Episode 23: Stuart Layburn

2022-01-26

Stuart Layburn played just seven times for Kilmarnock yet his story spans some of the club’s greatest moments. From a family of Killie supporters, he followed the team home and away from a young age before becoming a reserve team player in the early 1960s. To be a part-time player in that era was both a blessing and a curse. Stuart was part of a squad which made a serious challenge for honours in the first half of the decade. Yet he knew that any opportunities in the first team would only ever be fleeting at best: his full-time r...

Stuart Layburn played just seven times for Kilmarnock yet his story spans some of the club’s greatest moments.

From a family of Killie supporters, he followed the team home and away from a young age before becoming a reserve team player in the early 1960s. To be a part-time player in that era was both a blessing and a curse. Stuart was part of a squad which made a serious challenge for honours in the first half of the decade. Yet he knew that any opportunities in the first team would only ever be fleeting at best: his full-time rivals for his defensive position, Andy King and Matt Watson, were among the best in the country.

His time with his club was eventful though, encompassing a Reserve Cup triumph, an incredible 9-2 win, a Scottish Cup semi-final appearance and a place in the squad that travelled to Tynecastle on the famous, title-winning day in April 1965.

A dedicated full back who was “happy just being the reserve” in a golden age for the club.

www.killiehistories.com/stuartlayburn

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