THE DEVASTATING LEFT FOOT OF TOM BLACK

Brockville Park – Falkirk’s dilapidated memorial to football’s less sanitised distant past – might seem an unusual destination to have longed for. Firhill and Fir Park too, for that matter. Yet occasional visits to these grounds offered exoticism during Kilmarnock’s wilderness years.

A decade was spent in the lower reaches following 1982-83’s annus horribilis, which culminated in Killie being very, very relegated. And, often, East Fife, Clydebank and others saved their more illustrious opponents some hassle: they were happy to come to Rugby Park to collect the points.

The eventual Premier Division promotion was hard-earned by players and supporters alike; a reward for time served. With a redeveloped stadium on the way, season 1993-94’s triumphant return carried all the more significance, with a post-relegation unveiling an unpalatable prospect.

After a positive start – four wins and six draws in the first 12 matches – the spectre of a three-team relegation began to loom, and winter was barren for Tommy Burns’ side. But Killie had fought for their place and would not give in readily. A gutsy success against Celtic in mid-April left Lou Macari’s side bruised. They would be looking for a new manager soon enough…

One win and one draw from the next four left the Ayrshire side needing, realistically, positive results from both a home game against Rangers and a trip to Easter Road.

Stride forward, Tom Black.

In Tam, Killie had a ready-made fans’ favourite. A dependable left back who had served both Airdrieonians and St Mirren with distinction, he emerged as a key player for Tommy Burns after an unspectacular start on joining the then First Division side.

He cut quite the figure, marauding the length of the park, game in game out, providing a constant supply of fizzing, bouncing crosses for McCluskey, Williamson, Brown and Roberts. There is something revelatory about footage of a mid-90s full-back doing what is now part of the job’s essential criteria: getting up the park and overlapping.

And the neatly trimmed Tom Selleck moustache was an added bonus on the cult hero checklist.

To on-field matters: the final game at the old Rugby Park, Kilmarnock needing a goal. 79 minutes of a tight match against Rangers have elapsed, still nil-nil, and the home side’s set piece expert is exactly where he wants to be: standing over a free kick on the right corner of the opponents’ penalty area. Perfect for a left foot blast. Having already come close, that effort was to prove a useful sighter. Tam learned from the first riposte, Colin Scott did not. This time, the faintest of touches to the side by Gus MacPherson - barely enough contact to even count as an assist - and a hopeful crowd watch the young keeper scramble in vain to get to the thumped drive. A baffing spoon of a shot, it travels low, true and fast, past the keeper’s left hand. A sixth goal of the season for the dead ball specialist.

“I knew I hit it well. And then the roar and you knew that you’d scored it. You didn’t know whether the goalkeeper was down at it or not, but the full place just erupted. And that’s when I just bolted, and I was off.

“That gave us about quarter of an hour to go, to see if we could hang on to keep the one-nil victory. In the last 15 minutes we still played well. There were one or two wee half chances for Rangers, but I think with getting the goal, and for the importance of it, the last 15 minutes probably felt like half an hour to a full half-game.

“But all the players did remarkably well. We played as a unit, worked as a unit, and that saw us out for the one-nil victory.

“The goal was very special for me but for the club, the supporters, the importance of the game, you’ve got two games of the season left which is going to decide if you remain a Premier League club, or the possibility of being relegated back down into the First Division again. So, the atmosphere, the tension, everyone knows what’s at stake to try to get a win or a point, whatever it may be to go into the final game of the season.”

Tom Black’s belted winner gave Killie genuine hope for the final day trip to Easter Road. After a few minor worries were navigated, a scoreless draw secured survival, and a firm foot was planted for a long period of stability and success.

Words by Gordon Gillen

This article first appeared in Issue 8 of the Kilmarnock Football Club official magazine of March 2022.