A - Z OF QUEEN OF THE SOUTH
Taken from a series of articles that appeared in the Match Programmes during season 1998/99 written by Queens Museum Curator, Ian Black.
A
AIRD, Willie
Born in Glencraig the rugged centre-half joined Queens from Morton in 1947 and became a stalwart of the Palmerston defence.
ALEXANDER, Rowan
Ayr-born striker (1961) who was signed from Annan Athletic in 1979. Transferred to St Mirren after four years in Dumfries for a reported £25,000 and later left the Paisley club to sign for Brentford. Moved back to Scotland when he joined Morton in 1986 and gave the Greenock club 10 years sterling service before coming the full circle back to Palmerston as co-manager. Rowan was relieved of his duties in January 1999.
ALLAN, Adam
Nicknamed "Skull" Adam was a Lanarkshire man (Newarthill) who played for Falkirk, Sunderland and Reading before joining Queens in 1933 where he played a big part in their first ever season in top-flight football.
ANDERSON, Jimmy
Geordie-born (Felling-on-Tyne) full-back who played at Darlington, Wigan and Blyth Spartans. His first spell at Palmerston lasted four years before he joined Brentford in 1939. He then played briefly with Carlisle before returning to Queens in 1945. He retired in 1948 but almost 20 years later became Queens trainer and even in the 1970s - 1980s was running the club's lottery.
ANDERSON, Willie
Local lad born in Annan where he had turned out for the local juvenile team. A winger, he was one of the players responsible for getting Queens to their highest ever league position - fourth in Division One 1933-34. Awarded a testimonial in 1937 with Blackpool providing the opposition which the Doonhamers won 5-4.
ANGLO - Scottish Cup
Queens only made one appearance in this long forgotten tournament. Drawn against Hearts they lost both legs 3-2 at home and 3-1 away in season 1975-76.
ARMSTRONG, Matt
A centre-forward from Newton Stewart (born 1911) Matt played most of his career at Aberdeen where he gained three Scottish caps and appeared in the 1937 Scottish Cup Final. Sadly when he joined Queens for one season (1946-47) he was long past his best.
ATTENDANCES
Highest ever crowd at Palmerston was the 26,552 who attended the 1952 Scottish Cup Tie against Hearts. These days are long gone however, as the safety licence now limits the ground capacity to just 6,412. The biggest crowd that Queens have played in front of is 53,000 who witnessed the 1-1 drawn in the 1950 Scottish Cup semi-final versus Rangers.
B
BALDERSTONE, Chris
One of the finest midfielders to don the blue shirt, Chris was signed from Doncaster in 1976 having previously played with Carlisle and Huddersfield. He also played cricket for Leicestershire and appeared in several test matches for England.
BALL, Allan
Born at Hetton-le-Hole, in County Durham Allan was signed from Stanley United in 1963 and played until 1982 making a record 819 appearances. His long service as Queens last line of defence was rewarded with two testimonials, the first versus Carlisle in 1971 and the other in 1984 against Manchester City.
BINNING, Jimmy
A 1951 signing from Arbroath, Jimmy gave seven years great service at full-back. This was recognised when he was given a Scottish League cap in 1954 against the English League at Stamford Bridge.
BLACK, Bobby
Local lad (Thornhill) who signed in 1952 from East Fife where he won a League Cup medal in 1949-50. Capped for Scottish League v Eire in Dublin in 1954 and notched two goals in a 3-1 victory. Left Queens in 1961 having made 346 appearances scoring 120 times to make him the club's second highest scorer of all time. As Bobby was an outside-right this is a record that will be virtuatly impossible to beat.
BOYD, Crawford
Ayrshire born (Kilwinning) and signed in 1972 from Largs Thistle, "Craw" was the cornerstone of Queens defence in the 1970s. Transferred to Hearts in 1979 for £20,000 only to return to Dumfries two years later to complete 316 appearances for Queens.
BROADIS, Ivor
Londoner who joined Queens' in 1959 from Carlisle where he once was player/ manager. Hit the "bigtime" with Sunderland, Manchester City and Newcastle and earned 14 caps for England. Was once quoted as saying "the two seasons I spent at Palmerston were the best of my career', and anyone who saw him perform will remember his brilliant inside forward play.
BROWN, Charlie
Signed in 1948 from LMS Rovers, Dumfries-born Charlie was unlucky not to make more appearances up front as he had to compete with Scotland cap Billy Houliston for a place in the side.
BRYCE, Tommy
Born Johnstone and recruited from Stranraer in 1985 to fom a great goal-scoring double act with Stewart Cochrane which led Queens to promotion in 1986. Played for various clubs before returning to Palmerston in 1993 and holds the unique record for the world's fastest "hat-trick" in 1 minute, 46 seconds' which has earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
BUSBY, Drew
Joined as player-manager in 1982 and lasted two years but was not able to emulate his earlier performances with Hearts, Coventry City and Airdrie. The big striker also played for the defunct Third Lanark and, as a 17 year old, scored their last ever goal.
C
CHAMPIONS
The best year in their history is a fair assessment of 2002 when both the Scottish Second Division Championship and the Bell's Cup were won comfortably by a side rejuvenated by the coaching team of John Connolly, Ian Scott and Warren Pearson. Prior to this the only major honour that Queens had won was the 'B' Division Championship (Second Division) in 1950/51 season. The trophy was presented before the first home game of the following season and was lifted by the then captain, Willie Aird.
CLARK, Nobby
Born Glasgow and signed in 1975 from Partick Thistle. Nobby was a loyal servant and a hundred per cent club man. Became Queens Manager in 1984 and led Queens to promotion in 1985/86, finishing runners-up in the league to Dunfermline. Left the club in summer 1986 to manage Stranraer, through controversy with the then board.
CLOY, George
Born Stranraer, previous club Kello Rovers. Signed in 1976 at the age of 16. He was not the fastest of players but he always gave 110% in the blue jersey. Played in nearly every position for Queens and on two or three occasions in goal. A great servant to the club 'Giro" was rewarded with a testimonial v Carlisle in 1989.
COCHRANE, Stewart
A local lad who was signed in November 1982 from Glenafton Athletic. Stewart came to Queens at the same time as Ted McMinn. Tall robust striker, will mostly be remembered for his two goals in the promotion crunch match v Dunfermline in 1985, in which Queens won 3-1. Sadly his career was cut short due to a bad knee injury.
COO SHED
The "Coo Shed" or "Bullock Shed" or even 'Jimmy Jolly's Bull Pen", as it was called over the years, has played a part in the history of the ground. With its old railway-steeper steps and ash flooring, it was built in pre-season of 1934 and knocked down in the early 1990s. Eventuatly the site was used for the impressive new east stand.
COUPLAND, Jimmy
Signed in 1924. Died in 1984. Made his debut at 16. Played regularly in goals until 1932 when he was injured and replaced by Jock Smith. On leaving Queens, he went on to play for Kirkcudbright side St Cuthbert Wanderers.
CULBERT, Willie
Signed in 1932 from Clyde. Slim built but full of craft. A fearless tackler and good with his head. Formed a great partnership with right back Willie Savage through the 1930s. Was rewarded with a testimonial in 1938 v Carlisle Utd. Queens were defeated 4-0.
CUMMING, Laurie
Irishman, born in Londonderry. Previous clubs Southampton, Alloa, Huddersfield, Oldham Athletic. Signed in 1933 for Queens and played a big part in the team in Queens' first season in Division One, scoring 24 goals. Was a member of the Queens team which toured France and Algiers in 1935/36 season. Before coming to Queens he was capped 3 times for Ireland v Wales and Scotland in 1929 and v England in 1930.
D
DAVIDSON, Alan
Signed 1982 from Airdrie. Alan (Barney) carried on the great tradition of Queens having excellent keepers. He was the son of famous Scottish referee, Bobby Davidson and made 346 appearances between the sticks. A great penalty stopper he saved Queens' bacon on numerous occasions.
DEFEAT
The highest defeat the club has suffered was 10-2 v Dundee at Dens Park in 1962. Goalkeeper George Farm was injured in the first half and was carried off. Dundee's Alan Gilzean scored 7 that day.
DEMPSTER, John
Signed 1970 from Muirkirk Juniors. John was a high-scoring winger who operated on both flanks, and became Queens' regular penalty taker. Apart from his prolific goalscoring ability, his speed and accurate passing was a joy to see. He is Queens' 4th highest scorer of all time with 98 goals in 342 appearances.
DICKSON, George
Signed July 1970 from Shotts Bon Accord. George will always be remembered for his tough tackling. It was quoted by Drew Busby that he could remember one encounter, whilst playing with Hearts, that 'Chopper' took 4 Hearts players out of the match before half time, due to his style of play! At 6'1" tall, George was also a Scottish International Volleyball Player.
DICKSON, Peter
Signed November 1975 from Albion Rovers in a £15,000 deal, quickly establishing himself as a firm favourite with the fans. He scored many important goals in his first season with the club. His goal scoring abilities did not go unrecognised, for he was capped for the, Scottish League and Scotland under-23's the following season. Ended his career with Queens in 1982, when he emigrated to Australia.
DODDS, Joe
Signed April 1919 on loan from Celtic. He was one of the most famous players to play for Queens and became player/manager in 1922. Was a member of the team who won the Qualifying Cup in 1923. Whilst with Celtic he won 3 Scotland Caps, 8 Scottish League Caps, 8 League Championship Medals and 3 Scottish Cup Winners Medals.
DONALD, Jim
Signed February 1970 from Renfrew Juniors. Jim made his debut at 19 years of age. Started as a winger but after a couple of seasons moved to midfield. A tireless worker who always gave his all. Jim's claim to fame is that he was Kenny Dalglish's best man, and he also appeared on "This is Your Life"' when the red book caught up with Kenny.
DRAW
Queens were involved in the highest ever draw in Division One (Old Div.1), drawing 6-6 with Falkirk on 20th September, 1947. Queens scorers that day were Aird(2), Houliston(2), Jenkins and Johnstone.
E
EASTON, Jim
Signed 1971 from Dundee. Jim was a robust centre-half who was made player/coach at the start of 71/72 season. He moved into the house next door to Palmerston Park on Terregles Street because at one time Queens owned property here. Jim also played for Hibs and was capped for the Scotland U-23s in 1964, when he was with, the Easter Road Club. He was with Queens for only two seasons until Willie McLean took over as Manager.
ELLIOTT, Alan
Signed 1957 from Rangers. Alan was a very fit and hardy player. He spend 7 years at Ibrox before coming to Queens. He only made 2 appearances for Rangers in his seven-year spell, due to the fact that he was understudy to the Rangers Captain, George Young. He was only one season at Palmerston.
ELLIOTT, Maurice
Born Dumfries, signed in the summer of 1960. Previous clubs, Dumfries Academy, Collin Boys F.C. and Royal Douglas Amateurs. Signed for Queens at the age of 18. Showed great potential in his first few games with Queens, and after only 7 months Hearts came in and signed Maurice for a fee of £7,000.
ENGLISH, Sam
Signed summer 1935 from Liverpool. Queens made a great capture when they signed Sam for £1,700 from Liverpool. The ex-Rangers player had gone to Liverpool for £6,000. He was one of the finest centre-forwards in the game at that time. Sam was tragically involved in the accidental collision that took John Thomson's life.
EWING, Tommy
Signed 18th February, 1958 from Doncaster Rovers. Born in Edinburgh, he spent 7 seasons with Doncaster Rovers, before returning home to Scotland due to being homesick. In his one season with Queens he played 13 games and scored 5 goals. His most memorable game in the blue jersey was a Queens win over Celtic (4-3, at Palmerston in 1958).
F
FAIRGRAY, Norman
Born Dumfries 1890. Previous Clubs: Maxwelltown Volunteers, Kilmarnock, Lincoln City, Chelsea, Motherwell. "Norrie" was a speedy and clever dribbler and when on his game, he was a brilliant player. Signed for Chelsea in 1907 by the then Chelsea Manager David Calderhead who was an ex-Queen of the South Wanderers player. He played a trial match for the Anglo-Scots v The Home Scots, but was not selected to play for his country. Signed for Queens in August 1919. He played in the Club's first-ever competitive game, a first round tie in the Scottish Qualifying Cup v Thornhill at Palmerston Park.
FARM, George
Born Edinburgh 1924. Previous clubs: Armadale, Hibs, Blackpool. Signed February 1961 for £3,000. George left Hibs in 1948 to join Blackpool for a fee of £2,700, and soon became one of the best keepers in the game. He played in the famous Matthew's final in 1953, Blackpool v Bolton, and was capped 10 times for Scotland between 1952 and 1959. Became Queens player/manager in 1961 and spent 4 years with the club. On leaving Queens in 1964 he went on to manage Raith Rovers and Dunfermline, before giving up football and becoming a lighthouse keeper.
FERGUSON, Willie
The left-wingman signed from Chelsea at the start of the 1933-34 season. Ten years earlier he had joined the London club from Kello Rovers. After four years as a player he took over from George McLachlan as Queens manager. Willie owned the tobacconist shop opposite the G. P.O. and his son Chris ran the business until the early 90s.
FIRE
The Main Stand at Palmerston was badly damaged by fire on 31st March 1964. It started in the board room and spread to the visitors' dressing room, the adjacent corridor and the seating areas. Soon after Queens put plans afoot to build a new grandstand which is the one in use today.
FITZSIMMONS, Pat
Despite his Irish-sounding name Pat was a Cumbrian who signed up at Palmerston in 1938 from Preston North End and gave a great eleven years service, eventually helping out with the young players. He was rewarded with a testimonial match in 1949 versus Carlisle United.
FLOODLIGHTS
Queens floodlights were first used on Wednesday, 29th October 1958 and at 85 feet high they are the tallest in Scotland. To mark the occasion Preston North End sent a team north for a friendly match. The honour to switch on went to Mrs Gordon Hunter, wife of the club doctor at that time. One of the original bulbs can be seen in the club museum (to view phone Mr Black on 268053).
FOTHERINGHAM, Willie
Larkhall born goalkeeper who made over 700 appearances during his career with Queens, St Mirren, Dundee, Morton and Airdrie. Signed for the Doonhamers in 1933 and took part in the famous game when the mighty Rangers were turfed out of the Scottish Cup in the first round. Retired in 1937 and later on in life scouted for the club bringing 'Chopper' Dickson to Dumfries.
FRYE, Derek
Born in Irvine, 'Freddie' signed in 1975 from Kilmarnock following in his father John's footsteps by donning the bluejersey. A prolific goalscorer with Stranraer, Airdrie, Ayr and Clyde, he returned to Palmerston in 1987 for a further 30 games and had a third spell at the club in 1992 as team coach. Also managed Annan Athletic.
G
GALLACHER, Hughie
The 5ft 5ins football genius signed for Queens from Bellshill in 1921 and is the most famous player ever to wear the blue jersey. In his first seven games he scored 18 times but while lying in Dumfries Royal Infirmary suffering from pneumonia he signed for Airdrie and Queens didn't get a penny! Hughie went on to play for Newcastle, Chelsea, Derby County, Notts County, Grimsby Town and Gateshead collecting 20 Scottish caps along the way. He was a member of the 1928 'Wembley Wizards' who whipped the auld enemy 5-1 and his phenomenal goal record was 463 goals in 622 games. Tragically in 1957 on the eve of a court appearance Hughie committed suicide by jumping in front of a train - a sad ending to one of footballs legends.
GARRETT, Eddie
Local lad from Nethermill, Eddie signed for Queens from Glenafton Athletic in 1958. He spent five years at Palmerston before moving south to Carlisle United. After one season with the Cumbrians he joined Welsh side Rhyl and to this day still resides in North Wales where, appropriately for an ex-Q.O.S. centre-forward, his house is called 'Palmerston' and is number 9 in the street!
GORDON, Jackie
A Geordie lad from South Shields Jackie played for Leeds United and Rochdale before joining Queens in August 1934. He married a local girl and has resided here ever since.. Played in the 1936 European tour and in the final scored the winning goal. After leaving Palmerston he went on to play for his home town team in the north east of England.
GOALS
Most goals in a season - 114, 1931-32
Most goals in a game - 12 v Whithorn, Scottish Qualifying Cup, 25-9-20
Most goals (individual) in a season - 41, Jimmy Rutherford, 1931-32
Most league goals in a season - Jimmy Gray, 37, 1927-28
Most goals in a game - 6 Jimmy Gilmour v Arbroath, 2-10-26 - Jim Patterson v Cowdenbeath, 16-12-61
Most goals for Queens - Jim Patterson 250, in 459 games, 1949-1963
GREENOCK, Jimmy
Motherwell born Jimmy signed for Queens in 1951 from Wishaw Juniors. He spent seven years at Palmerston and was one of the classiest wing-halves to grace the Dumfries turf. Once travelled to Dumfries town from Motherwell to Lockerbie only to find out there was no longer a rail link to Dumfries. However, he managed to get a lift from some supporters and arrived with only 10 minutes to spare before kick-off. In 1959 he emigrated to the USA where he played a few years with a side called the "Polish Falcons".
H
HALLIDAY, Billy
Born Dumfries. Signed 1924. Billy, like his brother David, wore the blue jersey for Queens. He was a strong and fearless-type player, who always gave his all. Billy's first game for Queens was a friendly v Manchester University at Palmerston Park which Queens won 4-1, with Billy scoring on his debut. In 1927 Billy signed for Newcastle for a fee of £1,500. He lasted only 2 seasons at St James Park before returning to Scotland to play for Third Lanark. Yet again he headed south, this time to Exeter City for 3 seasons and then on to Stockport County for 2 seasons. He returned to his native Dumfries in 1933 where he finished his career with Kirkcudbright club St Cuthbert Wanderers.
HALLIDAY, David
David signed for Queens in 1919 from Arrol-Johnston, (a team that amalgamated to form Queen of the South). He played 19 games for the club in season 1919-20, scoring 13 goals. His goalscoring exploits were quickly noticed and he left Queens to sign for St Mirren. A year later he moved again, this time to Dundee and while he was with the Dens Park club he was capped for the Scottish League. In 1925 he was transferred, this time, to England where he signed for Sunderland for a fee of £4,000. He also went on to play for Arsenal, Man City and Clapton Orient. His playing career spanned 15 seasons producing 334 league goals in 447 games. After his playing days were over he went on to manage Yeovil, Aberdeen (he spent 17 years at Pittodrie) and Leicester City.
HANNIGAN, Ernie
Signed April 1961. Previous club St Roch's. He made his debut at the age of 17, forming a great partnership with Neil Martin which helped Queens to promotion to the first division. In June 1964 he was transferred to Preston for a fee of £15,000. After a good spell with the Lancashire club, he was signed by Coventry City, this time for a fee of £55,000, where he teamed up again with his old Queens partner, Neil Martin. After his heydays in England, he returned north to play for Morton, and then had a short spell in South Africa before coming back to Dumfries for a second time in 1972.
HARKNESS, Sammy
Sammy, like his brother Willie, gave Queens great service. He spent more than 25 years on the board of directors and during this time he acted as Chairman on two or three occasions. He also was the Chairman of the Q.O.S. Development Association. In his playing days, he played for local side Park Rovers and progressed to Kello Rovers, Hearts, Kilmarnock, South Shields, Ashington and finished with south of Scotland side, Whithorn.
HARKNESS, Willie C.B.E.
Willie's love affair with Queens started at an early age when he became a ball boy with the club and later he progressed to play for them. He joined Queens in 1937 and made his debut in 1938 v Falkirk at Palmerston. During the war he played with an army team called "The Wanderers", playing alongside the great Tom Finney. After his playing career was over, he became a member of the board in 1959 and became club Chairman for the first time in 1967. Willie also became Chairman of the S.F.A. in 1978 and led Scotland to two World Cup campaigns, Argentina (1978) and Spain (1982). He was awarded the C.B.E. for his services to Scottish Football.
HENDERSON, Roy
Born Wishaw. Signed for Queens in 1946. Previous clubs, Carluke Amateurs, Lanark United, Third Lanark and guested for Aberdeen and Dundee during the war. Roy was Jimmy McKinnel Junior's first signing for Queens. He was selected 6 times as reserve keeper for Scotland, but never played, due to the fact that Scotland had two good keepers at that time, Bobby Brown (Rangers) and Jimmy Cowan (Morton). Roy spent 12 seasons with Queens until he broke his leg in a match v Dunfermline, which brought his illustrious career to an end.
HOULISTON, Billy
Born Dumfries. Signed for Queens in 1945 from the Crichton Royal F.C. "Basher" Houliston was the idol of Palmerston in the late 40s. A big, bustling centre forward, he feared no-one. His displays were recognised by Scotland and he was capped in 1948 for the Scottish League v The League of Ireland, the following year he was honoured with a full Scotland Cap v Ireland at Hampden,.scoring two goals in the 3-2 win. He went on to lead the Scottish attack v England in 1949, Scotland winning 3-1. In all Billy collected 9 caps at different levels and never played in a losing Scotland side. After leaving Queens he went on to play for Berwick Rangers and Third Lanark before hanging up his boots in 1953. He became a Director of Queens in 1957 and was elected Chairman, in 1962. He remained on the board until 1994.
I
INGLIS, Jimmy
Signed 1950 from Bury. Jimmy was an accomplished "Poacher". He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He scored many important goals in the season that Queens won the Second Division Championship, (1950-51). In his first 14 league appearances he scored 11 goals.
IRVING, Gerry
Signed 1959 from Aspatria. Gerry played 7 seasons with the club and was a great hit with Palmerston fans. A true 90 minute man, he gave his all for the jersey. His most memorable match for Queens was v Celtic in November, 1962 at Parkhead, when they beat Celtic 1-0 and to quote Gerry "the previous two weeks Celtic had put 13 goals past their opponents, so nobody gave us much of a chance that day" On leaving Queens he signed for Morecambe FC, where he played a further 4 seasons before hanging up his boots.
J
JACKSON, Mike
Signed 1967 from Clyde. Mike started his career with Queens in 1967. As a player he spent 3 seasons at Palmerston and on leaving he went on to play for Clydebank. He also had a spell in Ireland with Drumcondra and Athlone Town. He returned to Queens in 1974 as coach but after the sudden departure of manager Willie McLean, he got the chance to become the boss. After a successful spell between 1974-1978 Mike left the club to be assistant manager to Benny Rooney at Morton. He returned once more to manage the club, this time for only one season 1986-87.
JENKINS, Freddie
Signed 1947 from South Shields. Freddie arrived in 1947 from the north east, and fitted in well to the Scottish game. He was a good passer of the ball and could open up defences with his accurate style. In 1949 Freddie was transferred to Chelsea for a record fee of £10,000.
JOHNSTONE, Charlie
Signed 1946 from Rangers. Charlie joined the club in 1946 when most supporters thought he was over the hill, but after a few games the fans soon changed their minds because he was playing as well as he ever had. He gave Queens great service right up until 1953 when he decided to call it a day at the ripe old age of 41! The club granted him a testimonial v Rangers at Palmerston Park in August 1953, with Queens winning 3-1 on the day.
JOLLY, Jimmy
Jimmy was one of the founder members of the club in 1919. He was club chairman in Queens' finest hour, when Queens reached the first division for the first time in 1933. Around this same time Jimmy drew up plans to build a new, covered enclosure opposite the main stand, and when it was finished the Queens' fans aptly named it "Jimmy Jolly's Bullshed" later it became known as the "Coo Shed" before being demolished in mid-90s.
K
KERR, Jim
Signed in 1959 from Kello Rovers. Jim was a wholehearted club man, a great towering defender. He guarded the Queens goal well in his 11 years with the club, making 398 appearances for the club, the 6th highest in the club's history. On leaving Queens in 1970 he went back to his native Kirkconnel to play for Kello Rovers.
KHARKOV, Metallist
Kharkov were the first ever foreign team to play Queens at Palmerston. The game took place on 26th March, 1970 when Queens beat the Ukrainian side 2-0, with goals from Iain McChesney and Jim Donald.
KING, Stan
Signed in 1955 from Girvan Amateurs. Stan spent 7 years at Palmerston, and made his debut v Stirling Albion in 1956. He found it hard to keep a regular place in the team due to the number of experienced players the club had at that time. On leaving Queens he signed for Stranraer. He also had a short spell with Clydebank before returning again to the Stair Park club, where he stayed till he hung up his boots.
K.O.S.B.
The 5th Kings Own Scottish Borderer's Football Team were one of the local football teams who amalgamated with Dumfries FC and Arrol-Johnston to form Queen of the South in 1919.
L
LAW, Jackie (Snr)
Signed 1936 from Airdrie. After spending five seasons with Airdrie, Jackie requested a transfer, and Queens were quick to snap him up. He soon became club captain and a firm favourite with the fans. In his 10 years with the Queens, Jackie made 228 appearances scoring 71 goals. He was granted a testimonial in 1946 when Queens played Preston North End at Palmerston. Sadly Jackie passed away in 1959, just a few years short of seeing his sons Lex and Jackie playing for the Doonhamers.
LAW, Jackie (Jnr)
Born Kelloholm. Signed in 1963 from Greystone Rovers. Jackie Jnr., like his brother, followed in his fathers footsteps by wearing the Queens jersey. In his career he made 125 appearances scoring 34 goals for the club. Sadly Jackie passed away in 1996, a staunch fan right up until his untimely death.
LAW, Lex
Signed in 1964 from Kello Rovers. Lex was a strong running forward and a great servant to the club. He played for the Scottish Professional Youth Team in 1965 v Italy and Yugoslavia, in a mini world cup in Germany. Lex was also the subject of many transfer enquiries over the years but his heart kept him with the Queens. In his career at Palmerston he made 315 appearances and scored 66 goals.
LOCKERBIE AIR DISASTER
In 1989 Queens helped raise money for the victims of the Lockerbie Air Disaster. They played a friendly match v Manchester Utd., on the 1st March, 1989, before a crowd of 5,000. Queens were overwhelmed by their visitors and lost 6-3. The sum raised for the fund that night was £8,893.
M
MALCOLMSON, Sammy
Signed in 1972 from Airdrie. Sammy made only a few appearances for Queens and after a short time he joined Albion Rovers. 1974 saw Sam emigrate to New Zealand. He continued his footballing career down under and was chosen to represent New Zealand in the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. The only game he played in the tournament just happened to be against Scotland.
MALONE, Dick
Signed in 1980 from Blackpool. Previous clubs Ayr Utd., Sunderland, Hartlepool and Blackpool. Standing at 6 feet 2, Dick was a very experienced player. He arrived at Queens at the end of his career but was still as good at reading the game as when in his heyday. He was a FA Cup winner with Sunderland when they upset the odds by beating Leeds in the 1973 final.
MARTIN, Neil
Signed in 1961 from Alloa Athletic by George Farm for £2,000. Neil had a good eye for goals and after 2 seasons with Queens he was transferred to Hibs for a fee of £7,500. He also went on to play for Sunderland, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Crystal Palace. He was the first-ever player to score 100 goals in both the Scottish League and English League. His goal scoring exploits were recognised by Scotland when he won 3 caps in 1965/66.
McBAIN, Dougie
Signed in August 1948 from Queens Park, Dougie replaced Pat Fitzsimmons in the Queens team. He made his debut for the club v Partick Thistle with Queens winning 9-2 (what a start!) In all he played 7 years with the club, but left due to a disagreement with the then chairman Mr Steele. Dougie was a member of the British Olympic Football Team when he was with Queens Park.
McCHESNEY, Iain
Signed in July 1960 from Kello Rovers. Iain showed great dedication and commitment to the club. He played his first game at the age of 16, and is the club's longest ever serving player. In his career he made 587 appearances scoring 79 goals. He was awarded a testimonial in 1971 for his loyalty. Iain hung his boots up in 1981 but continued his association with the club as sponge man for a period, and trainer for the local-based players and was assistant manager to Billy McLaren.
McGILL, Jimmy
Signed September 1953, from Berwick Rangers. Previous clubs Bury, Derby County, Kilmarnock and Berwick. Jimmy made his debut at Palmerston v Stirling Albion. He was a tricky ball player, who linked up well with Bobby Black, and was a vital member of the Queens team that led the First Division till Christmas 1953.
McGOWAN, Bob
Centre forward. Born Sanquhar. Signed May 1933. Previous clubs Kello Rovers, Crewe, Nithsdale Wanderers, Carlisle United, Rangers, Kilmarnock, Bournemouth, Dunfermline and Ballymena United. Bob was a big, strong, bustling centre who could spread the play well. He was a prolific goal scorer throughout his career. Played in Queen's first - ever game in Division One, scoring one of the goals as the Doonhamers beat Celtic 3-2.
McLAREN, Billy
Signed in June 1973 from Raith Rovers, Billy had a 20-year love affair with Queens. After captaining the promotion winning side of 1974 he left to join Morton then signed for the Hibees where he won a First Division championship medal. Resigned as a player in 1983 then became manager in 1989 but only stayed for a year before leaving to manage Hamilton Accies. Returned in 1993 but after a not too successful three years was sacked in January 1996 after the tearn had won only two league games.
McKINNELL, Jimmy (Senior)
Jimmy was the heart and soul behind the club in the early days. He was a member of the original board and became club treasurer in 1922. Later in 1938 he became secretary/manager, a position he held until 1946, when he decided to retire. The following year (1947) the club awarded Jimmy a testimonial for all his hard work throughout the years. Jimmy passed away in 1965 at the age of 93, a very much respected figure in Scottish football.
McKINNELL, Jimmy (Junior)
Jimmy junior, like his father, was the backbone of the club throughout the years. He took over as secretary/manager in 1947, from his father, a position he held until 1961 when he gave up the post of manager. However he carried on the duty of club secretary until 1968, when Queens awarded him a testimonial v Celtic. Jimmy was a regular at Palmerston right up until 1995, when he sadly passed away at the age of 93.
McLACHLAN, George
Became Queens manager in 1935. Previous clubs:- Queen's Park Strollers, Clyde, Cardiff City, Manchester United, Chester City (player/coach), Le Harve (manager). George came to Palmerston with a great pedigree, as a member of the Cardiff City team that won the FA Cup in 1927, the only time the famous trophy left English soil. He took Queens on a tour of Europe and North Africa in 1936, when they came back as winners of the Algerian Tournament. The trophy won can still be seen in the club museum today. George left the club in 1937, and had no further involvement in football.
McMINN, Ted
Previous clubs:- Dumfries High School FP, Glenafton Athletic. Signed 1982 from "Glens" for a fee of £325 and 1,000 lottery tickets. Ted was an unorthodox type player. He was an entertainer and there was never a dull moment when he was on the park. His talents were noticed by Rangers who signed him for £100,000. He settled in well at Ibrox and became the fans hero, but things started to go wrong when Rangers appointed Graeme Souness as manager and the pair never really hit it off. Ted then signed for Seville where he teamed up again with Jock Wallace, but returned home, this time to sign for Derby County for £300.000. He also had spells with Birmingham City and Burnley, before emigrating to Australia in 1995. He has since returned to the UK and after spells coaching the Derby County youth side he joined up with former colleague Mark Wright to co-manage Southport with the pair now in joint command at Oxford United.
MITCHELL, Iain
Signed 1975 from Nithsdale Amateurs. Iain was only 17 when he joined the Queens. He was a speedy, skilful winger who could turn his opponent with ease. He was capped for Scotland u-21's versus USA in 1979 at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen. On leaving Queens in 1984 he played out his career with Kello Rovers, Gretna and Dalbeattie Star.
MURPHY, John
Signed September 1959 from Cowdenbeath. John was labelled a hard man by the fans, and took no prisoners. He may have been uncompromising but he was always fair. He broke his leg in a match v Dumbarton in 1966, an injury which more or less finished his career. Queens put him on the transfer list the following season and he was signed by Raith Rovers. However after a short spell with them he hung his boots up and retired in his native Fife.
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NEILSON, John "Tiny"
Signed in 1949 from Stonehouse Violet "Tiny' was the heaviest player in the Scottish game at the time. He weighed l5 stone and stood at 6 foot 3. He was a former junior internationalist who packed a strong shot and his height helped him direct the ball to his fellow forwards.
NUTLEY, Bobby
Signed July 1947 from Portsmouth. Queens secured the services of the former Hibs player at the start of the 47/48 season. He was a clever-moving winger who would go his own way to exploit the opponents defence.
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OAKES, Jackie
Born Hamilton. Previous Clubs: Wolves, Blackburn, Man. City. Signed 1937 from Wolves. Re-signed again in 1951 from Man. City. Lanarkshire lad Jackie's first spell with Queens was pre-war. In that time he spent 10 years with the club, before he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £8,000, in 1946. After only two seasons with Blackburn Jackie moved once again, this time to Man. City where he stayed until he returned to Palmerston for his second spell in 1951. In total Jackie spent 19 years at the club as a player making 453 appearances and scoring 80 goals. He retired in 1960 at the age of 40, and became club trainer, a position he held for 3 years.
O'HARA, Tommy
Born Bellshill. Previous Club: Celtic. Signed in June, 1974. Tommy was a fast and skilful player. He was voted the club's Player of the Year in his first season, and he also won this honour in 1976/77 season. In 1978 Tommy left the club to cross the Atlantic to America to join Washington Diplomats, where he played in the same team as the legendary Johann Cruyff. He was voted Diplomats Player of the Year in 1980/81, but later on that season, the Washington club folded and Tommy was quickly signed up by the Jacksonville Tea Men. He returned to Scotland and played for Motherwell and then had short spells with Falkirk and Partick Thistle.
OLDEST PLAYER EVER TO PLAY FOR QUEENS (AND SCORE!)
This honour falls to the ex-Queens manager, Ally Macleod. He played for Queens in a Reserve League West game in April 1992 v St Mirren. With Queens short of players he named himself as a trialist and played the whole 90 minutes. During the second half Queens were awarded a penalty and up stepped Ally to convert the kick. The final score was 7-1 to St Mirren and Ally got a standing ovation from the small crowd at the end of the game. This record will be hard to beat as Ally was 56 at the time.
O'NEILL, Les
Signed in 1977 from Carlisle United. Les arrived at Queens in the twilight of his career, after spending 14 years in the game with Newcastle, Darlington, Bradford City and Carlisle United, and it was with the Cumbrians that he had his best spell in football. In his brief time with Queens he played in the memorable league cup tie v Hibs at Easter Road in 1977, with Queens winning 2-1. Les was last heard of as being chief scout at Swindon Town in the early 1990s.
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PALMERSTON PARK
Palmerston Park has been the home of Queens since 1919, but the ground has been used for football dating back to the 1870s. Over the years the stadium has changed in many ways to keep up with the times. It has held many types of games including internationals at Youth, Under-18, Schools, Police, Fire, Womens, Amateurs, Qualifying Cup Finals and Charity games. On the non-football front it has been used for displays by the Harlem Globetrotters, Boxing Matches, Hockey Matches, Pipe Band Competitions, Firework Displays, Music Venue and Sports Days to name but a few. The ground has also been used for landing helicopters during the Lockerbie Disaster and earlier (1960s) when Norway's King Olaf visited Dumfries.
PATTERSON, Jim
Signed in 1949 from Luncarty. "Big Jim", as he was known, was a quiet man, who let his boots do the talking. He was one of the few full-time players of that era and is the club's all time record goal scorer, scoring 250 goals in 459 appearances. Jim's greatest scoring feat came when he scored 6 goals in a 7-0 win v Cowdenbeath in 1961/62 season. Sadly Jim's scoring exploits were only honoured with one cap for Scotland, when he led the Scottish attack v The Army in 1953 at Hampden Park. In all he spent 14 great years with the club and if any player warranted a testimonial for his service to the club, "Big Jim" did.
PROMOTION
Queens have not had too much success to write home about in their 80-year-old history although they have tasted promotion on seven occasions - 1932-33, 1961-62, 1974-75, 1980-81, 1985-86 - as runners-up in Division Two and 1924-25 in Division Three. There have been two championship promotions from Division Two in 1950-51 and 2001-02.
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QUALIFYING CUP
Queens were winners of the Qualifying Cup in 1923-24. After a 0-0 draw, they went on to beat Dykehead 3-0 in the replay. Scorers that day were McDermid with 2 goals and Lister with 1. When Queens returned back to Dumfries by train, a large crowd of supporters gathered to welcome home the conquering cup heroes at the station.
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RAE, Willie
Signed in 1956 from Rangers and made his debut v Kilmarnock that year. Willie was a strong, industrious left-sided player, who only had a short spell with the club. Queens signed him from the Ibrox giants where he had spent 10 successful years, winning 2 League Championship Medals, 1 League Cup Medal and 1 Scottish Cup Medal.
RECORD WIN
Queens record win came against our local rivals, Stranraer in 1932. It was a Scottish Cup Tie at Palmerston Park when we hammered our visitors by, 11 goals to 1 and for the record, the scorers that day were, Jimmy Rutherford (5), George Derby (2), Jenkins, Dyer, McCall, McDonald.
REID,Ian
Born Glasgow. Signed in September 1973 from Dundee United. Ian will always go down as 100% player who could score goals. After an unsuccessful spell with Nottingham Forest, his career took off when he joined Dundee United, and after four seasons with them, he was signed by Willie McLean, the then Queens manager. In his first season with the club, he scored 28 goals and in the next season, a further 26. His Queens career came to an end in January 1977 when he was transferred to Airdrie, for a fee of £4,000. He also had a spell with Forfar Athletic. In all, Ian made 193 appearances, scoring 89 goals.
RELEGATION
Probably the best ever escape from relegation was in season 1937/38. Relegation hinged on the last day of the season, with Queens having the toughest test of all, an away tie at Ibrox v Rangers. The half-time score came through at the 'Standard' offices in the High Street - 3-0 to Queens, and a great cheer went up from the 2,000 or so fans who had gathered to hear the news. When the final score was announced, 3-2 to Queens, the town's streets began to buzz with excitement. Queens has escaped relegation by 1 point.
RITCHIE, Bob
Signed in 1927 from Kilmarnock. Bob came to Queens after having spells with Darvel Juniors and Kilmarnock. He spent five successful years with Queens, and was a fitness fanatic who kept himself in good shape. After leaving Queens in 1932 he went on to play for Dalbeattie Star for four seasons, before hanging his boots up, to concentrate on his other love - cricket. He played for Kilmarnock Cricket Club for some 32 years.
ROBERTSON, Graeme
Signed 1978 from Lochar Amateurs. Graeme signed for Queens at the age of 16 and once in the side at full back made the position his own. In his spell with Queens he captained the team on many occasions. He left Queens in 1986 to try his luck at full-time football with Dunfermline Athletic. After a successful spell with the "Pars" he had spells with Partick Thistle and Ayr United. Today Graeme is S.F.A. Community Coach in the Dunfermline area and is based at East End Park.
ROBERTSON, Jimmy
Signed in November, 1979. Previous clubs Rangers, Motherwell, Stranraer. "J.R" was a very skilful winger who could change a game single-handed. He was a brilliant crosser of the ball and in his first season with the club he was voted Player of the Year. In 1981 he was voted 2nd Division Player of the Year by his fellow professionals. Jimmy left Queens in 1988 and had spells with Morton and Clydebank before returning to Queens once more in 1989. In all Jimmy made 378 appearances, scoring 89 goals.
ROTHERA, Walter
Born Glasgow and signed in 1951 from Hamilton Accies. One of the finest playmakers and generals ever to pull on the blue shirt Wattie was 31 when he signed and had previously played right-half with the "Accies". At Palmerston he was moved into an inside-forward position and it proved an outstanding success. He captained the side on many occasions before retiring from the game in 1957 with a knee injury.
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SAVAGE, Willie
A 1932 signing from Motherwell Juniors. Willie was a tremendous servant to the club making 369 appearances. He was known as a scrupulously - fair tackler and he formed a great full-back partnership with Willie Culbert. One of the mainstays of the side that reached the top league for the first time in 1933 he was also captain the day Queens knocked Rangers out of the cup in 1937.
SHARPE, Dougie
Signed from local club Greystone Rovers in 1946. Dougie had actually joined Queens provisionally in 1940 at the start of the war and after hostilities ceased he signed as an amateur. One of the best full-backs ever to wear the Queens jersey he played with great heart and always gave his best. His impressive displays earned him a call up to the Scottish League side in 1952 but injury prevented him from playing. The selectors, however, did not forget him and he played against the Irish League in Belfast in 1953. In total Dougie was at Palmerston for 20 years making 426 appearances. Sadly he passed away in 1974 at the age of only 48.
SMITH, Alex
Alex or 'Sanny' as he was nicknamed was signed up in 1952 from Ayrshire side Muirkirk. Queens snatched him from under the noses of several leading Scottish clubs and it proved well worth the effort. A bustling, solid centre-half he gave the Doonhamers eight years service, making 277 appearances before leaving in 1960 to join Stranraer where he finished his senior career.
SMITH,John
Signed in 1930 from local juvenile football "Wee Jock" made his debut for Queens in a friendly in Ireland against Coleraine. Small for a keeper at only 5ft 7ins he made up for his lack of height with superb agility and possessed a safe pair of hands. In 1933 he was Queens last line of defence when they beat Celtic in their first ever First Division game. Jock died in 1966 when he was only 55.
SUBSTITUTION
The honour of Queens first-ever substitute went to Englishman Alan Smith who came on for the injured Ronnie Simpson in a League Cup match versus Queen's Park in 1966.
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TELFER, Willie
Larkhall born centre-half who joined Queens in 1960 from Rangers. A vastly experienced player who was really at the end of his career when he came to Dumfries, having been capped for Scotland and the Scottish League when with St Mirren. In 1962 he left to manage Albion Rovers.
THOMSON, Andy
Signed up in July 1989 from Motherwell boys' club Jerviston FC as an 18 year old and even then his potential was obvious. As he became more experienced the goals started to flow and never stopped in his five seasons at Palmerston. His record was 109 goals in 164 games - a fantastic scoring rate at any level and in 1993-94 he was Queens Player of the Year and also awarded the Scottish Second Division award as well as being the country's top scorer. Week after week a host of top scouts watched him and transfer speculation was rife. Eventually it was lowly Southend United who offered £250,000 and a deal was struck that led to 'Super Andy' leaving for Essex on the south coast of England. Since then Andy has played for Oxford United, Gillingham and Queen's Park Rangers. His spell at Gillingham saw him score the extra-time winner at Wembley in the Second Division play-off finals, a goal that has ensured his 'hero' status at the Kent club for all-time.
TOTTEN, Alex
Born in Dennyloanhead and before signing for Queens in July 1971 played for Liverpool, Dundee, Dunfermline and Falkirk. Made his debut in a friendly against Hearts and only spent two years at Palmerston making 84 appearances, scoring six times. On hanging up his boots Alex, like many players, turned his hand to management and went on to boss Alloa, Falkirk, Dunfermline, St Johnstone, East Fife and Killie. At present he is back with his "first love" Falkirk FC.
TULIP, Joe
Left-winger from Mickley in Northumberland who joined Queens from Crawcrook Albion in 1933, Joe was one of the first Englishmen to play in the Scottish League. His discovery was quite unique as he was spied by a Dumfries policeman on holiday in the north of England who then recommended him to the Queens directors. He was snapped up and made his debut on 11th November 1933 in a 4-0 defeat by Rangers at Palmerston.
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UNDER FLOODLIGHTS
Queens played Rangers in the first Scottish League Match under floodlights, at Ibrox on 7th March, 1956, with Rangers winning 8-0. (Perhaps the Queens players were too dazzled!)
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VITORIA SETUBAL
After winning promotion, Queens Directors treated the players to a holiday in Estoril, Portugal in 1981. During their stay, they met Vitoria Setubal, a team from the Portuguese First Division and the score on the day was 3-0 to the home side.
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WALDIE, Simon
Born Inverness. Signed 1949 from Hibs. Made his debut for Queens v Celtic, but sadly it was a day not to remember, with Queens being defeated 3-0. Sam played in the club's only ever Scottish Cup Semi-Final appearance in 1950. He also played a great part in the championship winning side of the "B' Division in 1950/51 season.
WARTIME
Season 1939/40 began like any other, but sadly after only 5 games, the league was abandoned, after war was declared in Europe. All the Queens players contracts were terminated at this time. It was decided soon after to carry on playing in a regional league setup, with Queens playing in the West League. The new League started on October 21st, 1939, and come the end of the season Queens finished runners up to Rangers. Queens never played another league game of any description until the war in Europe was over, but re-entered the league in 1945.
WESTERN LEAGUE WINNERS
In 1922/23 season Queens won their first-ever league title, winning the Western League and as champions they were promoted to Division Three. The Club's first game in Division Three was v Dykehead and prior to the kick off, the Western League Championship Flag was unfurled to the great satisfaction of the Queens supporters.
WILSON, William
Goalkeeper. Born Dumfries, 1921. Previous clubs: Noblehill, Dumfries High School and Crichton Royal F.C. Signed in 1946, Willie made his debut v Third Lanark in August that year, at Palmerston. He only made a very few first team appearances as he was unfortunate to play in the same era as Roy Henderson. Queens gave him a free transfer in 1951, and he was snapped up by Clyde, where he at last commanded a regular first team place. He was unlucky, in 1955, in the Scottish Cup Semi-Final to break a finger during the match. This meant he missed the final in which Clyde won, by beating Celtic. Willie hung his boots/glooves up in 1956.
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X-RATED
The day Queens slumped to their record defeat, way back in 1962 when Dundee thumped us 10-2!
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YOUTH CUP FINAL
In 1985/86 Season, Queens Under-18 side reached the final of the B.P. Youth Cup. On route to the final, they beat Ayr United 2-1 away in the quarter final, then they faced Celtic at Parkhead in the semi-final coming out 2-1 winners, and in the final, which was played at Palmerston Park, Queens met Aberdeen. Sadly after a brave fight, the young lads were beaten 2-0. Even so it was a great achievement for a small provincial club.
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Zico
I bet you thought "Z" would stump us. However the connection is that the Brazilian's shirt is on display in the Queens Museum. It was given to the late Willie Harkness when he was President of the S.F.A. and attended the World Cup finals.
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