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Paul Wright


Souleycouley93

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Remembering Killie heroes of the past.

This week 

Paul “Bunion” Wright 

A player many Kilmarnock fans will remember fondly as the hero in our 1997 Scottish Cup winning success against Falkirk at Ibrox . 

Paul started his career up in Aberdeen at the time Alex Ferguson was manager and made his debut under Sir Alex in 1984 . Paul made 67 appearances for the Dons in his five year spell scoring 16 goals . The striking options at Aberdeen led to Paul not getting much game time and he decided to try his luck down south .

Paul moved to Queens Park Rangers in 1989-90 season playing only one season at Loftus Road scoring 5 goals for them in 15 appearances. On 11th November a highlight of Paul’s time at QPR was scoring a brace against Liverpool at Loftus Road in a 3-2 win.

Paul decided a move back up to Scotland with Hibernian may reignite his career north of the border . Alex Miller brought him to the club . Paul played 36 games that season scoring 7 league goals . Hibernian finished 9th in league that season . 

St Johnstone would become Paul Wright’s 4th club in the summer of 1991 . St Johnstone paid a club record fee of £275,000 to bring him to Perth . This would be the start of Paul Wright’s real peak in his career . Paul went on to play from 1991-1995 with the Saints amassing 112 games in this period scoring 40 goals . St Johnstone would then sign Billy Dodds in 1994 for a standing club record fee of £400,000. 

1995 
Kilmarnock come calling . 

Kilmarnock have bid accepted for Paul Wright for a club record fee of £340,000 some serious cash being thrown around in those days . Kilmarnock also received 300,000 for Shaun Mcskimming from Motherwell that year . 

Paul Wright’s first goal came on 13/05/1995 away at his old club Hibernian in a 2-1 defeat the only goal he scored in his first season at the club . 

Paul got his first brace in a 5-1 Win over Raith Rovers at Rugby Park in November 95 . 

Paul would go on to play 148 times for the Ayrshire men scoring 40 goals in his time at Rugby Park.

Paul would cement his name in Kilmarnock F.C.  history books in May 24th  1997 in the 112th Scottish Cup Final at Ibrox . 
Paul Wright scrambled in a 20th minute winner in a 1-0 victory in front of a sell out Ibrox Stadium .  A goal in which I have seen a million times on video but wasn’t aged to go at the time being nearly 4 years old . 

Paul said after the game talking about the goal and about Alex Totten the Falkirk manager . 

"I didn't hit the ball well. As it came to me I didn't manage to get a good contact, but those are the ones that usually go in. It wasn't the best goal of my career, but it was the most important and the most satisfying."

 Wright embraced Totten at the end and said: "I wanted to speak to Alex, who is a friend as well as a former manager. I've scored more goals and played in more games for that man than anybody. I told him I was sorry for scoring the goal."

A game many supporters on here I’m sure will have fond memories of going to . Seeing Falkirk getting their equaliser ruled out by the referee and Monty lifting the cup in front of 24.,000 Kilmarnock fans would have been glorious . 

Upon qualifying for Europe in late nineties Paul Wright scored a penalty away in Nice in a 3-1 to defeat . Wright wasn’t involved in the games versus Kaiserslautern. But scored twice in home leg versus Shelbourne another penalty after a wonder strike from Shelbourne player put them up 1-0 . Then Wright equalised from the spot before a lovely reverse pass from Neven set him free in the box to lob the goal keeper from close range and secure a victory for Killie . 

Paul Wright played through until 2001 before eventually being ousted from the team by a young Kris Boyd . Paul remembers taking Boyd through drills to improve his touch and finishing ability something in which they both shared in their careers .

Paul would score a hat trick against St Mirren on Boxing Day 2000 which would be his swan song year at Kilmarnock . Wright moved on I’m 2001 -2002 season to play with Falkirk the team he had scored the winner against in Scottish Cup final 5 years previously . 
Winding down his career he managed only 2 goals in 12 starts for the Bairns before moving to Morton the following season where he scored a similar 4 goals in only 13 apps . 

Wright then had a very brief spell at Larkhall Thistle but never made an appearance . 

Wright hung up his boots in 2003 . 

Paul moved into coaching with the Kilmarnock youth teams at various levels and worked their for a number of years developing some of our youths through to the first team . 

Wright managed BSC Glasgow under 20’s a Scottish lowland league team until recently joining Bonnyton Thistle with other Kilmarnock Legend Alan Robertson a man he knew well from his days working at youth teams with us . 

A well remembered face and a guy who gave his all for the jersey and scored some important goals in a relatively successful period in the late nineties for our club . 

He’s Blue , He’s White ... 

Give me your memories of him or our Scottish Cup run in 97 . 

Thanks for reading . 

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His hat trick against st mirren in the fog bowl was his first in senior football!

He scored 72 goals for us. League/cup/league cup/europe.

And he was 'ousted' from the team by fat sally. Boyd's debut was the last game of bunion's final season, where sally tried to ingratiate himself to the home fans, who had spent the previous weeks serenading BW with 'He's blue, he's white, you're treating him like sh...' by going into the stand at the final whistle to get Paul on to the park. While the telly spooged themselves over sally.

Bunion finished that 2000/01 season with 9 goals (8 league 1 tsc) fat sally - 3 goals. (1 league 2 lc.)

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1 hour ago, CB said:

His hat trick against st mirren in the fog bowl was his first in senior football!

He scored 72 goals for us. League/cup/league cup/europe.

And he was 'ousted' from the team by fat sally. Boyd's debut was the last game of bunion's final season, where sally tried to ingratiate himself to the home fans, who had spent the previous weeks serenading BW with 'He's blue, he's white, you're treating him like sh...' by going into the stand at the final whistle to get Paul on to the park. While the telly spooged themselves over sally.

Bunion finished that 2000/01 season with 9 goals (8 league 1 tsc) fat sally - 3 goals. (1 league 2 lc.)

"He's blue, he's white, you're treating him like sh1te"

Can remember that getting given laldy at Dens at the end of that season. The way McCoist stole his limelight at the end of the Celtic game last game of the season really made my mind up about that prick. Years later he cemented that opinion with his carry out when the huns died.

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Just now, jamieboy said:

Have memories of Paul Wright scoring 3 at Love Street on boxing day and that he had missed a penalty v Dunfermline the weekend before. Fenton scored to put St Mirren ahead but I never saw it because of the fog. A game like that would never go ahead nowadays! 

Aye, missed the pen right in front of us.

I'm sure it was last minute too!

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Most natural finisher I’ve seen in my time watching Killie. Seems odd saying that when you consider how many goals Boyd has scored. 

And I agree McCoist is a prick. I’m still seething about the penalty he took against deadco. It couldn’t have been a more blatant act of bawbagerry if he’d pointed to where he was going to hit it. 

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6 minutes ago, Zorro said:

Most natural finisher I’ve seen in my time watching Killie. Seems odd saying that when you consider how many goals Boyd has scored. 

And I agree McCoist is a prick. I’m still seething about the penalty he took against deadco. It couldn’t have been a more blatant act of bawbagerry if he’d pointed to where he was going to hit it. 

Is that the one where he 'broke his leg' running up to take it? 

Gary Locke would have been proud of that one

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4 hours ago, Squirrelhumper said:

First few months he got pelters!

Pretty sure he finally scored in a home defeat to Hibs?

Remember sitting on the grass at UCD with a particularly large carry out, he missed a sitter and we (jokingly honest) started singing what  a waste of money, he was for jumping the railing round the pitch to get to us, LEGEND!!

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12 hours ago, Souleycouley93 said:

 

 

Remembering Killie heroes of the past.

This week 

Paul “Bunion” Wright 

A player many Kilmarnock fans will remember fondly as the hero in our 1997 Scottish Cup winning success against Falkirk at Ibrox . 

Paul started his career up in Aberdeen at the time Alex Ferguson was manager and made his debut under Sir Alex in 1984 . Paul made 67 appearances for the Dons in his five year spell scoring 16 goals . The striking options at Aberdeen led to Paul not getting much game time and he decided to try his luck down south .

Paul moved to Queens Park Rangers in 1989-90 season playing only one season at Loftus Road scoring 5 goals for them in 15 appearances. On 11th November a highlight of Paul’s time at QPR was scoring a brace against Liverpool at Loftus Road in a 3-2 win.

Paul decided a move back up to Scotland with Hibernian may reignite his career north of the border . Alex Miller brought him to the club . Paul played 36 games that season scoring 7 league goals . Hibernian finished 9th in league that season . 

St Johnstone would become Paul Wright’s 4th club in the summer of 1991 . St Johnstone paid a club record fee of £275,000 to bring him to Perth . This would be the start of Paul Wright’s real peak in his career . Paul went on to play from 1991-1995 with the Saints amassing 112 games in this period scoring 40 goals . St Johnstone would then sign Billy Dodds in 1994 for a standing club record fee of £400,000. 

1995 
Kilmarnock come calling . 

Kilmarnock have bid accepted for Paul Wright for a club record fee of £340,000 some serious cash being thrown around in those days . Kilmarnock also received 300,000 for Shaun Mcskimming from Motherwell that year . 

Paul Wright’s first goal came on 13/05/1995 away at his old club Hibernian in a 2-1 defeat the only goal he scored in his first season at the club . 

Paul got his first brace in a 5-1 Win over Raith Rovers at Rugby Park in November 95 . 

Paul would go on to play 148 times for the Ayrshire men scoring 40 goals in his time at Rugby Park.

Paul would cement his name in Kilmarnock F.C.  history books in May 24th  1997 in the 112th Scottish Cup Final at Ibrox . 
Paul Wright scrambled in a 20th minute winner in a 1-0 victory in front of a sell out Ibrox Stadium .  A goal in which I have seen a million times on video but wasn’t aged to go at the time being nearly 4 years old . 

Paul said after the game talking about the goal and about Alex Totten the Falkirk manager . 

"I didn't hit the ball well. As it came to me I didn't manage to get a good contact, but those are the ones that usually go in. It wasn't the best goal of my career, but it was the most important and the most satisfying."

 Wright embraced Totten at the end and said: "I wanted to speak to Alex, who is a friend as well as a former manager. I've scored more goals and played in more games for that man than anybody. I told him I was sorry for scoring the goal."

A game many supporters on here I’m sure will have fond memories of going to . Seeing Falkirk getting their equaliser ruled out by the referee and Monty lifting the cup in front of 24.,000 Kilmarnock fans would have been glorious . 

Upon qualifying for Europe in late nineties Paul Wright scored a penalty away in Nice in a 3-1 to defeat . Wright wasn’t involved in the games versus Kaiserslautern. But scored twice in home leg versus Shelbourne another penalty after a wonder strike from Shelbourne player put them up 1-0 . Then Wright equalised from the spot before a lovely reverse pass from Neven set him free in the box to lob the goal keeper from close range and secure a victory for Killie . 

Paul Wright played through until 2001 before eventually being ousted from the team by a young Kris Boyd . Paul remembers taking Boyd through drills to improve his touch and finishing ability something in which they both shared in their careers .

Paul would score a hat trick against St Mirren on Boxing Day 2000 which would be his swan song year at Kilmarnock . Wright moved on I’m 2001 -2002 season to play with Falkirk the team he had scored the winner against in Scottish Cup final 5 years previously . 
Winding down his career he managed only 2 goals in 12 starts for the Bairns before moving to Morton the following season where he scored a similar 4 goals in only 13 apps . 

Wright then had a very brief spell at Larkhall Thistle but never made an appearance . 

Wright hung up his boots in 2003 . 

Paul moved into coaching with the Kilmarnock youth teams at various levels and worked their for a number of years developing some of our youths through to the first team . 

Wright managed BSC Glasgow under 20’s a Scottish lowland league team until recently joining Bonnyton Thistle with other Kilmarnock Legend Alan Robertson a man he knew well from his days working at youth teams with us . 

A well remembered face and a guy who gave his all for the jersey and scored some important goals in a relatively successful period in the late nineties for our club . 

He’s Blue , He’s White ... 

Give me your memories of him or our Scottish Cup run in 97 . 

Thanks for reading . 

I like your write up again but my only advice, if you are looking to make a career out of this, would be to stop using the person's name so much.  Same with Ally Mitchell last week.

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Thanks for your advice .  Not looking to make career out of it just interested in the period of time 1990-2000 . I am doing it to try spark some conversation about some of the glory years of the recent past . Ally Mitchell and Paul Wright are two players my dad told me a lot about as I was only 7 years old come 2000 so limited if not any memories of these players . Having not seen us in any other league than the premier league I’m also interested in stories of the past when we weren’t so good away at teams like Stenhousemuir and Meadowbank etc . Players such as Tommy Burns and Mark Skilling and the like I have heard much about so a education for me at the same time looking into their careers . 

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2 minutes ago, Souleycouley93 said:

Thanks for your advice .  Not looking to make career out of it just interested in the period of time 1990-2000 . I am doing it to try spark some conversation about some of the glory years of the recent past . Ally Mitchell and Paul Wright are two players my dad told me a lot about as I was only 7 years old come 2000 so limited if not any memories of these players . Having not seen us in any other league than the premier league I’m also interested in stories of the past when we weren’t so good away at teams like Stenhousemuir and Meadowbank etc . Players such as Tommy Burns and Mark Skilling and the like I have heard much about so a education for me at the same time looking into their careers . 

I'm older than you but in a similar boat.  I was brought up on supporters bus stories of the good old days of Tommy Burns and terracing but sadly missed all of this with my first season ticket coming in 1995.  Hearing about players slightly before my generation always intrigued me.  My uncle used to have videos of all the old highlight packages recorded from tv and I would always want to watch these.

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Watching back the old videos on YouTube the quality in his passing is something else, finishing he was great but his dropping outside the box etc. and linking up was great as well. Didn't have the physique of a top footballer but definitely had the brain of one.

He's blue he's white he's *&*&& dynamite should get sung at a few more games in honour of the man, killie legend

 

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Yeah I have to say I was always interested in players in that decade . I remember the effect Tommy Burns death had on my dad at the time . Wasn’t really aware of his impact on our club . I was also taken to Gary Holts House as a boy with my dad and I knocked on door and just couldn’t speak when he came to speak with me . Having followed killie since I was around 4/5 so the 98/99 season . Never having experienced the ability to go to many of the grounds into country due to our relatively successful last two decades . And poor luck in Scottish Cup draws etc . Something that always interested me . Loved watching killie even though all my friends at school in Irvine were predominantly Rangers supporters and a few Celtic . I was watching and learning the game from young age whilst they slagged me having never been to Ibrox or parkhead in their puff except from a pre season friendly . Proud to support Killie and Now more than ever I feel we may be returning back to where we belong . Long may it go on . 

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6 minutes ago, Dan1el said:

Watching back the old videos on YouTube the quality in his passing is something else, finishing he was great but his dropping outside the box etc. and linking up was great as well. Didn't have the physique of a top footballer but definitely had the brain of one.

He's blue he's white he's *&*&& dynamite should get sung at a few more games in honour of the man, killie legend

 

I agree.  His name was chanted a lot for a few years after he left.  As you said it wasn't just his goal scoring it was his overall game that was great.  I was too young at the time to appreciate him (11 when we won the Scottish) as an all-round footballer but it would be interesting to see how the old heads on the forum view him.

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Just now, Souleycouley93 said:

Yeah I have to say I was always interested in players in that decade . I remember the effect Tommy Burns death had on my dad at the time . Wasn’t really aware of his impact on our club . I was also taken to Gary Holts House as a boy with my dad and I knocked on door and just couldn’t speak when he came to speak with me . Having followed killie since I was around 4/5 so the 98/99 season . Never having experienced the ability to go to many of the grounds into country due to our relatively successful last two decades . And poor luck in Scottish Cup draws etc . Something that always interested me . Loved watching killie even though all my friends at school in Irvine were predominantly Rangers supporters and a few Celtic . I was watching and learning the game from young age whilst they slagged me having never been to Ibrox or parkhead in their puff except from a pre season friendly . Proud to support Killie and Now more than ever I feel we may be returning back to where we belong . Long may it go on . 

Pretty much exactly the same as me mate but just a few years older than you.  Not one for talking about Rangers on here but the experiences you went through at school mirrored my own (and I'm sure the majority of the board) which made their demise all the sweeter.

We won 3-1 at Love Street in the fog at Christmas one year (99 I think) and Wright scored a hattrick that we didn't get to see.  That day sits with me as one of the days I really felt part of the support as I grew up.

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