Michael Johnston (Killie Chairman) - discount for Celtc fans

[Pretty Boy]

Is this guy just trying to see how far he can get away with pushing his own fans? A discount for Celtic away fans but not home fans.


http://m.stv.tv/sport/football/clubs/kilmarnock/240666-kilmarnock-fans-fury-over-discounted-tickets-offer-for-celtic-supporters/

What a roaster.

[ronaldo7]

http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/kilmarnock/240666-kilmarnock-fans-fury-over-discounted-tickets-offer-for-celtic-supporters/

The offer is only on for today. He's really p!ssing off the Killie fans.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Despicable Me 3 has been cast already?!

[Hibbyradge]

His club's about to go down the pan - they're £12m in debt, I was told at the weekend - so he does need to try to maximise revenue, but to do this for Celtic fans and not his own, seems like a badly thought out panic measure.

[McLeod1875]

Thats unbelievable, Killie fans must be fuming.

Surely if you are trying to bring money back into your club 'your fans' are the ones to target before looking at how full the away end is? :confused:

[Boyle89]

So Celtic not get both ends at rugby park? Do they not fill them aswell? He going to open up the main stand for them aswell?!

[hfc rd]

That's shocking to be fair. No wonder the Killie fans want him out.

[weecounty hibby]

Tin hat on, but if the Killie fans were to show up in numbers grearer than 2/3000 then maybe they wouldnt need to let celtic take over their ground and even giving cheap deals. Unfortunately it looks like another town where the inhabitants care more for the OF than their own team. Quite sad really and one of the main reasons that Scottish football is where it is at the moment

[kennyh]

So Celtic not get both ends at rugby park? Do they not fill them aswell? He going to open up the main stand for them aswell?!


They do get both stands but never fill them these days, sales must be rubbish for this weekend so he is looking to entice fans along.
I think its a good idea BUT should have been open to home fans too

[Pete]

Tin hat on, but if the Killie fans were to show up in numbers grearer than 2/3000 then maybe they wouldnt need to let celtic take over their ground and even giving cheap deals. Unfortunately it looks like another town where the inhabitants care more for the OF than their own team. Quite sad really and one of the main reasons that Scottish football is where it is at the moment

Agree.
This is a desperate move and it looks like they need cash in now at any price. It's as if they have given up on attracting killie walk-ups and have decided that this tactic is worth the risk.

I wonder how much trouble killie are really in.

[.Sean.]

Radical suggestion coming up but how about the 15000-odd extra Killie 'fans' that turn up for cup finals do their bit to ease the clubs financial burden and actually bother their ***** and get along to Rugby Park now and again?

[Mikeystewart]

It may be controversial but if Hibs crowds don't improve over the next 2-3 seasons I could easily see Rod opening up an away section of the East to Celtic and Sevco. Similar to the part of the cow shed that away fans used to get.

[weecounty hibby]

It may be controversial but if Hibs crowds don't improve over the next 2-3 seasons I could easily see Rod opening up an away section of the East to Celtic and Sevco. Similar to the part of the cow shed that away fans used to get.
As far as im aware we never gave away fans any official tickets in the old cave when it became seated, i used to go there a lot when younger. Only fans i can remember in there were Celtic and they were never made very welcome, and never Rangers or Hearts

[Pete]

It may be controversial but if Hibs crowds don't improve over the next 2-3 seasons I could easily see Rod opening up an away section of the East to Celtic and Sevco. Similar to the part of the cow shed that away fans used to get.

I think hell will freeze over before that happens.

[givescotlandfreedom]

Leave him alone we wouldn't have the Heff if he wasn't a roaster!

[Hibbyradge]

As far as im aware we never gave away fans any official tickets in the old cave when it became seated, i used to go there a lot when younger. Only fans i can remember in there were Celtic and they were never made very welcome, and never Rangers or Hearts

They certainly got the North part of the main stand.

[weecounty hibby]

They certainly got the North part of the main stand.

You mean the South surely? I do remember that as well but never in the old North

[Jack]

It may be controversial but if Hibs crowds don't improve over the next 2-3 seasons I could easily see Rod opening up an away section of the East to Celtic and Sevco. Similar to the part of the cow shed that away fans used to get.

That will never happen.

[ronaldo7]

You mean the South surely? I do remember that as well but never in the old North

They got the south of the old stand.:agree:

[offshorehibby]

They certainly got the North part of the main stand.

They never got the North stand in the old days that was all Hibs as was the North enclose. They would have normally get the the South stand and enclosure.

[vanNISHtelroy]

His club's about to go down the pan - they're £12m in debt, I was told at the weekend - so he does need to try to maximise revenue, but to do this for Celtic fans and not his own, seems like a badly thought out panic measure.

£9milion in debt roughly. Pathetic decision from MJ, a look at what I can do and yous can't do anything about it.

[vanNISHtelroy]

So Celtic not get both ends at rugby park? Do they not fill them aswell? He going to open up the main stand for them aswell?!

Used to, but now only get the same stand as you lot! We were opening two stands for them when they would fit in one.

Edit to add: looks like they have both stands available for saturday....

[lyonhibs]

What an absolute throbbing welt of a man he is.

In saying that, this is - somewhat - self-inflicted by stayaway Killie fans. Is Rugby Park not about 18,000 capacity, with about 12-15,000 of them going unsold every game?

He's clearly a massive weapon to add a Celtc-only special offer into the mix, but if Killie fans aren't going to fill even 1/4 of their own stadium, combine this with a hefty wedge of debt and a ringpiece of a chairman et voila - this farce emerges.

[SMAXXA]

It may be controversial but if Hibs crowds don't improve over the next 2-3 seasons I could easily see Rod opening up an away section of the East to Celtic and Sevco. Similar to the part of the cow shed that away fans used to get.

Not likely, I asked Rod this last year and he is more concerned about bringing more Hibs fans in and believes this would give the away team a sporting advantage over us even though he acknowledged it could earn the club an extra 100k aprox.

im not against it personally

[Mikeystewart]

Not likely, I asked Rod this last year and he is more concerned about bringing more Hibs fans in and believes this would give the away team a sporting advantage over us even though he acknowledged it could earn the club an extra 100k aprox.

im not against it personally

If attendances stay as they are I agree I don't think it will happen. Regardless of how successful Hibs are I fear that finances of households and the general apathy in Scottish football will only see a gradual decrease in crowds. This is just my opinion I hope i'm wrong.

[Mikeystewart]

As far as im aware we never gave away fans any official tickets in the old cave when it became seated, i used to go there a lot when younger. Only fans i can remember in there were Celtic and they were never made very welcome, and never Rangers or Hearts

Like others have said Hibs most definitely gave an allocation in the south end of the old cowshed (west). I don't know if it was seated or not. Was within the last 20 Years.

[Saorsa]

Like others have said Hibs most definitely gave an allocation in the south end of the old cowshed (west). I don't know if it was seated or not. Was within the last 20 Years.The west stand wisnae the cowshed. :rolleyes:

[Paisley Hibby]

Tin hat on, but if the Killie fans were to show up in numbers grearer than 2/3000 then maybe they wouldnt need to let celtic take over their ground and even giving cheap deals. Unfortunately it looks like another town where the inhabitants care more for the OF than their own team. Quite sad really and one of the main reasons that Scottish football is where it is at the moment

Exactly so :agree:

[lucky]

It may be controversial but if Hibs crowds don't improve over the next 2-3 seasons I could easily see Rod opening up an away section of the East to Celtic and Sevco. Similar to the part of the cow shed that away fans used to get.

When sevco get back they boycott ER in a similar way they did to Dundee utd

[Saorsa]

When sevco get back they boycott ER in a similar way they did to Dundee utdHopefully on a permanent basis

Personally speaking I'd be delighted if they chose tae boycott ER, I'm sure the local residents will be delighted too when they dinnae have tae clean up the piss, spew and broken glass from their stairs efter a visit fae the stick twirling, buckie swilling, blue carrier bag jakey brigade. Get the flags oot. :flag:

[weecounty hibby]

When sevco get back they boycott ER in a similar way they did to Dundee utd

We can only hope that they do. Personally i don't think they will cos by now even the thickest of these mutants will have realised that them not being at ER really hasn't affected us so a boycott does us no harm. Makes the place more pleasant without them though

[weecounty hibby]

Like others have said Hibs most definitely gave an allocation in the south end of the old cowshed (west). I don't know if it was seated or not. Was within the last 20 Years.

Your geography of ER is all wrong. The cowshed as you call it was the old cave and was where the FF stand is now. Unfortunately we used to get celtic fans in there but never huns or jambos. You are thinking of the south end of the old main stand

[The Gorf]

This is Johnstons backlash to the fans who picketed him about sacking Kenny Shiels. I know it wasn't all the fans who did this but Johnston doesn't care about that club anymore. He's more interested in his failing Hotel Business. :pfgwa

[Golden Bear]

Your geography of ER is all wrong. The cowshed as you call it was the old cave and was where the FF stand is now. Unfortunately we used to get celtic fans in there but never huns or jambos. You are thinking of the south end of the old main stand

I don't think that's quite correct either. As I recall "the visitors" populated part of the cave that was nearest the open terracing. However I'm going back to the days before the cave had seats and the metal dividing fence was erected.

I recall frequent "stramashes" in that part of the ground as the territiorial battles were fought out.

:greengrin

[weecounty hibby]

I don't think that's quite correct either. As I recall "the visitors" populated part of the cave that was nearest the open terracing. However I'm going back to the days before the cave had seats and the metal dividing fence was erected.

I recall frequent "stramashes" in that part of the ground as the territiorial battles were fought out.

:greengrin
You're right. I was talking about after the seats were put in. If i recall correctly the seats were put in to try to stop the stramashes you mention

[vanNISHtelroy]

Apparently everyone is over reacting to this and that it is just the usual suspects trying to cause trouble for him! :rolleyes:

[Mikeystewart]

Your geography of ER is all wrong. The cowshed as you call it was the old cave and was where the FF stand is now. Unfortunately we used to get celtic fans in there but never huns or jambos. You are thinking of the south end of the old main stand

Must be loosing it I always thought the cowshed was the old west :dummytit:, anyway aye they had away fans in their, visible via old youtube videos from the 90's.

[bigwheel]

i'm surprised the media are challenging Killie more about why they have chosen to do this...is it simply looking to maximise revenue this week, or is there a bigger underlying issue starting to get pressing??

[Part/Time Supporter]

http://thekillietrust.wordpress.com/


It is with a growing sense of disbelief that many supporters of Kilmarnock Football Club look back at the events of September 2013. The Chairman of the Club appears to be developing a new business model for football that requires no fans at all.

At the start of the month the Club informed the Trust that no one would be attending the charity ball to celebrate the Trust’s tenth anniversary. The reason given was they faced a moral dilemma as the ball was not being held at the club’s hotel. The Trust had planned to hold the ball there but were told the chosen date was booked.

A matter of days later the Chairman wrote to the Kilmarnock Supporters’ Association to inform them that the club would no longer provide any member of staff for question and answer sessions at Association meetings, until the democratically elected chairman of the organisation was removed from office.

These Q & A sessions have always been a great way for players and coaching staff to engage and communicate with the supporters. This format permits an open and honest dialogue without any agenda or loaded questions. It allows questions to be answered fully without them being distilled down to a sound bite or a headline. They are heaven sent for a new manager who is trying to mould a team, as he can get across his hopes and fears for the season to a receptive audience. Unfortunately Alan Johnston has now been denied this opportunity by the Chairman.

Just as fans recovered from these localised PR disasters, news broke of the Chairman’s offer to drop ticket prices by 20% for Celtic season ticket holders for the game at Rugby Park. This one day only offer was available until the ticket office closed at Celtic Park on the Tuesday before their Cup game. No equivalent offer was announced for Killie fans for more than 24 hours and any Celtic fan that had purchased their ticket before or after Tuesday had no recourse for a rebate.

Mr Johnston has chosen to hide behind rules, a tactic he has used many times before. Rules that were written with no expectation by their authors that a club would ever try to deliberately disadvantage its own supporters. Imagine how long a shop would last if it only ever offered discounts to people that live outside its town. There has been no explanation why the two offers were not announced together. In order to calm the situation the Chairman took to the local paper in order to inform the support that they had over reacted.

Crowds at Rugby Park have been in decline for a number of years and the current chairman seems incapable of reversing this trend, in fact his actions at times seem to be hell bent on chasing away as many home supporters as possible. Many Killie supporters this season have made the incredibly difficult decision to not attend home games as they refuse to prop up the current regime. They have been driven to this by a number of decisions that have alienated fans over the years. This decision in particular seems almost perverse at a time when the Club should be working hard to build stronger bonds between themselves and the supporters.

The Killie Trust believes that the only way to save our Club is to urgently take it into true community ownership. This ownership would draw upon the skills and resources available within the support to develop a club that puts its supporters and its community at the very heart of everything it does. There are a huge number of community owned clubs that are doing amazing things. They have achieved this by fully engaging with their supporters and have incredible levels of participation at all level of the club. There is no room any more for people that believe there is money to be made from exploiting football fans.

As a great Scottish manger once said “without fans football is nothing” apparently Michael Johnston knows better.

[vanNISHtelroy]

Last week Michael Johnston, the embattled Kilmarnock chairman, explained in this space why he believed he was the right man to lead the club out of its current crisis.


This week it is the turn of those - and they are many - who are highly disillusioned with Johnston and are actively seeking his removal.

Hardly a week goes by without Johnston finding a fresh means of either irking or angering many Kilmarnock supporters. This week it has been the "cut-price ticket fiasco", whereby the chairman contrived to offer Celtic fans cheaper tickets than home fans for the match between the clubs at Rugby Park today. On Wednesday and Thursday, Johnston was scrambling to repair the damage, quoting little-known Scottish Professional Football League rules and seeking to extricate himself from the mess. But the damage had been done. Once again Kilmarnock supporters were made to feel a decidedly low priority in the mind of their chairman.


It only further fuelled the long-time grievances of such as James Morrison, the vice-chairman of the Kilmarnock FC Supporters Association, who says he is "sick and tired" of the Johnston regime. "It beggared belief the way Michael went about this business," Morrison says. "What club offers away fans cheaper tickets than home fans? But it was all too typical. Most Killie fans I speak to are totally disillusioned with the way Johnston is running the club. They feel completely saddened by what is happening."

Morrison, like Johnston, is a local solicitor in Ayrshire. The two men's paths have criss-crossed over the past 30 years, and might have found a happy affinity when, eight years ago, Johnston was handed his 86% stake in Kilmarnock, a club Morrison has loved since boyhood. Instead, a dream has turned sour for supporters such as Morrison. They dislike Johnston, they distrust him, and they want him out. And, says, Morrison, with good reason.

"It is an incredibly sad situation facing the club," he says. "The fans are totally fed-up with Michael. It is so bad some supporters feel that it might be best that we get relegated, go down a division and be rid of Johnston, and come back renewed again. That's how bad things are.

"Michael just cannot embrace the club's supporters. He cannot bring himself to engage with them. He cannot seem to understand that the supporters are, in fact, his customers. When he arrived, along with other fans I was open-minded about him. But over the years it has become incredibly frustrating."

Morrison and others, such as John Gall, who makes the "Killie Pie", and Marie Macklin, a local entrepreneur, would like Johnston to hand over his shares - which he received for nothing from the Moffat family - to an individual or group whom they believe could run the club with greater success. In 2003, Macklin was part of a group which offered £2m to buy Kilmarnock. She is still very much in the fray, and has handed nearly all of her 46,000 shares over to supporters.

However, many believe that Johnston would like a price for his 86% stake. "He appears to indicate that he would 'put a value' on his shares," says Morrison. "But the club is laden with debt and is effectively bankrupt. Michael, like me, is a solicitor. What I would like to ask him is, 'if you were advising a client, who was thinking of buying such a shareholding, would you encourage him to pay money for them?' I very much doubt that he would. Most people think Michael Johnston's shares are worthless."

Under Johnston's regime two other aspects have caused alarm around Rugby Park. First, the club's dwindling attendances. Second, the sacking of Kenny Shiels. This season has witnessed some of Kilmarnock's worst crowds in 30 years, with little over 3000 turning up for some games. Johnston himself cites local industrial decline and job losses as a reason, and there must be a degree of truth in this. But many fans have organised a NAPM campaign ("Not A Penny More") and are refusing to attend games, or pay any more money into the club's coffers, while Johnston remains in charge. A fresh protest is planned today.

The sacking of Shiels still rankles. Johnston removed the Northern Irishman from his post in June, but most supporters would have Shiels back in an instant. After two years in charge of the club, the former manager remains a popular figure.

Johnston told last week how Shiels' home record last season - "the worst in 30 years" - was a factor in his removal. But Kilmarnock fans queue up to tell of Shiels' many impressive feats at the club, not least his 2012 League Cup win over Celtic. Shiels actually guided the club to their best away record in over a decade last season; they won their first match in 57 years at Celtic Park, and did extremely elsewhere on their travels, beating Hibernian and Aberdeen among others.

In January 2013, five months before he was sacked, Shiels had to sell Matthew Kennedy, Liam Kelly, Michael Nelson and Gary Harkins, without replacing them. In his last match in charge, Shiels played nine youth-team graduates against St Mirren, partly out of necessity, but partly with an eye on Kilmarnock's future, which most supporters firmly entrusted to Shiels.

"The sacking of Kenny Shiels was another dire Michael Johnston moment," says Morrison. "To most fans it was like a death in the family. Kenny was an incredibly popular Killie manager, who had won us a cup, and who lived and breathed Kilmarnock FC 24/7.

"Kenny had a plan and a vision for the club, and he knew where he was taking Killie in terms of youth development. I actually watched Kenny Shiels meet Killie youngsters aged 10 or 11, and he knew their names, he remembered who they were. He was a terrific manager. But Michael, in sacking him, ripped all that away from the club."

Yesterday the Killie Trust supporters group issued a statement which captured the prevailing mood. It read: "The chairman of the club appears to be developing a new business model for football that requires no fans at all.

"Crowds at Rugby Park have been in decline for years and the current chairman seems incapable of reversing this trend; in fact his actions at times seem hellbent on chasing away as many home supporters as possible. Many Killie supporters this season have made the incredibly difficult decision to not attend home games as they refuse to prop up the current regime.

"The Killie Trust believes the only way to save our club is to urgently take it into true community ownership. As a great Scottish manger once said: 'Without fans football is nothing'. But, apparently, Michael Johnston knows better."

There appears no end in sight to this woeful saga at Rugby Park.


Graham Spiers article which is the other side to an article last week where MJ got to put his view of things across!

Seems a decent enough article, misses out some other examples that could have been possibly used better that are mentioned in the Trust statement quoted by Part/Time Supporter but other thann that nice to see a fans view in response.

[vanNISHtelroy]

Sorry for the double post but thought each of them were long enough on their own tbh! After nothing about protests apart from MJ having a dig at the usual suspects causing trouble etc and a couple of interviews with Marie Macklin looks like the press are starting to take a wee interest. Could just be because we play Celtic today so stuff in the press today but at least it is getting it out there


'Scottish Daily Mail' - 2013-09-28
Stephen McGowan

JUST when it seems Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston cannot alienate his own supporters any further, he proves us all wrong. Johnston is a man who seems to stumble from one fallout to another. This week, he went out of his way to cut prices for Celtic fans swithering over attending today’s SPFL clash at Rugby Park. Nothing wrong with that, you might think. Scottish football needs all the supporters it can get these days and Parkhead fans are hard-pressed souls right now.

Champions League ticket packages don’t pay for themselves. And if the spectacle of gaping, empty stands being beamed across the UK can be avoided, then good on Killie. But the 24-hour act of generosity towards Neil Lennon’s disciples was only half the story. Some Celtic fans had already paid a whopping £26 for their briefs and were none too impressed to learn they could have had them six quid cheaper. Even worse was the fact Johnston had failed to offer a similar incentive to his own supporters.

Such was the outcry from Killie fans that, within 24 hours, an offer of free tickets for the Ross County game was cooked up in a hasty PR exercise. It was desperate stuff. The kind of shambling leadership last seen when Captain Mainwaring was in his Dad’s Army pomp. Later, the Kilmarnock chief claimed he had always intended to hand his own supporters an incentive. But few were convinced. Blaming it on an ‘over-reaction’ in the local paper merely added insult to injury.

Angered by the summer sacking of the popular manager Kenny Shiels, Kilmarnock fans have now seen enough. Crowds are plunging and the Irvine Valley Supporters Club are organising a peaceful protest before today’s game at noon. The problem remains that the Ayr solicitor shows no real desire to leave. Not unless someone wants to pay £2million to make it worth his while.

One as yet unnamed group of businessmen are talking to both Johnston and the bank in a bid to cut a deal over the club’s £10m debts. They could wait for administration and pick the scraps up for nothing, but there is little appetite for this debacle to go on any longer. Fans are in revolt and the chairman is acting like a modern-day Marie Antoinette. For all concerned, a parting of the ways is both necessary and desirable.

[Diclonius]

When sevco get back they boycott ER in a similar way they did to Dundee utd

Good.

[MWHIBBIES]

0-3 down at 30 mins, no offence to our resident killie fan but christ, they are spineless on and off the park when it comes to Celtic and Rangers.

[blackpoolhibs]

0-3 down at 30 mins, no offence to our resident killie fan but christ, they are spineless on and off the park when it comes to Celtic and Rangers.


:tee hee: oops.

[LioNeilMessi]

0-3 down at 30 mins, no offence to our resident killie fan but christ, they are spineless on and off the park when it comes to Celtic and Rangers.

Aye, like we've never been thrashed by the old firm..

Oh and it's 2-3 now :greengrin

[cabbageandribs1875]

i recall a game when some pink mutants decided to enter the cowshed(which by then was the family stand) during a game, scattering men/wummin/kids, unfortunately they didn't want to walk the extra 100 yds or so to try their luck in the east terrace :jamboclow , but i don't think we were actually playing them that day and they turned up due to their own game being postponed(the memory is away again)

[MWHIBBIES]

:tee hee: oops.Woops :greengrin


Aye, like we've never been thrashed by the old firm..

Oh and it's 2-3 now :greengrinYeah, I suppose you are correct but I just think of the times in the last few years Celtic and Rangers have won the league at killie and they have had 3 stands at RP and Killie are beaten before they even step on the park. Lost by 5 in both games right?

Contrast to when Rangers won the league at ER and both were close games at a packed (with Hibbies) Easter Road getting right behind the team not wanting that shower to win the league on our turf.

[weecounty hibby]

i recall a game when some pink mutants decided to enter the cowshed(which by then was the family stand) during a game, scattering men/wummin/kids, unfortunately they didn't want to walk the extra 100 yds or so to try their luck in the east terrace :jamboclow , but i don't think we were actually playing them that day and they turned up due to their own game being postponed(the memory is away again)
I think I know the game you talk about. I think we were playing their big cousins that day. From memory they came in at the corner of the old east and cow shed

[Chibs]

I think I know the game you talk about. I think we were playing their big cousins that day. From memory they came in at the corner of the old east and cow shed
Think it was the east of Scotland shield final against the pink mutants.
We were humping them,the norm at the time,with about ten minutes to go when they came charging
into the cowshed.A lot of supporters ended up on the pitch and the ref blew for full time.

[weecounty hibby]

Think it was the east of Scotland shield final against the pink mutants.
We were humping them,the norm at the time,with about ten minutes to go when they came charging
into the cowshed.A lot of supporters ended up on the pitch and the ref blew for full time.

I dont remember that one but defo remember a league match when if i recall right some of them came in when the gates were opened near the end of the game. Their game had been abandoned or called off and they decided to pay ER a visit

[cabbageandribs1875]

I think I know the game you talk about. I think we were playing their big cousins that day. From memory they came in at the corner of the old east and cow shed


nah deffo wasn't the rangers we were playing, and it was the opening to the cowshed nearest the old north stand(the west stand now) iirc anyway :greengrin

[Miguel]

Member a Drybrough Cup game (think we won 3-0) when Huns invaded the Cave in numbers and Hibbies had to be helped into the old main stand to escape. But, pre-segregation you got pockets of rival fans all over.

[vanNISHtelroy]

Media seem to be reporting more than just MJ spin now which can only be a good sign!


Article by Keith Jackson


"BEHIND every battle lies a reason to fight. In every fighter, burns a cause.

But eventually, in the heat of conflict there comes a defining moment when cool heads and a sense of perspective are required.

When the price of continuing to fight is no longer worth the prize on offer – when even victory would be rendered pointless – it is time to walk away.

That’s the smart and honourable thing to do, to realise when the game is up and to disengage from it.

The men at the top of the stairs of both Ibrox and Rugby Park may not yet have reached this point.

But they are getting damn close. Close enough to suspect it’s only a matter of time until both of these increasingly befuddled regimes are dismantled and replaced.

There is no point clinging to power when most of your own customer base wants you gone and, over the weekend, Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston and the Rangers board may have felt the ground moving beneath their feet.

Soon they will become the Gerald Ratners of Scottish football and when that happens – when their presence alone is enough to close the business down – further squabbling is futile.

Let’s start with Johnston who shot himself in both feet last week with a horribly-botched attempt to flog cut-price tickets to Celtic fans.



Who then tried to stand his ground, with an all-guns blazing radio interview on Saturday, ahead of his team’s latest thumping from Neil Lennon’s side.

This was a chance for Johnston to confess to getting it badly wrong and maybe even admit to feeling forced into it by the fear of insolvency. A bit of contrition and humility might have gone a very long way.

But instead Johnston bristled with the indignity of it all, while blaming just about everybody bar himself for his own mistakes and for his club’s frail financial health.

He also came out with a faintly ridiculous story to explain why Kilmarnock’s fans were offered an inducement only as an after-thought.

The more he spoke, the more sympathy he lost until it became blindingly obvious just why there is such a disconnect between this man and Kilmarnock’s supporters.

When he should have been trying to win some hearts and minds he chose to boot some a**e instead.

Johnston came across as arrogant, patronising and hard to like.

He spoke about his club’s supporters in the kind of condescending tones which will drive more of them from the middle ground to the car park, where a small band were stood demanding he hands over his controlling interest.

A controlling interest which was handed to him, for free, by the Moffat family.

The danger for Johnston and Kilmarnock is clear. If he stays and yet continues to alienate his own supporters, eventually the club will become unable to continue trading.

Johnston is quickly losing this war and he should ask himself today: What is to be gained even by winning it? It’s time for soul searching and honesty."

[weecounty hibby]

If I was a Kilmarnock fan I would be very worried about a Third Lanark scenario taking place here. It would appear that he isn't too interested in the football side of things but may have an eye on the ground and hotel that is there.

As a Hibs fan I am worried that the demise of Kilmarnock, if that happens, might in some way help out the Jambos and that would be a tragedy on two fronts

[JeMeSouviens]

I dont remember that one but defo remember a league match when if i recall right some of them came in when the gates were opened near the end of the game. Their game had been abandoned or called off and they decided to pay ER a visit

Was this not during George Best's finest hour, the 2-1 win over Rangers in the season we got relegated?

[Jack]

If I was a Kilmarnock fan I would be very worried about a Third Lanark scenario taking place here. It would appear that he isn't too interested in the football side of things but may have an eye on the ground and hotel that is there.

As a Hibs fan I am worried that the demise of Kilmarnock, if that happens, might in some way help out the Jambos and that would be a tragedy on two fronts

If he got the shares for nowt you'd imagine there'd be something in the transaction to prevent a profit being made and the longer term security of the club.

Maybe one of our Killie Pie pals can shed some light?

[JeMeSouviens]

If he got the shares for nowt you'd imagine there'd be something in the transaction to prevent a profit being made and the longer term security of the club.

Maybe one of our Killie Pie pals can shed some light?

He got the shares for nowt because he was taking on so much debt, ie. they were worth nowt!

[Killiehibbie]

He got the shares for nowt because he was taking on so much debt, ie. they were worth nowt!And now that he's cleared the debt he wants paid!