IAN YOUNGER SIXES
2003
Ou annual Sixes competition, named after our late, great Patron, was undoubtedly a great success and was probably one of the top three of our end of season events which we have held since 1987.
The fact that the weather was superb obviously helped, particularly as it rained the previous year, but the tournament was played in a great spirit and the night time party was as good as its ever been.
There were twenty teams competing with Shrewsbury Town and the Motherwell Dossers making their first appearances at the event.
The football started more or less on time for a change. This was in no small part to the efforts of Logan, Big John and Raymie who had the goals set up and the pitches lined by 10.30am.
The twenty teams were split into four groups of five and the games were played over three pitches.
Group A
St.Mirren and Appin were the favourites to top the group and they duly did so although the Dossers shocked Appin by beating them 1-0 and finished third in the group.
There was also a shock in the first group game when Rangers drew with Classic QP. The shock wasn't the result but the fact that the Crosshill Goal Machine scored QP's equaliser, a fine strike into the bottom corner.
This was Classic QP's only goal in the group stages but they also drew with the Dossers which meant that later in the day there was a penalty competition for the Crooked Cup which QP duly won. Amongst the scorers was Tam Moon's twelve year old nephew Sean Paul !
The Classic QP side were made up of players who had all appeared for the team in the Eighties and were; David Ferguson, Iain Campbell, Tam Moon, Davie Nisbet, John Drennan and Paul Stormonth.
Final Placings: Appin 9pts, St.Mirren 7, Motherwell Dossers 5, Rangers 4 and Classic QP 2
Group B
In Group B the obvious favourites were the holders Airdrie and they won the group despite drawing with Edinburgh City in the opening game.
City were the second team through reamining unbeaten, despite having Colin McPherson, Jah Lumsden and our own Big Stormy in their side
Bristol Rovers started their attempt to win the Wooden Spoon slowly as they only lost their first game 1-0 to QP A, Raymie scoring, but then settled down to lose seventeen goals in their next three games !
Our own QP A finished fourth after drawing with City, Uncle Owen scoring, but lost out to St.Johnstone 2-1 with Young Ally the only player able to put the ball past Gav "The Cat" Stewart in the Saintees goal.
Incidentally, Gav also turned out for Rangers twice in the group stages and even managed a shut out in one of the games. Good to see Gav peforming well for his real team.
Our QP A team was: Barry Cook, Arthur McCue, Ally Dick, Owen Grain, Gordon Swinburne, Raymie McCulloch and Alan Main.
Final Placings: Airdrie 10 pts, Edinburgh City 8, St.Johnstone 6, Queen's Park A 4 and
Bristol Rovers 0
Group C
Group C was full of surprises as Hibs amazingly won the group and, even more amazing, Duror scored a goal.
Hibs managed three wins in total to top the group with Ayr finishing second despite losing 1-0 to the O's, no mean feat.
The youthful O's did themselves proud as they only lost one game whilst first timers Shrewsbury did the same.
The main story, of course, was that last year's Wooden Spoonists Duror managed a point and a goal against Shrewsbury with Brian McGuire being the man to get the all important equaliser.
Who knows, maybe next year they'll do a Hibs and win a game, then again, maybe not !
Final Placings: HIbernian 10pts, Ayr United 6, Shrewsbury Town 5 (0), Leyton Orient 5 (-1), Duror Village 1
GROUP D
This group saw the only team to get maximum points with Coasters winning all their games and losing only one goal, a penalty against QP B scored by old boy Roddy.
Partick were the second team to go through winning three out of four and only losing to Coasters, obviously.
The fight for third place, and last place, was tight with Torquay sneaking into third on goals scored whilst Forest occupied last spot.
Sandwiched in between those two were our own QP B who managed one win, against Torquay. This game saw Old Logie score as well as Big John and that's not a combination that win many games for QP.
The QP B team were; James McLaughlin, John Crosbie, Neil Skinner, John Kirkland, Roddy Davidson, Logan Taylor and Algernon Dorward.
Finally, a special word for "H" (Howard) of Torquay who played nine consecutive games in goals during the tournament but couldn't help the many teams he played for. Mind you when he loses a goal to Logie he can't be up to much !
Final Placings: Coasters 12 pts, Partick Thistle 9, Torquay 3 (-3, 4 goals), Queen's Park B 3 (-3, 3 goals), Nottingham Forest 3 (-4).
THE TROPHY QUARTERS, SEMIS & FINAL
The Trophy Quarters saw Airdrie and Thistle despose of Ayr and Hibs in normal time whilst Appin and Coasters went through on penalties.
In a very competitive semi final Airdrie put Coasters out with the only goal of the game whilst Partick beat Appin.
The Final was a repeat of the previous year with Thistle in their third final in a row.
After a hard fought game the teams were deadlocked at 0-0 after Airdrie had the best of the chances.
On to penalties and Thistle's keeper, Dougie Reid, was the hero saving an Airdrie penalty to at last win the Sixes for Thistle.
THE PLATE COMPETITION
The Plate competition involved the remaining twelve teams and there was a Premilinary Round before the Quarters.
Shrewsbury and Forest eased past Toquay and Duror and there was success for two of our teams as well.
The B Team put Motherwell out thanks to a last goal from Big John and the Classic side found some form by defeating St.Johnstone 2-1 with goals from Nisby and Jazza.
This meant there were three QP teams in the Quarters and two of them were put out as the B Team lost to Rangers and the A Team lost to Bristol Rovers (now with Big Stormy and Colin McPherson in their side) on penalties with The Gazelle and Uncle Owen missing their kicks.
However, the Classic team eased past Forest 3-0 with goals from Nisby, a Big Al own goal and an amazing effort from Jazza who beat three defenders after running from his own half. It was all the more amazing as he was only holding onto the ball to waste some time !
In the other Quarter Shrewsbury put paid to Orient's hopes by knocking them out.
The Semi Finals were both won by single goals with Rangers beating Shrewsbury and the Classics seeing off Rovers.
The goal against Rovers was scored by none other than The Crosshill Goal Machine who got in the way of a Mister Campbell shot and deflected the ball into the corner of the net past despite a dispairing dive by Gareth in the Rovers goal. Mach obviously said he meant it but the ball just hit him and caused him to limp for the rest of the game !
The last game of the day was the Plate Final and it was Rangers who proved to be the fitter side and a goal by Barry Sharkey from distance separated the teams.
It was tough luck on the old Classic team who had performed above themselves but the seventh game of the day was one too many.
THE PRESENTATIONS
Once everyone had had some of the buffet and got a well earned refreshment it was on with the evening activities.
The Football Quiz proved to be quite difficult for most of the teams apart from Hibs and Queen's Park who tied for first place but Hibs won the tie break to collect the trophy.
Our own Player of the Year presentations then took place with Edinburgh City's Colin McPherson doing the honours.
Bristol Rovers were deserved winners of the Wooden Spoon after their efforts in the Group games and their four main players, Gary, Gareth, John and Scott collected their prize.
With customary booing Rangers received the Plate Trophy before to much applause Partick Thistle collected the Sixes Trophy and Thistle's Gary Anderson dedicated the win to the late Mick McLellan who had appeared in the first ever Hampden Trophy and sadly died recently.
The rest of the evening was a party and as ever there was a fantastic atmosphere amongst all those present.
It was after midnight before the festivities finished and it was good to see so many people enjoying themselves from all different parts of the country.
Once again it was a successful tournament and, as Cowglen want us back, one which will be repeated again next year on June 5th.
A big thank you to all who helped out on the day and thanks to Cowglen for the facilities; Queen's Park FC for the use of two sets of goals; Catherine, Josephine and Tricia for the buffet; Alec Drennan and John Crosbie for the barbecues; Raph The Taff for keeping the football scores; all the referees during the day especially Archie Stormonth and Jaffa from Motherwell; and to everybody who turned up and made the day so enjoyable.
See you all next year !!
RESULTS
PHOTOS