If it came out of Killie boss Jim Jefferies mouth then you'll find it here (if it was picked up by the press.)  Dates shown are dates reported ...... 

May 31st on the Squad Latest... "Gordon’s (Greer) new wife was up for the CIS Cup Final and met a few of the other players’ wives, but we still don’t know if the couple intend to live in Scotland or down south, where she is from. We haven’t put a time limit on when a decision has to be made so we’ll just have to wait and see what Gordon decides on. We made Peter (Leven) an offer but as well as looking for a bit more money he also indicated that he wanted to try and find a club in the south. I had a talk with Stevie (Murray) at the end of last season and this may be the time for him to decide that he wants to play regularly rather than getting the odd appearance as a sub. I think he’s at the stage of his career when he feels he needs to be playing week in, week out.”
On Craig Bryson, (whose contract is now up at Clyde), “I’m still interested in signing Craig, but at this stage I can say no more than that.”  
Steven Naismith....  “There’s plenty of speculation and there’s no doubt that there are a few clubs who would like to have him, but may not be able to afford him.”
On New Signings... “We’re always looking and trying to improve what we have here, but that’s all I’m prepared to say at the moment.”

May 24th on Naisy Celtic Speculation ..."It's pure speculation, but it's understandable because he has picked up a few awards, But nobody's made any enquiries as such, so I hope he's lining up for Kilmarnock next season. Everybody says that the summer is the silly season, but Steven is flavour of the month at the moment, He's had a great season, but then so have his team-mates and he's the first to acknowlege that. It's hard to put a price on someone's head, but if an offer is unacceptable we'll turn it down. If it is, we'll have to discuss it."
On Hearts Speculation... "The last time I spoke to Vladimir Romanov was at a BBC function more than two years ago, The links are flattering because of the connection, but again it's just speculation. I've heard stories that I have already had discussions with Mr Romanov, but I haven't. I'm getting on with the job at Kilmarnock where we have a great set of players and the supporters are starting to appreciate what's happening."

May 23rd on his name being mentioned for the open Hearts manager position..."It's news to me, I never usually comment on speculation but I can confirm I haven't held any talks with Hearts. Whether or not I'm on any shortlist they might have is a different question - you always get linked to other jobs when you've been doing well."

May 20th on the Hearts Post Match... "Hearts were out of the traps and we knew they would be because of what was at stake but Kilmarnock proved that we weren't there to lie down. It was a very physical and competitive game and we stood up to it. It certainly wasn't a dull end-of-season affair, there was a good competitive atmosphere and we're delighted to send the fans away happy. We've equalled the record number of wins for a season, we got our first win for seven years at Ibrox last week and we've been to a cup final. It's time to quit I think - only kidding!  We would be quite happy to start next year with the same targets - trying to get into the top six and another decent cup run."  Match Report

May 19h on the Hearts Pre Match... "It's a big game for Kilmarnock, We've beaten Hibs away 1-0, we've beaten Rangers away 1-0 and we had a very good performance here against Celtic when they were going for the title. If you ask anybody at Celtic, they know they were given a hard game that day. Nobody lay down to them and we won't be lying down to Hearts either. We want to get three wins on the trot. For us to get three wins from the five hardest fixtures would be phenomenal for our players. Then we can say it's been a really fantastic finish to another fantastic season.  We want to please our supporters on Sunday. If we give our best, we know we've got a great chance of winning. If it goes against us, we'll be delighted for Hearts and will congratulate them but they won't get it easy.''

May 18h on Stephen Naismith's Killie Future... "Steven has had a sensational second half of the season. There was a lot of competition for the young player award, so it's a real credit to the club that he's made such excellent progress. At the moment, all we've been hearing is speculation. We've had no enquiries yet, but bigger clubs will always have the resources and we would have to consider anything that may help Kilmarnock financially for the future. I would have to find a replacement for Steven Naismith as I normally have to do,  If we get an offer in that's acceptable and Steven wants to go, the money will go to the club. It helps our account, it helps bring our debt down and makes it a bit more manageable. We don't have the wealth behind us. Managers come and go and players come and go but the club will always be here for the supporters. We've had some hard times recently and we still have to work very prudently with tight budgets.  The success of the team in the last couple of years has made it easier for me to keep the same level of income we're at and maybe even a little bit more.  We don't have to make the major cuts that we have done and that has helped. We rate Steven very highly but we're never going to put a price on him. It's unfair to put a price on him.  Any club would have a figure in mind for a player but we're not going to alert anyone to what we would take. In Scott Brown's case there was a lot of competition and sometimes you have to go that little bit extra to get the man you want if you want him badly enough. I can see why Celtic did that because he's a terrific player and one of the best I've seen for a few years in Hibs' midfield. If Steven's got that number clubs after him, of course it helps our cause. But there have been no enquiries and everything we speak about at the moment is pure speculation. If I'm honest, I'll be very surprised if no-one does make an enquiry in the summer but there are no guarantees about that. If there aren't any enquiries, we'll be delighted. If there are, we'll deal with it."

May 13h on the Gers Post Match... "Rangers never like getting beaten and it was their last home game of the season, so it's a great win for us, The target was fifth-place and to do it with a win at Ibrox is terrific. We were well-organised and we had a lot of good performances. Steven Naismith scored a wonderful goal fit to win any game. We got into the top five last year and to do it again with a game to spare is even more satisfying. Hibs can't catch us now and that's also satisfying after what happened in the CIS Cup. Even though things went wrong for us in the cup final we still feel that we have progressed this year." Match Report
On Securing Fifth Place.... "We have had a lot of injuries so it's a great achievement."

May 5th on the Hibs Post Match... "We rode our luck because Alan Combe - who made a mistake last week, was just unbelievable today. You could see his quality. He took stick last week but we never gave him stick because he made two fantastic saves in that game. You can count on one hand in the three years he has been here how many mistakes he has made. We were well organised and for a team missing so many players we were just fantastic, we competed so well. We are delighted with the application of the players because last week we didn't get that. We rolled up our sleeves and got the points. I felt these boys were ready because they have been playing well in the reserves. I thought with no pressure on them we can put them out there in a real tough place so that next year when I need them we know they can cope. And they can put other players under pressure." Match Report

May 4th on Clyde midfielder Craig Bryson... "We don't know if Craig can do it at this level, We want to give him the opportunity and trying to build a fee based on how well he does for us that would reward Clyde as well."
Greer & Locke's Contracts..."The rest that were out of contract, the contracts are being drawn up just now and it's just a case of getting them in to sign them, Gordon Greer wants to stay here, but he is getting married and she comes from England and there's a chance she might want to move back and he might want to keep his options open by going south. If he stays here, I'm sure there will be no problem. Gary Locke's position will be discussed at the end of the season regarding his fitness and the coaching side and what he wants to do. The way he performed against Celtic and came on as a sub a few times, he has done well for us. If he can play just some part next season, we can build a contract around that. But, at the very least, I hope he will be part of the backroom staff for the next couple of seasons."
On David Fernadez's Progress..."David's worked hard but has been restricted as there's been a bit of pain.It was agreed what was required was to get it cleaned up. That's hopefully done the trick. It's set him back but certainly not to the stage where you can say he's finished. We were hoping he'd be ready for pre-season training but we're looking at about Christmas time now."

April 28th on the Dons Post Match... "The third goal was just a freak and it is hard for Alan because he made two great saves in the first half. Then he gave away a goal where in his efforts to get the ball out quickly, he obviously misjudged things. The third goal probably summed up the game for us, because at no time did we reach the heights of our previous performances. We were up for the game last week and put on a great show, so we should have been up for it this week, but that is what happens when you aren't. We have good players, but we still have to go out and make things happen and if we don't do that in the three remaining games, we will end up with the same results."  Match Report

April 27th on Re-Signing "Magic" Johnson... "It is great news that Allan has committed himself to the club. (2 year deal). His agent told us there had been interest from another couple of SPL clubs so we are delighted to get him tied up. Allan has done really well for us and has been a big part of our success over the last couple of seasons and will continue to be a big player for us."

April 22nd on the Celtic Post match... "Celtic stuttered a bit today because of a great performance by Kilmarnock and we lost from two set plays. We scored a great goal from great outfield play and I didn't have a bad player out there today. We were undone by a cruel blow right at the end. Congratulations to Celtic, they're deserved winners," Match Report

April 20th on the Celtic Pre Match..."We've got our own agenda, we're in fifth place, we know there are five tough games and everyone is playing each other. There's not going to be a lot of points that we are going to pick up but we are going to try to get as many as we can. It won't be easy but we're in the driving seat. We've got to try and stop them playing and all I can ask the boys to do is, if Celtic are going to win the title at our place, then we make it hard for them, A couple of years ago we were getting beat four or five-nothing, but it isn't happening now,  We lost a goal just on half-time the last time in January's 2-0 defeat at Parkhead and they got a late goal to make it two. We were 1-0 up through Colin Nish's goal after losing David Fernandez at Rugby Park in October, when Celtic won 2-1. We're contesting it better. We'll have our day and it might be on Sunday."
On Celtic's Fans Moaning... "I just find it incredible that they've won the championship, they've gone to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time, they're in the final of the Scottish Cup and the fans are complaining, It just shows you what it's like at a big club - you can be successful and still have to appease some fans. That's the game we're in,”
On Killie Not Selling Out To Celtic's Ticket Demands... "We have got supporters who have paid money to be in a certain end and you can only ask the question if they want to relocate their seat and let us fill the ground. They are the supporters who go every week and the club have made the decision. We don't have that many supporters and we have to keep them happy. The downside is that we are trying to work on a restricted budget and the money would come in handy. However, the fact that we've had a successful season in the top six and reached a cup final means maybe we can afford to do it on this occasion. I just hope they turn out as they have been doing. We've had 7500 at our last two home games."
On Squad Status For Next Term... "I've had talks with all the players ( including Gary Locke, Peter Leven and Allan Johnston. Simon Ford had already agreed a short-term contract until the end of the year to allow him to overcome a groin injury) and the agents all last week. Grant Murray is the only one whose agent has come back to me, he has accepted a contract of one year with a year's option. The other agents will follow. I've got one who deals with three or four players, so by the time he gets round everyone, he will come back to me at the start of the week. All the talks have been done and the offers have been made. It's now in their hands. Graeme Smith unfortunately for us has turned the offer down, and he maybe looks to try and get a better offer elsewhere. That's his prerogative and we hope he gets it and does well but we have to work within our budgets. Paul (Di Giacomo) is very close to signing a deal, Paul and I have had a chat about it, there will need to be one or two things tweaked about but no problems there."

April 7th on the Hearts Post Match... "We deserved something out the game considering the players we had out. Then Ryan O'Leary had to come on in the second half because Simon Ford was feeling his groin at half-time. We switched off at a vital moment because Hearts only looked like scoring from a corner or a free-kick. We shot ourselves in the foot, we were beaten by slackness and a lack of concentration." Match Report  

April 3rd on the Well Post Match... "It just shows you. On Saturday we didn't deserve to lose. Tonight a draw was probably the best we could have hoped for. We have not started the game well. Graeme Smith and Gordon Greer were outstanding in the first half, but we never got going. We spoke about it at half-time, there were a few choice words. It was the same players as Saturday apart from Simon Ford replacing David Lilley. All that changed was the application. It was magnificent on Saturday and we should have won. There wasn't much in it in the second half, we were more of a threat. And when it's 0-0 and you put a great ball in from a corner Nish is always liable to come up with something."   
On Willie Gibson's Performance ...it was always in my thoughts if things weren't going well to try and give him (Gibson) a bit of experience between now and the end of the season, so he knows what it's all about come the start of next season.  He did great again. I put him on the right because I thought Momo (Sylla) was getting attacked down the left a wee bit, but I don't think it suited him. Once I switched him to the left he looked comfortable. He can jink left or right, you don't know whether he is going to come inside because he can go outside on that left-hand side.  He was great at whipping the ball in, he put one great ball in along the deck that almost got us a goal, it was a difficult one for the goalkeeper to take. He has got a hunger and desire about him. But he has still got a bit to learn. There were a couple of balls he tried to bring down in the middle of the park, which when you are under pressure in our league you have got to play them on. He should hold it in the last third where he can use what he has got to better effect and not try to be too clever in the middle because you don't get the time here, especially on a tight pitch." Match Report  

April 2nd on the Well Pre Match... " They gave us a right going over at Fir Park the last time so we have a bit of making up to do for that result. They are a hard team to beat at home but we need to learn lessons from the last game there. They got a decent result at the weekend against Dunfermline so it's not going to be the easiest of games. But both teams like to get the ball down and play so it should be an entertaining game."

Mar 31st on the Dons Post Match... "We deserved something? Kilmarnock were mugged. We blew them away the whole game, not just in the first half. In all the time that I have been here I don't think we have dominated a game as much - I don't think our keeper Graeme Smith had a save to make .I couldn't have asked for any more of my players and I said to them they will never be as unlucky again this season. It was a great response after we lost to Hibs in the CIS Cup final. Sometimes when you get beaten you are annoyed but we got beaten the right way, we gave everything. But in fairness to Aberdeen, they took their opportunity."   Match Report

Mar 29th on the SPL Split Fixtures... "What we are not happy about as a club is the way the fixtures have panned out for us. Last season we had to go to Aberdeen three times and this season we have three away and two at home once again after the split.  You would think since we had that last season we would have three at home this time. It's just typical though. Looking at past fixtures it's Kilmarnock who seem to lose out.  You do get frustrated about it. I know they have a tough job trying to appease everyone but they should have a proper system in place because half the time it's guess work. They should look what has gone before. Last season Aberdeen had 20 home games and they have 20 at home again this season. Hearts have three trips to Ibrox this season. It just doesn't seem fair. If a club missed out the previous year they shouldn't miss out this season.  Since we didn't have a game the week after the Cup Final, I gave them a few days off but brought them back in on the Friday and the Saturday because there would be a flatness about them, which is natural.  But we saw a huge difference in training on Monday. Had I left it to the Monday it would have taken me a few more days to get them going.  They were disappointed with the defeat since we didn't do ourselves justice but they have nothing to be down about as they've been fantastic this season by making the top six."

Mar 20th JJ Thanks the Fans... "The players were very down after the game but sometimes you have to go through that sort of thing to progress as you never want to experience that sort of feeling again. But the fans were great, they are the ones who go every week and follow the team and it was great that so many of them turned up at the ground. They were so pleased when we won the semi as they knew it meant a day out at Hampden, something for them to look forward to. I know some of the fans headed off at the end but a lot stayed and applauded. The boys feel they let themselves and the club down but they have been magnificent to get to the Final and make the top six in the SPL. We need to try to get back to a final as soon as possible and we can use this defeat because we'll all remember how it felt. You certainly never want to feel like that again."  

Mar 18th on the CIS Post Match... "You need people like David Fernandez, Danny Invincibile and Momo Sylla when facing the better teams. My fear was that the occasion would be too much for some of them and the day passed us by big style. After I lost 5-1 with Hearts I said to the players to get back there as quickly as possible and try to put it right. It's the only thing you can do, although it will be harder for us because Hearts are a bigger club. It was a bad day and the players are hurting. But I've been there before. If we can get back to a final as quickly as possible then we have a chance to do something about it.  It wasn't a 5-1 game, although the scoreline will show that. Hibs deserved to win but I think 3-1 would have been a fairer result. We were annoyed that we gave the biggest man in the park (Jones) a free header for the first goal. We came out well in the second half but the second goal was important. Hibs had a great spell and got a third goal but when we got the goal it looked like it was more likely to go to 3-2 than 4-1. But that's what you get when you try to push forward to get back to 3-2. When the pressure was off them, they showed how good they can be. But the result shouldn't cloud the players' achievements, they have captured a top-six spot and got to a cup final." Match Report  

Mar 17th on CIS Pre Match... "It would be great to join managers of that calibre (Only Eddie Turnbull (Aberdeen, Hibs)   and Alex Smith (St Mirren, Aberdeen )have, in modern times, won silverware at two different Scottish non-Old Firm clubs) who've picked up two trophies at different clubs. It just doesn't happen too often because of the strength of the Old Firm. It's harder to win a trophy than it was 10 years ago. You could try to compare it with winning the Scottish Cup at Hearts, and ask what's the greater achievement. You can't separate the two in terms of the glory side of it. Hearts hadn't won the cup for 40 years and when we took over they were struggling a bit. The major difference is that we built a team there by spending money. It wasn't a lot - the whole team cost £750,000 - and compared with Rangers and Celtic it was peanuts. But here we won't have spent one penny on the XI who will start against Hibs, plus the substitutes. The sense of achievement in getting a team to a final is greater than it was with Hearts in 1998. If we win, there won't be any transfer money or increase in wages. But I won't have to make any more cuts like I've had to do in the past." More CIS Cup Final Build Up

Mar 10th on The Caley Post Match... "Nobody can deny us if we get into the top six because we have been there or thereabouts all season. It's terrific that we can go into the cup final with two back-to-back wins behind us and a top-six spot virtually secured. So we can look forward to enjoying the day next week. We knew this was going to be a difficult game but after losing an early goal the players did great to come back to be leading 3-1 at half time. I thought that if we got the fourth goal before they got the second we would run out comfortable winners but we lost one after a couple of minutes of the second half. We knew they had nothing to lose because they had to win the game but I don't think our keeper had much to do in the second half." Match Report
On his Squad for Next Sunday's CIS Cup Final..."Grant (Murray) missed last week with a hamstring injury and he felt it again late on. It's a problem and we will have to work on him early in the week to see if he has a chance. Our keeper Alan Combe missed the game with a calf strain and we didn't want to risk it but I think he will be okay.We have a reserve game on Monday in which one or two players have to play to see if they can get through and give us something to think about. Rhian Dodds will be out and Momo Sylla and Danny Invincibile won't play on Monday so their chances are slim."
On Naisy & Jacko's Form... "Steven was terrific, especially in the first half. He was a constant problem to them and he topped it off with a great overhead kick for his goal. He also had great volley from Garry Hay's cross at the back post and Di Giacomo reacted ever so well to score his second. Di Giacomo set up two goals last week but he didn't just score two against St Mirren, he worked that channel on the right hand side very well. But both have looked sharp in training for a couple of weeks now and the two wins in a row that we have had will help them. And if they can find their best form next week then we will have a chance."

Mar 8th on The Caley Pre Match... "It would be massive, the pressure would be off. Our target this season was the top six and a decent cup run. The cup run is in the bag, we can't go any further than the final. We have not made the top six yet so that is the key. We want to be in the top six. I would say the cup final will act as a spur, I don't want them to think about the cup final other than that they are playing for their place. If they play for their place hopefully the spin-off will be a good performance on Saturday. We are in the driving seat, we think we can take a massive step to make it very difficult for the rest if we win on Saturday. So it's two cup finals on the trot."

Mar 3rd on the Saints Post Match... "I stressed at half-time we needed to win this game. We expected St Mirren to compete and close us down. Last time they gave us a lot of trouble. It wasn't until 25 minutes we put our best move together. That showed if we got it down and passed it we could cause problems. The second half was a good performance, getting the first goal was important because St Mirren had to take a wee chance or two. We had one or two great moves before the second goal. Colin scored two great goals and set up a few other chances as well. His first was a good header and he did exceptionally well getting across the defender at the second.He can be frustrating but is difficult to play against and is always liable to come up with something special. His partner, Stevie Naismith, didn't score but he ran non-stop all game and I thought they did well together. We needed to win, not draw, and while it took us a while to get going we finished the first half well and then pushed on. After the break we produced a good performance and getting the first goal was always vital. The second was a great goal and we always looked like we could score again. If we can beat Inverness Caley Thistle next week, we can be in great shape when we go into the CIS Cup Final against Hibs the following weekend."  Match Report  

Mar 2nd on Clyde’s 20-year-old Craig Bryson... "We've not made any moves to sign him now but we'll watch him between now and the end of the season. There's a lot of things to weigh up. He's a young boy and he has good ability but you also need strength and power in the SPL. We will watch him for another few games to see if he's going to develop in that area."
On Willie Gibson...  "It's great for him to come in at this time because he will get to know what it's about, he'll get to settle in with the players and he'll get to know how we work. I think he could play a part between now and the end of the season. The plan is certainly to involve him. He's not played in the SPL yet but we think he's got the attributes and will be looking for him to challenge and compete for a place like everyone else."

Mar 1st On the Club's CIS Monies... "The money would allow us to do one or two things with the players we have here but I couldn't go out and buy a player. That would mean spending £50,000 or £60,000 on a player and I couldn't do that. For us, it's all about wage bills and giving us a bit more money to play with. I don't know the exact figures but getting to the semi-final might get you £150,000; getting to the final could get you £400,000. It's a big difference. Financially, the cup run means that, if we also make the top six, it has been a better season than last season when we didn't make a cup final.  Making the top six means a home game against one of the Old Firm, bigger gates and no chance of relegation. We would probably get more TV money as well. The higher up the league you are, the better the rewards.
On The Saints Pre Match... "And a lot of the financial rewards have to be generated on the pitch. We have St Mirren away and then Inverness Caley Thistle at home and we are all capable of taking points from each other.  We played a Dunfermline team at the bottom of the league, and fighting for their lives, in our last away game and saw how well they played.  St Mirren are a wee bit better off than Dunfermline but they are still fighting for their lives and it will be a difficult game."

Feb 27th on Killie's Injury Situation... "Garry's available for this week's game at St Mirren but Ryan (O'Leary) and David (Lilley) are both a couple of weeks away yet. We had eight players out a few weeks ago but the list is clearing."

Feb 17th on the Pars Post Match...  "I thought we started well with a great early strike and then I think the players just thought it was going to be a walk in the park because it was the team at the bottom of the league. I thought it was just a matter of time before they would equalise. But the way they did was just an unbelievable goal to lose. Simon came out with the ball and had plenty of opportunity to play it. We told them at half-time if we were going to continue to play like we had, it would be just a matter of time before Dunfermline won. We made it a lot more difficult for them in the second half and for all Dunfermline's crosses and balls in, they didn't really create clear-cut chances. Given the players we had out, the way we played and that we were down to 10 men in the second half, I'm delighted with a point away from home. Against a side fighting for their lives, we competed better with 10 men than we did 11." Match Report  

Feb 16th on the Pars Pre  Match...  "I never look at statistics, that is all in the past. It's what happens on Saturday that matters. When we played them last time at East End Park they hadn't had a win up until that point. That was our best performance of the season but we lost. We were up 1-0 and if it had scored the second, we would have won the game comfortably. And when it was 2-1 we had the opportunities to make it 3-1 but when there is only one goal in it you always have a chance and they got the goals that gave them a 3-2 win. We got them back when we beat the 5-1 at home but East End Park is a hard place to go as Rangers found out recently. That's why our players will be warned - Dunfermline are fighting for their lives. In saying that, I wouldn't want to be under the pressure that Dunfermline are under, trying to stay in the league. There is pressure in every game but we are going for a top-six spot and if we get a few more results then we can achieve that."

Feb 13th on CIS Final Ref Calling Him To Apologise... "The rules allow managers to speak to referees 15 minutes after the end of the match (Sunday 11/2 Rangers), so I had a word with the match delegate Craig Brown and then went to see Dougie. He told me he would watch the game again on video and if he had made a mistake with the penalty he would call me. He was as good as his word. He phoned me at night and told me that although it won't do us any good now he did get it wrong. What can I say? He didn't have the best of matches but we all make mistakes. At least he was big enough to own up to it. “ Jefferies insisted that his after-match comments, when he said Killie shouldn't bother turning up for the CIS Cup Final if McDonald has as bad a game again, were said in a light-hearted manner. "That was said as a throwaway line at the end of the press conference and people were laughing. Of course I was unhappy with some of the decisions but I didn't literally mean we shouldn't bother turning up. “
On Signing Aime Koudou ... "He looks like the kind of player who can do something different. It was not a huge lay-out for us, "So it's not a massive gamble. We'll see how he progresses."
On Eric Skora... (Left)...  "He's a long way from getting back but we have first hold on him, He took his first steps today but he needs to find his fitness and confidence."
Both men had featured in a reserve tie against St Mirren on Tuesday

Feb 11th on the Rangers Post Match...  "We tried to keep it tight and they are a difficult team to beat without being given things pretty easily. But these are hard enough games and the last thing you need is to give Rangers a gift (first penalty) and a lift so early in the game but, unfortunately, Mr McDonald did that. Stunned was the word when he gave the penalty.  So it was a bit harsh to say the least because it was outside the box for a start and Simon got the ball. The second one was an old-fashioned shoulder charge from James Fowler. Some are given some are not, it just so happens that it was given. Rangers got another gift because there was no-one near Boyd for his header,He's the last guy you want to leave in that position and I'm probably more peeved about that than the penalty. Stevie Naismith had been hurt winning our penalty and the rules state you cannot come back on the park until the ball has gone out of play again. We had to find another taker and Peter missed it. We ended up 3-0 down when it should have been 2-1, but the players deserve credit for never giving in. I just found out that he's the referee for the League Cup final so I hope he has a better day then than he did here. I don't want to say too much as I will get into trouble."  Match Report  

Feb 9th on Killie's Support... "I would settle for the supporters that turned at Fir Park in the semi. We had a great support there, they got behind us, they always do away from home. I said after the game there will be a clamour for tickets. Maybe a few of them should come along to Rugby Park because there's one thing you can't say about Kilmarnock is that we don't go out and play the right way. Don't just come along for cup finals but come along and support the team. There's a loyal bunch that do turn up that have a feelgood factor about them. If we put a good show on in the final I'm sure we will get a few more coming along. That will be a way the club can take a step forward. There's a lot of people in the area that go to Parkhead or Ibrox, they are just up the road. David Sneddon said when they won the league championship in 1965, if you took Rangers and Celtic crowds out that day the average was only 6,500. It's not just something that has happened over the last two or three seasons. I think when they had their little bad spell a few years ago when they dropped down the divisions, it seemed to rally the town, I think they took massive support to smaller clubs to get the club back up the divisions. Even if we get that support back it would help. There is nothing worse when there's too many empty seats. All you can do on the pitch is give them a team worth of coming along and seeing. There was the disappointment of losing to Morton in the Scottish Cup but I don't think we would have a big enough budget to buy cleaning materials for two trophies."
On Naismith & His Future..."I've been told Steven has been earmarked for the full squad and what he has to do is maintain his current level of performance. I think Steven handles life in the spotlight brilliantly so I know none of the speculation will faze him. Our next game is against Rangers on Sunday and I only have to think back to the last time they were at our ground to sum up Steven's outstanding temperament. Steven and I were booked on a flight to London the following day so that he could begin his trial period with Arsenal. We were awarded an injury-time penalty with the score 2-1 in Rangers' favour. Steven stayed totally focused and stuck the kick away to give us a draw - he's got a great temperament. It's not that he's laid back, more the case he manages to stay calm nomatter what he has to do. Steven completed his hat-trick against Falkirk in the Cup by scoring a penalty, even though he missed his last penalty in the league against Dundee United. Mind you, I don't think there was much chance of anybody getting the ball off him that night since he was on a hat-trick. There have been players like Andy McLaren (left) and Ian Durrant who have made international squads in the latter stages of their careers at Kilmarnock but that was after they'd made their names at other clubs. It would be fantastic to see someone who'd come through the Killie youth system reach those heights."

Feb 8th on the Rangers Pre Match... "I think everybody knew they were probably more vulnerable then than they are now. They are always tough to beat, even when Paul Le Guen was there, but I think people always had a belief they could get at them, certainly when they had the criticism of the central defence. Walter has moved quickly to solve that problem, with Davie Weir and Ugo Ehiogu, two experienced and strong players. And that's reflected in their clean sheets since then."  

Feb 6th on Hay's Availability For This Coming Sunday... "We were hoping Garry (Hay) would be fit for the Rangers game but we've had notification that he starts a two-game ban on the Saturday.  I didn't realise he was going to be suspended. He was sent off against Motherwell and the points you get for a dismissal can range from seven to 12.  The sending-off must have been a 12-pointer because he's only had three bookings so far this season.  That's taken him over the points threshold and although he's served a one match ban for the sending off it has a roll-on effect. So he starts a two-match ban this weekend."
On the fitness of Momo Sylla ….”Sylla has joined up with Guinea for the friendly against Ivory Coast in Paris The word I'm getting is he might not be fit for that but with internationals you have to report anyway. He'll be getting treatment. The early signs are that he's not going to be fit for the international and I'll be pleased if he doesn't take part as we want him to be available for the Rangers game."

Jan 30th on the Bairns CIS Post Match... "It's another £2million on his fee (Naismith's) after that performance. But I think if someone offered me £5million then he still wouldn't go. He would want to play in the final. I'm sure we've got him to the end of the season and it's great for the club. He was sensational and played at a different level. Just before he got his penalty I gave him a bit of a rollicking because he passed the ball back from the edge of the 18-yard box. I could tell he was on fire and I wanted him to take players on because he looked as if he had the beating of them. He was the match-winner in and old-fashioned cup tie."  Match Report  

Jan 29th on the Bairns CIS Pre Match...  "The day that Kilmarnock last won a trophy the scorer cost about £300,000 (Paul Wright in 1997) because they had people behind the scenes like Mr (Jamie) Moffat who backed the team by bringing in players. But like other clubs we have not got the resources now, football has changed. We have had to do it not just by cutting the playing side but the staff around this club generally to keep surviving. We have been very consistent over the last 18 months. The supporters have realised just how hard it is here and they have been pleased to see the team playing good football, entertaining and still doing reasonably well. It would be fantastic, an absolutely fantastic achievement if we could go all the way. If we could win a major trophy given what has had to happen over the last two or three years it would certainly be one of the biggest achievements I have had in 20 years of management. You have to gamble a wee bit at times and fortunately we have had people that we have taken a gamble on that have come off, and that is always helpful. Everyone at the club is doing extremely well to even attempt to get to the final or even think about getting in the top six because we are working like a lot of clubs in the bottom half on the same budget. People think with what we have got we should be fighting relegation never mind being in with the big boys but we're there. The people who come do like watching us, they are not as critical as they were before because they know what has had to be done here. They really get behind us and hopefully the support can get behind us tomorrow. But by winning the cup or going to the final we can always attract a few more along. And hopefully that can take us on a wee bit further."

Jan 27th on the Bairns Post Match... "I think we deserved our victory. We've maybe now come through a wee patch when we weren't at our best. We're now looking forward to Tuesday, but this result will have no bearing. It's a one-off, on the night, but if we play as well as we did today we'll have a good chance. Records are there to be broken so we don't pay too much attention to having a hold over them. We give them every respect because they are a good side, their results show that. They have lost Stokes who is a hard man to replace, and maybe a wee bit of the speculation might be affecting Alan Gow. He has given the ball away crazily in the middle of the park, but we still had a lot to do. It was a fantastically weighted pass from Naismith and Nish has stuck it away brilliantly. It was a mistake and we cashed in on it, but you have to give credit to the pair of them."  Match Report

Jan 25th on the Upcoming Bairns Matches... "If people ask which one of the games we would rather win, you are better sticking to the old cliche,  I want to win the two of them.  But for the team that loses on Saturday, there are still seven games to go (before the league splits into two).  If one of the teams was six points adrift of the other and needed to win then it might be different but you can make up the points. At training this morning, I asked which players had played in a cup final before and Garry Hay and Allan Johnston were the only two. It's a great occasion to look forward to if we win the semi, it's a major cup final and, let's be honest about it, some of them might never get a better chance.  How often are Rangers and Celtic out at this stage? Usually you have to play them somewhere along the line. Okay, Hibs will be favourites but remember they are only three points above ourselves and Falkirk in the league and you have seen what happened to them against Inverness at the weekend so nothing is guaranteed. So the players will never get a better chance and you've got to make them aware of that.  We have stressed to them not to let the semi-final pass them by. You've got to be up for it because it's usually about who wants it more on the night."

Jan 23rd on his injury crisis... "Grant had to come off against United with a hamstring strain. We caught it early but it could still be a week to 10 days. It's a concern as that's another defensive player with a knock. It will be a blow if he's out because he's been very steady for us. I brought him in to cover for us when we had injuries but he's shown good form and has played well. With the numbers we have out the last thing we need is another defender injured and hopefully it's something that will clear up quickly. The swelling on Simon Ford's head knock went down over the weekend and he's back in training. Gordon has been running with the physio, so he's now taken his recovery process from the treatment room to the training ground.