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A year ago today


samo

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19/05/2017.......

Former Chairman Michael Johnston has today resigned from his positions as a Director and the Company Secretary of Kilmarnock FC. He is also standing down from the Board of the Kilmarnock Community Sports Trust ("KCST") on which he represented the Club. 

Michael became a Director and the Company Secretary in 2002 and served as Chairman for ten years between 2005 and 2015 during which time the Club won its first League Cup in 2012, having also reached the final in 2007. 

When Michael took over as Chairman and majority shareholder the Club had around £13m of debt. Aided by a number of high value transfer fees which he personally negotiated, Michael gradually reduced this while maintaining the Club's competitive position in the top tier of Scottish league football. In March 2014 Michael completed a transformational restructuring of the Club's finances which delivered the arm’s length sale of The Park Hotel for full market value, with the proceeds going towards reducing the Club’s bank debt of £9m and Billy Bowie acquiring the balance of the bank debt and converting this into equity in the Club, combined with the permanent write-off by former Chairman Jamie Moffat of the balance of his loans to the Club, which originally totalled £1.8m. The outcome was the elimination of almost £11m of debt from the Club's balance sheet.

In the wake of that, Michael introduced a new Board of Directors and stood down as Chairman in 2015. He also formed KCST, a registered charity, to run the Club's community department in a more financially efficient manner. 

Michael commented: "It has been an honour to serve Kilmarnock FC in various capacities over the last fifteen years. I have been fortunate to meet so many interesting people through football and greatly enjoyed serving on the Council of the Scottish FA for over ten years and the Board of the Scottish Premier League during the historic amalgamation with the Scottish Football League in 2013. There have been many challenges to confront along the way and these have taken their toll on not only me but also my family, to whom I extend my heartfelt thanks for their unqualified support. The recent loss of my wife Joanne, who was my greatest source of inspiration and encouragement at all times, has prompted my decision to retire from all active duties at the club and I look forward to attending Rugby Park as a committed supporter in future, unburdened of the worries of the past. I wish Billy Bowie and John Kiltie the very best of luck and good judgement in running the Club, ably supported by Club Secretary Kirsten Callaghan who was a key member of staff during my time as Chairman. I also wish to record my thanks to all the members of staff, past and present, the shareholders and the supporters who have supported me and the Club so enthusiastically over the years. The Club is now in a healthy position to advance in Scottish football and register even greater success."

One year on, what's your verdict on BB & the boards first year in charge? 

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I'd say overall things have been positive but clearly having a winning team on the park has had a massive impact on that.

Things have been deflected away from the board but has anything really changed? 

You've got to ask where would we be if it wasn't for Steve Clarke? 

 

 

Edited by samo
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I think we are making gradual improvements. As Samo says the results on the field have helped. It’s a slow process. The board are learning as they go and there are a lot of bridges and repair work to be done because of MJ. 

Things are moving in the right direction. 

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MJ did attract a lot of negativity both through fans and people trying to invest etc. 

Possibly a lot of frustration was vented his way as well because the club was in decline both on and off the park. Fans were turning away sadly. I think a lot of it was also we appointed really poor cheap managers after sacking a league cup winning manager. There seemed to be a big let's appoint a rookie ex player type as manager in Scottish football. For the all the Bobby Williamsons, Jack Ross, Neil Lennon there was a Gary Locke, Allan Johnstone, Lee McCulloch, Ritchie Foran, Stewart Kettlewell. 

Anyway it just shows you what an exceptional manager can do.with our rise. One thing is for sure Steve Clarke would not have joined us had MJ still been here

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Let’s also not forget, that as much as we wanted him out (well mostly all of us),  his decision came about through personal tragedy that I for one wouldn’t have wished on anyone, even him.

his departure has allowed us to stop the decline and begin I hope the journey back to where I believe we should be as a club and a team.

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A year? How time flies when you are having fun.

Club, support and general feel about the club is a million times better. We all knew it was possible but not with that leach as chairman.

He wasn't interested in the club prospering. All he was interested in was doing whatever he needed to protect his "investment".Everything he did was beyond short sighted.

If he ever steps in RP again, it'll be too soon as far as I'm concerned.

Onwards and upwards now we've got guys with the genuine best interests of the club at heart. Even better that they have cash to help make that happen. Two things MJ never had.

Edited by Squirrelhumper
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There was certainly a 'feel good factor' pre-season last summer, and a sense of a 'new' start, with optimism about the signings, and an opening game to come at Somerset. Obviously that all deflated with the loss 'there', and then the poor start in the first 8 games. No question SC's arrival completely changed the season and the atmosphere around the whole club.

Agree that SC would never have come if MJ has still been around. Also acknowledge the sad circumstances which prompted his decision to go when he did. 

Massive contrast now with the feel good factor well and truly in place, a board which appears to be more trusted by fans on the whole, and a looking forward to what SC can bring next time around. 

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Glad he's gone. Club is a million times better on and off the park as can be seen not only in attendances and ST sales, but just generally in my son's face who can't wait to get to a game vs previously.

BB, JK appointment of SSC have brought this.

Had MJ left after clearing the debt wouldn't have admonished his past errors, but he would have had my respect for what he achieved and keeping the club afloat. Now I don't think he would be warmly welcome at RP in any capacity as a supporter although I doubt anyone would be hostile towards him.

His wife's death though being the reason for his departure is tragic.

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3 hours ago, kfc_superteam said:

There seemed to be a big let's appoint a rookie ex player type as manager in Scottish football. For the all the Bobby Williamsons, Jack Ross, Neil Lennon there was a Gary Locke, Allan Johnstone, Lee McCulloch, Ritchie Foran, Stewart Kettlewell. 

Without wanting to go off-topic, Jack Ross served a decent apprenticeship at Dumbarton, Hearts and Alloa before St Mirren.

 

Edited by skygod
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3 hours ago, Beaker71 said:

Let’s also not forget, that as much as we wanted him out (well mostly all of us),  his decision came about through personal tragedy that I for one wouldn’t have wished on anyone, even him.

Why do people persist with this myth? Does it make us feel better about it by showing sympathy for the guy? I felt as sorry for him as anyone else but I'm not daft enough to think that his wife passing away was the actual reason he quit the club. It was a convenient time to go, and worked in the sense that people have repeated it often enough that's its now true. Only its not true really. I won't go on about it or ever mention it again, as long as we stop pedalling this fakery every time he's mentioned. A sad and unfortunate twist of fate does not undo a decade of misery. I lost my wife through cancer two years ago, it hasn't stopped me being a prick and I'm still responsible for my own actions.

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