RONNIE HAMILTON

80 games (1961 - 1965)

Only one player in Kilmarnock FC's 150-year history has been the top scorer for the league champions: Ronnie Hamilton.

The club's youngest-ever player, Ronnie talks about the special night in 1964 when Killie went five goals up against Celtic. The 5-2 final score set a marker for the Ayrshire men, on route to the club's sole league title.

As player, European goalscorer, title-winner, coach, board member, Chairman, Hall of Fame inductee and supporter, Ronnie Hamilton's service to the Club can be counted in decades, not just goals scored.

Ronnie was always going to be a Kilmarnock supporter. Signed from the local Saxone whilst still a pupil at Kilmarnock Academy, he joined the club where his father worked as a scout. Sharp in-and-around the box, his 45 goals included two against Eintracht Frankfurt. In 1965, his looping cross was powered home by Jackie McInally as a famous 2-2 draw with Real Madrid was secured.

The dilemma of many players in the 1960s was not overly complicated: turn professional or remain amateur and focus on a longer-term career. Ronnie’s pragmatic approach, prioritising his accountancy ambitions, was a recurring theme throughout his four years as a player at the club. And his professional skills led to a return to the Board and the role of Chairman when the Scottish Cup was won in 1997.