Queen's secured 3 points by beating Gretna 1-0 thanks to a cool finish by man of the match Danny Ferry. QP remain the only Scottish club to have beaten Gretna in a competitive fixture, and it has happened twice in the space of a month. Read the full match report. Brendan Crozier made his debut on the right of midfield, and showed some neat touches before being replaced at half-time by Canning. Colin Stewart had a fairly quiet afternoon in goal, but Danny Ferry was immense, surging forward, winning the ball, and passing simply and accurately. When Danny plays to his best, he is very effective, and an ideal captain.
30 Aug New signings ahead of deadline and another player leaves
Queen's Park have completed 3 new signings ahead of the transfer deadline and all 3 are in the squad for tomorrow's match with Gretna. The best-known of the new men to QP fans will be Colin Stewart, who has come on loan from Kilmarnock until the very end of December. Stewart previously spent time on loan at Hampden from August 2000 until January 2001, making 13 league and 2 cup starts and looking a very capable goalkeeper. He is 22, a former Scotland Under 21 custodian and will start against Gretna, as Tony Mitchell has a thigh strain.
The other new players are Steven Fallon and Brendan Crozier. 23 year old Fallon was with Dundee United but didn't make a first team appearance before moving to Arbroath before the beginning of last season. He was placed on the transfer list by the Red Lichties at the end of last season and appears to have accepted an offer by that club to buy out his contract. He will join ex team-mate Steven Moffat in the Spiders' defence.
Brendan Crozier was on St. Johnstone's books from 1998 until May. He spent time on loan at Stirling Albion last season. The 19 year-old will probably play as an attacking midfielder.
Paul Borland has left after the club agreed to let him go. It appears that the player was dissatisfied at Hampden, and he had featured as a trialist for junior club Pollok during the close season before the deal fell through. The player had been injured and had not played at all this season after a cartilage operation. He goes down in Queen's history as a Third Division Championship medallist in 2000. He made 56 league starts, as well as 7 sub appearances and scored 2 league goals, a left foot belter against Stenhousemuir on 30 September 2000 in a 2-0 win and another fine goal against Arbroath later in the season, both of them at Hampden. His departure means that it looks as if John Gallagher will continue at left back, unless this is Steven Fallon's best position.
For tomorrow's game, as already mentioned, Mitchell is out and Stewart will play, but Willie Martin may well be fit, contrary to ITV Teletext's info. Magee, Lappin, Dunning and Menelaws are all still out.
30 Aug Another historic occasion
For the second week running, Queen's meet unfamiliar league opposition. In the case of Gretna, it is the clubs' first ever league meeting, and it takes place tomorrow at Hampden. The sides met in the Bell's Cup First Round at the beginning of August, with QP winning 2-1. Since then, Gretna's form has been excellent, beating Elgin, Montrose and Albion Rovers, all by at least 2-goal margins, and surprising a few critics ( myself included ). They have strengthened their squad wisely, with the addition of very experienced players like former Partick Thistle and St. Johnstone duo Tommy Turner and Davie Irons, and have signed a few players from neighbouring Carlisle, including John Hore, who has scored 3 goals. Him and Mark Dobie look like forming a fine partnership. For Queen's, a win is very important, and they have already shown they can beat Gretna. There may be some tired legs in the Spiders' squad, but should they produce another performance like that which saw them lose narrowly to Brechin, Gretna should head back south having had their first ever league defeat.
29 Aug Strollers to compete in Reserve League West
It would seem that the Queen's Park Strollers, the club's long-standing reserve side, will be competing in a league set-up this term after all. Along with several other clubs, those being Albion Rovers, Stenhousemuir, Falkirk, Hamilton and St. Mirren, the club have decided to enter their reserves in the Reserve League West. Originally, lack of funds had been given as a reason for not fielding a regular second XI this season. The Strollers this week had a friendly match against Falkirk at Westerlands. The game finished 1-1, with Chris Fisher scoring. Several trialists were fielded. The opening RLW fixture is scheduled for 3rd September, against Stenhousemuir at Ochilview. Last season, only four clubs competed in the division: Queen's Park, Hamilton, Ayr United and Partick Thistle ( who now enter the SPL Under-21 League ).
Jim Bruce has joined Central League junior outfit Vale of Clyde. The player had found first team games hard to come by since his arrival at Hampden in the summer of 2001 from Dundee United and had not featured at all this season. Defender Bruce made his debut against Partick Thistle in the Challenge Cup on 7 August 2001 in a 5-0 hammering. He made a total of 12 league starts as a QP player plus 1 substitute appearance.