William Muir: Queen's Park Legend

Amidst the tremendous league-clinching celebrations of Tuesday night, it would be easy to overlook another significant milestone that was reached during the game. Queen’s Park number one William Muir reached 200 appearances for the club when he lined up at Falkirk Stadium against Elgin City, equalling the record for a goalkeeper set by Derek Atkins between 1978-83.

While Atkins completed his service to the Spiders over one spell, Muir has taken more of a ‘prodigal son’ approach, re-signing for the club for a third time in 2019. Circumstances have greatly changed at the club since he first stood between the sticks for Queen’s, however it is a testament to his consistency that ‘Super Ray’ has had unwavering faith in him since his appointment in January 2020. Eight goals conceded and 13 clean sheets in 18 league games this campaign tells its own story, but Willie Muir’s contribution to Queen’s Park FC is far more significant than that. 

In order to truly appreciate the impact that Muir had in his first spell at the club, it is important to take a glance back at the season before he signed in July 2014. The mere mention of season 2013/14 is enough to provoke a sense of dread amongst Queen’s Park supporters. A campaign which began with significant losses in personnel, resulted in 22 league defeats and a grand total of 68 goals conceded. Add the beginning of our exile in Airdrie into the mix and this certainly was an example of bad things coming in threes.

That same adage could be applied to our unsuccessful attempt to fill the goalkeeping position over the course of that season. Michael Brown, Blair Lochhead and the enigma that was Lucas Birstingl fumbled the number one jersey from one to the other, in the midst of a managerial change from long serving coach Gardner Speirs to the vastly experienced Gus MacPherson. Without being overly harsh on this trio of custodians, none will be remembered in high regard by the Queen’s support. Birstingl in particular (the man with arguably the most misspelled name in Scottish football history), is a figure that remains synonymous with that catastrophic season. 

Having inherited this omnishambles, it was inevitable that the position of goalkeeper was one of MacPherson’s top priorities for the following season. Enter Willie Muir, signed without a senior appearance to his name after spells as a promising youth at Aberdeen, Motherwell, Celtic and Ayr. Several other much needed signings would board the ‘Gus Bus’ that summer but the impact of Muir was unquestionable. By the end of the campaign, there would be a 50% reduction in the number of league goals conceded.

However, his time at Queen’s did not exactly get off to a flying start. Making his debut in a drab 1-1 Challenge Cup draw with Berwick, in which he failed to save a penalty in the resulting shoot-out defeat, set the tone for an inauspicious start to the season. Muir’s league debut came on the opening day, a ‘home’ fixture against Clyde. This game gave us a taste of what was to come from Muir, when he made a fantastic diving save to keep out Clyde’s Scott Ferguson in the first half. Despite this (and Queen's taking a one goal lead from a Darren Miller corner) we stumbled to a 2-1 defeat thanks to a late Bully Wee winner from former Queen's hero Mick Daly. Queen’s continued to muddy their way through the opening games of the season; conceding further losses at home to Arbroath and away to Dirty Rovers (a sign of things to come). This led us into to a home meeting with Elgin which can justifiably be seen as a watershed moment for Muir's career at the club.

With the teams locked at 0-0 towards the end of the first half, a hopeful punt over the Queen’s defence should have caused few issues. However, Muir inexplicably raced from his goal to clear, only to be rounded by Shane Sutherland who walked the ball into an empty net. Given the goalkeeping howlers of the previous season, QP fans would have been forgiven for fearing the worst at half time that day at the Excelsior. The second half was an altogether different story. Queen’s rallied to seal a 2-1 win, with Muir turning in an assured second half performance which put the minds of the fans at ease. This result significantly altered the trajectory of the season for both player and team. 

The Elgin game triggered a remarkable run of results between September and Valentine’s Day 2015, during which time our only defeats in league and cup were against the same opposition. Albion Rovers went above and beyond the requirements of any goof bogey side, trumping us at every opportunity as we became embroiled in a three-way title fight with themselves and Arbroath. During this period, we began to realise we had a player on our hands in Muir. Demonstrating a command of his penalty area we had sadly missed, Muir racked up the clean sheets which fuelled the Gus Bus for a title challenge. 

One game that stands out in that run was our New Year’s meeting with Clyde, a fixture that also marked our return to Hampden after 14 months away. A bumper crowd of over 2000 witnessed what was perhaps Muir’s finest individual save as a QP player. With the team looking like they were sliding to a 1-0 defeat, a cross from the left was bundled towards the Queen’s net by Brian McQueen. With the ball already behind him, Muir displayed incredible athleticism to get a hand to it and claw it away from danger. To top off the display, Muir even managed to win the late penalty that allowed us to escape with a draw from our homecoming performance. 

Season 2014/15 eventually ended in familiar play-off disappointment for Queen’s. Four league defeats to Rovers proved fatal in our title bid and despite a stirring triumph over Arbroath in the semi finals, Stenhousemuir proved a bridge too far. During this run in, Muir had continued to endear himself to the Queen’s support. His performance against Arbroath in the second leg was particularly eye-catching. Excellent saves with the game poised at 0-0 enabled Tony Quinn to volley home a late winner, one of the most iconic moments for Queen’s fans in recent memory. It was clear that retaining Muir would be key to our attempts to go one better next season. 

The start of the new campaign saw Muir joined by several other key members of the squad in signing on for the season. An ever-present in both league and cup, Muir displayed a consistency that proved crucial in the team’s success. In an incredibly tight League 2 table, a mere six points would separate the top five teams at the end of the season. A closer look at the statistics reveals how important Muir’s presence between the sticks was. Queen’s conceded a league low 32 goals, with Muir’s clean sheet total continuing to rise steadily. The caveat to this was a team that struggled to find the net, with only 46 league goals scored. It is a fair assumption that the season could have finished very differently had it not been for Muir’s significant contribution. Particularly during a nerve-shredding final day showdown away to fellow promotion chasers Annan Athletic. 

QP entered the day knowing that any result other than a defeat by two or more goals against Annan would be enough to once again secure a play-off berth. However, the day that would be dubbed ‘Haturday’ by certain members of the IBF proved to be far from an easy ride. Annan had replaced Albion Rovers as our bogey side for the season. Three successive defeats had been recorded against the Galabankies, including a chastening 3-1 home pummelling in the previous meeting. Veteran striker Peter Weatherson had been a painful thorn in our side during this period and when he netted the opener just before half-time, the atmosphere was ominous amongst the Queen’s support. During the second half onslaught, it was Muir who emerged as the saviour. As our backline was peppered with crosses, his excellent handling got us over the line by the finest of margins and allowed the QP support to breathe a collective sigh of relief. 

Muir’s imperious performances would continue into the play-offs as the next two Saturdays followed an almost identical pattern to that day in Annan. Holding two goal leads over both Cowdenbeath and Clyde, we would contrive to concede the opening goal in the second leg of both ties. Muir once again stood up to be counted, demonstrating a calmness under pressure that inspired us to finally break our recent play-off hoodoo. The word ‘calmness’ could not be used to describe the scenes back at the club after promotion was sealed. During wild celebrations between players and fans alike, Muir showcased his excellent reactions when catching an unnamed and unsteady IBF member from the sky. The pair subsequently smashed through a table and legendary status among the fans was secured. 

As the dust settled on the promotion win, we witnessed the first parting of the ways between Muir and QP. League One rivals East Fife managed to convince him that Methil was the place to be. However, this turned out to be an extremely short-lived arrangement. Muir was back in a Queen’s shirt by September, ousting new recruit Andy Murphy from the number one spot. At the time, there was some justified sympathy for Murphy. He had recently recorded a trio of successive clean sheets against Brechin, Livingston and Morton. The game at Glebe Park had even spawned a chant in his honour. These feelings proved to be fleeting once Muir re-established himself in the team. 

Muir’s return to the team coincided with a poor run of form for QP as we initially struggled with the step up in division. The tide started to turn as we entered the winter months, resulting in a seven match unbeaten run before our visit to Almondvale to play the runaway league leaders Livingston. Muir’s performance in this match would demonstrate all the qualities we had come to expect from him. Facing a penalty with QP 2-1 up, he kept out a scuffed effort from Liam Buchanan. As the striker moved in for the rebound, Muir flung himself in the way, taking a sore one in the process. When asked about the incident post-match, his response was: “My head’s fine, it was worth it”. Further evidence, if it was required, that our goalkeeper had become a totemic figure. 

Muir continued to turn in high-quality performances as we entered the second half of the season and we punched well above our weight. With four games remaining we were in the driving seat for an unlikely play-off place, before running out of steam during the run-in. Sadly, steam continued to be in short supply as we moved into season 17/18. The loss of Ryan McGeever in front of Muir was keenly felt as we endured a torrid start to the campaign. 30 league goals were lost by early November including being hit for five by Raith and Albion Rovers. Our shakiness in defence was epitomised by an uncharacteristic error from Muir, as he fumbled an Andy Graham header into the net during another scudding against Alloa. This run culminated in a 3-0 loss at Stair Park, which saw Muir pick up a knee injury. Michael White stepped in as number one and would remain there. After a run of games on the bench, Muir left Queen’s for the second time in January, joining Airdrie on a six month deal. 

Both Muir and QP then seemed to experience what could be described as transitional phases in 2018/19. Muir had two more short-term spells at Forfar and East Kilbride as Queen’s slogged their way to a mid-table finish in League 2. Player and club were then reunited for a third time in summer 2019. Despite not playing regularly the previous year, Muir seamlessly picked up from where he left off at Queen’s. A clean sheet in the Betfred Cup draw with Hamilton Accies reminded us of the quality he possesses. Despite his return and a host of new signings, Queen’s continued to be underwhelming under Mark Roberts, before the winds of change blew through the club. After the arrival of Ray McKinnon and the advent of the professional era, Muir demonstrated his value almost immediately. An outstanding late penalty save against Albion Rovers in January secured a scarcely deserved point. Muir then successfully fended off the ‘challenge’ of former Scotland cap Cammy Bell to retain the number one spot for the rest of the soon to be curtailed season. Admittedly, it is unclear how much competition Mr Bell was providing him with! 

That brings us almost up-to-date on Muir’s service to the Spiders. This season we have watched his performances via dodgy streams but his consistency has continued to be remarkable. Yes, he may now have a far superior defence in front of him but there have still been key moments in which he has had to deliver. A crucial save in the tight 1-0 victory over Stranraer early in the season springs to mind. Far more recently, his reaction stop to keep out Elgin’s Kane Hester essentially sealed the league title. Aptly, Muir finished the game by picking up the man of the match award. A fitting way to mark his 200th appearance. 

After last Tuesday’s game, Muir stated in his post match interview that he “hopes he has given something back to the club” in his 200 games. I think every QP supporter will agree that Willie Muir has contributed to some of their best memories following the team. Now a member of two promotion winning QP teams, he enters a new realm of legendary status. I feel privileged to have watched both of these sides and there might yet be more success to come. Our chances of achieving further success are unquestionably boosted by the presence of Muir. A player who has endeared himself to supporters both on and off the park over the course of his double century, we all hope he is now here to stay! 

 

Champions-(Elect)! Queen's close in after thrilling day in Edinburgh

Pandemic football has been a strange and surreal experience. With fans locked out of grounds up and down the country, we have had to make do with remote viewing from home. In many cases, this has stifled the passion and emotion of the game we all love - with fixtures (particularly in the top leagues) played at a noticeably lower tempo and your everyday supporter as far removed from the action as they have ever been. 

It would be a lie to suggest this hasn't had an effect on what should have been Queen's Park's greatest season in a generation. At times, weeks and matches have passed without any great deal of emotional response, and the nerves and excitement you would usually associate with a title charge haven't always been present for supporters who would usually be chomping at the bit to tour the grounds (and pubs) of Scotland watching their heroes wreak unadulterated havoc on helpless League Two opposition. 

All this being said, even in this unprecedented campaign, football retains the ability to thrill, disappoint and delight like no other sport or past time imaginable. Perhaps, with our only interaction with our team being felt through the screen of a laptop, it takes a little bit more to evoke these emotions within a fanbase - and with our status as champions all but on the line, the Queen's support were certainly put through the wringer this past Saturday lunchtime.

Your humble editor has no shame in admitting that this past Friday was the first time in a long time where a good night's sleep was an impossible prospect due to the Queen's Park fixture the following day. A victory at Ainslie Park wouldn't be enough to officially wrap up the championship, but it would leave us in a position where only one point would be required from our final five games - the champagne was well and truly on ice before kick off on a beautiful spring afternoon in the Capital.

Victory however, would be no mean feat. Edinburgh City are one of only two sides to take anything from Ray McKinnon's men in the league this season, and their performance in an exciting 3-3 draw at Hampden in November was the best produced by an opposition outfit in League Two competition. In truth, City should have won that day. Queen's were miles off it and despite a stirring second half comeback to somehow lead going into the final minutes, it would have been daylight robbery had we taken all three points at The National Stadium. Everyone knew that Queen's would have to produce their very best to have any chance of taking three points home along the M8, and in turn all but securing their status as champions. 

Despite the gravity of the task ahead there was no reason for Queen's to be anything but confident prior to kick off. The players had shown great character to win 3-1 at Stenhousemuir the previous Saturday (Peter Grant's second half red card not enough to halt our momentum) and had eked out a 1-0 victory over Annan at the Falkirk Stadium despite never approaching our best in terms of performance level.

It had a big game feel, even without supporters in the ground, and it was hard not to wish you were there as the sun shone down on the players for an unusual noon start (the funeral of a public figure in London deemed important enough for the powers that be within the SPFL to shift from a traditional 3pm kick off). 

The match itself certainly didn't disappoint. Queen's roared out the traps in the first half and Louis Longridge and Bingo Bob McHugh both passed up decent chances to give us the lead. Our profligacy in recent weeks has been an area of concern for supporters - despite our great run (and largely impressive performances) we had been passing up lots of chances - and everyone knew this couldn't once again be the case if we wanted to see off Gary Naysmith's charges (themselves on a fine run of form). 

The goal our play deserved did however come on 26 minutes, and it was worth waiting for. Luca Connell delivered one of his trademark raking crosses from a set piece, and skipper Peter Grant looped a  header up and over Callum Antell in the City goal. Grant wheeled away to celebrate as the ball landed beautifully in the bottom corner of the net - sparking big celebrations within the QP squad and in living rooms and back gardens all over Glasgow's southside.

Queen's didn't take the foot off the pedal for the remainder of the first 45 minutes - stroking the ball about beautifully. Edinburgh City were in truth, nowhere to be seen for the majority of the opening half and the previously mentioned profligacy in front of goal once again reared its head as we passed up a number of chances. This theme continued into the beginning of the second half as The Ginger Prince Simon Murray passed up a glorious opening after rounding Antell in the City goal - it was hard not to think we might regret such a glaring miss and it almost came to pass as the home side hit us with a quick one-two. 

One of our greatest strengths this season has been a rock solid defence (with only six league goals conceded prior to kick off) but for eleven second half minutes they were all at sea, City turning the game on its head from two set pieces. The first, a corner from the far side, was initially blocked - but it wasn't cleared and defender Liam Henderson was on hand to smash a low shot past a helpless Willie Muir.

The home side were energised from this moment on and it was no surprise to anyone with experience of following Queen's Park to see them score again not long after. A soft free kick awarded by the referee was swung in with venom, and Josh Campbell made no mistake with a precise header past Muir.

While we have been excellent front runners for the entirety of the campaign, it is no stretch to suggest that this is the first time this set of players have been tested in such a manner. While far from catastrophic, a defeat would have certainly led to the formation of some seeds of doubt about whether or not this team would get over the line - and some supporters no doubt considered putting the bubbly away for another day. In truth, they needn't have worried.

This team is made of stern stuff and they proved it in a swashbuckling last fifteen minutes. The introduction of Buffalo Bill and Ross McLean in place of McHugh and Darren Lyon seemed to change the momentum and Simon Murray made up for his earlier missed chance in style, his two goals securing one of the most important Queen's Park victories of the modern era.

His first, on 78 minutes, was a fine close range header from a Michael Doyle delivery (Doyle, who had a quiet first half - really came to life in the final stages, and I would personally be stunned if he isn't voted Player of the Year by supporters when the time comes). Murray's second, a left foot finish from around six yards, was a thing of real beauty. 

Fans favourite Baynham had made a real impact in his brief spell on the pitch and he played a huge part in the winner. He received possession from Doyle just over the half way line, headed the bouncing ball beyond a despairing Edinburgh defender before showing a surprising turn of pace to gain a yard on his man. His dinked right foot cross was exquisite, and top scorer Murray showed great composure to stab the ball past Antell. 

Cue delirium within the squad who knew exactly what the goal meant. Murray was booked for his celebrations but he certainly won't be losing sleep over that fact. After fifteen months out with a serious knee injury, Murray must have thought days like this were behind him before he joined Queen's last summer. He has taken time to shine in a Spiders jersey but his performances in recent weeks have shown just how good a player he can be - and if anyone deserved a moment of glory like that it was him. 

When referee Grainger blew his final whistle the emotion on the faces of the Queen's players was a sight to see. Peter Grant, another player who has went through injury hell throughout his professional career, dropped to his knees in tears. A scorer in a Scottish Cup final for Falkirk, Grant is no stranger to the big occasion, but it was clear to see how much this victory meant to him on a personal level. He is another who should be in the reckoning for individual honours come May. 

Players and staff were careful not to use the 'C Word' in post match interviews, but this was the three points that sealed the title. The cheap fizz was successfully popped at The Web HQ and another bottle might just need to be bought in time for Tuesday's home fixture against Elgin, where a point would officially seal the championship for Ray McKinnon's men. 

A strange and unusual season it may have been, but in the annals of history it will go down as a great one, and the supporters cannot wait to celebrate together with this squad of players when the time comes. 

Binos; Blue Brazil defeated as Super Ray's rampant Spiders march towards the title.

The move to our new home at The Falkirk Stadium may have caused some consternation within the support when announced a few weeks ago - but there has been no such drama for Super Ray, his staff and his players who haven't missed a beat over the course of two impressive victories - firstly against promotion challenging Stirling Albion, and then relegation threatened Cowdenbeath.

This has been, without doubt, a massive week for Ray McKinnon's men. Another six points on the board, another two clean sheets protected and another four goals scored - we are now at the stage where it is extremely hard to see Queen's being overhauled at the League Two summit - and it is surely a matter of time before captain David Galt lifts the first Queen's Park league title in 21 years. 

The clash with the Binos on Saturday was rightly touted as a huge match for the prospects of both sides, towards the end of what has been a challenging season. Stirling (one of only two teams to prevent a Spiders league win all season) were only seven points behind your favourites at kick off in FK2, and while there was a degree of confidence within the Queen's ranks there was also no doubt that the visitors would provide a sterner test than those experienced at both Glebe Park and at Cliftonhill. 

Stirling were hampered by the absence of main goal threat Andy Ryan through injury but Kevin Rutkiewicz was still able to name a strong side which included two ex-Spiders in centre back Darryl Meggatt and creative midfielder Kurtis Roberts. A tight game was expected, and so it proved, but in truth this was a match which never really got going and good chances were at a premium (particularly in the first half where the Queen's opener was the only moment worth writing home about).

Luca Connell has been hogging the headlines in his formative weeks as a Queen's Park player, and following a virtuoso performance against Albion Rovers at Cliftonhill a few days before, it was no surprise that the only goal of the game came from one of his pinpoint in-swinging set pieces. Connell's ball in was begging to be met, and after a couple of nicks off attacking players, the ball spun past Binos keeper Cameron Binnie.

The final touch appeared to come off the forehead of unfortunate ex-Queen's defender Meggatt (Strawberry's uncharacteristic faux-pas coming ten years to the month since his last Spiders goal). Queen's controlled the remainder of the first period without really stamping their authority on the fixture - the midfield pairing of Connell and the revitalised Darren Lyon were controlling the tempo of the passing and the Binos could only chase shadows. When they did find controlled possession, the tireless Lyon was in their faces and he received a yellow card for his troubles following a crunching slide tackle which disrupted the early phases of a promising visiting attack.

The second half continued in a much similar vein, but to Queen's credit, we did manage to create more in the way of clear chances - and its hard to believe that we didn't add to our lead. Salim Kouder-Aissa was guilty of two horrible misses (the second in particular, not one he would've fancied watching back on QPTV), sub David Galt was somehow denied by Binnie from close range and fellow replacement Buffalo Bill Baynham had a towering header harshly ruled out for an apparent push on Meggatt. 

The Binos had one clear chance of their own to salvage a draw, Jack Leitch (I am told no relation to public health buzzkill Jason) headed wide when it looked easier to score, but Queen's deserved the three points even if they did not manage to hit the heights we all know these players are capable of, particularly in the attacking areas. 

With our closest rivals dispatched homewards with nothing to show for a plucky effort, confidence was rightly sky high when relegation battlers Cowdenbeath rocked up at the Falkirk Stadium for last night's 7pm kick off. The quick turnaround from Saturday's fixtures no doubt suited Ray McKinnon more than his opposite number Gary Bollan, and the Queen's gaffer surprised the support by not only changing personnel, but by moving away from his tried and tested 4-4-2 formation. 

Buffalo Bill, Grant Gillespie, captain Galt and Jai Quitongo came in from the start and there was no place for the misfiring duo of Bingo Bob McHugh and Kouder-Aissa. Simon Murray, Canice Carroll and Tommy Robson were back on the bench - but the impressive young Brody Paterson kept his place at left back and Baynham was deployed as a lone striker with Galt and Louis Longridge roaming in behind. 

Our visitors The Blue Brazil have had a miserable season, and by reading the contributions of Cowden supporters on popular Scottish football forum Pie & Bovril, there appears to be serious concern over their league status going into what will be a difficult final few months of fixtures for The Fifers. Last night's performance (coupled with results from elsewhere) would have done nothing to allay the relegation fears which will be dominating the thoughts of all those involved at Central Park. 

In contrast to Saturday, where Queen's knew a good performance would be required to see off high flying Stirling Albion, this was a display from a side who never really had to move out of second gear (particularly in a dull first half). Cowden offered nothing in an attacking sense, and while McKinnon's boys were timid in attack for the first 45 minutes - they enjoyed complete dominance of the ball and held a 1-0 half time advantage thanks to a rocket of a shot from Jai Quitongo. 

The usually impressive Connell, quiet in the first period and recipient of a few tasty challenges, was replaced at half time by Darren Lyon, and Lyon's almost instantaneous close range goal (following more superb work from Quitongo on the right) set the tone for a much improved second half performance from Queen's Park. 

The home side were working harder and pressing higher, and Cowdenbeath were really struggling to cope as the minutes ticked on. This should have been the night where Queen's dished out a real doing to the opposition. We created chance after chance in the second period, but flabby finishing and the fine form of young goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth limited us to just one more in the forty minutes that remained following Lyon's 4th goal of the season.

It was Buffalo Bill Baynham, terrific throughout, who got it - heading in from the centre of the box following a sweeping delivery from Mr. Consistent Michael Doyle. In truth, Baynham would have had a hat trick if not for the performance of Cowdenbeath's number one - but it was good to see the big man back in the team and back amongst the goals. 

The fixtures continue to come thick and fast for everyone in the league, but with our superior resources and full time status - we are no doubt in a much better position to cope than our divisional rivals. This has been a great few weeks for Ray McKinnon and his coaching staff and they will be particularly be pleased with the performances of players who had found themselves on the fringes of the squad prior to the lockdown in January.

Midfielders Lyon and Gillespie were maligned in some quarters in the first phase of the season, but both have been in excellent form since the restart, and the significant presence of Canice Carroll has not been missed whatsoever which is testament to the form of both players. Young loanee Brody Paterson has proven himself a more than capable backup to Tommy Robson on the left of our steely defence, while wide men Quitongo and Longridge have put in a series of eye catching displays since the return - these two should be nailed on starters for Saturday's trip to face Stenhousemuir. 

While clarity relating to some serious off field problems remains nowhere to be found, Queen's supporters can at least be reassured that everything is going to plan on the field. Five games have been played since the restart, and with fifteen points (and five clean sheets) added to the record books - we look in a superb position to finish the season strongly - and lift the League Two championship in a blaze of glory come May. 

Mind the Gap! Crunch time for Binos as Queen's close in on title.

It was expected that Queen's Park would find the return of football (and the cramped fixture list drawn up to resolve this most unique of campaigns) more to their liking than most of our League Two rivals. A strong squad full of experience, and status as a full time professional football team suggested as much - and so it has proved over a highly successful last 14 days for The Spiders.

Commanding victories over Stranraer at Hampden, Brechin City at Glebe Park and old foes Albion Rovers at Cliftonhill have helped Ray McKinnon's champions-elect roll towards the finishing line, and it could be argued that this Saturday's fixture against Stirling Albion is the vital match in deciding the destination of the League Two title. 

Kevin Rutkiewitcz's Binos were our first league opponents of the season all the way back in October, and they proved themselves to be a dangerous rival on that day at Forthbank. Albion, like Queen's, had an extremely busy summer transfer window and had bolstered their ranks with many familiar names from the lower leagues. There was very little between the teams that day, Queen's creating little in attack, as it finished 0-0.

Stirling remain one of only two sides to take points off Queen's in the league this season (the other being Edinburgh City), and in truth nobody could have begrudged them all three on a day that goalkeeper Willie Muir had to be at his very best, pulling off two or three tremendous saves. 

As the league table stands, The Binos sit seven points behind Queen's having played the same amount of games (with the rest of the chasing pack having played one game more). They realistically appear to be the only side able to catch us at this stage of this campaign, and therefore Saturday's fixture at our new Falkirk Stadium 'home' has all the makings of a crunch encounter.

All this being said - it really is difficult to see Queen's being hauled back at this stage. The seven point lead isn't insurmountable but performances since the restart have given off a real air of confidence and the signing of Luca Connell (already proving himself to be one of the best players in the league) looks like it could be the catalyst for an impressive run between now and the end of the season.

Connell returned to the Queen's starting XI for Tuesday's fixture at Cliftonhill and put in a second Man of the Match display in as many games. His flair and movement add a totally different gear to the Queen's midfield, and the overall team performance was much improved from the comfortable, if industrial, 2-0 success over Brechin on Saturday. 

His strike to make it 2-0, a searing effort from all of 25 yards into the bottom corner, will be hard to beat in the Goal of the Season stakes come the end of the season - and he also provided the assist for our third goal of the night, his teasing corner headed into the net by Salim Kouder-Aissa (looking sharp after a disappointing return to action against Brechin). 

Midfielder Darren Lyon, a player who has yet to set the world on fire in a Queen's Park jersey, was responsible for our opening goal (a fine outside of the foot finish from around 16 yards) with only 7 minutes on the clock. Many Queen's fans were surprised to see Lyon retain his place in the starting line up ahead of Grant Gillespie (terrific up at Brechin) but Darren put in one of his most assured displays for the club and proved that gaffer McKinnon was correct to keep him in the starting team. 

Rovers are not the best opposition we will face between now and the season's end. The additions of experienced players such as Ryan Stevenson, David Cox and ex-Spider Jamie McKernon look like desperate last throws of the dice by manager Brian Reid - and if Brechin are able to find a couple of results between now and the end of the campaign there is a very good chance of our old friends from Coatbridge being dragged into a relegation playoff that they would almost certainly lose. 

Despite this fact, this was much more like it from Queen's in terms of tempo and aggression when compared to the Brechin victory. The ball was moved about with far more purpose which in turn led to the creation of a barrel load of chances, had it not been from a top class performance by Rovers on-loan Hearts keeper Harry Stone, McKinnon's men would have racked up the hatful they have been threatening to find all season. 

With Connell back in action (and heavy hitters Canice Carroll, Simon Murray and the mysterious Craig Slater still to return) this looks like a Queen's Park side well equipped to finish the job and secure promotion to League One for next season. Stirling Albion may well be the only side that can stand in our way, but they will have to derail the Spiders express at The Falkirk Stadium if they are to have any chance of clawing back the gap. 

Glebe-trotting for the final time? An easy win for Super Ray's Spiders as Brechin City brushed aside.

Glebe Park, Brechin is undoubtedly one of the jewels on the Scottish football crown. Thanks to the iconic hedgerow which adorns the far side 'terrace', the award winning soup provided by the kind staff at the pie stall and its unique mish mash of ill fitting stands - the home of The City is one of the SPFL's most enjoyable stadia, and it's position as such is now under serious peril.

The Angus outfit enjoyed periods of relative success throughout the first 18 years of the 21st Century, with multiple forays into Scotland's second tier and limited cup success - but it's fair to say life at Glebe Park has been an unmitigated disaster since their record breaking relegation from the Scottish Championship in 2018.

Out of their depth, newly promoted Brechin only managed to amass a total of four points over the 36 games of that particular league campaign and things have lurched from bad to worse since. A further relegation to the bottom tier was to follow before the COVID-19 outbreak which ended the 2019/20 season saved the strugglers the ignominy of being the third SPFL side to fall through the League Two trapdoor and into tier 5.

The fate of the pyramid system for his season remains in the balance with the Highland and Lowland leagues scrapped once again due to the Coronavirus, but with both divisions set to nominate winners, there looks like there will be nowhere to hide for Brechin should they once again finish bottom of the heap in League Two come May. 

With only 4 points from their opening ten games this season, a bottom placed finish seems a real possibility once more. Multiple managers have been unable to stop the rot and inexperienced player/coach Michael Paton, the latest given the thankless task of steering this rudderless ship, has a real fight on his hands to haul City off the bottom of the league.

It wasn't to get any easier for Paton's men this Saturday past as they welcomed Ray McKinnon's league leaders to The Glebe. Queen's were fresh off the back of one of their best performances of the season, as they showed signs of recapturing their mojo with an excellent 3-0 drubbing of promotion chasing Stranraer at Hampden. 

With the very real potential of this being Queen's final visit to The Glebe, there was a tinge of sadness at being forced to take this one in on the home side's Hedge TV service rather than in person. Distant memories of multiple pints in the town's excellent hostelries - and the taste of the previously mentioned soup (a real and genuine sensation) would have to do for the every-man Spiders supporter not lucky enough to blag their way onto QP's hand picked media team. 

Both sides had enjoyed very different seasons and the bookmakers odds on a Brechin victory (a massive 14/1 shot with some) illustrated the nature of the task that lay ahead for the home side. Super Ray shuffled his pack with multiple changes to the side that thumped Stranraer, but even with that in mind the result was never in doubt. Queen's controlled possession of the ball throughout the 90 minutes and there was never any prospect of a major shock.

An early own goal (inexplicably credited to 'Bingo' Bob McHugh by some media outlets) from a fine Jai Quitongo cross set the tone, and a second followed soon after as Louis Longridge stooped to head home from close range. Longridge has found regular football hard to come by this season, but he was one of Queen's best performers on the day and the sheer delight which followed his first QP league goal was a sign of a player chomping at the bit for more opportunities in McKinnon's starting XI.

The pace of play was laborious at times, but the visitors were always in control and there should have been further goals before the half time interval. Midfielder Grant Gillespie, another who impressed throughout, missed the most gilt edged of our opportunities when he blazed over from close range, and loan signing Salim Kouder-Aissa looked rusty as he passed up a number of decent opportunities to get himself on the score-sheet. 

The second half was, in truth, a bit of a non-event with both sides seemingly content with the state of play. Brechin were never likely to threaten a solid Spiders back line (Willie Muir will rarely have an easier 90 minutes) while Queen's were happy to stroke the ball around in defence and midfield without creating too many chances for goal number three. Kouder-Aissa had a header well saved before sub Ross Maclean fired over with a close range volley, but there was to be no further scoring as Queen's travelled down the road to HQ with a routine three points in their back pockets. 

Manager McKinnon was right to be pleased in his post match interview and he will no doubt take great satisfaction at the performances of some of our 'fringe' players. Gillespie and Longridge were excellent throughout while young Celtic loanee Brody Paterson proved himself a capable deputy to the absent Tommy Robson at left back. Jai Quitongo, for the second time this season, terrorised The City left back and his form will be hard to ignore when the team is named for the upcoming midweek fixture at Albion Rovers.

However, it was impossible not to feel slightly disappointed at the way we eased off in the second half. Brechin are struggling badly and this appeared to be a real chance for our strikers to get in amongst the goals and build some momentum with harder games to come. Bob McHugh once again failed to threaten the scorers, and his position as first choice striker will surely come under further scrutiny if he can't start finding the net from open play. McHugh's contribution to the team isn't that of an undroppable starter, and young Aussie Will Baynham will surely be in the frame for a start when Tuesday's trip to face Albion Rovers comes around.

With this comfortable victory, and favourable results elsewhere, The Spiders went seven points clear at the top of the league (with games in hand over the majority of the chasing pack). Stirling Albion appear to be our only realistic challengers for the title - and with a 'home' fixture with The Binos looming, this will be a massive week of football if Queen's are to grasp their apparently inevitable destiny, and lift the League Two crown. 

Queen's back with a bang to batter The Blues

Putting a week of off-field shenanigans to one side, Queen's Park returned to the hallowed turf of Hampden Park on Saturday for one last time as they comfortably put Stranraer to the sword, winning 3-0 in what was a one sided 90 minutes at The National Stadium. 

The unrest within the support relating to the stadium (and the club's inability to effectively communicate with its supporters through official channels) was forgotten for 90 excellent minutes as everyone's favourite hard working professionals sent the Blues down the M77 empty handed.

Rampaging right back (and Twitter superstar) Michael Doyle gave us the lead with a looping header midway through the first half before fellow defender Lee Kilday powered The Spiders into a two goal advantage prior to the half time interval. A second half penalty from 'Bingo' Bob McHugh sealed the deal for the home side and put the icing on what was an impressive victory. 

The pre-match news delivered by Club President David Hunter (finally located following his apparent three month hiatus from the role) that we would be playing the remainder of this season's home games at Broadwood Stadium went down like a lead balloon with the support, and this was the kind of performance we needed from Ray McKinnon's men to lift spirits and shift focus back to the great strides we are making on the pitch. 

Of particular delight for the Queen's Park faithful would have been the performances in central midfield by Republic of Ireland youth internationals Canice Carroll and Luca Connell. Carroll (picked as 'best signing' in our previous 'Season so Far' feature) has already endeared himself to everyone at Queen's with his all-action displays and this was more of the same from the Spiders number 28. 

Carroll was everywhere during the first 45 minutes and by constantly winning the ball high into the Stranraer half, he repeatedly stopped the visitors from forcing any sustained pressure onto our back-line. The Blues barely had a kick in our half of the pitch during the first period, and this was in no small part down to the excellent shield that Carroll provides to the defence by covering swathes of grass and engaging opposition midfielders directly. 

The visitors struggled to deal with his display and Carroll was fouled on numerous occasions by a visibly frustrated opposition. They just couldn't handle his consistency, and it ended up being one hit too many for the Irishman as he was forced off with an injury midway through the second half. Hopefully, its nothing too serious for the midfielder, as he would be a big miss for a Spiders side who lack an obvious replacement within their ranks. 

For all Carroll's hard work in the heart of the Queen's midfield it was his countryman and partner in crime Luca Connell who grabbed the headlines following a superb debut performance. Connell, added on loan from Celtic only a day previous, added a spark and a drive to a Spiders engine room which has been criticised by supporters for its unambitious nature at times this season.

Connell was a highly rated youth prospect when he joined Celtic from English side Bolton Wanderers back in the summer of 2019, but for whatever reason the silky midfielder has yet to trouble even the fringes of the Bhoys first team (this despite a season of strife for the deposed Scottish Champions). His addition by Queen's gaffer Ray McKinnon was greeted as a coup when announced, and it was easy to work out why very early into Saturday afternoon's fixture. 

Supremely comfortable on the ball and able to find pockets of space between the lines of the visitors, Connell looked at home straight away in the black and white jersey and it was no surprise that he was voted as Man of the Match on the back of a terrific display. His pin point left foot delivery from a first half free kick (expertly dispatched into the back of the net by Lee Kilday) effectively illustrated his quality, and this ability to get the dead balls right could be vital for a side who tend to win a high number of attacking free kicks and corners.

To round off a memorable week for the Liverpool born 19-year old, Connell was rewarded with a call up to the Republic of Ireland under-21 squad for Friday's international against Wales. This will likely rule the youngster out of our trip to Brechin on Saturday and it will be interesting to see how Queen's manager Ray McKinnon intends to replace him. Our two obvious central midfield options (Darren Lyon and Grant Gillespie) are very different players to Connell and one wonders if he may be tempted to move David Galt or Louis Longridge into a more central role in order to replicate the flair and vision that Connell brought to the side against Stranraer. 

All in all, this was a good team performance from McKinnon's men and we also bore witness to excellent individual displays from the tireless Simon Murray (the forward looking somewhere near full fitness), skipper Galt (booking for a comical dive aside) and right back Doyle - who has been a model of consistency with his performances so far this season.

It is hard to see Super Ray veering too far from the eleven chosen on Saturday for the upcoming trip to Glebe Park (injury permitting), but there may be a couple of individuals looking over their shoulders at the impressive strength in depth both on the bench and in the stands.

Ross MacLean, preferred to Jai Quitongo and Longridge from the start, was quiet on the right of a four man midfield and inconsistency has been a hallmark of his performances throughout the campaign. Quitongo in particular, impressive before the enforced break in play caused by COVID-19, may well fancy his chances of wrestling that shirt from MacLean in the coming weeks.

Central striker Bob McHugh is another one who may have a fight on his hands to retain his place in the manager's first XI. The experienced ex-Falkirk man hasn't had the impact he would have liked since his high profile capture in the summer, and has only managed 3 goals from open play in 15 starts. McHugh never looked likely to change that statistic on Saturday, failing to create any clear chances as far too many touches went astray in promising positions. 

McHugh was replaced immediately following his successful penalty kick by the returning Salim Kouder-Aissa, and unless he can start finding the net on a more consistent basis it is not outwith the realms of possibility that this may also be the case in the starting team sooner rather than later.

When all is said and done, after a three month break in play (and the well publicised confusion relating to off field issues) it really was a great feeling to see the Queen's back on the field of play on Saturday afternoon. Of course football is not the same without the fans, and like everyone I know I am missing it terribly, but watching on dodgy streams is the next best thing, and I cannot wait to do it all again on Saturday as Queen's do battle with perennial strugglers Brechin City at The Glebe! 

Hampden Memories with 'Mr' Iain Campbell

It seems like Queen’s have played their last League game at Hampden Park, well as far as anybody can tell from the lack of information coming out of the Club, and it is a sad day for some.

For myself the sad day was when Hampden changed to an all seater stadium and a huge main stand was built in the 90’s. Due to personal circumstances I couldn’t attend as many QP games during the renovation and have always been disappointed in any visits I’ve made to the National Stadium in the BT Stand.

Having to sit away from the action with stewards watching your every movement and being offered food and refreshments at exorbitant prices whilst the Club blamed the lease holders, it seemed that it was never “our” ground. How away supporters felt sitting even further away from the action, whilst sharing the same concourse at half time, I shudder to think.

There is so much angst among some people online with the SFA but losing Hampden lies firmly at QPFC’s door in my opinion with the decision to build a new main stand that Queen’s weren’t going to live in being bizarre to say the least.

I remember hearing a Club President talking up the new stand and waxing lyrical about the dressing rooms, the medical facilities, the warm up areas, the access for team buses straight into a tunnel at the ground and the many hospitality lounges that were available. It seemed the ground was only upgraded so that Queen’s could get a huge pat on the back and hundreds of gold stars from UEFA rather than try and improve all things QPFC.

At no time was the needs of the humble Queen's supporter ever taken into consideration and the Club preferred to live in ramshackle portacabins rather than use one of the many offices in the new stand. The only upside of the portacabins was an excellent social club which was far better than anything before or since.

When I started supporting Queen’s the Club used to lease the ground to the SFA not the other way around.

Anyway, I started going to see Queen’s in 1974 and I was in awe when I walked up the stairs into the North Enclosure. I’d been at a couple of Scotland games in the North Stand before that but this was different. You could hear the players, you had plenty of space to yourself (!) and you felt part of the game even though there was a small crowd.

I went to the home games myself but later that year I went to my first away game on the Supporters Bus and met Keith and, like he has done for so many people, he transformed my life. I was invited to stand with his gang under the North Stand above the stairs into the Enclosure as he took me under his wing at home and away games.

Eventually we moved down to the front of the Enclosure and the camaraderie and laughs meant that even the worst of games would leave you with happy memories. Disappointing performances were dissected in the Social Club in the Main Stand, which was a glorified tea bar, but livened up by nights with Higgy, Ian the Alky and the much missed Vicar.

There was something about the old Hampden that made you want to be there and I was lucky enough to be on the pitch many a time, including some half time QPSA Penalty Kick competitions, and we sneaked on a few times with a ball for an impromptu kick about.

After a Scotland v England Home International we took some Meadowbank supporters onto the pitch a couple of hours after the game was finished and they were blown away by being there, and I’m sure there were tears in their eyes. We were more concerned with getting back to the Club for more drink!

The new ground doesn’t hold as many memories for me apart from a 4-0 win over Clyde (I also saw one of them in the 70’s) and standing in the Director’s Box with the Kelly family for a minute’s applause for the wonderful Martin.

As Queen’s have taken the decision to go full time professional, having been professional on the park for 20 odd years since loan players were allowed, the move to Lesser can only be a positive one once the upgrade is eventually completed. A smaller ground will generate a better atmosphere and push the Club forward and at least the new Lesser will look like a Queen’s Park ground and be something for supporters to be proud of.

Looking back on my Hampden memories I think of the iconic floodlight pylons (my Dad used to change the bulbs when they went out), the Press Box which gave a unique view of the pitch and the playing surface which the late John Docherty tenderly cared for.

I also think of Hugh McGill putting himself about up front and scoring leaping headers; Bobby Cameron saving penalties and Gerry Colgan scoring them; Jimmy Rooney “Walks on Water” scoring a Boxing Day hat trick against Celtic; a 7-0 midweek win against Alloa when every shot at goal found the bottom corner; Jim Gillespie being magnificent; John McGregor taking on players in his own area, just because he could; Jimmy Gilmour scoring the winner against Hearts as their fans threw rocks at us in the Enclosure; Ross Caven knocking Dumbarton out the Cup and celebrating by running to an empty Mount Florida End; Mick Hendry doing a forward roll to the fans after he scored; Gerry McCoy scoring the goal which won the 2nd Division Championship in 1981; and Bobby Dickson following in the footsteps of so many greats of the game as he climbed the wooden stairs to collect the Championship Trophy.

Great days, great memories and hopefully plenty more to come at the new home of QPFC.