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 Six - December/January

December proved to be a short and particularly unsuccessful month for the club. It started with a home match against Berwick and, initially at least, seemed to be going well. Paddy Atkinson scored after just six minutes and O'Neill added a second in the 15th minute. However, the same player missed his second successive spot kick in the second half and the "Wee Gers" mounted a courageous fight back. Gordon Forrest struck with twenty minutes left to give them hope and Gary Wood snatched a point with a scrambled last minute equaliser. This day also saw one of Queens most loyal fans, Willie Johnstone, a former Treasurer of the Travel Club, found dead in his bed after being missed at the game. He was just 40 years old. He was buried later that week with his beloved Queens scarf draped over his coffin and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Later in the season, the club would observe a minute's silence in his memory and the Travel Club would erect a plaque bearing his name in the Lounge Bar. Willie would have enjoyed every second of the championship campaign and, after so long supporting the club as under-achievers, it is tragic that he died before seeing them finally sweep away all before them to lift the title.

On the Monday after the Berwick match the club pulled off a major coup, winning the race for the signature of former Northern Ireland international, George O'Boyle. The Irishman had not had his troubles to seek in recent years having been sacked by St Johnstone after allegedly taking drugs in a Perth pub but had begun a successful rehabilitation at Brechin City. He was however ineligible for the cup-tie at Alloa and a very poor game saw Queens depart the competition tamely on the back of a 1-0 defeat courtesy of an early Gareth Evans goal.

The following week saw more off field activity. First Queens legendary goalkeeper Allan Ball was brought in to the management structure of the club and given the title "Honorary Director" and then Mrs Shirley Bradford, wife of Chairman Ronnie Bradford, was added to the Board of Directors. She became the first female director in club history. Finally, on the eve of a second successive trip to Alloa, Barry Donald was signed from Stenhousemuir for a small fee and young Irishman David McMahon joined up on a month's trial. Despite debuts from O'Boyle and Donald however, there was little change about the action on the field. Again in a fairly dull match, Alloa struck through Fisher and Walker and never looked like letting us back into the contest. This proved to be the last action of the month as winter set in with a vengeance and caused the late and somewhat controversial postponement of the Morton game due for the 22nd. The visit to Hamilton due for the 29th also fell victim to the weather. Queens ended the month halfway up the league with 24 points from 17 games. The hard winter continued through the early part of January, putting paid to any chance of the visit to Stranraer going ahead, so it was the 12th before we got back in action. Just short of a full month without football! David McMahon was released again having barely had any chance to show what he could do with John Connolly quoted as saying he had been "unlucky".

Queens began the home game with Clydebank nine points behind the visitors in fifth place and with a lot of work to do if they were to make a serious challenge for promotion. The visitors' attitude to this game was disappointing as, despite their team being full of experienced men like Derek Ferguson, Billy McKinlay and Michael O'Neill, they seemed intent only on a physical game and playing for a point. Justice was done though as substitutes Allan Moore and Peter Weatherson came off the bench to combine for a last minute winner.

The following week saw another new signing as left back Derek Anderson arrived, having been surplus to requirements at Alloa. As one came in though another went out and Jon Sunderland departed after 18 months at the club. Saturday's league match saw more of the same with Queens grinding out a single goal win at home to Stenhousemuir. Scorer of the late goal, after good work from Weatherson on again as sub, was George O'Boyle, his first for the club. The final weekend of the month saw the game at Cowdenbeath get the go ahead despite snow on the pitch on Friday and teeming rain throughout the match. Manager John Connolly was away in the USA on business so Ian Scott took charge of the side for the second time (the first was at Elgin last season). The game had seemed to be drifting to a perfectly fair 1-1 draw after goals from O'Boyle and White (pen) but O'Boyle had other ideas. Seizing possession near the right sideline just inside the Cowdenbeath half, he cut inside, held off two challenges and curled a shot into the top left corner of the net from outside the penalty box. A truly marvellous goal, it was fit to win any game and would later be voted "Goal of the Season". Sadly the goal was marked by a bout of crowd trouble in the stand, which was not segregated. With Stranraer drawing and Clydebank not in action, Queens finished the month back in second position and just three points off the top thanks to their three straight wins.

Ewan Lithgow

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