| Club: | Kilmarnock |
| Season: | 1984–85 |
| Chairman: | Tom Lauchlan until September 1984, Bob Lauchlan[1] |
| Manager: | Jim Clunie until September 1984[2] Eddie Morrison from October 1984[3] |
| League: | Scottish First Division |
| League Result: | 12th |
| Cup1: | Scottish Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | 3R |
| Cup2: | Scottish League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | 3R |
| League Topscorer: | Blair Millar 12 |
| Season Topscorer: | Blair Millar 12 |
| Prevseason: | 1983–84 |
| Nextseason: | 1985–86 |
| Highest Attendance: | 2,042 (v Motherwell, 29 December) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 805 (v Hamilton Academical, 22 September) |
| Average Attendance: | 1,351[4] (down 8) |
The 1984–85 season was Kilmarnock's 83rd in Scottish League Competitions. Manager Jim Clunie resigned in September following a poor start to the season. Only 1 win was recorded out of the first 8 matches with 5 goals scored and 20 conceded.[5]
Legendary former striker Eddie Morrison was announced as his replacement the following month. The club received 32 applications for the job including former Partick Thistle manager Bertie Auld and former Motherwell and Hibernian striker Pat Quinn.[6]
Results improved immediately with 3 wins in his first 3 matches as manager. However. a poor sequence of results after Christmas saw the club in the relegation zone with only 1 win recorded in 11 matches. This period also included a humiliating 3–0 Scottish Cup defeat at the hands of Highland League side Inverness Thistle.
5 wins in the last 8 matches meant that the club avoided relegation by 2 points.
See main article: 1984–85 Scottish First Division.
| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 August | Motherwell | A | 0–2[7] | 2,384 | ||
| 2 | 18 August | Ayr United | H | 0–0[8] | 2,013 | ||
| 3 | 25 August | Clyde | A | 1–4[9] | Cuthbertson(81) | 749 | |
| 4 | 1 September | Brechin City | H | 1–1[10] | McGivern(73) | 855 | |
| 5 | 8 September | Forfar Athletic | H | 2–1[11] | 809 | ||
| 6 | 15 September | Clydebank | A | 0–5 | 837 | ||
| 7 | 22 September | Hamilton Academical | H | 1–2[12] | Bryson(52) | 805 | |
| 8 | 29 September | Airdrieonians | H | 0–5[13] | 1,115 | ||
| 9 | 6 October | Meadowbank Thistle | A | 0–4 | 419 | ||
| 10 | 13 October | Falkirk | H | 3–1[14] | 1,210 | ||
| 11 | 20 October | East Fife | A | 1–0[15] | Cuthbertson(65) | 1,006 | |
| 12 | 27 October | St Johnstone | A | 1–0[16] | 1,513 | ||
| 13 | 3 November | Partick Thistle | H | 0–0[17] | 1,834 | ||
| 14 | 10 November | Forfar Athletic | A | 1–4[18] | McLean(71pen) | 1,060 | |
| 15 | 17 November | Clydebank | H | 1–1[19] | Clarke(89) | 1,184 | |
| 16 | 24 November | Hamilton Academical | A | 0–1[20] | 889 | ||
| 17 | 1 December | Airdrieonians | A | 1–2[21] | McGivern(84) | 1,483 | |
| 18 | 8 December | Meadowbank Thistle | H | 2–1[22] | McLean(58pen), Millar(86) | 847 | |
| 19 | 15 December | Brechin City | A | 2–3[23] | McGivern(12,83) | 668 | |
| 20 | 22 December | Clyde | H | 2–0[24] | Millar(17,43) | 1,303 | |
| 21 | 29 December | Motherwell | H | 0–0 | 2,042 | ||
| 22 | 2 January | Ayr United | A | 0–1 | 4,036 | ||
| 23 | 5 January | East Fife | H | 1–1 | McKinna(65) | 1,296 | |
| 24 | 14 January | St Johnstone | H | 3–2 | 1,451 | ||
| 25 | 2 February | Partick Thistle | A | 0–1 | 1,776 | ||
| 26 | 23 February | Motherwell | A | 2–2 | 2288 | ||
| 27 | 26 February | Clydebank | H | 0–0 | 1,336 | ||
| 28 | 2 March | Brechin City | A | 1–2 | Millar(77) | 621 | |
| 29 | 9 March | Hamilton Academical | H | 1–1 | Millar(18) | 1,225 | |
| 30 | 13 March | Falkirk | A | 2–3 | 1,532 | ||
| 31 | 16 March | Meadowbank Thistle | A | 1–2 | McGivern(25) | 492 | |
| 32 | 23 March | Forfar Athletic | H | 1–0 | Millar(82) | 1,082 | |
| 33 | 30 March | Ayr United | A | 0–0 | 2,404 | ||
| 34 | 6 April | Falkirk | H | 0–3 | 1,632 | ||
| 35 | 13 April | Partick Thistle | H | 2–0 | McKinna(22), Cuthbertson(32) | 1,803 | |
| 36 | 20 April | East Fife | A | 2–0 | Millar(1,38) | 875 | |
| 37 | 27 April | St Johnstone | A | 4–2 | Millar(19), Cormack(44), Cuthbertson(45), Pelosi(86) | 781 | |
| 38 | 4 May | Clyde | H | 2–0 | Cuthbertson(52), Clarke(76) | 1,692 | |
| 39 | 12 May | Airdrieonians | H | 1–4 | Bryson(29) | 1,493 |
See main article: article and 1984-85 Scottish League Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | 22 August | Alloa Athletic | H | 1–1(AET Won 3–2 on pens) | Cuthbertson(33) | 849 |
| R3 | 27 August | Dundee | A | 1–1(AET Lost 2–3 on pens) | 3,367 | |
See main article: 1984–85 Scottish Cup.
General
Book: Rollin, Jack . Jack Rollin (author). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1985–86. 1985. Queen Anne Press. 0-356-10872-4.
Book: Ross, David . David Ross (author). Everygame-The New Official History of Kilmarnock Football Club. 2001. Kilmarnock Football Club. 0-9541653-0-6.
Specific