The Web Player of the Year 2020/21 - The Nominees!

The strangest and most unusual football season in history is over, and it has been an incredibly successful one for Scotland’s oldest football club. The League Two trophy is in the bag and despite numerous issues off the park (and the small matter of a pandemic) Ray McKinnon and his boys have managed to delight the Queen’s Park support with an excellent campaign.

Goals and wins have been in abundance (as have clean sheets, thanks to an incredibly solid defensive unit) and The Spiders have responded to the raised expectations of a full time budget better than anyone could have wished.

The end of the season traditionally brings the awarding of individual prizes, and with our new status as the Number One Stop for Queen’s Park Gossip and Rumours; it's only fair The Web awards the stand out individual performer with a six pack of foreign lager in lieu of a trophy.

The inaugural ‘The Web Player of the Year’ is surely the individual award that all Queen’s Park players want to win, and after lengthy discussions with our team of contributors; a shortlist of four has been constructed. Read on as we dissect the seasons of these four individuals, and cast your vote on our Twitter page like a good little boy. Enjoy! 

Peter Grant

The most handsome man in Scottish football signed in January 2020 and even pre-pandemic, it was clear to any Spiders fan with two eyes and a brain that Grant was a class above League Two. Imperious in the air, relentless in the tackle and a master of defensive organisation, Grant’s performances in the heart of the Queen’s Park defence have played a pivotal role in the maintenance of our record breaking defensive record.

It took him only a matter of weeks to endear himself to the Spiders support (his trundling long ranger against Stirling Albion and subsequent celebrations sealing the deal) and it was no surprise to see him take the role of vice-captain from the beginning of season of 2020/21 in October. His influence on this side was clear from very early on, clearly honed at his terrific spell at Falkirk earlier his career,

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Grant is a terrific defender at this level but the only question mark that surrounded his presence in the Queen’s Park side was a terrible injury record throughout the early stages of his career. Despite this, Grant has started 20 games in all competitions this season putting any doubts about his long term fitness to one side.

His virtues as a defender are there for all to see but Grant is also a threat in the opposition box and he has managed two goals this season. His header against Cowdenbeath helped us on our way to a routine 3-0 victory at Central Park but it was his headed goal away to Edinburgh City in our title clinching victory that will go down in Queen’s Park folklore.

A terrific player with an equally impressive attitude, no one could complain should Grant sweep the board in terms of end of season awards .

Michael Doyle

Full back Michael Doyle has made a serious impact at a number of clubs through his ten year SPFL career but it's fair to say he wasn’t one of the most recognisable names out of the influx of summer 2021. 

Doyle, a SFL Third Division winner with Paul Hartley’s Alloa back in 2011, had since enjoyed productive spells at Morton, Queen of the South and Falkirk - and with that kind of career path it was no great surprise to see him rock up at Hampden in the summer.

The right back wasn’t expected to be one of the stars of the season but he has thoroughly impressed the Spiders support with an incredible level of consistency. Having started all but one of our games in all competitions, Doyle has shown an incredible level of fitness while also producing numerous excellent performances. 

This is a Queen’s Park outfit which has been consistent since the start of the season, and there are many players that deserve praise for the high level of performance over a long period, Doyle belongs at the top of this list. His all action, high energy approach down the right has typified the attitude of Ray McKinnon’s team - and he has a number of assists to his name as well as a stream of terrific individual displays. 

The Web editor Vic Venom’s pick for the award - an opinion which means the square root of nothing due to a lack of footballing understanding and a penchant for watching games drunk. Rumours abound that Vic just likes his Twitter content. 

Grant Gillespie

Combative midfielder Gillespie made his name over a nine year spell in the engine room at Hamilton Academical, and with spells at Dundee United and Derry City also on his CV it was clear Queen’s were getting a player of very decent pedigree when he signed in summer 2020.

It is no insult to say that Gillespie is a pretty unassuming player to the naked eye, diminutive and slight in build in comparison to some League Two midfielders, but his influence on this Queen’s Park team throughout the season cannot be downplayed. 

He is quite simply the kind of player that keeps a team ticking. A lot of his play is unseen, and the majority of his passes short, but Queen’s Park have been a better team when Gillespie has been on song. Grant started the campaign brilliantly but he tailed off before the enforced pause in the season and had a horrible day in the 3-3 draw against Edinburgh City, with some questioning his value to the team on the back of it.

The jury was out for some, but Gillespie took the bull by the horns with a series of excellent displays throughout the second half of the campaign (winning ‘Man of the Match’ on three occasions). His stand out display, controlling the centre of the park as we battled with ten men at Stenhousemuir, summed up his contribution to the team, and even the doubters must see now that Gillespie is a key man in this Queen’s Park team. 

Louis Longridge

Silky midfielder Longridge took his time in establishing himself as a fixture in this Queen’s Park side, but he has forced himself into the Player of the Year reckoning with a series of stand out performances since the season restarted in March.

In truth, it took Louis time before he really managed to impress the Spiders support, but there were glimpses that we’d signed a player with the ability to really shine at this level. His second half display in the 3-3 draw with Edinburgh City, where he almost single handedly rescued a point for a bumbling Queen’s Park side, showed his value for the team and this was quickly followed by his first QP goal in the edgy 3-1 victory over East of Scotland jobbers Dundonald Bluebell in the Scottish Cup.

It has, however, been the second half of the season which has illustrated Longridge’s value to this Queen’s Park team. When we restarted in March, his status as a starter was by no means certain, but a series of stand out performances saw him make the position on the left of the four man midfield his own.

Further goals against Brechin City, Stenhousemuir and Edinburgh City have followed but it is his creativity and ability to unpick an opposition defence that has made Longridge so valuable to Ray McKinnon in recent weeks. In a squad brimming with creative wide men (see the likes of Galt, Quitongo and Maclean) Longridge has stood out and will surely have a key role next season as we make a full frontal assault on the top of League One.

 

TV's Martin Roberts looks at potential venues for Queen's Park in season 2021/22

One week ago, Queen’s Park’s ‘new’ Chief Executive Officer, Leann Dempster, told the BBC that we had secured a ‘temporary new home’ for season 2021/22 - as Super Ray McKinnon’s boys look forward to life in League One as newly crowned League Two champions.

As seems to be tradition within the professional Queen’s Park, there has been no further news on where our home games will be played next season since Dempster’s interview, and members and supporters have been left guessing over potential venues. In the absence of news - speculation is given space to breed - and with the best interests of Queen’s Park fans in mind, The Web can’t allow this to pass without comment. 

Whats App groups and football forums have been ablaze with rumour and gossip about where the grand return of fans may take place, and it is time to evaluate the pros (and cons) of these potential venues.

 

In what is a massive coup for this relatively new addition to the footballing lexicon, The Web has recruited the expertise of Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts to run the rule over potential homes for 21/22. 

The Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk

The home of Queen’s Park FC for the last 9 games of the truncated League Two season, Falkirk has proven to be a happy home for the Spiders with a series of enjoyable victories over the likes of Cowdenbeath, Edinburgh City and Stirling Albion.

Despite the relative success of the past few months (the League Two trophy memorably lifted by skipper David Galt just last week) the Falkirk Stadium surely cannot be a serious contender for the upcoming season. The pitch appears to have played a role in recent injuries to key men like Jai Quitongo, while Raymond McKinnon remains persona non-grata in the FK postcode area following a disastrous spell in charge of the Falkirk Bairns before he rocked up at Lesser Hampden Park. 

Besides this, the stadium (built in the style of a miniature Hampden Park) is a lung busting 20 minute walk from Falkirk Grahamston train station and is closer to the petrochemical plants of Grangemouth than it is to any acceptable public houses. The IBF will surely not tolerate such a decision, but the QP committee may be swayed by the luxurious conference suites and lush new carpets in the main foyer.

The Fortress of Solitude, The Arctic Circle

Typically depicted as being located in the frozen tundras of the north, miles away from anything resembling civilisation, the legendary home of Superman has become a front runner due to excellent transport links in comparison with The Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld. 

Its welcoming frontage could make the Fortress a must see footballing destination for tourist hipsters (one for the ‘gram certainly), and its complex system of underground caves would give space for the committee to hold typically clandestine meetings. 

Potentially exorbitant rental fees, disgruntled Kryptonians not willing to share a venue with a Glasgow club and the looming threat of a bald egomaniac (Lex Luthor, of course) could see the Fortress lose out on hosting League One games next season.

The Fountain of Youth Stadium, Hamilton

An early favourite for members of the IBF due to its proximity to Hamilton West railway station (and the excellent Academical Vaults pub) the stadium formerly known as New Douglas Park will surely be of interest to the Queen’s Park committee when choosing a venue to host Glasgow’s finest next season. 

It is fair to say that The FOYS is an unusual stadium in Scottish football terms, but I must say that I like it. A soon to be opened function suite in the main stand will make sure all members retain vital access to mugs of Tetley and tiny biscuits; while the excellent transport links will save the Club having to bus supporters from the Social Club as they did when Queen’s moved to Airdrie in 2014.

The Fountain of Youth Stadium looks like it could be an excellent option for season 2021/22, but it is unclear if mysterious benefactor Lord Willie Haughey could live with the shame of playing home games in the shadow of a Sainsbury’s superstore, owned by his long time Conservative rival in the House of Lords, The Baron of Sainsbury. One to watch. 

The Green Belt Mansion, East Kilbride

If all other options fail, could Queen’s be forced to play home games on the sprawling lawns of Lord Willie Haughey’s Green Belt Mansion, located near East Kilbride? The six bedroom, 83 acre site on the outskirts of Glasgow is one of the most grandiose buildings in South Lanarkshire, and Haughey may be forced into drastic action as the Lesser Hampden construction project continues to falter. 

Scotland’s most notorious fridge tycoon allegedly played a role in the recent resignation of Scottish Labour top dog Richard Leonard, and with Leonard gone, he may have some time on his hands to prepare his land for League One football in the near future. 

Access to on site refrigerators will surely allow Queen’s to maximise income through hospitality, and proximity to Glasgow will allow our Club Doctor to job share as a Tory MP in the unlikely event he wins a list seat in a few days time.

Neverland

Having spent the last few months dealing with the fallout of allegedly substandard building work at Lesser Hampden, if rumours are to be believed the Queen’s committee could be ready to throw their lot in with PIRATES for season 2021/22.

Located somewhere in the Irish Sea (visible on the road to Stranraer according to the much missed ‘Vicar’, Stewart Hendry) J.M Barrie’s fantastical island would give The Queen’s Park Charitable Trust a whole new community desperate for a football team to call their own.

The presence of the villainous Captain Hook could be a problem but Lord Haughey’s experience working with Conservative MPs during the 2014 independence referendum has given him expertise in doing deals with shady pirate kings. 

There have been some concerns with regards to the indigenous population of crocodiles and alligators, but with a victory at Cliftonhill under The Spiders belt last season, this shouldn’t pose too much of an issue.