
-
More
June 2003
Locke & Boyd in the new
Killie top
Killie announce they will travel to
Il Ciocco in July
for their pre-season "camp" in Italy. Gordon Marshall signs
with Motherwell. Killie release their new 2003-04 Kit and sell over 600
"tops" in the first week. Andy McLaren still remains
unsigned.
July 2003
With
McLaren now a certainty to move on, manager Jefferies turns his
attention to strengthening his squad with the signings of
Martin Hardie (1year)
from Partick, &
Colin Nish (6 mo's)
from Dunfermline. Craig Dargo & Peter
Canero are both reported to be struggling with injuries and may both
(Dargo for sure!) miss the start of the upcoming season. Before the start
of the pre-season JJ adds Australian Danny Invincible to the
squad on a one
year contract via Bosman free transfer from Swindon Town. Killie win
their first 3 "warm-ups" , 4-1 over Durham City, 8-1 over Gateshead & 2-1
at Carlisle. Match Recaps
Here Top scorers on the first 3 outings were; Nish (4), Invincible
(2), Innes (2), & Di Giacomo (2). Killie then host newly promoted
Portsmouth at Rugby Park and get thumped
0-5, with Teddy Sheringham scoring a cracker. During July former CEO
David Heath, steps down and the club replace him with former club captain
Davie MacKinnon
as General Manager.
Aug 2003
Boyd Celebrates his Double Vs Sunderland
Killie finish their pre-season warm up's wearing their new
away kit in a fine
4-2 home win over
Sunderland. Boyd scores a second half super-sub double after Nish opened
the
scoring and Invincible completed it. Bad news however as Freddie limps off
in the first half with a hamstring injury. Killie will then head to Ibrox
to open the SPL season Vs champions Rangers, and lose
0-4. Meldrum "gifts" Rangers the opener, and then Innes is sent off
after only 30 mins. It is reported after the game that Kris Boyd
will be joining Wolves on a weeks trial. Francois
Dubourdeau was on the bench as a
triallist against Rangers at Ibrox, following an injury to Graeme
Smith, who is out for three months. (He
subsequently signed to a 6 mo contract). Boyd returns from
his Wolves trial
in time to hit a super volley in Killie's
2-1 come from behind win over Partick in their SPL home "opener". Both
Invincible & Locke are injured, with one the replacements being Killie
debut boy Martin Hardie, who obliged his former employers
with scoring Killie's equalizer! Before the Motherwell match the Klin
Investment (UK) Ltd has make an offer in writing to the Principal
Shareholder of Kilmarnock Football Club to acquire the controlling
interest of the club.
Statements Here
Saturday comes after the club "knock back" Klin's proposal
& lose
1-2 at Motherwell with a 10 man effort after Fowler gets sent off for
a deliberate "hand-ball" then a penalty. Freddie score his
first goal in 3 years to have pulled Killie even!. Before the final Sunday
of Aug the Dee home match the transfer window closes, and Killie see a
flurry of activity. Chris Innes is sold to Dundee Utd, while
Blackburn stopper Gordon Greer is
signed a two year deal. Also
Rhian
Dodds has joined until the end of the year. To
close out Aug Killie field a team minus; Dargo, Canero, Invincible, Locke,
Hardie & Fowler (suspension). Kris Boyd again earns Killie a
point with a great equalising goal in a
1-1 draw, with Stevie Murray featuring.
Killie finish the month with 4 points from 4 matches and are in 8th place
in the SPL.
Sep 2003
Baggio in
action Vs Hearts
Scotland's Euro 2004 campaign qualifying means Killie
didn't play again till Sept 13th at home to 3rd place Hearts, and put in a
horror 1st 45 min's! Killie fail to compete and lose
0-2. Manag
er
Jefferies tell the press after the match ..."if I could have used more
than 3 sub's ..I would have"! Some good news however was that
Peter Canero did make his debut for the season.
Killie then had to embark on their travels which took them away from Rugby
Park for 5 of their next 6 matches! A successful start is made at
Livingston where Killie record a
2-1 SPL win with Hessey & Boyd grabbing Killie's goals.
However that fine result is followed by a shocking performance to an
Ally "Bully"
Mitchell led Brechin up North and go down
0-1 in the CIS Cup. Killie then turn a decent display at Dundee Utd
with Kris Boyd opening the scoring in a
1-1 draw with Andy
McLaren scoring for the Arabs.
Killie finish the month with 8 points from 7 matches
and are in 9th place in the SPL.
Oct 2003
McSwegan Nets
the Pars Winner
Killie then host 2nd bottom Aberdeen and are 0-2 down after
15 mins, and go on to lose
1-3 with sub Colin Nish scoring his first goal for
Killie. Killie are now "off" till their SPL travels resume at the plastic
Pars pitch & Blobby's place, followed by the "In-Firm" both coming to
Rugby Park. However during the Euro 2002 break Killie do squeeze in a West
Sound challenge match
1-0 win over A*r Utd, with Stevie Fulton sending the
Killie faithful home happy! Killie then the following week become the
first visiting team to win at Dunfermline's plastic pitch
3-2, after trailing 1-2. Greg Shields & Gary
McSwegan (a double) did the scoring for Killie. Rhian Dodds
makes his Killie debut also that for Killie that day. Killie finish the
month visiting "under-fire" former manager Bobby Williamson's Hibs. Killie
start the match the same way we did against the Dons earlier in the month,
giving up 2 early goals. Hibs score first through Francois's legs then
Shields legs! Colin Nish as sub nets Killie's only goal as
we go on to lose
1-3.
Killie finish the month with 11 points from 10 matches
and are in 9th place in the SPL.
Nov 2003
McDonald Scores
at Firhill
Killie start Nov hosting Celtic and lose
0-5. Jim Jefferies complains heavily about Hugh
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Dallas's
performance, giving Celtic 2 penalties the first very "soft", and denying
Killie at least one very decent penalty claim of our own. Gordon
Greer is Killie's man of the match, and looks to be a real find,
after playing in only is 2nd SPL match. Killie are then beaten
2-3 to Rangers at Rugby Park with McDonald & Canero
scoring for Killie. A mistake in the 86th min by
Dubourdeau
cost Killie a valuable point after a much improved spirited
performance. Many of the Killie faithful head off the following week to
Hampden to see Scotland's memorable win over Holland. Killie finish up Nov
with 2 wins on the trot, firstly at Firhill where bottom of the table and
winless Partick Thistle were beaten
4-2, with doubles from both Gary McDonald & Colin Nish,
with Stevie Murray being the main Jags tormentor.
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The
Nov finale is played in torrential rain conditions as Killie outplay 4th
placed Motherwell and win
2-0 at Rugby Park. Goals in each half by Peter Canero &
Kris Boyd (in the 2nd half) did the job as "McBertie" took
in the match. Gordon Greer shone as Man of the Match for
most. This was Killie's first "clean sheet" of the season!
Killie finish the
month with 17 points from 14 matches and are in 9th
place in the SPL.
Dec 2003
Boyd in Action
at Tynecastle
Killie
start Dec at Dundee who had just called in the receivers the previous
week, who were also on 17 points (from 14 matches in 8th place on goal
diff.) Killie go on to beat Dee
2-1 with Nish & Boyd/Dee%20A%20Canero%20Red.jpeg)
on target again for Killie. Killie break into the top 6 in the SPL for
this time, and it had taken them 15 matches to do so. Peter Canero &
Greg Shields then play for the Scotland "B" team Vs Turkey, and
Gordon Greer is named to the bench also. Second top scorer
Colin Nish signs a new 18 month deal to stay on
at Killie. Dubourdeau
& Dodds also sign deals to keep them each at Rugby Park
through the end of the season. Before
the Hearts (A) match Killie conduct their
AGM.
Killie then play at Tynecastle, squander many decent chances and go
on to lose
1-2. Sub Gary McSwegan net in the final min for Killie.
Killie then finished up the year with 2 home matches, both losses without
scoring a single goal ! The first of which was against Livingston, where
we lost
0-3, after playing some good football and falling behind to a goal
early in the second half (& then 2 late sucker blows). Then to the Arabs
0-2 where again we again played some decent football and had some
penalty decisions go against us. We just seem to have no luck at Rugby
Park these days !
Killie finish the month with 20 points from 18 matches and are in 8th
place in the SPL.
2003 Complete Killie SPL Record
