2001/02 A Championship Season Reviewed
A serialised account of our championship winning season by our man who has been at almost every match home and away - Ewan Lithgow
Part Nine - April
And so the season approached its climax with just five games between the team and glory. The first of those was the rearranged visit to Morton. To snap the lethargy of the Berwick game, John Connolly made four changes to the starting team. Colin Scott was fit enough to start again (though Andy Aitken would take his goal kicks for the rest of the season) but Jon Crawford replaced the suspended Anderson at left back and the fit again midfield duo of O'Neill and Bowey replaced Connell and Davidson. Finally, in a masterstroke, Sean O'Connor started against his former team. O'Connor had a tremendous game and opened the scoring after just nine minutes following a powerful run from halfway. That scourge of Morton, John O'Neill (seven goals in four games against them) added another two for good measure in the second half as the home side fell apart. Alloa also hammered Stenhousemuir on the same night though so no further ground was gained.

Saturday brought the big clash we'd all been waiting for; Alloa Athletic vs. Queen of the South at Recreation Park. By now the two sides were pretty clear, with only Forfar having a chance to catch them so it was head to head for the title. Queens had a five point lead and victory would virtually assure them the honours but our record against teams managed by Terry Christie doesn't bare close examination. This game was no different despite an astonishing 800 or so fans from Dumfries swelling the crowd. Queens started the brighter but couldn't take any of their chances and, with Richard Walker giving Derek Anderson a chasing, Alloa began to assert dominance. The opener came after
16 minutes, Scott failing to deal with Walker's run and shot and Hutchison forced the ball over the line. Just before the break Max Christie doubled the margin with a free header. Again Queens started the second period fairly brightly but two quick goals from Hamilton and Seaton just after the hour mark killed the game stone dead. Alan Gray netted a consolation with twenty minutes to go but the big crowd went back to Dumfries with their tails between their legs and the jeers of the Alloa fans in their ears. The lead was now just two points and, on paper, Queens had the harder last three fixtures.

First up was Hamilton. The "Accies" came to Palmerston as the one team in the division we had still to beat and played like it in the first half. Queens were very fortunate not to trail at the break, Colin Scott having made a magnificent diving save from Callaghan's penalty kick. However, early in the second half we got a huge slice of luck. A harmless looking high cross was sent into the box that Sean Sweeney had covered easily. However, he received a shout from his keeper, McFarlane, to leave it and pulled out of the header. The ball struck Sweeney on the back of the neck and somehow bobbled over the hapless goalkeeper and into the net. We hadn't looked anything like scoring for ourselves so this was a huge break. The team visibly relaxed after this and played twenty minutes of dazzling stuff. Peter Weatherson finally connected perfectly with a long range free kick (he's only been trying them for two years!) to double the advantage and then Lyle finished off a fine move to make the points secure. Michael Moore scored a late consolation but Queens had the points and with them…..Promotion. For the first time since 1988 we would be playing First Division football next year. This was confirmed when Forfar lost 1-0 at Clydebank. For good measure, Berwick held Alloa 1-1 and the lead at the top was back to four points.

Fifty-one years ago, Queens won the only title in their history, the "B" Division. We won it on goal average from Stirling Albion and clinched it by winning at Forfar on the final day. For almost half a season my regular travelling companion, John Paterson, had regaled us with tales of how he was there that day. He had also continually predicted that history would repeat itself with a title clinched at Forfar on the last away game. He was right. With BBC cameras on hand to record
the celebrations, Queens produced one of their best performances all season. Weatherson headed the opener after half an hour and O'Neill sent him through to double his tally five minutes into the second half. Finally, with five minutes remaining, O'Connor blasted home the third after more good work from "Nelly". Forfar, who were the third best side in the League remember, were contained to one shot on target all day. The final whistle was greeted with unbridled scenes of celebration from players, management and fans alike. Forfar know how to host a good celebration having hosted both Partick and Livingston on the day they clinched the championship in the recent past and they were the perfect hosts this time too. Happy to let the 800 or so fans stream onto the pitch, their PA system immediately belted out Queen's incomparable "We Are The Champions" as the supporters and team joined in. Fans and players alike embraced on the park and many an eye was far from dry. It took more than half an hour before the fans even considered leaving and the team returned from the dressing room time and time again frequently passing champagne out to the fans. The party continued long into the night on return to Dumfries, with the home and English based players joining the supporters for a shandy or two! Rabbie Burns even sported a Queens scarf for the night.

It's an old Hollywood cliché but "if you give the people what they want then they will come". Never was a truer word spoken about the frequently subdued Queens supporters from Dumfries, and come they did. In their thousands they came, from all around the country, some even from other countries. They brought their friends and families too. After all, this hadn't happened in three generations, who knows how long it might be before it happens again? The club geared up for a Championship presentation at Palmerston and, with nothing actually at stake, estimates of the crowd size varied from "won't make 4,000" to "might break 5,000". General estimates lay somewhere in between though. They were way out. There was a queue at the club shop from before midday and people started taking seats before 1:30. The main stand was full before 2:30 and the East Stand wasn't far behind. And still they came! In the end, an astonishing 6,158, the third biggest crowd in Second Division history, packed in. Very close to capacity, it was the biggest crowd for a League game at Palmerston since 1966 and the biggest for any game since 1985.


The game was almost incidental but the team put on a decent show for the big crowd. Weatherson struck early and Moore added a second inside the first quarter hour. With the second half drawing to a close, John O'Neill and Sean O'Connor added another two and Morton were thoroughly vanquished. Despite appeals some people, mainly kids, invaded the pitch on the final whistle but they soon left in order that the presentation could be done on the park for all to see. First the twenty players qualified received their medals and then captain Jim Thomson lifted the Championship Trophy. An abortive lap of honour followed as the players were swamped with fans but the mission had been accomplished!

Ewan Lithgow


Click here for the photo special for the championship winnning month.
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