Jobs for the boys goes a long way at Palmerston
GARY NAYSMITH has revealed the secret to fulltime Queen of the South’s success – management and players all fulfilling a load of part-time jobs.
The 40-year-old takes the Championship side to his old Pittodrie stomping ground on Sunday for their last-16 Scottish Cup clash.
If he was looking for an omen then the class of 2008 also beat Dundee and Aberdeen on route to a showpiece they lost.
Pointing to the “real close bond” at Queens this season, Naysmith said: “The players take their own kit home and wash it. I sometimes have to take training kit and bibs home to get them cleaned.
“My missus isn’t happy when I come home with days’ loads of washing.
“It is all right if it is from the Monday or Tuesday sessions but if it is four days’ worth of bibs then those little black pellets can get everywhere – and that does not go down too well.
“Although Queens are a full-time club we still perform a lot of tasks a part-time club would do. It is a credit to the players as we are limited in terms of our full-time staff. Myself, (assistant) Dougie Anderson and the physio are the only full-time members. Our senior players take the younger lads into the gym for weight in the mornings and afternoons and they look after themselves.”
Naysmith faces Derek McInnes, who released him in 2013, and insists his old Aberdeen boss won’t be underestimating them.
He added: “We’re not going up to make up the numbers, we’re not going up for a pay day, we’re going up to try to make it difficult for Aberdeen and exploit the weaknesses we think they have. This is not a day out.”