1964–65 Kilmarnock F.C. season

Kilmarnock
1964–65 season
ManagerWillie Waddell
Scottish Division OneChampions[1][2]
Scottish CupQuarter-finals[1][3]
Scottish League CupGroup stage[1][4]
Inter-Cities Fairs CupR2[1][3]
Top goalscorerLeague: Ronnie Hamilton, 15[1][2]
All: Ronnie Hamilton & Jackie McInally, 21[1][2]
Highest home attendance32,021 (v Rangers, 14 November)[1][5]
Lowest home attendance5,193 (v Aberdeen, 27 March)[1][5]
Average home league attendance10,476[6] (up 1,585)

The 1964–65 season was Kilmarnock’s 63rd in Scottish league competitions, during which they became league champions for the first time in the club’s history.[7] The title was won on the final day of the season with a 2–0 win at Hearts.[8] Kilmarnock won the championship on goal average, a tie-breaker that was replaced by goal difference in 1971–72.[8] Had goal difference been adopted by 1964–65, Hearts would have won the championship.[8]

Scottish Division One

Main article: 1964–65 Scottish Division One

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Kilmarnock 34 22 6 6 62 33 1.879 50 Division Champions
2 Hearts 34 22 6 6 90 49 1.837 50
3 Dunfermline Athletic 34 22 5 7 83 36 2.306 49
4 Hibernian 34 21 4 9 75 47 1.596 46
5 Rangers 34 18 8 8 78 35 2.229 44
Source: RSSSF

Match results

Match Day Date Opponent H/A Score Kilmarnock Scorer(s) Attendance
1 19 August Third Lanark H 3–1 Watson 68', O’Connor 75', Hamilton 85' 5,197
2 5 September St Mirren A 2–0 McIlroy 51', Hamilton 63' 4,636
3 12 September Airdrieonians H 2–0 Hamilton 25', McInally 78' 5,299
4 19 September St Johnstone A 1–0 McInally 55' 4,829
5 26 September Dunfermline Athletic H 1–0 Hamilton 53' 10,755
6 3 October Hibernian A 2–1 Hamilton 44', 71' 15,471
7 10 October Partick Thistle H 0–0 8,379
8 17 October Dundee A 3–1 Murray 62', Sneddon 64', McInally 68' 13,171
9 28 October Celtic H 5–2 McInally 7', 38', Hamilton 26', McFadzean 53', 55' 19,122
10 31 October Dundee United A 1–0 McInally 69' 8,567
11 7 November Motherwell H 1–1 Hamilton 40' 9,698
12 14 November Rangers H 1–1 Beattie 74' 32,021
13 21 November Aberdeen A 1–1 McInally 89' 9,101
14 28 November Clyde A 2–1 McFadzean 6', McInally 37' 4,863
15 5 December Falkirk H 2–0 McInally 35', Sneddon 41' 5,535
16 12 December Morton A 1–5 Hamilton 66' (pen.) 10,306
17 19 December Heart of Midlothian H 3–1 McIlroy 20', Sneddon 44', Hamilton 88' 18,285
18 26 December Third Lanark A 4–0 McInally 14', McLean 34', 87', McIlroy 84' 2,549
19 1 January St Mirren H 4–0 Sneddon 8', Hamilton 33', 61', Murray 81' 12,039
20 2 January Airdrieonians A 1–2 Hamilton 53' 7,808
21 9 January St Johnstone H 0–0 6,694
22 16 January Dunfermline Athletic A 0–1 9,766
23 30 January Partick Thistle A 0–1 6,560
24 13 February Dundee H 1–4 Hamilton 22' 7,158
25 16 February Hibernian H 4–3 Black 6', 53', Murray 55', King 60' 10,535
26 27 February Celtic A 0–2 21,875
27 10 March Dundee United H 4–2 Black 4', 87', McIlroy 54', McLean 64' (pen.) 5,756
28 13 March Motherwell A 2–0 McIlroy 62', Mason 85' 4,098
29 20 March Rangers A 1–1 Mason 49' 30,574
30 27 March Aberdeen H 2–1 Murray 10', McIlroy 40' 5,193
31 3 April Clyde H 2–1 McInally 10', Hamilton 40' 5,816
32 7 April Falkirk A 1–0 McIlroy 35' 2,569
33 17 April Morton H 3–0 Black 52', 80', McIlroy 81' 10,605
34 24 April Heart of Midlothian A 2–0 Sneddon 26', McIlroy 29' 36,348

Scottish League Cup

Main article: 1964–65 Scottish League Cup

Group stage

Date Opponent H/A Score Kilmarnock Scorer(s) Attendance
8 August Heart of Midlothian H 1–1 McIlroy 53' 8,832
12 August Partick Thistle A 0–0 7,767
15 August Celtic A 1–4 Watson 62' 22,017
22 August Heart of Midlothian A 1–0 McInally 50' 10,391
26 August Partick Thistle H 4–0 Hamilton 42', 52', Murray 43', McInally 55' 6,344
29 August Celtic H 2–0 Hamilton 50' (pen.), McIlroy 89' 10,834

Group 3 final table

P Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Celtic 6 4 1 1 18 5 13 9
2 Kilmarnock 6 3 2 1 9 5 4 8
3 Partick Thistle 6 1 2 3 6 14 –8 4
4 Heart of Midlothian 6 1 1 4 7 16 –19 3

Scottish Cup

Main article: 1964–65 Scottish Cup
Round Date Opponent H/A Score Kilmarnock Scorer(s) Attendance
First round 6 February Cowdenbeath H 5–0 McInally 32', 57', 75', McLean 81' (pen.), 89' 6,276
Second round 20 February East Fife A 0–0 9,003
Second round replay 24 February East Fife H 3–0 McInally 2', 75', Hamilton 88' 10,201
Quarter-final 6 March Celtic A 2–3 McInally 59', 73' 47,000

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Main article: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1964-65

Killie pulled off a remarkable comeback in their first round Fairs Cup tie against German side Eintracht Frankfurt. They lost 3–0 in the first away leg and conceded again in the second minute of the return game at Rugby Park to fall four goals behind, but then scored five goals without reply to win the tie 5–4 on aggregate.[9]


Round Date Opponent H/A Score Kilmarnock Scorer(s) Attendance
First round first leg 2 September West Germany Eintracht Frankfurt A 0–3 35,000
First round second leg 22 September West Germany Eintracht Frankfurt H 5–1 Hamilton 12', 88', McIlroy 15', McFadzean 52', McInally 80' 14,930
Second round first leg 11 November England Everton H 0–2 23,561
Second round second leg 1 December England Everton A 1–4 McIlroy 6' 30,730

1965 Summer Cup

Main article: 1965 Summer Cup
Date Opponent H/A Score Kilmarnock Scorer(s) Attendance
1 May Airdrieonians H 3–0 Sneddon 16', McInally 35', Murray 89' 3,904
5 May Third Lanark A 3–0 Black 48' 58', McIlroy 85' 500
8 May Motherwell H 1–1 McInally 69' 5,061
12 May Airdrieonians A 4–2 McInally 52', McIlroy 69', Sneddon 70', Murray 89' 1,000
15 May Third Lanark H 6–2 McIlroy 15', 64', Murray 25', 73', Black 39', McInally 81' 3,718
19 May Motherwell A 0–3 5,000

Section 3 Final Table

P Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Motherwell 6 5 1 0 15 3 12 11
2 Kilmarnock 6 4 1 1 17 9 8 9
3 Airdrieonians 6 1 0 5 8 16 –8 2
4 Third Lanark 6 1 0 5 10 22 –12 2

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Ross (2001), pp. 247.
  2. ^ a b c Hadgraft (2005), pp. 153.
  3. ^ a b Hadgraft (2005), pp. 152.
  4. ^ Hadgraft (2005), pp. 151.
  5. ^ a b Hadgraft (2005), pp. 159.
  6. ^ "Average Home League Game Attendances". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  7. ^ Stoddart, Russell (24 April 2015). "Kilmarnock's solitary top flight title triumph - 50 years on". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Pattullo, Alan (25 April 2015). "The day Kilmarnock won league by 0.042 of a goal". The Scotsman. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  9. ^ Spiers, Graham (24 April 2020). "Day when Kilmarnock beat the odds to win title by 0.04 goals". The Times. Retrieved 26 April 2022.

Ross, David (2001). Everygame-The New Official History of Kilmarnock Football Club. Kilmarnock Football Club. ISBN 0-9541653-0-6.

Hadgraft, Rob (2005). Kilmarnock Champions of Scotland 1964-65. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-87-2.