The pre-season match with Falkirk is now scheduled to go ahead on 7 July, and will be played in Grangemouth. Falkirk plan to use Ochilview Park, home of Stenhousemuir, for their home matches next season. The match against Dundee United on 12 July is reportedly not to be open to the public.
26 June Opportunity for Mitchell
Goalkeeper Tony Mitchell, released by Queen's shortly after the end of the season, is to have a trial with Arbroath. The Second Division club need a back-up for former Aberdeen keeper Mark Peat, after Craig Hinchcliffe joined St. Mirren and Garry Gow was released.
25 June Skipper staying
Finally the news we'd all been praying for: Danny Ferry will be remaining at Queen's for his ninth season in 2003/04, his third as club captain. In an article in today's Evening Times, it was stated that at least two Third Division clubs, Stirling Albion and, inevitably, Elgin City, had shown an interest in securing Ferry for next season, but Danny has shown signs of having developed a strong bond with the club over the years and this doesn't seem to have loosen.
The same newspaper stated that James Allan's contract with Gretna is on a full-time basis and will run for two seasons.
25 June Stark follows Cowboy to Cappielow
Young goalkeeper John Stark has been signed by John McCormack for Morton, leaving Queen's with just Derek Scrimgour for the position at the moment. Stark played for the under-18s for much of last season and was listed as a substitute for the first-team a few times.
Kenny Brannigan is apparently set to sign a goalkeeper in any case; one from a First Division club.
23 June Welcome news on playing front
The club have confirmed the retention of several key players from last season's squad, arguably the most pivotal of whom are Steven Moffat and Johnny Whelan. Moffat had allegedly been interesting Morton and his decision to stay is a big relief. Johnny is a Queen's stalwart now and will play a big part next season in midfield. As previously suggested, Craig Taggart and Stuart Kettlewell have also signed, along with Richard Sinclair, David McCallum and Ross Clark.
On the debit side, the loss of Mark Cairns to Stirling Albion has been confirmed. Mark was signed from Brechin in January and immediately established himself as first choice. He started 13 games and was a thoroughly reliable and influential keeper - for a club of Queen's standing, it will be hard to find a replacement of equal quality.
James Allan has also finally moved, but not to Morton as had been reported. Instead, new moneybags club Gretna have added him to a squad they are convinced can strongly challenge for promotion. James made 34 starts, came off the bench once, and scored seven goals. Along with Kevin Finlayson, he was the most exciting player Queen's have had in recent years and was always going to attract strong attention from other clubs.
Now to the new signings, and the influence of Kenny Brannigan's 20 year Scottish tour is obvious here as both players are former team-mates of his. Thankfully, neither is fully contemporary. Steven Reilly is 22, and was a defender at Stirling before being released this summer. He started his career at Hearts, and typically plays at right-back or in central defence.
Stephen McAuley is the other new player - he joined Airdrie United from Clyde last term and so Kenny Brannigan played alongside him before becoming coach at Queen's in January. McAuley's usual position is an attacking one. More new players are certain to arrive, and presumably key priorities will be a new goalkeeper, at least two new strikers, and a wide player. Incidentally, the club have thus far to failed to comment on the futures of young wing pair Steven Canning and Chris Fisher, with the assumption being from stories that have filtered out that both have left the club.
Meanwhile we await word on the futures of Allan Dunning, Tony Quinn, Paddy Gallagher and Derek Scrimgour.
Clearing up some other news: the implications are that Danny Ferry will sign once he has returned from holiday, despite interest from Stirling Albion; and Kenny Brannigan may be going to move for Steven Kerrigan, a much-travelled, 30-year old forward who was with Stirling last season, and apparently earnt a good amount of money there.
Click here for a full list of next season's squad, as things currently stand; the list will be updated obviously over the coming weeks.