| 1988–89 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Bob Lauchlan[1] |
| Manager | Eddie Morrison until November 1988[2]Jim Fleeting from November 1988[3] |
| Scottish First Division | 13th[1][4] |
| Scottish Cup | 3R[5][4] |
| Scottish League Cup | 3R[6][4] |
| Top goalscorer | League: Willie Watters 12[1][4] All: Willie Watters 13[1][4] |
| Highest home attendance | 5,387 (vAyr United, 27 August)[1][4] |
| Lowest home attendance | 1,584 (vForfar Athletic, 18 March)[1][4] |
| Average home league attendance | 2,488[7] (up 642) |
The 1988–89 season wasKilmarnock's 87th in Scottish League Competitions. After a poor run of results, managerEddie Morrison was sacked in November 1988.[8] Jim Clark initially took over as caretaker[9] before the club hiredJim Fleeting for the rest of the season.[10] Less than two months into the job, he sensationally sacked centre halfKenny Brannigan who was sent off for head butting former teammate Derek Cook three minutes into the league game with Queen of The South.[11] Despite a 6–0 victory in their last game, the club was relegated to the third tier at the end of the season for the first time on a goal difference by just one goal.[12][13]
Off the field, the club were subject to two takeover bids during the season. In September, Largs businessman Hugh Scott offered £500,000 for a controlling interest in the club.[14] A second bid was launched in January by a consortium led by the manager's brother Bobby Fleeting.[15]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Meadowbank Thistle | 39 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 45 | 50 | −5 | 36 | |
| 11 | Ayr United | 39 | 13 | 9 | 17 | 56 | 72 | −16 | 35 | |
| 12 | Clyde | 39 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 34 | |
| 13 | Kilmarnock(R) | 39 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 47 | 60 | −13 | 34 | Relegation to theSecond Division |
| 14 | Queen of the South(R) | 39 | 2 | 8 | 29 | 38 | 99 | −61 | 12 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | 17 August | Forfar Athletic | H | 1–0[56] | Gilmour(55pen) | 1,523 |
| R3 | 23 August | Hibernian | A | 0–1[57] | 10,000 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 28 January | Queen of the South | A | 2–2[58] | Watters(10),Speirs(90) | 2,941 |
| R3R | 1 February | Queen of the South | H | 0–1[59] | 5,623 |
General
Rollin, Jack (1989).Rothmans Football Yearbook 1989–90. Queen Anne Press.ISBN 0-356-17910-9.
Ross, David (2001).Everygame-The New Official History of Kilmarnock Football Club. Kilmarnock Football Club.ISBN 0-9541653-0-6.
Specific