Killie 150 - Up Where We Belong: 1899-1919

This chapter takes us from Kilmarnock entering Scottish football's top flight to the club's 50th anniversary. Sadly, club founder John Wallace didn't live to see the half-century of his 'baby.' Along the way there were some scary moments when only the lack of automatic relegation kept Killie 'up where we belong.' By the end of the period Killie were establishing themselves in the upper echelons of the league, reaching a then-highest position of third and even topping the table briefly along the way. No one could have predicted that the following decade was going to be the club's first glory era but trophy triumph was just around the corner.

The Great War affected just about every home in the country and Kilmarnock FC bore its share of sacrifice. While mentioned in the text, a fuller tribute to those who fell in action can be found here: http://hereticallyorthodox.blogspot.com/2018/11/we-will-remember-them.html Details are from Richard Cairns' & Gordon Allison's 'Killie Til' I Die' and images from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Either copy and paste or go this blog's entry for November 2018.

CORRECTIONS

I describe the second Hampden Park as the 'National Stadium' in the account of the match v Queen's Park in 1900-01. It wasn't. Scotland spread international matches around at this time and this ground later became the second Cathkin Park, home of Third Lanark, when Queen's Park moved to the third - and present - Hampden in 1903.

In 1912-13 I say that Abercorn "went into hibernation during the war and failed to re-awaken after it." Abercorn actually played throughout the conflict and up until 1919-20, in the Western League, the Second Division having been closed down in 1915. They entered the Scottish Qualifying Cup in both 1919-20 & 1920-21. They entered and scratched without playing in 1921-22 and were finally struck off the roll of SFA members in March 1922.

I mention the deaths in action of two players on the Western Front in 1917. I have James McCurdie's rank wrong. He was a Lance-Sergeant, a position usually awarded to a Corporal as an acting Sergeant, not a full Sergeant. James Maxwell's rank of Lance-Corporal is correct but he was killed in action in Mesopotamia (Iraq), not on the Western Front as claimed. As previously mentioned, greater detail - and tribute - to those who never came back can be found here: http://hereticallyorthodox.blogspot.com/2018/11/we-will-remember-them.html

Next Twin Peaks - A Double Cup Triumph: 1919-1929

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