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Key Information about Rugby Park

Rugby Park is the home ground of Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock, and it has been since it was opened in August of 1899.

The East Ayrshire based stadium is one of the oldest in Scotland and it has a large capacity of almost 18,000 and comprises four famous stands; the Chadwick Stand (away supporters), the East Stand, the Frank Beattie Stand, and the Moffat Stand (Kilmarnock ultras).

A history of Rugby Park

The first-ever match played at Rugby Park was a 2-2 draw between Celtic in August 1899, and Killie’s first win came on 16th September 1899 against St Bernards. It was not until October 1935 that Rugby Park received its first renovations – the Dundonald Road end underwent major improvements.

1953 marked the official opening of floodlights at Rugby Park which allowed night-time matches to take place for the first time. In the summer of 1959, the work was completed to erect a cover above the East Stand terrace, and this construction cost the club £13,500.

Further development of Rugby Park came in the summer of 1961 when the new West Stand was built, seating 4,200 spectators compared to the old stand which only held 1,900. A new enclosure in front of the West Stand was also built to hold almost 3,000 standing fans, as well as the addition of new offices, dressing rooms and a treatment room for players.

The record attendance of 35,995 at Rugby Park was set during a Scottish Cup Quarter Final tie against Rangers in 1962 which Killie lost 4-2. The first-ever competitive European Fixture held at Rugby Park saw Killie triumph against Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1.

One of the most historic matches at Rugby Park was when the mighty European giants, Real Madrid traveled to Scotland ahead of the European Cup 2nd Round tie against Killie. The likes of Ferenc Puskas and Franciso Gento attracted a massive crowd of almost 25,000 – Kilmarnock did well to hold them to a 2-2 draw.

The standing enclosure in front of the West Stand was transformed into an all-seated stand in the summer of 1990, and brand new dugouts were installed.

The club’s largest development came in August 1995, this date marked the official opening of the all-seated Rugby Park and this was celebrated by the visit of English Premiership champions Blackburn Rovers who defeated Killie 5-0 in a friendly match – star striker Alan Shearer scored an impressive hat-trick on the day. Rugby Park hosted its first-ever international fixture in March 1997 as Scotland beat Estonia by 2-0 in front of almost 18,000 spectators.

Tickets to Watch Kilmarnock at Rugby Park

Season tickets are available to purchase for the upcoming 2020-21 season through the club’s official site. Adults can purchase a season pass for £370, over-65s, under-21s and students can purchase for £220, and under-16s for just £70.

Related Links

https://kilmarnockfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Kilmarnock FC

https://kilmarnockfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/kilmarnock_season_passes – Kilmarnock FC Ticket Office

Mike Ashley has given an update on the proposed takeover of Newcastle United as Lee Ryder relayed comments made by Steve Bruce on what the Sports Direct chief executive had told him, his members of staff and the players.

As per the journalist, Ashley was speaking via a conference on Zoom straight after their final game of the 2019/20 season, which ended in a 3-1 loss to the Premier League champions Liverpool at St. James’ Park.

Dwight Gayle had actually opened the scoring for the hosts inside the opening 30 seconds of the match before Virgil Van Dijk equalised for the Reds, with Divock Origi and Sadio Mane making sure of the victory.

However, the attention swiftly turned to the prospective £300m deal between Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group, as the former reiterated that the approval of the bid is still in the hands of the Premier League and it has been the same for a number of weeks now.

Indeed, it may please some members of the Toon Army that the current owner has come out and shared what he has heard with regards to the takeover at the Tyneside club, but it would perhaps be laced with more frustration as it is seemingly no further to being approved by the Premier League.

With the campaign finished now for the Magpies, coincided with the summer transfer window officially opening, a final decision from the league will surely have to be made sooner rather than later so that Newcastle can start their plans for the next term. For now, they will be made to wait longer until an official announcement is made.

Geordies, does the Premier League need to make a decision on the takeover this week? Comment below with your views!

Manchester City have had an official bid of £41million accepted for Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake.

The former Premier League champions have already started their spending for the summer window by potentially giving the Dutchman a one-way ticket out of the Championship. However, Chelsea have the power to rain on Pep Guardiola’s parade due to a clause inserted into Ake’s deal when he left Stamford Bridge in 2017 (via talkSPORT).

According to the update, part of the defender’s move to Bournemouth included allowing Chelsea to consider re-signing him before he moved to a new club. With Man City and the Cherries agreed on a £41m deal, they must first give Frank Lampard and Co the option to match the offer.

Therefore, Ake will not officially become part of Guardiola’s squad until Chelsea decide whether they want to bring their former man back to Stamford Bridge.

There’s a good chance Lampard may see a future in West London for the Dutch international, who spent four years as a Chelsea player but spent three seasons on loan with multiple clubs (via Transfermarkt).

The Blues are looking to strengthen their defensive options ahead of next season and Ake could be an attractive target to Lampard who hasn’t settled on a centre-back partnership this term. The 42-year-old has chopped and changed the heart of his defence throughout the 2019/20 season, with no particular combination seeming to impress him.

Ake of course left Chelsea before Lampard’s tenure, so the former Blue could be interested in bringing him back to the Bridge and getting him involved in his exciting West London project.

Do you think Chelsea should re-sign Nathan Ake? Have your say in the comments below…

Everton were dealt a blow to their transfer hopes on Tuesday as mooted midfield target Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined a rival Premier League club but they can alleviate matters with a swoop for Aaron Ramsey.

What’s the word?

According to Duncan Castles, Juventus are prepared to offload the Welshman on a free transfer just a year after joining the club from Arsenal.

It’s claimed that the Toffees are one of the teams keen on clinching him but face the major stumbling block of his whopping £400k-per-week wages, though you’d imagine he’d have to take a pay cut if he’s going to move on from the Serie A.

Ramsey is currently valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, Hojbjerg’s £15m move to Spurs was confirmed earlier this week.

Forget Hojbjerg

Whilst the former Saints skipper would have been a very decent addition in Carlo Ancelotti’s engine room, a move for Ramsey could well be the better play.

If you forget about his wages for just a minute, he’s still one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe and despite being marred by a supposed poor injury record, he still featured 35 times for the Italian giants this term – and that’s because of team selection rather than niggles.

Back in 2015, Steven Gerrard lauded the ex-Gunners maestro as the ‘best attacking midfielder in the Premier League’ whilst his old boss Arsene Wenger believes he is the ‘complete midfielder’.

This is reinforced by his numbers from the 2013/14 season when the 29-year-old provided 12 goals and nine assists and finished with the most tackles of any Arsenal player.

If Ramsey could find half of his form throughout his north London career, then Everton would still be getting a major upgrade in midfield – one that is a massive need.

Neither Tom Davies nor Andre Gomes could average over a 6.5 rating this campaign whilst a measly 0.6 key passes per game is the best either could muster.

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Davies or Ramsey? There’s surely only one answer.

AND in other news, Everton can end winger nightmare with a move for ex-PL FLOP…

According to The Times, Celtic are now facing significant competition in their chase to sign Ryan Fraser.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent days have suggested Neil Lennon’s side are very much interested in bringing the Scotland international to Celtic Park, with the winger currently being a free agent after his contract with Premier League side Bournemouth having ended.

How’s your Celtic knowledge? Always been a loyal fan? Well can you spot Stilian Petrov from John Hartson? Give it a go if you’re brave enough …



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Now, The Times claim that Newcastle are in talks with the 26-year-old over a move to St James’ Park, and that the Magpies are “closing in” on the player.

Hammond must move

The fact that Celtic can sign a calibre of player like the £15.75m-rated Fraser on a free transfer, means Nick Hammond simply can’t afford to miss out on him.

Former Celtic ace Charlie Nicholas said: “What I like is that he is a little pocket dynamo. He is quite an old-fashioned type of player – what we used to call a tanner ba’ – from the days when Scottish players were very popular. He has a little bit of that.

“What he does understand is when he gets the ball and is allowed to run at people and be expressive. That is when he is at his finest. It is nice to see a Scot with this kind of creative, natural talent that we don’t obviously have enough of at international level.”

Whilst Newcastle offer Fraser the chance to remain in the Premier League, the Hoops can give him the chance to play Europa League football this season as well as him allowing to him come back home.

It’s a no-brainer.

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping that winning their first game of the Championship season against Cardiff City is a sign of what is to come from their campaign.

They need to have a very good start as they already have a disadvantage after being deducted 12 points by the EFL, so they have to win three more games to be on zero.

Dom Howson tweeted out an article by Andy Hinchcliffe, who is a pundit for Sky Sports, who believes the Owls can make a push for the top-six this season.

It looks to have come as a bit of surprise to some that support Wednesday, and this is understandable for a couple of reasons. The main one being because they have the points deduction to battle and the other is due to the fact that it is only the first game of the campaign so to be making such a judgement before he has seen some consistent form from the season seems like a very early call.

However it does highlight that the Owls were very good against Cardiff last weekend, and if they can continue to play like this, there is no doubt that supporters of the club could be in for a good season.

Here is what fans said following the tweet:

Owls fans, what are your thoughts on these comments? Let us know down below!

West Ham United have a mere two weeks to add the defensive options that David Moyes is longing for and it appears their attention may have turned towards a new transfer target…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Irons are eyeing up a loan move for Arsenal misfit Calum Chambers having failed with a bid to sign Burnley colossus James Tarkowski.

It’s claimed that his versatility to play right-back is another reason why he’d be a suitable fit for Moyes at the London Stadium.

However, previous reports from TEAMtalk have suggested that the Gunners want to sell him and have slapped an asking price of £12m on his back.

Tarkowski alternative?

It’s clear that the Hammers are going to struggle to sign Tarkowski this summer after they had a third bid of £31m rejected by the Clarets last week, but does a swoop for Chambers make sense?

Well, the 25-year-old has racked up 139 appearances in the Premier League as well as 21 across both European competitions, per Transfermarkt, so he’d surely arrive with plenty of experience at an elite level.

Last season, Chambers averaged two aerials won, 1.8 tackles, 1.8 clearances and 0.7 shots per game, via WhoScored but in the past, his defending has been blasted publicly.

talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino labelled him an “accident waiting to happen” after a draw with Chelsea in 2018, claiming he’s “nervous on the ball” and lacks concentration.

Whilst many of the Gunners faithful wanted him sold after his display against Man Utd back in December, so that’s not really encouraging either.

Tarkowski, on the other hand, has proven to be one of the Premier League’s most solid centre-backs having averaged 5.3 clearances, 5.2 aerials won and 1.7 tackles last season.

Chambers is certainly not on his level and it would be a disappointing backup plan.

AND in other news, Grady Diangana has already made West Ham look silly for selling him…

According to Football Insider, Tottenham defender Serge Aurier is one of a number of players who the club are trying to get rid of before Monday’s transfer window deadline.

What’s the word?

The Ivory Coast international has been linked with an exit from the north London side for what feels like the entire summer, with Serie A giants Milan reported to have been one of those teams most heavily on his case.

But with the deadline inching ever closer, the right-back still remains at Spurs, and has even featured in two games this season, playing the full 90 minutes against both Shkendija and Chelsea in the Europa League and Carabao Cup respectively.

Now, Football Insider claim that Aurier is among seven senior players at the club who are all in line for a late exit, with the Lilywhites working hard to trim the wage bill and raise cash through sales.

Levy heading for disaster

The fact that Monday’s deadline is approaching, and Spurs still haven’t seen the back of Aurier yet, is already a huge error on their part. But if the Ivorian stays beyond the start of next week, then it would be an unforgivable mistake from Daniel Levy and co.

Jose Mourinho has made it abundantly clear that he simply doesn’t trust the defender enough, with those who have seen the All or Nothing documentary watching on as the Portuguese man admitted Aurier is a liability and is afraid of him giving away stupid penalties during a game.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand simply said Aurier is “rash”, and that he “lets his team down far too often” – a statement made back in February 2018, and in fact, nothing has really changed since.

Earning around £70k-a-week, the 27-year-old is in the top ten of the club’s highest-earners right now, and each week that passes by without him leaving, is another sum of money being completely wasted.

Spurs have already signed a new first-choice right-back in Matt Doherty from Wolves, and having somebody like Aurier just continue to pick up massive wages whilst being on the bench isn’t a good look. Unless Levy sorts it out sharpish, the north London side would have had a nightmare.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith is set to ship out Anwar El Ghazi, Frederic Guilbert and Henri Lansbury before the domestic transfer window closes, according to reports.

Smith’s clearout continues

Smith has been one of the busier Premier League managers this summer after making an array of signings that tallied £74.12m (as per TransferMarkt). However, with the window still, open for clubs to do business with each other in the UK, that figure could be set to increase.

New signing Ollie Watkins has already shown what he can after scoring a sensational hat-trick during his side’s 7-2 victory against Liverpool before the international break.

With this in mind, players may have to be sacrificed to control the club’s wage bill and avoid a bloated squad – and there could soon be action on this front.

According to Football Insider, Anwar El Ghazi, Frederic Guilbert and Henri Landsbury could all be heading for the Villa Park exit before next Friday’s transfer deadline.

The report added that the squad’s overhaul in the summer has given the club leeway to ship out some fringe players that are not getting game-time this season.

El Ghazi, Guilbert and Landsbury were all key players for the Villa side that helped them get back into the Premier League in 2019, beating Derby County 2-1 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. However, none of them have even a matchday squad in the league so far this term.

Smith set to wave goodbye to deadwood

Smith seems to be making all the right moves on the transfer front this summer, with Villa flying high in second place in the top flight.

While bringing in some promising signings who have already made an impact, the Englishman could now claw back some of those funds by selling El Ghazi, Guilbert and Lansbury.

According to Spotrac, they are on a combined weekly salary of just over £110,000, which could prove difficult in moving them on if their agents have any objections to possible pay cuts.

If they do get these deals over the line, it might leave Smith with a temptation to make one or two late purchases in the transfer window.

Aston Villa fans! What are your thoughts on Dean Smith’s decision? Do you agree that these players should leave? Join the discussion by commenting below…

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle are likely to reignite their summer transfer interest in Manchester United defender Phil Jones.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent months had suggested that the England international was a potential target for the Magpies as they sought to reinforce the centre of their defence.

In the end, Jones stayed put at Old Trafford, but The Chronicle now claim that Steve Bruce’s side may revisit their interest in the former Blackburn Rovers starlet come the start of the January transfer window.

The report adds that with the defender yet to feature for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team this season, it’s likely that United will look to offload him, and that Newcastle could reignite their interest in him.

Would be a total disaster for Bruce

When you’re looking to strengthen your defence, you make a move for Jones. Sounds logical.

But in all seriousness, the Englishman has unfortunately endured a nightmare time of things at Old Trafford, both in terms of his record with injuries, and actual on-pitch performances too.

In fact, it was just last year that former Magpies boss, Graeme Souness, tore into the defender for his calamitous 45 minute display against Sheffield United (he was taken off at half-time).

Souness said: “Jones has done everything wrong for the goal. Protect the ball. Try and get your team a goal kick or at worse put it out for a throw in. He just gets it all wrong. Jones isn’t a cute player – he hasn’t got a great touch, so he should just put it into row Z at worst.”

Earning a reported £75k-a-week, Newcastle would just be heading for a disaster both on and off the pitch with the kind of player they would be getting, and the money that they would have to pay him as well.

It’s one that they desperately have to avoid in January.