Kilmarnock fans and business groups have agreed to work together in a bid to mirror recent moves by Hearts and Dunfermline supporters to take control of their clubs.

Representatives from seven bodies will form a working group to explore community ownership with the help of Supporters Direct Scotland (SDS).

Killie fans have staged protests against the stewardship of chairman Michael Johnston, which have included partial boycotts of home games and red card displays.

The Killie Trust and Kilmarnock FC Supporters Association will join with youth and disabled fans' group as well as minority shareholders, the Business Club, and a group of Ayrshire business people called the Kilmarnock Futures Consortium.

Paul Goodwin, the head of SDS, said: "The structure of the Kilmarnock fans group will mirror those adopted by Pars United and The Foundation of Hearts.

"Representatives of the various supporters groups will join with representatives from the local community and business world to push their mutual desire to see their club become fan and community owned.

"What we know is that the combined power of all groups with a shared interest can make significant progress towards fans and the community ownership.

"The aim will be to put the Kilmarnock fans in the strongest possible position to respond quickly to the opportunity to buy their club if, and when, it comes around."

Meanwhile, Hearts manager Gary Locke has called on fans to remain positive as they bid to reverse a poor run of results in their crucial Scottish Premiership clash against Kilmarnock.

After taking seven points off their 15-point penalty for going into administration in the first four games of the season, Hearts have only taken one point from six league games.

Killie's win over Ross County last Saturday opened the gap at the foot of the table to 13 points and former Hearts boss Jim Jefferies this week called on fans to rally round Locke at Rugby Park after rumblings of discontent among some fans.

Locke said: "We just have to remain positive. We knew this was going to be a very difficult season. At the moment we are getting punished for mistakes, it's a ruthless league. We have to cut out the errors and if we do that we are not a million miles away.

"There is no point being negative. It's important that through this difficult period that everyone sticks together. That has certainly been the case so far this season when things were going well.

"So it's important that when things are not going too well, that everyone gets behind the team. Young players certainly respond to encouragement and I have no doubt the fans will do that on Saturday."

Locke is only six months into his managerial career but has already experienced crises that some bosses will never have to suffer.

The 38-year-old stressed that the most important thing is the club survive their financial plight and refused to be downbeat.

"You have to take the good with the bad," the former Hearts captain and boyhood fan said.

"We got decent press at the start of the season and you have to accept the criticism as well. That's something I will take on the chin.

"The only way you are going to get people back in favour is by winning football games.

"There is not many people that are criticising. If you're not winning, people get a wee bit restless. And I'm the same, there is no one more disappointed than me that we've been on this run, and we're working as hard as we can to get things right again.

"Unfortunately we don't have a lot of scope to make wholesale changes so that's why it's important that we all stick together, which the fans have done, they have been absolutely fantastic.

"Even the people I meet when I do get the chance to get out and about, which is very rare these days, they are very encouraging towards myself and the team. And if we all stick together we can get a good result on Saturday and kick on from there."