Killie add Matthew McGuire to office team

The transfer window may be closed but that hasn’t stopped Killie’s recruitment drive as the club aims to improve the overall fan experience at Rugby Park.

With the continued evolution of our Moffat Stand Fan Zone, new safe standing areas to come as well as upgrades to several of our hospitality suites and bar areas, making the stadium campus an enjoyable place to spend time has been a key priority for the Board of Directors.

To oversee the fan journey is our new Customer Experience Manager Matthew McGuire, who joins Killie following four years as Office Manager at Partick Thistle.

A lifelong football fan, Matthew made the move from the banking industry to the beautiful game in August 2015 but has always lived for those special 90 minutes on a Saturday.

He said: “My role at Thistle was quite varied but you can’t beat matchdays. You work hard to plan and put so many things in place and when the game starts, you have that sigh of relief that you had done your part. Then it was all down to the football with hopefully a win at the end of it.”

Matthew’s job will be looking at each stage of a fan’s experience around Rugby Park and trying to make their visits to the Theatre of Pies memorable for all the right reasons.

He explained: “I’ve been brought in to increase the efficiency of ticketing and turnstiles as well as look at the overall customer experience – how people enjoy the experience of coming to Rugby Park, how people are buying their food, the quality of service etc.

“I’ve also been asked to be part of the commercial side of things and try and boost revenue at the club too.

“In terms of scale, Thistle are a much smaller club than Kilmarnock even stadium wise so you are looking at nearly double the size when you are looking at things like season ticket holders.

“Thistle is a family club and from what I’ve gathered so far, it is the same here where everyone is very close knit.”

Saturday’s clash with Livingston can’t come quickly enough for the 32-year-old, who is looking forward to his first taste of a Killie home game.

“I can’t wait to get my teeth into the job and seeing what a matchday is like here at Rugby Park.

“There’s a real chance to make an imprint here and the opportunity to bring fresh ideas and creativity is just one of the things which really excited me about this job.”