Osmond to sing Paper Roses to Kilmarnock fans

US singer Marie Osmond is to take centre-stage at a special concert for Kilmarnock supporters and manager Kenny Shiels after learning one of her hit songs has been adopted by the club’s fans.

Osmond, brother of housewives’ idol Donny, scored a hit with Paper Roses in 1973, a song that was adopted by Kilmarnock fans soon after.

And the song will be performed to a 400-strong crowd just yards away from the club’s home stadium, Rugby Park.

Osmond, 53, discovered the historic connection between the song - originally penned by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre in 1960 - and the club when a supporter had asked her to sign a Kilmarnock football strip while on holiday in Las Vegas.

Diehard fan Robert Morton had paid £370 to meet Osmond at her show.

Club secretary Kirsten Callaghan said: “When the tour dates were announced we made a few enquiries and Marie said she’d be delighted to come down - she seems game for a laugh.”

The gig will take place at the Park Hotel, opposite Rugby Park. A question-and-answer session, which will be attended by Shiels, will be held after the performance next Friday.

Kilmarnock fans have taken Paper Roses as their own song since winning promotion from the old Second Division in 1974. The Rugby Park faithful have been heard singing it regularly, including at their 1997 Scottish Cup final victory and at last season’s League Cup final win.