2007/08 Season Review
A serialised account of our season by our man who has been at almost every match home and away - Ewan Lithgow
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Part Eleven - May | 5th July 2008 |
Whilst cup final opponents Rangers were moaning about having too many games to play, Gordon Chisholm's problem was Queens had no games to play for four weeks leading to the cup final. Very difficult then obviously to keep the players sharp.
The early part of the month was all about ticket sales as an army of volunteers set about contriving to get almost 15,500 tickets distributed as fairly as possible to a clamouring Doonhamer public. Gordon Chisholm meantime was named as Manager of the Month for April to add to his January and February titles. Yes it really happened! |
In the fortnight before the big day Queens clinched the signing of St Mirren forward Stewart Kean from under the noses of Dundee and managed to win closed-door friendlies against St Mirren and Hearts 4-0 and 1-0 respectively as they tried to maintain sharpness.
On May 24th a sea of Doonhamers made their way to Hampden Park for the biggest game in any of our lives. Over 15,000 were there, almost all early in order to take everything in. Unlike Rangers this isn't something that happens every other year for us! Surely we couldn't overcome the mighty Glasgow Rangers though, UEFA Cup runners up just a week earlier. It didn't look much like it in the first half as Queens saw out the first half hour relatively comfortably but then conceded an unstoppable free kick to Kris Boyd and an easily preventable second to DaMarcus Beasley right on half time. There was never going to be a way back from that sort of deficit. You don't give two goal leads to the Old Firm at Hampden and expect to figure in a contest? Dobbs celebrates Toshers goal. |
JT scores a captains goal |
Well, this team Chisholm has built does! Just like against Aberdeen in the semi final Queens came out and began the second half like a team possessed. Eight minutes was all it took for the match to be levelled up again. Hope was restored when Tosh ran home O'Connor's cut back from close range and the roof nearly came off at the Queens end when talismanic captain Jim Thomson powered in a header from a Harris free kick in the 53rd minute. Incredible stuff. For the next ten minutes it really looked like we could win the cup. Rangers were on the rack and taking blows like a punch-drunk fighter gone one round too far. They picked themselves up though, re-grouped and, as Queens began to run out of steam, the consummate goal poacher Boyd was there to head home his second and winning goal on 74 minutes. In the final seconds Bob Harris struck a free kick that may well have been netbound but for Kris Boyd sticking out a foot to block it but the third goal was one too far for a comeback this time.
Jim Thomson led his side up for runners up medals in the sun and Rangers witnessed a degree of sportsmanship they probably never see in the SPL when the vast majority of Doonhamers stayed to applaud them lifting the cup. For their part, the Rangers fans knew they'd been run very close by a side from out of nowhere and were generous with their own applause. The day wasn't over though. The players and staff returned to Dumfries for a private function to unwind with their families before a Civic Reception on Sunday saw an estimated 12,000 - 15,000 fans bedecked in blue and white line the streets and Palmerston Park for an open topped bus tour to thank their heroes. Heroes, idols, legends. Thank you Queens for the season and day of our lives. I would say there's no way of topping this but it's football and we have Europe to look forward to next season! (Post Script - Just before the end of the month Gordon Chisholm announced that Jim Lauchlan, Robert Campbell and Brian Gilmour would not be offered new deals for next season. He also confirmed the departure of John O'Neill, which had been widely expected.) |
Part Twelve - Honours SFL First Division - 4th Scottish Cup - Runners Up CIS Cup - 1st Round SFL Challenge Cup - 1st Round SFL First Division Manager of the Month for January - Gordon Chisholm SFL First Division Manager of the Month for February - Gordon Chisholm (jointly) SFL First Division Manager of the Month for April - Gordon Chisholm SFL First Division Player of the Year Nominee - Stephen Dobbie Doonhamers Travel Club Awards Player of the Year - Stephen Dobbie Young Player of the Year - Robert Harris Away Day Player of the Year - Sean O'Connor Junior Members Player of the Year - Stephen Dobbie Goal of the Season - Ryan McCann New Bazaar Supporters Player of the Year - Stephen Dobbie Sanquhar Supporters Player of the Year - Stephen Dobbie Young Player of the Year - Robert Harris Globe Inn Doonhamers Player of the Year - Stevie Tosh QoS Fan Club Awards Player of the Year - Stephen Dobbie Young Player of the Year - Robert Harris Junior Blues Award Player of the Year - QoS Internet Award Player of the Year - Sean O'Connor |
Part Thirteen - Facts and Figures Appearances:- |
Player
| League
| Cup
| Total
| 1. Stephen Dobbie
| 36
| 8
| 44
| 2. Jamie MacDonald
| 34
| 6
| 40
| 3. Sean O'Connor
| 32
| 8
| 40
| 4. Jamie McQuilken
| 32
| 6
| 38
| 5. Jim Thomson
| 30
| 6
| 36
| 6. Stevie Tosh
| 28
| 8
| 36
| 7. Neil MacFarlane
| 28
| 7
| 35
| 8. Paul Burns
| 28
| 6
| 34
| 9. Andy Aitken
| 26
| 8
| 34
| 10. Robert Harris
| 26
| 7
| 33
| 11. Brian Gilmour
| 24
| 4
| 28
| 12. John O'Neill
| 23
| 5
| 28
| 13. Eric Paton
| 20
| 5
| 25
| 14. John Stewart
| 16
| 5
| 21
| 15. Neil Scally
| 17
| 2
| 19
| 16. Ryan McCann
| 14
| 5
| 19
| 17. David Bingham
| 16
| 2
| 18
| 18. Scott Robertson
| 14
| 2
| 16
| 19. Jamie Mole
| 8
| 2
| 10
| 20. Craig Reid
| 8
| 0
| 8
| 21. Jim Lauchlan
| 6
| 2
| 8
| 22. Robert Campbell
| 4
| 0
| 4
| 23. Neil McGowan
| 3
| 1
| 4
| 24. Stephen Grindlay
| 2
| 2
| 4
| 25. Liam Atkin (Trialist)
| 2
| 0
| 2
| 25. David Nixon
| 2
| 0
| 2
| 27. Jamie Adams
| 1
| 0
| 1
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In addition Stevie Morrison (twice) and Darren Martin both sat on the bench as unused trialist goalkeepers.
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Goals
|
Player
| League
| Cup
| Total
| 1. Stephen Dobbie
| 16
| 4
| 20
| 2. Sean O'Connor
| 8
| 5
| 13
| 3. Paul Burns
| 5
| 2
| 7
| 4. Stevie Tosh
| 4
| 2
| 6
| 5. John Stewart
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 5. Jim Thomson
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 7. Brian Gilmour
| 2
| 0
| 2
| 7. Robert Harris
| 2
| 0
| 2
| 7. John O'Neill
| 2
| 0
| 2
| 10. Neil MacFarlane
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 10. Jamie McQuilken
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 10. Neil Scally
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 13. Ryan McCann
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 14. Dusan Bestvina (OG)
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 14. Mark McLaughlin (OG)
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 14. David Worrell (OG)
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 17. Stuart McArthur (OG)
| 0
| 1 |
| 1
| Total
| 47
| 19
| 66
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Red Cards For |
1. Robert Harris | at East Fife, 08/08/07 | Two footed tackle on Paul Walker
2. Jim Thomson
| at Partick Thistle, 23/02/08
| Tackle from behind on Mark Roberts
| 3. Stevie Tosh
| v Hamilton, 01/03/08
| 2 bookings, second for dissent
| 4. Paul Burns
| at Livingston, 01/04/08
| Kick at Robert Snodgrass
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Against
|
1. Derek Lyle | v Dundee, 26/12/07 | Kick at Jim Thomson |
Penalties For |
1. Stephen Dobbie | v St Johnstone, 04/08/07 | Saved | Foul on Dobbie
2. Stephen Dobbie
| v Clyde, 15/09/07
| Scored
| Foul on MacFarlane
| 3. Stephen Dobbie
| v Dunfermline, 06/10/07
| Saved
| Foul on Gilmour
| 4. John O'Neill
| at Stirling Albion, 15/12/07
| Scored
| Foul on Bingham
| 5. John O'Neill
| v Livingston, 29/12/07
| Scored
| Foul on Tosh
| 6. Stevie Tosh
| v Clyde, 05/01/08
| Scored
| Foul on Burns
| 7. Stevie Tosh
| at Clyde, 22/03/08
| Scored
| Foul on Burns
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Against
|
1. Paul Sheerin | v St Johnstone, 04/08/07 | Scored | Foul by McQuilken
2. Paul Sheerin
| v St Johnstone, 04/08/07
| Scored
| Foul by Robertson
| 3. Bob Davidson
| at Dundee, 11/08/07
| Scored
| Foul by Aitken
| 4. Dougie Imrie
| v Clyde, 15/09/07
| Missed
| Foul by Burns
| 5. Ian Russell
| v Morton, 10/11/07
| Scored
| Handball by Scally
| 6. Konrad Kozminski
| at Peterhead, 24/11/07
| Missed
| Foul by Thomson
| 7. Michael McGowan
| Clyde, 05/01/08
| Scored
| Foul by Thomson
| 8. Steven Masterton
| at Clyde, 22/03/08
| Scored
| Foul by MacFarlane
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Ewan Lithgow |
Part Number:
1-2
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| 7-8
| 9-10
| 11-12-13
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