1982–83 Kilmarnock F.C. season

The 1982–83 season was Kilmarnock's 81st in Scottish League Competitions. They finished bottom of the table and were relegated at the end of the season to the First Division. They would not return to the top league for 10 years.

Kilmarnock
1982–83 season
ChairmanTom Lauchlan[1]
ManagerJim Clunie[2]
Scottish Premier Division10th[2][3]
Scottish CupR3[4][3]
Scottish League CupQF[5][3]
Top goalscorerLeague: Brian Gallacher 9[2][3]
All: Brian Gallacher 10[2][3]
Highest home attendance9,194 (v Rangers, 20 November)[2][3]
Lowest home attendance1,049 (v St Mirren, 27 April)[2][3]
Average home league attendance3,462[6] (up 819)

The season would go down as one of the worst in the club's history. They recorded just 3 wins in the league which is the lowest in the club's history and the joint worst goals against.[3] 91 goals were conceded during the campaign. 17 of these were conceded against champions Dundee United and runners-up Celtic scored 15 against the club over the course of the season.[2][3] However, they did come close to beating United, losing a late penalty equaliser in the first match between the clubs[7] and they were narrowly defeated by Celtic the following week conceding 2 goals in the last 10 minutes.[8]

Perhaps the most embarrassing result was the 8–1 hammering at the hands of Hibernian who notched only 27 goals in their other 35 league games.[9]

There was further humiliation in the quarter final of the Scottish League Cup. Opponents Rangers triumphed 12–1 on aggregate in the two legged tie.[5][3]

Off the field,the club made a financial loss of £191,919 for the year to 31st July 1982. Club chairman Tom Lauchlan stated at the club's Annual General Meeting in December that the future of the club "lies squarely with the people of the town". No mention was made of any positive action taken by the board of directors turn the club's financial situation around.[10]

Scottish Premier Division

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
6Dundee36911164253−1129
7Hibernian36715143551−1629
8Motherwell36115203973−3427
9Morton (R)3668223681−4520Relegation to the 1983–84 Scottish First Division
10Kilmarnock (R)36311222891−6317
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Match results

Match DayDateOpponentH/AScoreKilmarnock Scorer(s)Attendance
14 SeptemberGreenock MortonA0–02,349
211 SeptemberHibernianH1–1[11]Clarke(65)2,800
318 SeptemberRangersA0–5[12]17,350
425 SeptemberDundeeH0–0[13]2,105
52 OctoberSt MirrenA2–3[14]McLean(21pen), Mauchlen(28)3,568
69 OctoberDundee UnitedH1–1[15]Gallacher(28)2,446
716 OctoberCelticA1–2[16]Clarke(52)11,063
823 OctoberAberdeenH0–2[17]3,402
930 OctoberMotherwellA1–4[18]McLean(42pen)3,016
106 NovemberGreenock MortonH3–1[19]J.Clark(23), Gallacher(55), Bourke(78)1,854
1113 NovemberHibernianA2–2[20]Bryson(14), McDicken(75)4,182
1220 NovemberRangersH0–0[21]9,194
1327 NovemberDundeeA2–5[22]J.Clark(83), MacLeod(85)4,311
144 DecemberSt MirrenH2–2[23]Clarke(19,68)2,209
1511 DecemberDundee UnitedH0–7[24]7,259
1618 DecemberCelticH0–4[25]9,024
1727 DecemberAberdeenA0–2[26]14,411
181 JanuaryMotherwellH0–2[27]3,314
193 JanuaryGreenock MortonA0–3[28]2,015
208 JanuaryHibernianH0–2[29]2,142
2115 JanuaryRangersA1–1[30]McGivern(66)11,223
2222 JanuaryDundeeH2–0[31]Gallacher(2), R.Clark(52pen)1,891
235 FebruarySt MirrenA0–2[32]3,303
2412 FebruaryDundee UnitedH0–5[33]1,834
2526 FebruaryCelticH0–4[34]10,691
265 MarchAberdeenH1–2[35]Gallacher(64)2,349
2712 MarchMotherwellA1–3[36]McGivern(62)2,895
2819 MarchGreenock MortonH4–0[37]McGivern(5), Clarke(44), Gallacher(48,82)1,203
2926 MarchRangersH0–1[38]6,648
302 AprilHibernianA1–8[39]Gallacher(12)4,065
319 AprilDundeeA0–0[40]3,376
3223 AprilDundee UnitedA0–4[41]7,516
3327 AprilSt MirrenH2–2Gallacher(68,86)1,049
3430 AprilCelticH0–5[42]7,560
357 MayAberdeenA0–512,002
3614 MayMotherwellH1–1[43]Simpson(33)1,203

Scottish League Cup

Group stage

RoundDateOpponentH/AScoreKilmarnock Scorer(s)Attendance
G814 AugustBerwick RangersH4–0[44]McCann o.g(9), McLean(11pen), Clarke(60), Mauchlen(72)1,517
G818 AugustHamilton AcademicalA0–01,472
G821 AugustQueen's ParkA2–0McLean(54pen), McGivern(89)1,005
G825 AugustHamilton AcademicalH1–0Bourke(57)1,582
G828 AugustBerwick RangersA1–2McLean(77pen)672
G81 SeptemberQueen's ParkH5–1Bourke(33,51), McLean(60), Gallacher(65), Mauchlen(71)1,200

Group 8 final table

PTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1Kilmarnock6411133109
2Berwick Rangers630358−36
3Queen's Park6213611−55
4Hamilton Academical612335−24

Knockout stage

RoundDateOpponentH/AScoreKilmarnock Scorer(s)Attendance
R2 L16 SeptemberCowdenbeathH1–0[45]McLean(9pen)1,091
R2 L28 SeptemberCowdenbeathA0–1(AET, won 4–3 on pens)686
QF L122 SeptemberRangersH1–6[46]McLean(51)7,903
QF L225 SeptemberRangersA0–65,342

Scottish Cup

RoundDateOpponentH/AScoreKilmarnock Scorer(s)Attendance
R329 JanuaryPartick ThistleA1–1[47]Bryson(75)4,398
R3,1R2 FebruaryPartick ThistleH0–0(AET)3,884
R3,2R7 FebruaryPartick ThistleA2–2(AET)[48]Gallacher(50), McGivern(91)4,809
R3,3R9 FebruaryPartick ThistleH0–13,745

See also

References

General

Rollin, Jack (1983). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1983–84. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0-356-09727-7.

Ross, David (2001). Everygame-The New Official History of Kilmarnock Football Club.

Specific