# 1988–89 Kilmarnock F.C. season

The 1988–89 season was Kilmarnock's 87th in Scottish League Competitions. After a poor run of results, manager Eddie Morrison was sacked in November 1988. Jim Clark initially took over as caretaker before the club hired Jim Fleeting for the rest of the season. Less than two months into the job, he sensationally sacked centre half Kenny Brannigan who was sent off for head butting former teammate Derek Cook three minutes into the league game with Queen of The South. 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.
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. A second bid was launched in January by a consortium led by the manager's brother Bobby Fleeting.

## Scottish First Division
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | 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 the Second Division |
| 14 | Queen of the South (R) | 39 | 2 | 8 | 29 | 38 | 99 | −61 | 12 | Relegation to the Second Division |

### Match results

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1 | 13 August | Queen of the South | A | 2–2 | Gilmour(51), McGuire(70) | 1,587 |
| 2 | 20 August | Partick Thistle | H | 0–1 | | 2,442 |
| 3 | 27 August | Ayr United | H | 2–0 | McGuire(39), Marshall(60) | 5,387 |
| 4 | 3 September | Clydebank | A | 2–2 | McGuire(5), Cuthbertson(73) | 1,418 |
| 5 | 10 September | Airdrieonians | A | 1–5 | Cook(70) | 2,016 |
| 6 | 17 September | Clyde | H | 1–2 | McDonald(12) | 1,745 |
| 7 | 24 September | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 0–3 | | 5,379 |
| 8 | 1 October | Greenock Morton | H | 3–4 | Cook(4), Martin(60), McInnes(?) | 1,865 |
| 9 | 8 October | Forfar Athletic | A | 2–2 | McGuire(22), Gilmour(50) | 685 |
| 10 | 15 October | Meadowbank Thistle | A | 2–0 | Montgomerie(81), Cook(89) | 1,185 |
| 11 | 22 October | Raith Rovers | H | 1–1 | Wylde(9) | 1,965 |
| 12 | 29 October | St Johnstone | A | 0–2 | | 2,329 |
| 13 | 5 November | Falkirk | H | 0–2 | | 2,561 |
| 14 | 12 November | Airdrieonians | H | 0–3 | | 1,958 |
| 15 | 19 November | Clyde | A | 2–0 | McFarlane(31,45) | 1,028 |
| 16 | 26 November | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 2–2 | Gilmour(57pen), Brannigan(65) | 2,761 |
| 17 | 3 December | Partick Thistle | A | 1–0 | McFarlane(37) | 2,624 |
| 18 | 10 December | St Johnstone | H | 0–3 | | 2,501 |
| 19 | 17 December | Raith Rovers | A | 0–0 | | 1,514 |
| 20 | 24 December | Meadowbank Thistle | H | 1–0 | Watters(28) | 2,391 |
| 21 | 31 December | Clydebank | H | 1–0 | McLaughlin(5) | 2,760 |
| 22 | 3 January | Ayr United | A | 1–4 | Faulds(46) | 8,585 |
| 23 | 7 January | Falkirk | A | 0–2 | | 3,972 |
| 24 | 14 January | Queen of the South | H | 2–1 | Derek Walker(38), Watters(87) | 2,264 |
| 25 | 21 January | Forfar Athletic | H | 2–1 | Watters(37,74) | 1,813 |
| 26 | 18 February | Clyde | H | 0–0 | | 1,953 |
| 27 | 25 February | St Johnstone | A | 2–2 | Watters(49), Reilly(83) | 2,393 |
| 28 | 1 March | Greenock Morton | A | 2–2 | Watters(75), Harkness(80) | 1,807 |
| 29 | 4 March | Airdrieonians | H | 1–1 | McLaughlin(82) | 2,376 |
| 30 | 11 March | Ayr United | A | 1–2 | Montgomerie(20) | 5,476 |
| 31 | 18 March | Forfar Athletic | H | 2–2 | Harkness(8), Faulds(14) | 1,586 |
| 32 | 25 March | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 0–0 | | 5,906 |
| 33 | 1 April | Falkirk | H | 0–0 | | 3,870 |
| 34 | 8 April | Meadowbank Thistle | A | 2–1 | Harkness(36), Watters(79) | 866 |
| 35 | 15 April | Raith Rovers | H | 1–2 | Harkness(16) | 2,218 |
| 36 | 22 April | Greenock Morton | A | 0–3 | | 1,623 |
| 37 | 29 April | Partick Thistle | H | 0–0 | | 2,932 |
| 38 | 6 May | Clydebank | A | 2–3 | Harkness(1), Stewart(21) | 1,811 |
| 39 | 13 May | Queen of the South | A | 6–0 | Watters(39,47,54,69,87), Reilly(61) | 1,570 |

## Scottish League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R2 | 17 August | Forfar Athletic | H | 1–0 | Gilmour(55pen) | 1,523 |
| R3 | 23 August | Hibernian | A | 0–1 | | 10,000 |

## Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R3 | 28 January | Queen of the South | A | 2–2 | Watters(10), Speirs(90) | 2,941 |
| R3R | 1 February | Queen of the South | H | 0–1 | | 5,623 |