No where else in the world and this universe will you find such honest and in-your-face opinions. I'll leave the sugar coated bullshit opinions for the official site to cover.
After having read The Herald's coverage of Queen's Park, it left me thinking. Never before have I read something so impartial yet true. It hit home the truths that have been swept under the carpet by fans and websites alike.
The whole amateur thing... it's a bit of a mystery. I understand that there is a lot of sentiment at QP and many fans will argue that the "play for the fun of it" attitude is something that should be kept. I agree, partly, concerning those particular sentiments. Queen's Park have a lot of pride and tradition, no doubt. There is a certain feel of community spirit at the club too. But the bottom line is : nice thoughts and cheerful supporters don't bring success - money does.
As amateurs, Queen's Park and its fans and players and directors will have to realise that success at a higher level can't even be dreamt about. It isn't going to happen. Not under the current running of the club. Players can't be attracted, players can't be kept. What do you do? In a lot of people's minds you do nothing. Leave it as it is and keep the romantic feel surrounding the club. These people are good people, but they are unrealistic. If the Spiders want to progress into consistent Second Division football, the pay packets will have to be produced. It's not too late to change tradition. There can be no taking away the fact that Queen's Park were the original Scottish football team. There can be no taking away that Queen's Park have contributed a lot to football. But that last sentence is what pisses me off. Queen's Park have given so much to football, and for what? Third Division football? They can't continue as the joke club of Scottish football. Let's face it, that's what they are. They go to play and they do so for the hell of it. That's the motto, don't forget. But we don't live in a time warp. Players have wives, children and jobs. They don't play and go home and have a sherry and piece of cheese cake. The players go home exhausted, after training, after playing a mid-week game. They have nothing to show for it. No medals, no money, no television interview. The people who watch them on the pitch will be the only people to know about their good deeds. That's what is really is - a deed. A charity fun run, a nice jaunt in the park. There are no stakes, so why should the players try?
I have seen people leave my school. They leave for the good life. They are talented in the sporting field that is football. They leave without qualifications and have the biggest dreams of becoming a success in the sport. Good luck to them ... they'll need it. Queen's Park have a lot of youngsters. They have the enthusiasm, the desire to win. At the end of the day, though, they are only hoping, praying, that someone is watching them, from a bigger club and taking notes of their good performances. Some of them might work on a building site or in an office, but that is unlikely when you are 18 years old. Some of these boys might be still at home or staying with an older brother or sister, depending on someone producing food and money. Shouldn't their performances be rewarded? I think so. Not everyone with dreams will play for Celtic, Rangers or Aberdeen. Few players from Scotland do. It's a tank infested with foreign sharks. You can't blame the clubs for bringing in talent from abroad if it means winning every Saturday or avoiding relegation. Many Scots who are good, but not quite good enough, leave to play in lower leagues in Scotland or in England never to be heard of again. Queen's Park have a great youth set-up and they pride themselves on producing quality players. But what's the point in making players if you are not going to keep them. That is something that has never really been said, but I'm going to say it now. THESE PLAYERS ARE GOING TO LEAVE ONCE AN OFFER COMES IN FROM A BIGGER CLUB. 17,18,19 year olds aren't going to stay when they have to pay bills or feed a newly born child. Players will come and go. Some will stay, but they might be good enough for QP, but painfully mediocre for other clubs to even consider signing. Neil Collins recently left for Dumbarton. Not the most glamorous club in the world, but they offer money to players. Why don't Queens introduce a pay-as-you-play scheme? Some money to help pay for bills or shopping. Nothing ground-shaking. Perhaps �50 a game for each player. Queen's Park can surely afford this. Bonuses for wins and good league positions. Queen's Park get reasonable turn-outs, for the level they play at. Where does the money go? Obviously money goes to the manager and resources, but what about the left-overs. Can't players be paid with that? You may laugh now, but when you lose players like Canning, Fisher, Jackson, Whelan and your manager, you'll be wondering why money wasn't offered for them to stay. A simple token of thanks.
At the moment, Queen's Park are walking out on a busy road without looking where they are going. Any minute they will be knocked down, knocked back to square one. Back where they started. And without the players they took for granted. Without the best manager they could have possibly hoped for at this level. Take action now, before it's too late.