THIS MONTHS MESSAGES
For previous messages see the monthly archive at the foot of this page.
Send us your thoughts and comments for publication on this page. Messages will be edited if they are felt unsuitable for general publication. All those submitting messages must be identified by their full name and an email address. [Send a message]
28th February 2001 GRAHAM KIRBY
JUST SURFED IN AND READ THE REPORTS OF THE GAMES IN WHICH STUART KING PLAYED.GOOD TO SEE HE SEEMS TO BE DOING OK. NICE WEBSITE
27th February 2001 JON GALLAGHER
congrats to ross kerr who has been selected for the scotland under16s games against wales and norway next week THE FUTURES BRIGHT THE FUTURES BLUE
27th February 2001 KEVIN WILSON
Having used my mates computer to check on news on the Arbroath game tommorrow night I was shocked to see my name at the top of numerous messages .After speaking to several queens fans none can recall another Kevin wilson who follows queens I hope this is not somebody using my name as an alias to bad mouth queens.Good luck against arbroath
26th February 2001 CRAIG CROSBIE
Re: Eric Fisher

We couldnt even afoard the £30,000 fee let alone his £1000+ wages per week (a rough estimate). Hes full time, theres no way he would come back to queens. Unless....(we can only hope...)......, any ideas???
26th February 2001 EWAN LITHGOW
Re Andy Penn's Enquiry.

Paul Kinnaird played for the Reserves at Dalbeattie on Saturday.
26th February 2001 KEVIN WILSON
Not really surprised the "stiffs" lost their first game of the season to Dalbeattie Star as so many players who featured earlier in the season have been booted out of Palmy and now youngsters are being thrown in! Caldy, Weir, R. Atkinson, McCaig, Heppell, Martin, Nelson, Young, Suddick and Robison made up a strong team when they were Queens men so lets hope we don't throw away this league from a seemingly unbeatable position as it would be an embarrassment to everyone at Palmy - Up the Queens

PS.
I see Rowan Alexander our ex-manager quoted in local press saying Gretna can still win the Unibond League - what planet is he from he came out with outrageous statements like this when he was at Palmy!
25th February 2001 JON GALLAGHER
nice to see the blues winning on saturday, maybe we can string a run together and fingers crossed move into second place, nice to see martin bethal following the local team he is an arab, any1 contact me on jongallagher1903@hotmail.com especially you martin LOL
25th February 2001 GARY McEWAN
Not having seen Queens win at home for ages it was a real pleasure to watch yesterday's gutsy performance. Collectively and individually the team showed the determination,flair and control needed to get us back up the table.

The introduction of the tireless King was an inspired piece of business by the Board and gives a whole new dimension to our attack. However yesterday was not just about one player and the whole team must be commended.

The crowd may not be as vocal as they could be, but the ovation given the players at the end reflected their appreciation and showed that the fans continue to care passionately about the club and its fortunes.
25th February 2001 ERIC FISHER
The Stirling support were not too impressed by our cheer leaders it seems. I tend to agree as this sort of thing does not work in this country. Also sending the wee girls in amongst the Stirling support with begging bowls was in bad taste.
25th February 2001 ANDY PENN
Does anyone know where Paul Kinnaird has gone ? Stuart King is a more than capable replacement anyway, he is an excellent "outball" and provides a much greater balance to the side which looked very solid and miles ahead of a poor Stirling Albion. The 10 point gap means we should be able to look up the table rather than over our shoulders which is a bonus considering the forthcoming flurry of fixtures.
24th February 2001 SMUDGE IN CYPRUS
great to see that the lads are doing the business keep up the team spirit and keep on plugging away
24th February 2001 BRIAN MCKIE
Alex Wilson: Your DJing is being slagged on the message board at the Stirling Albion Rivals.Net site.Just thought you'd be interested.
24th February 2001 ERIC FISHER
Gillingham are willing to sell Andy Thomson to anyone for £30,000. But who can afford his wages?
24th February 2001 JOHN RUDALL
As a supporter for 35 years from afar, being born & bread in Devon. I watched Torquay United play every other week. For he sake of all Devon clubs, never mind not wanting Berwick etc. How about taking Carlise, Hartlypool & Darlington and making life a lot easier for the Devon clubs !
23rd February 2001 MARTIN BETHAL
Those looking for the song Queen Of The South (Mr R Feenie in particular) it can be found on The Divine Comedy's album Liberation.Please note that this is not the song played at Palmerston before the match, if you want to obtain a copy of that song then please see Alex Wilson's message further down the page. - CJ

You can also download it through Napster, as long as your conscience allows you to obtain a track from a multinational and not pay the royalties due.
23rd February 2001 ROSS CORBETT
Any Queens fans interested in travelling to the re-arranged game against Arbroath on 27.2.01 please note the travel club bus time is 3.30 pm anyone who is interested please contact Jim McCormack.
23rd February 2001 ED WILSON
Couldn`t agree more with the view of the Berwick fan in response to Eric Fisher`s point. Berwick and Stranraer have every right to be in the same league as us and in fact given a worst case scenario we could be 2 leagues below one of them by next season. Football is about on the field achievement not off the field potential. We are potentially a much bigger club than our Border rivals but until we overtake them in a playing sense such potential counts for nothing. Hopefully we seem at last to be on the way up but only time will tell- 3 points vs Stirling would be a help.
23rd February 2001 ALEX WILSON
Contact me at the above e-mail address and I can get you a copy of the Queens song, either on cassette, minidisc, or if you're really rich, on a C.D.! Contact me, Alex Wilson, Dumfries 255984, to arrange which format you require, and when we can meet to supply said item.
23rd February 2001 ERIC FISHER
RE BERWICK

Forgive me - perhaps the rest of the Berwick support were in the Gents toilet out of sight from the cameras.

If you can read english then closer scrutiny of my message will not reveal any statement that Stranraer and Berwick DONT DESERVE to be in the same league as Queens.

I reiterate, considering Queens vastly superior support and resources, they should not be in the same league as either Stranraer or Berwick.
22nd February 2001 SEAN FERGUSON
Now I'm not trying to depress people here but I was talking to George Roper at work today and we're not sure when Queens last won a home league game. Can someone help me out here?
22nd February 2001 B A BERWICK
In response to Mr Fisher, think you want your eyes testing as there was slightly more than three Berwick fans in the away enclosure. How come ourselves and Stranraer don't deserve to be in the same league as yourselves, I think you better have a look at the league table because if it wasn't a certain Mr Weatherston's goals this term, you will be in division three next term, where you should of been this season.
22nd February 2001 BEN BRYDEN
someone told me you could get the song from napster but i have never managed it. Has King been signed permanently or is he just on loan? If on loan we should try and get him on a permanent contract
22nd February 2001 ERIC FISHER
Airdries misfortune may be Queens gain. If Airdrie are turfed out of the league then depending on how the SFA play it there may be another promotion place up for grabs which is well within our reach. There may also be only one team relegated which also works to Queens advantage if things go pear shaped. In these troubled times in Scottish football one must take advantage of any opportunity that arises.
21st February 2001 ROB FEENIE
Wotcha, does anyone know where i can get a copy of the Queens song, i dont know the title but it goes something like this : queen of the south( slowly) queen of the south( a little quicker) queeeeen of the soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuth.( longer, a lot longer)

theres a little guitar strumming after the chorus but how to hum it , i know not.
20th February 2001 C DIAMOND
Good to read all the positive comments about the football Airdrie played against Queens. Sad to say it all amounted to nought due to Blair Nimmo of KPMG who put us out of the Scottish Cup. I enjoyed my first visit to Palmerston since 1989 and sincerely hope that Queens gain promotion to the First Division soon because you are a far bigger club than the likes of Alloa and Clyde and the First Division badly needs you. I just hope Airdrie are still around when you get there.
20th February 2001 B WRIGHT
The revised fixture list has certainly done Queens no favours with only one home game in seven games! so it will be all hands to the pumps and it is almost certain all the first-team squad will be called upon to play during this hectic period.

Take in the list:
27:02:01
League
Arbroath
Queen of the South
03:03:01
League
Stranraer
Queen of the South
06:03:01
League
Stenhousemuir
Queen of the South
10:03:01
League
Queen of the South
Clydebank
13:03:01
League
Clydebank
Queen of the South
17:03:01
League
Forfar Athletic
Queen of the South
25:03:01
League
Berwick Rangers
Queen of the South
27:03:01
League
Queen of the South
Forfar Athletic
31:03:01
League
Queen of the South
Berwick Rangers
20th February 2001 STUART KING
Let it go boys. We are out of the cup no matter what you think, no matter what you believe the injustice to be and no matter what happens to Ardrie. Let's look to this season and consolidating our position in the league. With far improved signings from last season and a realistic chance of moving up the table, the FUTURE'S BRIGHT... AND THE FUTURES BLUE!!!!

By the way, despite the welcomed congratulations, my opportunity of playing for Queens ended many years ago with the tragic onslought of my ever demanding belly!!!

Good luck to the new SK!
19th February 2001 SEAN FERGUSON
Just a thought for everyone. If Peter Wetherston scores that penalty against Airdrie to make it 2-2 then we get a by to play Peterhead in the last 16. Maybe the pressure of Bryan Robson, Gordon McQueen and John McGregor in the crowd got too much for the boy. Good to see us bounce back on Saturday though.
19th February 2001 ERIC FISHER
A wonderful turnout for the promotion battle between Stranraer and Berwick - 417. That is almost a third of Queens average home gates and not far off our away support. I watched highlights of the match on Carlisle United TV, sorry Border TV and counted three Berwick supporters at the visitors end. There is no way that Queens should be in the same league as these two poorly supported clubs. But such is football - one only has to look at Manchester City.
19th February 2001 JOHN CRAWFORD
peter weatherson's goal on saturday has to be the best one i've seen scored by a queen's player since degsy's goal against livingston at almondvale two years ago.
19th February 2001 STEFAN KACZMARCZYK
2 Excellent goals securing a fine victory for the boys against Queens Park at the weekend! In my view this game was won by Queens' when they finally decided to adopt a "passing" style -complemented by Stuart King's fantastic running ability on and off the ball.

Hold on to your hats fans...with Stuart King and an "on form" Weatherson in the team - there will be some exciting football to see between now and the end of the season!!
19th February 2001 DAVID MAIN
I agree that Peterhead cannot believe their luck.

On Monday they would be wondering whether it would be Queens or Airdrie they would be facing, and by Friday it was neither!

However, there is no chance of any other outcome now, and besides we don't want to be seen to benefit for the second time in a year from dodgy SFA decisions, albeit through no fault of our own.

I was at Hampden on Saturday, and have to say the first hour was a terrible game of football. I cant remember the last time I was at a Queens game where they lost the first goal but came back to win (as an 'away' supporter I dont see as many games as I should), so I enjoyed the last half hour. The two goals were as good as they were unexpected.

If we can win whilst playing poorly it has to be a good sign.

Nice debut from Stuart King.

The Queens park website conceded we just about deservrd to win and were bemoaning our 'greater resources'!

If Queens win their five games in hand over Partick, they are only 13 points behind with ten games left, the title is still in our grasp (not)!

Personally, I would settle for a win on Saturday over Stirling which would remove us (almost) from the relegation race.
18th February 2001 IAN HARKNESS
so peterhead get a by to the next round thanks to the incompetence of the sfa!!now correct me if i am i am wrong as the daily papers here in spain dont mention anything but, airdrie fielded unregistered player/ers in a previous cup match then were allowed to proceed to play queens where they win, but were then kicked out of the next round after the sfa did their so called enquirey.

now bare with me but do the sfa not have officials who check these things before the matches take place or after the first date the registrations take place.(what are they going to do for next season so nothing like this happens again?)imagine if it happened especially to a bigger club what would the sfa do then?also if airdrie were playing a team likes of hibs rangers or celtic(no offence to any other club) would the sfa let the match go ahead first before their answer?...no of course not !! they would of got so much flak they would show the red card straight away before the match took place.

so to conclude, airdrie fc should not have played in the scottish cup from the begining rules are rules! the sfa have done a grave error in their enquirey,and all other clubs including peterhead and supporters should bombard the sfa with the correct answer that qos should play peterhead in the next round.i wait for next seasons cup to start i am sure the sfa will send out reminders to all the clubs about registrations lets see who slip up!!
18th February 2001 GEORGE RUSSELL
Congratulations Stuart King, a super debut. The World Wide Whites are following your progress.

Best wishes to you and QoS.
17th February 2001 MARTIN HAWKINS
I hope your board of directors take action against KPMG who let Airdrie play the cup tie on Monday night when they hd no intention of playing in the next round tommorow.

Mr Nimo may have cost your club well in excess of £100000.00 as i believe you would have won on Saturday and then could have drawn an SPL club in the last 8. The board should demand to know when the decission was made and if this was before Monday action should be taken

If the club will not take action then i suggest a fan does.

As a St Johnstone fan i have no vested interest in this matter however KPMG and the SFA have handled this matter very poorly. The fans were ripped off on Monday night and Queen of the South have been very poorly treated.

PS did you know that Mr Barr of Ayr United has his own companies (Barr Construction etc) all audited by KPMG.
16th February 2001 ERIC FISHER
The Aidrie websites are redhot at the moment and good value. Try the BROOMFIELD STOMP.COM
15th February 2001 ED WILSON
Stuart King is absolutely correct in his point that we are much better than last season.The overall quality within the squad is superior. A team of Airdrie`s quality would have hammered us last season- remember 7-0 versus Livvy. Last year we already looked like a team in serious decline, whereas this year I think we can make progress up the league.Here`s to 3 points from Hampden on Saturday and even more importantly 3 more against Stirling next week.
15th February 2001 ERIC FISHER
Once again I must take issue at the lack of vocal support for the lads. The lack of support especially from the main stand was pathetic on Monday evening. It seemed at times as if I was attending a funeral not a cup tie. Lets turn up the volume and support the lads.

COME ON YOU QUEEEEEEEEEENS
15th February 2001 ALEX WILSON
Here's a suggestion that I think may be worthy of consideration, I believe that Queens home performances could be improved in the future, by reducing the size of the playing surface at Palmerston. Given that our players are never going to be as fit as full-timers, I think that we shoot ourselves in the foot by having such a big pitch, and it automatically gives the advantage to the visiting team. In my opinion, a shorter, narrower pitch would give our mid-field more chance to be effective, I think the last two home games illustrated the problem, our players were bypassed too easily on the big pitch. I can remember an occasion when Rangers narrowed their pitch quite recently in a European match, to gain an advantage, so it has happened before! Don't bite my head off, it's just a suggestion!
15th February 2001 DAVID MAIN
The following message was originally published on an Airdrie website by Queen's fan David Main.

I am a QOS fan who happenned to be reading your web-site after Monday's game (which I wasn't at) and was reading the views on SPL2. I thought I might add some observations.

What worries me about this is that those presently excluded from the plans would find themselves receiving less funds in future and would therefore find it harder to progress.

I have always wondered how some clubs get the 'ambitious' tag inserted in front of their name, when in fact in many cases the ambition represents no more than a willingness to get into debt in order to fund whatever progress they may make.

Similarly, I see some clubs who were thrashing about in the lower divisions until recently (eg Clyde, Ross C, Inverness, Livingston) appearring to want to raise the drawbridge once they make the first division. Clyde in particular I find surprising, as I am not aware of any season in the last ten where Queens' home support did not significantly exceed Clyde's (and Queens have had some grim seasons).

The argument is of course over money, but it is also about how clubs who are full-time can afford it when clearly their gates are not sufficient. It doesn't seem right that clubs can declare themselves to be ambitious, go full-time, and then expect the powers-that-be to bridge the gap as a reward for being ambitious.

I couldn't help but notice the comment about relegation for Airdrie being dire because they'd have to play the likes of QOS. We have come through some bleak years (decades?) due to an incompetent Board, but the present board are gradually putting in place the structure to allow us to progress again. I have to say though that the board decided five years ago that it was not economically feasible for QOS to be full-time without getting into serious debt, or until we reached the first division on merit and benefitted from the better crowds that would bring. I think that was a prudent policy, but it seems unfair if others have gambled in the short-term and are baled out.

Or put another way, if Airdrie go down this year, how would you like it if you were excluded if it happenned next year?

None of this is aimed at Airdrie , I recognise your current predicament is temporary (I hope), I am more concerned there's too many short term interests behind the SPL2 and it hasn't been thought through.

I was at the 1975 cup final as a neutral supporting Airdrie by the way.
15th February 2001 IAN RAFFEL
Quite amused (belatedly!) about the Roddy Grant story (English press down here didn't pick this one up) when, up until a couple of weeks ago, he had scored against every senior club in Scotland, apart from Brechin City, for whom he plays. Until the game against Hamilton, when he put the ball through his own goal for the winner!

The Accies fans have been crowing about this one, not that they've got room to talk, as unless they've sorted out their directors, they may end up staying in the Third Division!

Sorry to hear about the Airdrie cup tie, but encouraged to read about some aspects of the performance. Let's push on now and get ourselves clear of trouble.
15th February 2001 K WILSON
In an otherwise excellent report in Wednesday's Standard reporter Kenny Johnstone spoils it by including this paragraph:-

"So the cup dream is over for another season , but if Queens show the same level of effort, commitment and skill, then the Palmerston faithful can look forward to a highly successful 2001." - ?*!

Does he mean next season 2001-02? as it certainly cannot refer to the current one - the league title/promotion has gone and we are out of all 3 cups. All the best to J.C. and the team on Saturday (point(s) are needed sooner rather than later.) Keep the faith
14th February 2001 BARRIE LITTLE
Following todays news of more shenanigans at New Broomfield surely Saturdays cup tie between Airdrie and Peterhead should be postponed until the situation is resolved?

If KPMG do pull the plug surely QOS should progress to Rnd4 rather than Peterhead going straight into Rnd5?

I do not wish any ill-fortune on Airdrie, personally I think that it would be a disaster for Scottish football if any club ceases to exist, but when opportunities like this arrive you have to take them with both hands.

On a more positive note, here's to an improved performance and 3 points at Hampden on Saturday.

Up the Queens!
14th February 2001 ROY NICOL
The Doonhamers now know what is required to reach the promised land of the First Division . The gulf in class against Airdrie was there for all to see . Mind you , Queens are not likely to come up against players of the quality of David Fernandez every week who controlled the game from start to finish .He would cause problems for teams in the Premier League . Queens as usual played with plenty of spirit but really lacked that quality in midfield and need an experienced play maker to gel the side together . Weatherson on another night might have scored a hat trick . It was a pressure penalty kick , it would have been an injustice to Airdrie if honours had been shared but it was a chance . Andy Aitken played well holding together a very fragile defence Hawke and Weatherson look quite good together as a strike force , but quality in the middle of the park was the problem area as Airdrie dictated large areas of the field . Weatherson will be a bit down after the match but has the right attitude to bouce back as Queenss look to take on teams more of their own level in the vital coming weeks.
14th February 2001 STUART KING
Bryan Robson, Gordon McQueen, Alex McLeish, Tommy McLean, reported representation at other matches form Celtic and Liverpool? All this and 13 goals in a struggling team? Does anyone in their right mind really imagine that we will hold onto Weatherson?!

The Airdrie result was disappointing, but the important point is that last year it would have been expected. I, for one, find it astonishing to hear so many negative comments directed towards the team from certain (and few) sections of the support. Currently, we may only be two places above our position in the league last year, but we are well above in overall quality, expectation and potential.

If only we could generate the same volume of support at home as we do away. The Diamonds support was a credit it to them and could only have inspired their team at the one point in the first half in which we looked liked we could actually and potentially taken control of the game.
14th February 2001 B WRIGHT
A brave effort against a very in-form Airdrie side but in the end far superior skill and fitness told. Now we must concentrate on improving our league position although the five postponed games will not make John's job any easier. One good thing is that the Berwick re-arranged game is on Sunday, 25th March at 2.00pm so it is a comparatively short journey for the "Elephant Man" & Co from "Geordiland".

For interest we are 3 points better off than this time last year:
SeasonPWDLPts
200021541219
200120641022
13th February 2001 BOB LAW
Just want to say how good Airdrie are compared to the last time we played them. Although i thought queens lacked pasion in the match. There was no closeing down or players or trying to make life difficult for them. We lack the desire and qulity to get the ball on the deck and pass it. The only time we look dangerous is when sunderland gets the ball down the wing and runs at defences. I do not want to name the the players who are not up to scratch but i think something realy needs done about the shambles our defence is in all of the defenders seem to get attracted to the ball so leave massive gaps for atackers to run into.

Good to see so many top coaches at palmerston this week it must have have been a choice between a night infront of the comedy chanel or a night watching us i know where they would have got a better laugh.

On a more serious note i hope we can hold on to peter who lookes to link well with hawke as without him we are not much better of than we were last year.
13th February 2001 KEVIN WILSON
Queens did their best but in the end were outclassed by one of the cleverest football-playing sides seen at Palmy for a long time. Their slick passing and quickness of feet was a joy to watch and I'm not in the least surprised they have only lost one game in 10. Once again full-time fitness told and Queens were chasing shadows in the second period. Paddy Atkinson and Jon Sunderland combined well on the right but the left-hand side was woefully weak. Des McKeown was working in Aberdeen during the day and had the long drive south in order to play and it showed! while Danny Patterson was way out of position in a wide berth. As Mr Bradford said in his programme notes the league is the main priority and we must try and stay in Div Two starting this week with at least a point at Hampden and then a really big fixture at home to Stirling who are now breathing down our neck! Two final points - where did the crowd figure of 2,200 come from? - it looked far more than that to everyone I spoke to and how do you get a programme in the new stand? I never seen anyone selling them yet! Why not put a little programme stall at that end? This is something the board/commercial people need to address URGENTLY - Up the Queens
12th February 2001 SANDY ORR
It seems unfair to blame Arbroath for yesterdays problems. As far as I'm concerned the game should never have started. However Arbroath kept their dignity while the rest of us lost it! Once again fans were left to count the cost as a match official enjoyed his profits. Why should we pay when the officials don't?
11th February 2001 WALT ADAMSON
Just wondering if someone from the club can confirm the situation regarding the tickets that were handed out to Queens fans after yesterday's game was abandoned. I'm sure a number of other fans up at Arbroath yesterday are in the same position as me in that it is unlikely I'll be able to make the game if it gets played on a midweek night.

We were told to hand the tickets in at Palmerston and we'd get our money refunded. Do we do this at the next home game or wait until the game actually gets played?

Thanks, Mr Bradford, for trying to sort things out for us yesterday. Pity his Arbroath counterparts weren't so helpful.

We will find out the procedure and post it here on the news page as soon as possible.
11th February 2001 ERIC FISHER
Reference the query about what plans are afoot for the Terregles street terracing. At the shareholders meeting recently Mr Bradford stated that it would cost £40,000 to make it safe but he was not prepared to spend this kind of money on such a project. He said he would rather spend the money on improving the team. The Queens financial situation at present although not critical,is not too healthy and Mr.Bradford and his directors are having to dip into their own pockets according to the recent published accounts.
11th February 2001 KEN GRIER
Very well done to Chairman Ronnie Bradford today who narrowly averted a potentially inflammatory incident at Gayfield this afternoon . After the farce of abandoning a game after 1/2 an hour ( why when the conditions were no worse than when the game was deemed on ? ) and the shambolic handling of the situation by AFC he personally obtained a guarantee from the home side that money would be refunded should anyone be unable to attend the rearranged fixture . In these days of fans being treated badly in football it restored my faith in Directors having the interests of the Fan at heart . More than I can say about the Red Lichties who , one could say , should at least morally have offered immediate recompense but whose sole concern , many fans seemed to think , seemed to be to keep the game going long enough to justify not giving anything back to the punters . Ronnie , a good effort ... as well as investing in what seems to be a better quality of player and a tactically astute manager in the shape of JC.
9th February 2001 BEN BRYDEN
I was very impressed with the new signings, John O'Niell and Graham Connell. They add that bit of quality we lack in midfield and when Warren Hawke returns to fitness we will have a formiddable side. As long as we hold onto Weatherson I think we will be succesful
9th February 2001 ALAN JARDINE
What is planned for the Treggles St terracing ?.
7th February 2001 ED WILSON
With a view to actually playing a match on the designated day the good news is that, as ever, Arbroath has virtually no snow.There has been a fair bit of rain but hopefully the game will go ahead as scheduled. The last thing we need is a midweek trip for yet another away game.
7th February 2001 EWAN LITHGOW
Can only assume Alan Smith grows black roses if that's his view of the Thistle game through rose tinted glasses.

For me the website report just about summed up how I saw the game. We DID start pretty well and Thistle's opener was, at the time, well against the run of play. We were well worth being level at half-time and quite possibly should have been leading. Granted in the second half Thistle ran away with it but they are the runaway league leaders and haven't lost a league match in months. They are a full-time set up and have been playing right through the enforced "winter break" we've had. Obviously they were sharper and fitter as the game wore on.

For what it's worth, the report on the Thistle Rivals site (access through Stuart McLaren's website) gave much the same views as Colin did.
7th February 2001 ALEX WILSON
Iain, thanks for the support, but it was somebody called Kevin Wilson who commented about the Standard's coverage! It's an easy mistake, there's a lot of us Wilson's about, because we're a very fertile bunch!
7th February 2001 GORDON ORR
I'm a bit worried the way our season is going. Although I think John Connelly has done not bad, it really concerns me the amount of players we are acquiring, and the lack of continuity of the first eleven. Although I don't know exactly how many players we have played, I would estimate that we must have had around 35 or 36 play in our first team this year - that must be a British record. To be successful at any level you need consistancy and that is something we never have been and in my opinion due to the high turnover in players. Mr Connelly, maybe not your own fault but my opinion and others who I know is that you severely underestimated the standard of the Second Division in Scotland. You have acquired some players that are sub standard at that level and to your credit have ditched the majority of them, but we will never do anything with this policy. What we need is 18 - 20 guys who are capable of stepping on the Palmerston Turf and doing us proud. Not players whom through no fault of their own are simply not good enough. I think we have about 7 or 8 who are well capable but some who will never make it. I don't think it is fair to name them. If we survive this season then it is time to take stock and to have a hard look at what we have and who will be successful. With financial pressures at our level are more prevelant than ever I'm sure we could get some real bargains on guys who will do a real job. Well done to Ronnie Bradford for his financial support and backing. It is a sometimes a thankless task with little reward!
7th February 2001 KEVIN WILSON
The 'Standard's' David Sanderson is spot on in his summing up of the present situation at Palmerston in Friday's edition of the paper:-

"And for Queen...well, Stirling and Forfar are closing the gap at the bottom and the annual bare-knuckled relegation scrap is imminent.

While a cup victory next week against Steve Archibald's aristocratic European artisans would be a glorious occasion, perhaps energies would be better concentrated on avoiding the dreaded drop to the division of Dumbarton."


-too true Sir!
6th February 2001 IAIN HENDERSON
Does Andrew Burnett work for the Standard? Why else would he get his knickers in such a twist over Alex's comments?

Of course the Standard wrote what they were told; Alex gave his opinion - WHERE IS THE PROBLEM? Or are we all to have no opinion other than that of Scottish & Universal Newspapers? Grow up - PLEASE!
6th February 2001 ERIC FISHER
Dont despair Queens fans. The boys gave Thistle a good game on Saturday and I think the turning point was when Mathieson did his usual thing and blundered at a high cross. If Queens had gone in 2-0 up at half-time it would have been a true reflection of the game. However Thistle are a fine team and deserved to win at the end of the day. I have every confidence in JC and he must be given time. Alec Ferguson was allowed time at Man Utd and look what he has achieved. Meanwhile lets have maximum vocal support for the boys from now on in.
6th February 2001 ALAN SMITH
I dont mean to be over critical as your website gives me a lot of pleasure and the chance to keep up to date with happenings at Palmerston ( I live in Northamptonshire).I travelled 266 miles to see Queens on Saturday and your report bears little resemblance to how I saw events.A game of two halves!Possibly...the first half was dire and the second embarassing ! No one has spectacles of a rosier hue than me but we were never at the races.We were lucky to get away with 3-1 with some of the defensive play in particular being abysmal from experienced players.The only consolation is that we cant be any worse on Tuesday!
6th February 2001 B L WRIGHT
You always know that the season is moving towards its final laps when you see the dreaded lines appear in the league tables in the Sunday newspapers which notes the teams in promotion/relegation spots. With 16 games to go (9 of them away (3 midweek) and 7 home (1 midweek)) Queens need to get some points soon or once again we will be fighting relegation. Hopefully we can escape this time without any help from the S.L. disciplinary committee but make no mistake we have a real fight on our hands as the inclement weather has really knackered up J.C's plans for this season and the lack of fitness was very apparent against champions-elect Partick who are, of course, full time and had the luxury of playing through January courtesy of their undersoil heating. Even their one away game was at Hampden who also have heating. Maybe this is something our directors could look at in the close season along with some sort of development of Terregles Street terracing which spoils the whole look of Palmy.
5th February 2001 ANDREW BURNETT
Mr Wilson,

It appears to me that you are the one that needs to check out your facts, if you cannot spell the name of the person you are having a go at.

The Standard has always provided a valuable service in the latest news from Queens, very little passes them by. As for your criticism about new signings, if you read the story, it was not the manger who was quoted, but his assistant. Not even the Standard (as good as they are) could contact Mr Connolly when he was away on business!

As for the information on new signings, I have it on reliable information that this is what the club were saying. Now if the club were to say that, then it is virtually impossible to blame the local paper, isn't it?

As for the assistant, Mr Scott's comment on Friday. Everyone has their own personnal opinion of who is the best side in that division. From what he has seen, Mr Scott obvisously believes that Partick are not the best side, and I would tend to agree with him, FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN. That is just an opinion, we all have them, and we should not crticise the local press from airing one persons.

So instead of focusing on having a go at the Standard and Mr Johnston, why not simply get behind the team. We are going to have a tricky spell comeing up and the players could do with our support instead of having a go at each other. Mr Connolly and his squad have done a damn good job this year compared to last season, and I would just like to wish them luck for what lies ahead.
5th February 2001 JOHN JOHNSTONE
document.write('');