# 1964–65 Kilmarnock F.C. season

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. The title was won on the final day of the season with a 2–0 win at Hearts. Kilmarnock won the championship on goal average, a tie-breaker that was replaced by goal difference in 1971–72. Had goal difference been adopted by 1964–65, Hearts would have won the championship.

## Scottish Division One
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | 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 | |

### 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
#### 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

| 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

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

### 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 |