# 1983–84 Kilmarnock F.C. season

The 1983–84 season was Kilmarnock's 82nd in Scottish League Competitions.
After being relegated the previous season, the club's board of directors announced a plan in July to return to full time football for the first time since 1971. To raise the finance, the club proposed a covenant scheme which would involve 7,000 supporters pledging £30 per annum over a three or four year period.
The plan was ditched in September due to the lack of response from supporters which was hardly surprising given that the average attendance the previous season was less than half of the required number.
The support dwindled further during the season with 4 home league games recording an attendance of less than 1,000. The average attendance of 1,359 was the lowest recorded in the 20th century.
On the field, Killie finished in mid table despite a promising start of 7 wins in their first 9 games. However, a run of 10 games without a win in the new year put the club near the relegation zone. Three wins from the final 5 games sealed their place in the league for another season.

## Scottish First Division
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 4 | Clydebank | 39 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 62 | 50 | +12 | 45 |
| 5 | Brechin City | 39 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 56 | 58 | −2 | 42 |
| 6 | Kilmarnock | 39 | 16 | 6 | 17 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 38 |
| 7 | Falkirk | 39 | 16 | 6 | 17 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 38 |
| 8 | Clyde | 39 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 53 | 50 | +3 | 37 |

### Match results

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1 | 20 August | Ayr United | A | 2–0 | Bryson(23), McDicken(35) | 3,129 |
| 2 | 3 September | Partick Thistle | A | 0–2 | | 2,252 |
| 3 | 10 September | Falkirk | H | 2–1 | R.Clark(72pen,89pen) | 1,485 |
| 4 | 12 September | Meadowbank Thistle | H | 3–1 | McGivern(45), MacLeod(52), Gallacher(56) | 1,028 |
| 5 | 17 September | Hamilton Academical | A | 1–0 | R.Clark(21) | 1,407 |
| 6 | 24 September | Alloa Athletic | H | 2–0 | McDicken(24), Gallacher(57) | 1,415 |
| 7 | 28 September | Clydebank | A | 0–4 | | 855 |
| 8 | 1 October | Clyde | A | 1–0 | R.Clark(26) | 791 |
| 9 | 8 October | Brechin City | H | 4–1 | McKinna(10), McGivern(26,70), MacLeod(50) | 1,420 |
| 10 | 15 October | Airdrieonians | A | 0–1 | | 1,317 |
| 11 | 22 October | Dumbarton | H | 2–2 | McDicken(58), Bryson(70) | 1,747 |
| 12 | 29 October | Raith Rovers | H | 2–1 | R.Clark(48), Clarke(61) | 1,397 |
| 13 | 5 November | Greenock Morton | A | 2–2 | McKinna(30,77) | 1,902 |
| 14 | 12 November | Meadowbank Thistle | A | 1–2 | Bryson(30) | 836 |
| 15 | 19 November | Hamilton Academical | H | 2–1 | Bryson(35), Gallacher(81) | 1,257 |
| 16 | 26 November | Brechin City | A | 2–3 | Gallacher(71), McKinna(85) | 799 |
| 17 | 3 December | Clyde | H | 0–1 | | 1,377 |
| 18 | 10 December | Alloa Athletic | A | 4–0 | McDicken(4), McGivern(25,80), McKinna(36) | 547 |
| 19 | 17 December | Clydebank | H | 0–1 | | 1,149 |
| 20 | 26 December | Falkirk | A | 3–1 | McDicken(4), Mackin o.g(48), Gallacher(75) | 3,198 |
| 21 | 31 December | Partick Thistle | H | 1–2 | R.Clark(40pen) | 3,111 |
| 22 | 3 January | Ayr United | H | 1–0 | Cuthbertson(89) | 2,890 |
| 23 | 7 January | Dumbarton | A | 3–4 | McClurg(39,46), McGivern(83) | 907 |
| 24 | 14 January | Airdrieonians | H | 4–1 | McDicken(15,90), R.Clark(67pen,71) | 1,310 |
| 25 | 4 February | Greenock Morton | H | 0–1 | | 1,313 |
| 26 | 11 February | Brechin City | H | 1–1 | R.Clark(50pen) | 910 |
| 27 | 25 February | Clydebank | A | 0–3 | | 724 |
| 28 | 29 February | Raith Rovers | A | 1–2 | Gallacher(81) | 768 |
| 29 | 3 March | Hamilton Academical | A | 1–1 | McGivern(23) | 874 |
| 30 | 10 March | Dumbarton | H | 0–0 | | 1,140 |
| 31 | 17 March | Airdrieonians | A | 0–3 | | 727 |
| 32 | 24 March | Raith Rovers | H | 1–2 | Brown(27) | 680 |
| 33 | 31 March | Falkirk | A | 0–2 | | 1,203 |
| 34 | 7 April | Meadowbank Thistle | H | 1–1 | Gallacher(3) | 539 |
| 35 | 14 April | Partick Thistle | A | 2–1 | Gallacher(39), Murray o.g.(65) | 1,758 |
| 36 | 21 April | Clyde | A | 1–2 | R.Clark(80pen) | 633 |
| 37 | 28 April | Alloa Athletic | H | 2–0 | R.Clark(44), McKinna(57) | 460 |
| 38 | 5 May | Ayr United | H | 3–0 | Gallacher(57,89), McKinna(60) | 1,495 |
| 39 | 12 May | Greenock Morton | A | 2–3 | Gallacher(78), McKinna(90) | 4,547 |

## Scottish League Cup
### Second round

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R2 L1 | 24 August | Queen's Park | A | 2–3 | J.Clark(36,38) | 702 |
| R2 L2 | 27 August | Queen's Park | H | 3–1 | McGivern(21,49), McDicken(61) | 1506 |

### Group stage

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| G4 | 31 August | Hibernian | A | 0–2 | | 2,681 |
| G4 | 7 September | Airdrieonians | H | 3–0 | Gallacher(5,22,55) | 1,046 |
| G4 | 5 October | Celtic | A | 1–1 | Gallacher(64) | 5,435 |
| G4 | 26 October | Airdrieonians | A | 2–1 | Clarke(47), Robertson(72) | 829 |
| G4 | 9 November | Hibernian | H | 3–1 | Clarke(33), McDicken(37,46) | 2,001 |
| G4 | 30 November | Celtic | H | 0–1 | | 8,793 |

### Group 4 final table

| P | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Celtic | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 9 |
| 2 | Kilmarnock | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Hibernian | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 6 |
| 4 | Airdrieonians | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 2 |

## Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R3 | 13 February | Aberdeen | A | 1–1 | Gallacher(90) | 15,000 |
| R3 | 15 February | Aberdeen | H | 1–3 | McKinna(64) | 6,106 |