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Killie players at the world cup


Thebigguy68

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Only a couple of weeks away from the start of another Scotland-free World Cup. I was fortunate enough to get to a couple of games in 1998 and it’s right up there with some of the best killie trips. I was trying to think of a player that made a World Cup squad whilst on Kilmarnock books. I seem to remember pat bonner playing for republic in 1994 with the “Kilmarnock” caption on the screen (presumably tb had him on board until he left for Celtic immediately after the World Cup?) but cant think of a fully fledged killie player being involved in. World Cup. Maybe someone in pre 1966 Scotland squads?

There obviously been a few players that were at a World Cup whilst with other clubs but represented killie at other times in their career (Rambo, mccoist) but there’s must be a number of more interesting ones in this category?

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 I seem to remember pat bonner playing for republic in 1994 with the “Kilmarnock” caption on the screen (presumably tb had him on board until he left for Celtic immediately after the World Cup?)

That's right I mind watching Ireland v Italy in Paris Match I think, and we were all cheering on Killie's Pat Bonner. 

Still we had Leko by the end of the year so it worked out ok...

 

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Aye,  but the official France 98 programme still had him listed as a Kilmarnock player which pleased me greatly at the time :) 

If he'd stayed with us, he'd probably have played some part in 98.

Seem to remember it was nip & tuck between him and Krajl. His move to the bench at doomed gijon probably cost him the starting slot.

Went from being behind our pretty decent defence, to gijon's swiss cheese defence.

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That's right I mind watching Ireland v Italy in Paris Match I think, and we were all cheering on Killie's Pat Bonner. 

Still we had Leko by the end of the year so it worked out ok...

 

Bonner had been released from Celtic and agreed to join Killie under Tommy Burns. Then came Wee Fergus with his sneaky approach and Burns was off. Celtic then had to get permission to re-sign Bonner due to a rule that you couldn't sign with a team within a year of being released (I think, but the old memory's not what it used to be)

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Steven Old? 

Decent shout! He was at Killie at the time of the 2010 World Cup but wasn't in the squad.

He must have been reasonably close - he was on the bench for a friendly against Mexico in March of that year. That was the last time he was involved with the national team.

 

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Mental decision looking at it now. Think we refused because we would only go if we won the home nations championship. (2nd to England)

Aye SFA penny pinching as usual.

And when Scotland did go in '54 it was amateur hour. We took less than the permitted squad size so that more blazers could get on the plane. It was decided that Switzerland would be a cold place so we were kitted up with extra thick jerseys, only to arrive in 90 degree heat. The players were wilting in a 7-0 defeat to Uruguay.

 

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Correct, Presters.

1950 was only the fourth World Cup and was obviously nothing like it is now.

The home nations had withdrawn from FIFA over a dispute as to whether the competition should be open to professional players. They returned to the fold in 1946 for which FIFA rewarded them by making the 1949-50 Home International championship a qualifying group and awarding two places to the finals. Even before a ball was kicked, the SFA announced that they would only participate if they won the group!

They were runners-up to England and stuck to their guns. Curiously, their place didn't go to Wales who finished third, but was offered by FIFA to the FA of Ireland (FAI). Up to and including that year, the FAI and Irish FA (IFA) each selected teams drawn from both countries, the IFA being the one which took part in the home internationals.

As it happens, the FAI declined the invitation so it was offered to Portugal who also refused.

They weren't the only ones - France were invited when Turkey withdrew but declined, and Argentina and Czechoslovakia also declined to take part so the competition took place with just 13 countries. Some of the refusals were due to the arrangements which saw Brazil play all but one of their matches in Rio, while the other nations had to travel all over Brazil to play their matches.

(With acknowledgement to The History of the World Cup, by Brian Glanville). 

 

 

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Correct, Presters.

1950 was only the fourth World Cup and was obviously nothing like it is now.

The home nations had withdrawn from FIFA over a dispute as to whether the competition should be open to professional players. They returned to the fold in 1946 for which FIFA rewarded them by making the 1949-50 Home International championship a qualifying group and awarding two places to the finals. Even before a ball was kicked, the SFA announced that they would only participate if they won the group!

They were runners-up to England and stuck to their guns. Curiously, their place didn't go to Wales who finished third, but was offered by FIFA to the FA of Ireland (FAI). Up to and including that year, the FAI and Irish FA (IFA) each selected teams drawn from both countries, the IFA being the one which took part in the home internationals.

As it happens, the FAI declined the invitation so it was offered to Portugal who also refused.

They weren't the only ones - France were invited when Turkey withdrew but declined, and Argentina and Czechoslovakia also declined to take part so the competition took place with just 13 countries. Some of the refusals were due to the arrangements which saw Brazil play all but one of their matches in Rio, while the other nations had to travel all over Brazil to play their matches.

(With acknowledgement to The History of the World Cup, by Brian Glanville). 

 

 

Fascinating stuff!  The SFA also thought so little of the World Cup that during the 1950s no players received an official cap for playing in it.

 

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