This is a list of seasons played by Kilmarnock Football Club, an association football club based in Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, Scotland, up to the present day. The list details the club's record in major league and cup competitions. Records of regular minor competitions, such as the Ayrshire Cup which Kilmarnock won 43 times, are not included.
Summary
Kilmarnock F.C. was founded in 1869 during a general meeting at Robertson's Temperance Hotel on Portland Street. The club first played professional football in 1873 when they participated in the inaugural season of the Scottish Cup, an annual knockout competition. They did not play league fixtures until 1895 when they joined the Scottish Football League, competing in the 1895–96 Scottish Division Two.
Having won the Scottish Cup twice (1920Killie Win Their 1st of 3 Scottish Cups, KillieFC.com and 1929)Killie Win The Cup For The Second Time, KillieFC.com from five appearances in the final before the Second World War,Killie History ..1869-1950 "In The Beginning", KillieFC.com the club's finest achievement was winning the Scottish league title in 1964–65, securing the championship on goal average on the final day by beating direct challengers Hearts 2–0 away from home.Killie Clinch Championship On The Final Day, KillieFC.com It ended a long wait for a trophy – they had been runners-up in four of the past five seasons, and had lost in major domestic cup finals four times in the previous seven years. In the 1966–67 season, Kilmarnock reached the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but this was to mark the end of their spell of high achievement, and by 1972–73 they had been relegated for only the second time in their history.
They spent the next two decades regularly swapping between the first and second levels (and one season in the third) before going up to the top tier in 1992–93; they have remained there since, with only three other clubs having longer current runs at that level. Killie won the Scottish Cup for a third time in 1997,Killie Win Their Third Scottish Cup, KillieFC.com and finally claimed the Scottish League Cup, in their sixth appearance in the final, in 2012.Killie Complete Their Domestic Treble, KillieFC.com In 2018–19, the club's 150th anniversary season, they finished in 3rd place in the Scottish Premiership, their highest position and points total in the modern era.Kilmarnock 2–1 Rangers, BBC Sport, 19 May 2019
On 24 May 2021 Kilmarnock were relegated to the Scottish Championship. This is the first time in 28 years they will have played out of the top flight.
Seasons Pre-1891 Between the club's formation in 1869 and 1891 – when they joined the Scottish Football Alliance – Kilmarnock only competed in cup competitions including the Scottish Cup and the Ayrshire Cup.
SeasonScottish CupAyrshire CupKilmarnock Merchants' Charity CupAyr Charity CupGlasgow Exhibition Cup1873–74First round1874–75Second round1875–76Second round1876–77Second round1877–78Second roundSecond round1878–79First roundFirst round1879–80Second roundThird round1880–81Third roundThird round1881–82Fifth roundRunner-upFirst round1882–83Second roundFirst roundFirst round1883–84Third roundWinnersWinners1884–85Second roundWinnersRunner-upRunner-up1885–86Second roundWinnersWinners1886–87Quarter-finalSecond roundRunner-up1887–88Fourth roundThird roundRunner-upWinners1888–89Second roundSemi-finalRunner-upSemi-finalFirst round1889–90First roundFirst roundSemi-final1890–91First roundWinners
Notes
1891–1914 SeasonLeague recordScottish CupOther competitionsDivisionCompetitionResult1891–92Scottish Football Alliance2nd221336733829Second roundAyrshire CupThird roundKilmarnock Merchants' Charity CupWinners1892–93Scottish Football Alliance7th18459425013Second round1893–94Ayrshire Football Combination5th12516342411First round1894–95Ayrshire Football Combination3rd161123562916Second round1895–96SFL Division Two4th181017454521First round1896–97SFL Division Two3rd181017443321Semi-finalScottish Qualifying CupWinners1897–98SFL Division Two1st181413642929Runner-up1898–99SFL Division Two 1st181440732432Quarter-final1899–1900SFL Division One5th18666303718Quarter-finalGlasgow & West of Scotland LeagueJoint winners1900–01SFL Division One5th20749354718Second round1901–02SFL Division One7th18567212516Quarter-final1902–03SFL Division One9th226412244316Second round1903–04SFL Division One14th264517246313Quarter-final1904–05SFL Division One9th269512294523First round1905–06SFL Division One15th308418466820Second roundGlasgow & West of Scotland League Winners1906–07SFL Division One16th348521407221Second round1907–08SFL Division One14th3461315386125Semi-final1908–09SFL Division One10th3413714476133First round1909–10SFL Division One11th3412814536032First round1910–11SFL Division One10th34121012434534First round1911–12SFL Division One16th3411419386026Third round1912–13SFL Division One11th34101113375431Third round1913–14SFL Division One12th3811918486831Third round
Notes
1914–1919 During World War I a number of changes were introduced, the Scottish Cup was suspended for the duration of the conflict and a number of teams were weakened as players went off to fight in the war. Kilmarnock continued to compete in the Scottish Football League.
SeasonLeague recordOther competitionsDivisionCompetitionResult1914–15SFL Division One12th38154195559341915–16SFL Division One10th381211154649351916–17SFL Division One6th38187136945431917–18SFL Division One3rd3419510694143War Fund ShieldQuarter-final1918–19SFL Division One9th3414713615935Victory CupFirst round
1919–1939 SeasonLeague recordScottish CupOther competitionsDivisionCompetitionResult1919–20SFL Division One9th4220319597443Winners1920–21SFL Division One12th4217817626842Second round1921–22SFL Division One17th4213920568335Second round1922–23SFL Division One15th3814717576635Second round1923–24SFL Division One16th3812818486532Fourth round1924–25SFL Division One12th3812917536433Quarter-final1925–26SFL Division One9th3817714797741First round1926–27SFL Division One16th3812818547132Second round1927–28SFL Division One8th38151013687840Third round1928–29SFL Division One10th3814816797436Winners1929–30SFL Division One8th3815914777339Second round1930–31SFL Division One11th3815518596035Semi-final1931–32SFL Division One9th3816715687039Runner-up1932–33SFL Division One14th3813916728635Fourth round1933–34SFL Division One7th3817912736443Second round1934–35SFL Division One9th3816616766838Second round1935–36SFL Division One8th3814717696435Second round1936–37SFL Division One11th3814915607037First round1937–38SFL Division One18th3812917659133Runner-up1938–39SFL Division One10th3815914738639Second round
1939–1946 Kilmarnock were inactive during World War II as their Rugby Park ground was used as a munitions store by the British Army during the conflict. They began the 1939–40 season in the subsequently abandoned SFL Division One before competing in the unofficial Emergency League West, finishing eighth, and the Scottish War Emergency Cup where they reached the quarter-finals. The club began competing after the conflict had ended in 1945–46, again in unofficial competitions. They finished 15th in the Southern League, were eliminated in the group stages of the Southern League Cup and lost in the second round of the Victory Cup.
1946–present