Dry Your Eyes Killie Fans - We Have Been In Darker Places

I CAN close my eyes and across the years, I can hear him: “Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! Disaster for Kilmarnock,” because, that's how I imagine dear old, departed and much-missed David Francey might have reacted at full time at Rugby Park last night, as the sun set far-too-soon, on Kilmarnock's European Tour 2019.

David Francey would have had the correct words for last night

Some tour – Kilmarnock to Rhyl and back, exotic or what.

Of course, the troops were not happy, and rightly so, but, the reality is, this is how far Scottish football has fallen, that our teams can no longer treat sides from the Welsh League as mere speed bumps on the road back to being a major force in Europe – this is where we are, down among the barely-living in the European game.

But, I wonder how many of last night's crowd had been there back in the day, when things were really awful for Killie – when the club was part-time and only a handful over 800 fans turned-up to see the club stumble and fall into the bottom tier in the domestic game.

Then, along came Bobby (and Jim) Fleeting, the sinking ship was steadied, the “old” Rugby Park gave way to today's fit-for-purpose all-seater stadium. We had Tommy Burns and Billy Stark. Bobby Williamson won us the Scottish Cup, we have retained our top-flight status, and even won the League Cup under Kenny Shiels.

Some of us, being greedy bar stewards, whose first taste of Rugby Park came in the glory days of Willie Waddell, Frank Beattie, Bertie Black, Andy Kerr, the young Tommy McLean and Davie Sneddon, we want us back there, challenging the Old Firm and competing regularly for the big prizes, but, we appreciate, a 150-year-old escutcheon which bears only the following “battle honours”:

• Scottish League Champions – 1964-65
• Scottish Cup winners – 1919-20; 1928-29; 1996-97
• Scottish League Cup winners – 2011-12
• Tennent Caledonian Cup – winners 1979-80
• UEFA Respect for Fair Play Rankings – winners 1999

teaches us not to have great expectations, and, perhaps, to treat what Kipling called: “The twin imposters – triumph and disaster” both the same.

Of course, there are various other “consolation prizes” which have been claimed over the years, but, in 150 years as a club, a mere FIVE major Scottish domestic honours have come Killie's way. That's an average of one big domestic trophy every 30 years, so, anything before 2042, by which time, if I am still around, I will be 95, will be a bonus.

So, yes, last night was soul-destroying, it was a massive let-down. Yes, perhaps the new manager is already on his way to “losing the dressing room.” Perhaps all is not well at the club, but, we have a new gaffer, finding his feet as the main man, rather than, as before, as a Number Two. Changes always bring upsets.

However, while saying: “Well done” to Connah's Quay Nomads, we must realise:

• in both games, referees who were not fit for purpose allowed them to kick us off the park
• we missed enough chances to have won both games comfortably
• we are currently in a state of change
• we are still, realistically in “pre-season” mode
• Shite happens

We re-group, we roll up our sleeves and we go again. Yes, last night was very-disappointing, but, compared to where we were 30 years ago (in case you weren't around then, preparing to entertain Brechin City in the first game of a season which would end with us as Runners-Up in the lowest tier in Scottish Football) – going out to a Welsh club in the first qualifying round of a European competition is a world away.

It has never been plain-sailing as a Kilmarnock fan; and perhaps never will be.

In case you don't believe me, that Brechin City game to which I referred, at Rugby Park on 1 August, 1989, finished 2-0 to the visitors. The Kilmarnock team that day was: McCulloch; Wilson, Davidson, Jenkins, Cody, Flexney, D Thompson, Tait, M Thompson, Reilly, Watters. Not very-many Rugby Park legends in that line-up.

Robert Reilly - one of only four guys to see out a special season in the first-team

Only four of that starting XI against Brechin: Paul Flexney, Tommy Tait, Robert Reilly and Willie Watters were in the starting line-up for the promotion-clinching win over Cowdenbeath, the final match both of season 1989-90 and of the “old” Rugby Park. That is how quickly things can change in football.

So, dry your tears, all you miserable Killie fans – last night was not the end of the world.