Former Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson has said the club still means "everything" to him as he launched his autobiography at Rugby Park, where he reunited with the players who lifted the Scottish Cup in 1997.
Williamson, now 65, spent five years in Ayrshire, a tenure remembered fondly by Killie fans for the Scottish Cup triumph and European campaigns. The event in the 1869 Suite drew former players including captain Raymond Montgomerie, goal hero Paul Wright, Mark Reilly, Dave MacKinnon, Jim McSherry and his former assistant manager Jim Clark.
Apology to Paul Wright
Williamson issued a personal apology to Wright, who was standing at the back of the room, for leaving him out of the League Cup final squad against Celtic in 2001. Wright only discovered he was omitted when the players were in the dressing room at Hampden. Williamson said the decision still hurts him to this day, explaining that he kept Ally McCoist on the bench as part of a ploy to win the cup.
The former boss maintained his side would have lifted the trophy if Ian Durrant had not been forced off through injury. He said Durrant was running the game in the first half and was expected to supply McCoist with a match-winning ball.
Memories and stories
The autobiography, titled Out of Easterhouse: The Bobby Williamson Story, was written with Lorne Gardner. It covers his managerial adventures in Africa and his battle with cancer. Williamson said everything in the book is "real and true", adding that he could not get away with lying as he would be caught out.
He recalled a tale about Jerome Vareille, part of Killie's French wave, who reserved a table at the club's Park Suite for Christmas Day. When the midfielder arrived, he loaded the table into his car to take home because he had family over from France.
Praise and reflections
Williamson was effusive in his praise for the late Tommy Burns, his favourite player he turned out alongside, joking that Burns was "blind as a bat" but still managed to zip a pass to his feet almost every time. He also stated he learned nothing from Ron Atkinson and Ron Saunders, who he described as "absolutely hopeless" during his time at West Bromwich Albion in the 80s.
Recalling how the town was transformed into a sea of blue and white stripes ahead of the Scottish Cup Final against Falkirk in 1997, Williamson was overcome with emotion. Asked in his final question what the club means to him, he replied sharply: "everything".
