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Kilmarnock Football Club, commonly known as Killie, is a Scottish professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team based in the town of
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill MheΓ rnaig (IPA: Κ°Κ²ΙͺʎˈveaːɾnΙ™kΚ², "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...
,
East Ayrshire East Ayrshire ( sco, Aest Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Γ€ir an Ear) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquart ...
. The team is currently managed by
Derek McInnes Derek John McInnes (born 5 July 1971) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock. He featured prominently for Greenock Morton, Rangers, West Bromwich Albion and Dund ...
, who was appointed in January 2022. The club has achieved several honours since its formation in 1869, most recently the
2011–12 Scottish League Cup The 2011–12 Scottish League Cup was the 66th season of Scotland's second-most prestigious football knockout competition, the Scottish League Cup, also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup for sponsorship reasons. It was won by Kilmarn ...
after a 1–0 win over
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
at
Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''PΓ irc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...
and the
Scottish Championship The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland Scotland (, ...
title in 2022. Kilmarnock Football Club is currently the oldest football club in the
Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish ...
, and also the second-oldest professional club in Scotland. Home matches are played at
Rugby Park Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C. Rugby Park has also been used for con ...
, a 17,889 capacity
all-seater stadium An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in professional association football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most association football and Ame ...
situated in the town itself. Kilmarnock took part in the first-ever official match in the
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Renton in 1873. The club have qualified for European competitions on nine occasions, their best performance coming in the 1966–67 Fairs Cup when they progressed to the semi-finals, eventually being eliminated by
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
. The club is also one of only a few Scottish clubs to have played in three European competitions (
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
,
Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
and the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
). Kilmarnock has a long-standing football rivalry with fellow
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Γ€ir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
side
Ayr United Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
, with both teams playing frequently in the
Ayrshire derby The Ayrshire Derby refers to matches between the two professional Scottish football sides based in Ayrshire: Ayr United and Kilmarnock. The first match was held on 14 September 1910, in the same year that Ayr United were formed. This game was th ...
in which both sides first met in September 1910. Kilmarnock have long been the most successful side in the Ayrshire derby, winning 189 times in 256 meetings. The club nickname, ''Killie'', is the Scottish term for the town of Kilmarnock.


History


Formation and early years

The club's foundation dates back to the very earliest days of organised football in Scotland, when a group of local
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
ers looking for a sporting pursuit to occupy them outside of the cricket season looked to form a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club. On 5 January 1869 the club was founded during a general meeting at Robertson's Temperance Hotel on Portland Street. Originally they played a game more similar to
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
and these origins are reflected to this day by the name of the club's home ground β€“
Rugby Park Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C. Rugby Park has also been used for con ...
. The difficulty in organising fixtures under this code and the growing influence of Queen's Park soon persuaded them to adopt the association code instead. At this time, the club played games in a number locations including Holm Quarry, the Grange on Irvine Road and a location close to the current Rugby Park. Following the formation of Scotland's earliest football clubs in the 1860s, football experienced a rapid growth but there was no formal structure, and matches were often arranged in a haphazard and irregular fashion. Queen's Park, a Glasgow club founded in 1867, took the lead, and following an advertisement in a Glasgow newspaper in 1873, representatives from seven clubs – Queen's Park, Clydesdale, Vale of Leven, Dumbreck, Third Lanark, Eastern and Granville – attended a meeting on 13 March 1873. Furthermore, Kilmarnock sent a letter stating their willingness to form the
Scottish Football Association The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the Sport governing body, governing body of association football, football in Scot ...
. That day, these eight clubs formed the Scottish Football Association, and resolved that: The clubs here represented form themselves into an association for the promotion of football according to the rules of The Football Association and that the clubs connected with this association subscribe for a challenge cup to be played for annually, the committee to propose the laws of the competition. Kilmarnock also competed in the inaugural
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Renton in the First Round on 18 October 1873 is thought to have been the first match ever played in the competition. Kilmarnock joined the
Scottish League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional association football, football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers F.C., Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, wh ...
in
1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...
and after winning consecutive Second Division titles were elected to the top flight for the first time in
1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...
. In
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
Kilmarnock won the Scottish Cup for the first time, beating
Albion Rovers Albion Rovers Football Club is a semi-professional football team from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. They are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in Scottish League Two, the fourth tier of the Scotti ...
at
Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''PΓ irc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...
. This was followed by their second success in
1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
where they beat massive favourites Rangers 2–0 at the national stadium in front of a crowd of 114,708 people. They soon reached another final against the same opposition in
1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
but this time were beaten after a replay, and the same outcome followed in the 1938 final against East Fife, Killie this time the team on the receiving end of an upset.East Fife Win On Their Merits , Second League Side Last Pace Better
''
The Glasgow Herald ''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...
'', 28 April 1938


Late 20th century

In 1964–65 Heart of Midlothian fought out a championship title race with
Willie Waddell William Waddell (7 March 1921 – 14 October 1992) was a professional football player and manager. His only club in a 16-year career as a player in the outside right position (interrupted by World War II) was Rangers which yielded six major w ...
's Kilmarnock. In the era of two points for a win Hearts were three points clear with two games remaining. Hearts drew with
Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
meaning the last game of the season with the two title challengers playing each other at Tynecastle would be a league decider. Kilmarnock needed to win by a two-goal margin to take the title. Hearts entered the game as favourites with both a statistical and home advantage. They also had a solid pedigree of trophy-winning under Tommy Walker. Waddell's Kilmarnock in contrast had been nearly men. Four times in the previous five seasons they had finished league runners-up including Hearts’ triumph in 1960. Killie had also lost three domestic cup finals during the same period including the 1962 League Cup Final defeat to Hearts. Hearts had won five of the six senior cup finals they played in under Walker. Even the final they had lost was in a replay after drawing the first game. Hearts'
Roald Jensen Roald Jensen (11 January 1943 – 6 October 1987), nicknamed "Kniksen", of Bergen, Norway was one of that country's most celebrated association football players. He played for SK Brann and Heart of Midlothian F.C. ("Hearts"). ''Knicksen'' is a lo ...
hit the post after six minutes. Kilmarnock then scored twice through
Davie Sneddon David Sneddon MBE (24 April 1936 – 24 December 2020) was a Scottish football player and manager. His career is notable for managing Kilmarnock to their 1979 Tennent Caledonian Cup victory and also being part of the 1964–65 Scottish Firs ...
and Brian McIlroy after 27 and 29 minutes. Alan Gordon had an excellent chance to clinch the title for Hearts in second half injury time but was denied by a Bobby Ferguson diving save pushing the ball past the post. The 2–0 defeat meant Hearts lost the title by an average of 0.042 goals. Subsequently, Hearts were instrumental in pushing through a change to use goal difference to separate teams level on points. Ironically this rule change later denied Hearts the title in 1985–86. This is the only time to date Killie have been Scottish champions. Decline in the 1980s brought relegation to the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
. Killie returned to the top division with promotion in
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
. They lifted the Scottish Cup for the third time in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
thanks to a 1–0 victory over Falkirk in the final. The club have qualified for European competitions on nine occasions, their best performance coming in the 1966–67 Fairs Cup when they progressed to the semi-finals, eventually being eliminated by
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
. The club is also one of only a few Scottish clubs to have played in all three European competitions (
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
,
Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
and the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
).


21st Century

Kilmarnock reached the 2007 Scottish League Cup Final, but suffered a 5–1 defeat in the final by Hibernian. After selling
Steven Naismith Steven John Naismith (born 14 September 1986) is a Scottish former professional footballer. He is football development manager at Scottish club Heart of Midlothian. Naismith began his career with Kilmarnock in 2004. He spent four years with th ...
to Rangers for a club-record fee in August 2007, ''Killie'' struggled in the
2007–08 Scottish Premier League The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008. Due to the death of Phil O'Donnell and extremely poor weather causing the ...
, finishing in 11th place with 40 points. In January 2010, Kilmarnock were second bottom of the
2009–10 Scottish Premier League The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter ...
, with last placed
Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a ...
just two points behind. On 11 January 2010, Jim Jefferies left the club by "mutual consent" and
Jimmy Calderwood James Calderwood (born 28 February 1955) is a Scottish former football player and manager. Calderwood played for Birmingham City and Dutch clubs Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II Tilburg, Roda JC and Heracles Almelo. After retiring as a player, Calder ...
was appointed manager. Kilmarnock then achieved a first win in nine years against
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
. Continued poor form, however, meant a final day showdown at Rugby Park with Falkirk for SPL survival. Kilmarnock began the game with a two-point advantage over their rivals and a goalless draw on the day was good enough to secure top-flight football for another year. They ended the season with just 33 points, their worst points finish in the SPL. After Calderwood left at the end of the season,
Mixu Paatelainen Mika-Matti Petteri Paatelainen (born 3 February 1967) is a Finnish former professional football player and the head coach of Veikkausliiga club HIFK. He scored 18 goals in 70 appearances for the Finnish national team, which makes him Finland's ...
was appointed manager for the next two years with an option for a third. Despite being the favourites for relegation that season, Kilmarnock finished the season in fifth position. Paatelainen left the club to become manager of
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
and his assistant
Kenny Shiels Kenny Shiels (born 27 April 1956 in Magherafelt)Marshall Gillespie, ''The Northern Ireland Football Yearbook 1996/97'', UTV Books, 1996, p. 59 is a former Northern Irish football player and manager, who is currently the manager of the Northern Ir ...
was appointed manager. Kilmarnock progressed to the 2012 Scottish League Cup Final with wins against Queen of the South, East Fife and
Ayr United Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
in an
Ayrshire derby The Ayrshire Derby refers to matches between the two professional Scottish football sides based in Ayrshire: Ayr United and Kilmarnock. The first match was held on 14 September 1910, in the same year that Ayr United were formed. This game was th ...
at Hampden. Kilmarnock won the League Cup for the first time, as they defeated Celtic 1–0 in the final; Dieter van Tornhout scored the only goal six minutes from time, with goalkeeper
Cammy Bell Cameron Bell (born 18 September 1986) is a Scottish football coach and former player. Bell played as a goalkeeper for several Scottish clubs and once for the Scotland national team. Bell began his senior career with Kilmarnock and, after loan ...
named Man of the Match. In June 2013, after three years at Kilmarnock, manager
Kenny Shiels Kenny Shiels (born 27 April 1956 in Magherafelt)Marshall Gillespie, ''The Northern Ireland Football Yearbook 1996/97'', UTV Books, 1996, p. 59 is a former Northern Irish football player and manager, who is currently the manager of the Northern Ir ...
was sacked by chairman Michael Johnston after a "mutual agreement" between the two.
Allan Johnston Allan Johnston (born 14 December 1973) is a Scottish football player and coach, who was most recently the manager of Queen of the South. Johnston started his professional playing career with Heart of Midlothian and then followed on to Frenc ...
signed a two-year contract and was appointed manager on 24 June 2013, with
Sandy Clark Alexander "Sandy" Clark (born 28 October 1956) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who is currently manager of Lowland League side East Stirlingshire. Career Clark played for several clubs in his playing career inclu ...
as the assistant manager. Clark left his role in the summer of 2014 with the club looking to go in a new direction, and ex-Killie player and former Hearts manager
Gary Locke Gary Faye Locke (born January 21, 1950) is an American politician and diplomat serving as the interim president of Bellevue College, the largest of the institutions that make up the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system. Locke serv ...
was appointed as his assistant. Johnston was sacked in February 2015 after informing the press of his intention to leave in the summer, before discussing this with the board. Locke was placed in interim charge, before signing a three-year deal in April 2015. Kilmarnock went on to lose seven of their final eight games of the season, but were spared the play-off spot after a 4–1 win over
Partick Thistle Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908. ...
. The 2015–16 season would prove difficult for the team. Locke was removed from his position as manager in February 2016, with Lee Clark being appointed as his replacement. Despite a small uplift in form, the team finished in 11th place and faced a relegation play-off against Championship side Falkirk in order to stay in the top flight. Despite losing 0–1 in the first leg, ''Killie'' fought back and comfortably won the second leg 4–0 (4–1 on aggregate), securing the club's status in the Scottish Premiership for another season. Clark would leave Kilmarnock for a return to England with
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
in February 2017, exactly a year after his arrival. Former Rangers player
Lee McCulloch Lee Henry McCulloch (born 14 May 1978) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He is the first team assistant manager at Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian. McCulloch was capped on eighteen occasions by the Sc ...
, assistant to both Locke and Clark, was placed in temporary charge until the end of the season, achieving an eighth place finish. The following season saw another poor start, with an early defeat to rivals
Ayr United Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
in the league cup group stages, followed by a disappointing start to the league campaign. McCulloch was sacked in September 2017 with the club rooted to the bottom of the table.


The Clarke era

In an unexpected move, Kilmarnock appointed former
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
and
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
coach
Steve Clarke ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...
. It was Clarke's first involvement with the Scottish game in 30 years and his appointment preempted a dramatic upturn in form, with the club ultimately finishing in fifth place, earning him the SFWA Manager of the Year award in the process. The 2018–19 season saw Kilmarnock celebrate their 150th anniversary, and the team continued their strong form in the league, both home and away, culminating in a final day fixture against Rangers at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock won the match 2–1 and the result secured a third place finish in the league, which guaranteed European football for the first time since 2001. The season's results also set a new record points total for the club and their highest placed finish in the league since 1966. The following day, Clarke was signed by the
Scottish FA The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for ...
to become the head coach of the Scotland national team. Following the departure of Steve Clarke, Kilmarnock had three managers whose spell in charge was brief, beginning with former
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventΕ«s, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
and Chelsea assistant coach
Angelo Alessio Angelo Alessio (born 29 April 1965 in Capaccio) is an Italian football manager and former player. Playing career A central midfielder, Alessio started his professional career with then-Serie A club Avellino in 1984. He was then signed by Italia ...
. In Alessio's second match in charge, Kilmarnock lost in Europa League qualification to
Welsh Premier League The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 20 ...
club Connah's Quay Nomads. Alessio was sacked in December 2019, with the team sitting in fifth place. Following his departure, Alex Dyer, assistant coach to both Alessio and Clarke, was appointed on an initial caretaker basis until the end of the season, before all football was abruptly ended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Dyer's services were retained by the club and he signed a new contract extension in June 2020. However, following a poor start to the new season, he left the club by mututal consent in January 2021. In February 2021, former
St Johnstone St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland which is a member of the Scottish Premiership for the 2022–23 season. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun ''aka'' Saint Johnstoun – an old ...
manager Tommy Wright was appointed as the club's third manager in two years.


Relegation and promotion

On 24 May 2021, following a playβˆ’off defeat to
Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
, Kilmarnock were relegated to the
Scottish Championship The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland Scotland (, ...
, bringing an end to their 28 year stay in the top flight. Tommy Wright was sacked in December 2021 with the team sitting fourth place in the Championship. Former
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
manager
Derek McInnes Derek John McInnes (born 5 July 1971) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock. He featured prominently for Greenock Morton, Rangers, West Bromwich Albion and Dund ...
was quickly appointed as his successor. Results improved, and by the end of the 2021–22 season ''Killie'' were promoted back to the top flight of Scottish football at the first attempt, defeating closest challengers
Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...
2–1 on the penultimate matchday with a dramatic last-minute winner from
Blair Alston Blair Michael Alston (born 23 March 1992) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Championship club Partick Thistle. Alston has previously played for Hamilton Academical, St Johnstone, Falkirk and Kilmarnock. ...
.


Ownership and finances

Since June 1906, Kilmarnock F.C. has been owned by the private limited company The Kilmarnock Football Club Ltd. Since 2014, the majority shareholder of the club is Ayrshire businessman Billy Bowie, who oversees all operations of the club. Kilmarnock became debt-free under Bowie's control in 2017 after several years of financial difficulty. In May 2018 Kilmarnock made a landmark move by appointing Phyllis McLeish, commercial director of the QTS Group, to the club's board and in doing so became the first female board member in over 20 years. Later that same month, the club appointed its second female board member in
Cathy Jamieson Catherine Mary Jamieson (born 3 November 1956) is a Scottish business director, currently a director at Kilmarnock Football Club and former politician. She served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2008. She pre ...
, former MP for the Kilmarnock and Loudoun district and a life-long Killie fan. Her appointment came after being nominated by The Killie Trust Initiative l, who raised over Β£100,000 to have a member of the trust on the board.


Ayrshire Derby

Kilmarnock's biggest rivalry is with their South Ayrshire neighbours
Ayr United Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
and together they contest the
Ayrshire derby The Ayrshire Derby refers to matches between the two professional Scottish football sides based in Ayrshire: Ayr United and Kilmarnock. The first match was held on 14 September 1910, in the same year that Ayr United were formed. This game was th ...
. The fixture has been played 256 times since their first meeting on 14 September 1910. Killie have won on 189 occasions. This fixture will be revived in season 2021–22, as both clubs will be in the same division following Kilmarnock's relegation to the
Scottish Championship The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland Scotland (, ...
.


Colours and badge

The earliest known Kilmarnock kit from 1879 consisted of an all-blue jersey with white trousers. The shirt bore a crest which was described as "a hand, index and second fingers upright, thumb outstretched, other fingers enclosed over a palm" (an adoption of the historic
Clan Boyd Clan Boyd is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands and is recognized as such by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. History Origins of the clan The name Boyd is said to be descriptive, being derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''buidh'' which means ...
chief's heraldic crest). The hand rested on a bar over a ball marked KFC. Between 1887-1890 Kilmarnock wore black and white striped tops. Thereafter, the club has predominantly played in blue and white striped or hooped shirts with either blue or white shorts. The club have also occasionally played in plain blue and plain white tops; this was suggested by Ross Quigley who, at the time, was one of the first directors of the club, although the kit was later changed to the hooped style in 1920. The club's away colours have varied greatly over time. Yellow is generally regarded as the club's main third colour; but white, red and purple away kits have also appeared in recent years. Between 2008 and 2014, the club manufactured their kits under their own sportswear brand, 1869. Following this, Italian company ErreΓ‘ was the manufacturer. Kilmarnock kits were manufactured by American company
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
between 2016–2020. The current kit manufacturer is Danish company Hummel; it can only be bought from the store at
Rugby Park Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C. Rugby Park has also been used for con ...
. The club badge is a modernised version of previous club badges. It features a ball bearing a hand in a blessing position, flanked by two red squirrels. The club's Latin motto, ''confidemus'' (we trust), is written above the badge (similar to the
Clan Boyd Clan Boyd is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands and is recognized as such by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. History Origins of the clan The name Boyd is said to be descriptive, being derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''buidh'' which means ...
heraldic motto, ''confido'' (I trust)). The club adopted the badge in 1992 after The Lord Lyon decreed that the previous badge, based heavily upon the town crest, was in breach of ancient Scottish
heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
rules. In October 2018 the club unveiled a special badge for the club's 150th anniversary.


Kit Manufacturers


Shirt sponsors


Mascot

The club's mascot is a squirrel named 'Captain Conker' after the squirrels found on the club's crest and the Boyd coats of arms. In the past the 'Killie Pie' mascot was also a regular at Rugby Park on matchdays. Previously the mascot was Nutz the squirrel, played by long-time Kilmarnock fan Ian Downie who died in 2020.


Stadium

Kilmarnock first played football matches at the present
Rugby Park Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C. Rugby Park has also been used for con ...
site in 1899. Despite this, the venue is actually Kilmarnock’s fourth home ground. The Grange, Holm Quarry and Ward's Park all hosted matches before the club moved to Rugby Park in 1877. This was not the present stadium, but one situated close by near South Hamilton Street. This ground was shared by cricket and rugby teams β€“ sports which Kilmarnock had played previously β€“ and the connection with rugby gave the ground its name. This name was taken with the club when they moved to their present stadium. During the 1994–95 season the stadium capacity was significantly reduced as three new stands were constructed; the Moffat Stand, the Chadwick Stand and the East Stand. Their completion brought the capacity of the stadium to . The stadium opened on 6 August 1995, in a friendly match against English champions
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
. Mike Newell hit a hat-trick as the home team lost 5–0. A
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''FΓ©dΓ©ration Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
2 star FieldTurf
artificial pitch Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commerc ...
was installed at Rugby Park for the start of the 2014–15 season. The pitch is capable of hosting
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
matches as well as football. A new artificial hybrid surface was installed during the 2019 close season. In February 2019 Kilmarnock received approval to install a new safe-standing section in areas of the East and Moffat stands. The installation process was completed in early December of that year.


Players


First team squad


On loan


Notable Academy Graduates

''Since formation of the
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
(1998)'' * Ross Barbour *
Cammy Bell Cameron Bell (born 18 September 1986) is a Scottish football coach and former player. Bell played as a goalkeeper for several Scottish clubs and once for the Scotland national team. Bell began his senior career with Kilmarnock and, after loan ...
*
Kris Boyd Kris Boyd (born 18 August 1983) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a forward. Boyd grew up in the South Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in January ...
*
Innes Cameron Innes Cameron (born 22 August 2000) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Kilmarnock. Cameron has also played for Stranraer, Ayr United, Alloa Athletic and Queen of the South in various loan spells. Club career Cam ...
*
Peter Canero Peter Canero (born 18 January 1981) is a Scottish former association football, footballer, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder. He began his career with Kilmarnock F.C., Kilmarnock, where he made over 100 app ...
* Kyle Connell * Euan Deveney *
Paul di Giacomo Paul Di Giacomo (born 30 June 1982, in Glasgow) is a Scottish footballer. He began his career at Kilmarnock, before dropping into the Scottish Football League First Division with Airdrie United to move closer to his partner at the time who ha ...
* James Fowler *
Jamie Hamill Jamie Hamill (born 29 July 1986 in Irvine) is a Scottish football player and coach who is the player/manager of Stranraer. Hamill is predominantly a right-back, although he has also played as a midfielder. Hamill has previously played for Ki ...
* Dean Hawkshaw *
Garry Hay Garry Hay (born 7 September 1977 in Irvine, North Ayrshire) is a Scottish former professional association football, footballer, who played in over 300 Scottish Premier League games for Kilmarnock F.C., Kilmarnock. Club career Hay signed for Kilm ...
* Matty Kennedy *
Greg Kiltie Greg Kiltie (born 18 January 1997) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a winger for St Mirren. Early life Kiltie was born in Irvine. As a nine-year-old child he was a mascot in the Brazil-Australia group game at the 2006 FIFA ...
*
Barrie McKay Barrie McKay (born 30 December 1994) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker or as a winger for Heart of Midlothian. McKay has previously played for Rangers, Greenock Morton, Raith Rovers, Nottingham Forest, Swansea Cit ...
*
Rory McKenzie Rory William McKenzie (born 7 October 1993) is a Scottish footballer playing as a midfielder for Kilmarnock. Club career Kilmarnock Born in Irvine, raised in Troon and a product of the youth system at Kilmarnock, McKenzie made his senior debu ...
*
Lewis Morrison Lewis Morrison (September 4, 1844 – August 18, 1906) was a Jamaican-born American stage actor and theatrical manager, born Moritz (or Morris) W. Morris. He was best known for his portrayal of Mephistopheles in his own production of ''Faust'', ...
*
Steven Naismith Steven John Naismith (born 14 September 1986) is a Scottish former professional footballer. He is football development manager at Scottish club Heart of Midlothian. Naismith began his career with Kilmarnock in 2004. He spent four years with th ...
*
Mark O'Hara Mark Ryan O'Hara (born 12 December 1995) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club St Mirren. He has previously played for Kilmarnock, Dundee, Peterborough United, Lincoln City and Motherwell. Club career Kilm ...
*
Graeme Smith Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981) is a South African cricket commentator and former cricketer who played for South Africa in all formats. In 2003, he was appointed captain of the national team, taking over from Shaun Pollock. He held th ...
*
David Syme David Syme (2 October 1827 – 14 February 1908) was a Scottish-Australian newspaper proprietor of ''The Age'' and regarded as "the father of protection in Australia" who had immense influence in the Government of Victoria.C. E. Sayers,Syme, Da ...
* Ally Taylor * Greg Taylor *
Iain Wilson Iain Wilson (born 15 December 1998) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Greenock Morton. Wilson has previously played for Kilmarnock, Dunfermline Athletic, and Queen of the South. Wilson also had two previous loan spells at t ...


Non-playing staff


Board of Directors


Management


Managerial statistics

''Information correct as of matches played 30 January 2021. Only official
Scottish League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional association football, football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers F.C., Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, wh ...
,
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...
and
European Competition The European Competition is a student competition in which students of all ages submit creative, artistic, or written pieces of work on the activities of the European Union. Tendered by European Movement Germany, it is the oldest student competition ...
matches are counted''


Club records

*Second oldest club in Scotland *Biggest competitive win: 13–2 v Saltcoats Victoria, Scottish Qualifying Cup 2nd Round, 12 September 1896 *Worst defeat: 1–9 v
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
, Scottish League Division 1, 13 August 1938 *Highest home
attendance Attendance is the concept of people, individually or as a group, appearing at a location for a previously scheduled event. Measuring attendance is a significant concern for many organizations, which can use such information to gauge the effectiven ...
: 35,995 v Rangers,
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1927–28) and
Andy Kerr Andrew Kerr (1878–1969) was an American football coach. Andrew or Andy Kerr may also refer to: * Andrew Kerr (Australian politician) (1837–1907), New South Wales politician *Andrew Kerr (broadcaster), Scottish television presenter and journalis ...
(34 in 1960–61) *Transfer fee paid: Β£340,000 for Paul Wright from
St Johnstone St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland which is a member of the Scottish Premiership for the 2022–23 season. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun ''aka'' Saint Johnstoun – an old ...
, March 1995 *Transfer fee received: Β£2,200,000 for Greg Taylor to
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
, August 2019


Honours and accolades


National

*
Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...
(first tier): **Winners: 1964–65 ***Runners-up (4): 1959–60, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64 *
Scottish First Division The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 to replace the old Scottish Football League Division Two, as t ...
/
Scottish Championship The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland Scotland (, ...
(second tier):Known as second division prior to 1975 **Winners: 1897–98, 1898–99, 2021–22 ***Runners-up (6): 1953–54, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1992–93 *
Scottish Second Division The Scottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of the Scottish Football League (SFL ...
(third tier): **Runners-up: 1989–90 *
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1919–20, 1928–29, 1996–97 ***Runners-up (5): 1897–98, 1931–32, 1937–38, 1956–57, 1959–60 *
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...
: **Winners: 2011–12 ***Runners-up (5): 1952–53, 1960–61, 1962–63, 2000–01, 2006–07 *
Scottish Qualifying Cup The Scottish Qualifying Cup was a football competition played in Scotland between 1895 and 2007. During that time, apart from a brief spell in the 1950s, it was the only way for non-league teams to qualify for the Scottish Cup. The Qualifying Cup w ...
: **Winners: 1896–97


Other

*
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, sometimes referred to as the European Fairs Cup, Fairs Cities' Cup, or simply as the Fairs Cup, was a European Association football, football competition played between 1955 and 1971. It is often considered the predecess ...
: **Semi-finalists: 1966–67 *
International Soccer League The International Soccer League was a U.S.-based soccer league which was formed in 1960 and collapsed in 1965. The League, affiliated with the American Soccer League, featured guest teams primarily from Europe and some from Asia, South America, C ...
: **Runners-up:
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major eventsβ€”particularly the independence of seventeen African nationsβ€”that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
*
Tennent Caledonian Cup The Tennent Caledonian Cup (sponsored by Tennent Caledonian Breweries) was a short-lived preseason football tournament held at Ibrox Park from 1976 to 1979 and contested by teams from England and Scotland. Results 1976 ''Southampton beat Man ...
: **Winners: 1979–80 *
UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking The UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking was used by UEFA from 1995 to the 2015–16 season to grant three berths for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Since that time it has granted a monetary prize to winning associations. Qualific ...
: **Winners: 1999 *
Ayrshire Cup The Ayrshire Cup was an annual association football regional competition in Scotland. The cup competition was a knockout tournament between football clubs in the historic county of Ayrshire. The Ayrshire Cup was first held in 1877–78, with t ...
(44): 1884, 1885, 1886, 1891, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959 (shared), 1960, 1962, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998 Source:


Hall of Fame


2014 inductees

* The Founding Fathers – Founders of Kilmarnock Football Club * Kilmarnock FC 1964–65 Squad * Hugh Allen M.B.E. – Club Physiotherapist 1968–2002 * Willie Culley – All time record goalscorer * Alan Robertson – Most Scottish League Appearances *
Mattha Smith Matthew Smith (31 December 1897 – 16 May 1953) was a Scottish professional footballer who made over 410 appearances in the Scottish League for Kilmarnock as a forward. He captained the club and is the only player to have won two major trophi ...
– Scottish Cup Winner
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
&
1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...


2016 inductees

* James Fowler – Captain 2012 League Cup Winners *
Tommy McLean Thomas McLean Jr. (born 2 June 1947 in Larkhall) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. McLean played for Kilmarnock, Rangers and Scotland as a midfielder. He managed Morton, Motherwell, Hearts, Raith Rovers and Dundee ...
– Golden Era Award *
Stuart McLean Andrew Stuart McLean, (April 19, 1948 – February 15, 2017) was a Canadian radio broadcaster, humorist, monologist, and author, best known as the host of the CBC Radio program ''The Vinyl Cafe''.Ray Montgomerie – Captain 1997 Scottish Cup Winners * Eddie Morrison – Highest Post-War Goalscorer *
Manuel Pascali Manuel Pascali (born 9 September 1981) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or defender for club Sangiuliano City. Pascali most famously captained Kilmarnock to a Scottish League Cup title in 2012. However, he wa ...
– 1st International Award


2018 inductees

*
Frank Beattie Frank Whitfield Beattie (17 October 1933 – 19 November 2009) was a Scottish football player and manager. He spent his entire senior playing career with Kilmarnock, making 422 league appearances between 1954 and 1972. He was captain of Kil ...
– Golden Era Award * Paul Clarke – Legends Award *
FrΓ©dΓ©ric Dindeleux FrΓ©dΓ©ric Dindeleux (born 16 January 1974) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. Dindeleux played for Lille, Kilmarnock, Zulte Waregem, Oostende and K.M.S.K. Deinze. Career After six years with French club Lill ...
– International Award * Ronnie Hamilton – Legends Award *
Garry Hay Garry Hay (born 7 September 1977 in Irvine, North Ayrshire) is a Scottish former professional association football, footballer, who played in over 300 Scottish Premier League games for Kilmarnock F.C., Kilmarnock. Club career Hay signed for Kilm ...
– Legends Award * Derrick McDicken – Legends Award *
Willie Waddell William Waddell (7 March 1921 – 14 October 1992) was a professional football player and manager. His only club in a 16-year career as a player in the outside right position (interrupted by World War II) was Rangers which yielded six major w ...
– Manager 1964–65 League Championship Winners *
Bobby Williamson Robert Williamson (born 13 August 1961 in Glasgow) is a Scottish football player and manager. Williamson played as a striker for Clydebank, Rangers, West Bromwich Albion, Rotherham United and Kilmarnock. He then became a manager at Kilma ...
– Manager 1997 Scottish Cup Winners


2022 inductees

* Kenny Sheils – Manager 2012 Scottish League Cup Final * Alan McCulloch – Former Goalkeeper *
Kris Boyd Kris Boyd (born 18 August 1983) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a forward. Boyd grew up in the South Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in January ...
– Scored 121 League Goals


Club anthem

The song "
Paper Roses "Paper Roses" is a popular song written and composed by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. It first was a top five hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant. Marie Osmond recorded it in 1973 and took her version to number one on the US country chart. Anita B ...
", originally a hit by American singer and activist
Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer known for anti-gay activism. She scored four "Top 40" hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses" which reached No. 5 on the charts. She was th ...
, was adopted by Kilmarnock fans as their own club anthem. American singer and actress
Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television host, and a member of the show business family the Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a country and pop ...
, who is famous for recording this song, surprised the fans in February 2013 and performed at Rugby Park along with a meet and greet session, signing autographs for the players and fans.


See also

*
Kilmarnock FC Women Kilmarnock FC Women is a women's football team based in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire that plays in the SWPL 2. Founded as Stewarton Thistle, the club is the oldest women's football team in Scotland and celebrated its 50th anniversary in July 2011. Hi ...
*
Howard Park, Kilmarnock Howard Park is a public park in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was previously known as Barbadoes Green. The roots of Kilmarnock Football Club may be traced back to the park. Lady's Walk in the park commemorates the grief-stricken walks ...
*
Killie pie A Killie pie (or Kilmarnock pie) is a steak and gravy pie, created initially for Kilmarnock Football Club and sold at their stadium, Rugby Park. Local bakery Brownings has produced the pie for the club since 2003, and it is also sold in Aldi, S ...


References


External links

*
KillieFC.com Unofficial Fans' Website, Archive & Forums

Kilmarnock on the BBC

Club information at ''Fitbastats.com''
{{Authority control Football clubs in Scotland Association football clubs established in 1869 Defunct Scottish rugby union clubs Scottish Premier League teams Sport in Kilmarnock 1869 establishments in Scotland Scottish Football League teams Scottish Cup winners South of Scotland Football League teams Scottish Professional Football League teams Scottish Football Association founder members Scottish League Cup winners Football in East Ayrshire