Bizarre history of... Queen’s park

PASSING GROOVE

Queen’s Park invented passing football. “They dribble little, conveying the ball by a series of long kicks combined with a judicious plan of passing,” The Field wrote after the 1872 FA Cup semi-final draw with Wanderers.

AT THE DOUBLE

In 1884 the club came very close to securing a unique double, after Queen’s Park became the only Scottish side to reach the FA Cup final. They won the Scottish Cup but then lost 2-1 to Blackburn in Kennington.

FIRST MINISTER

Goalkeeper Mustafa Mansour – ‘The Flying Egyptian’ – rejected Celtic for the Spiders in 1936. He’d starred at the World Cup two years earlier for Egypt (led by a Scot in James Mcrea) and went on to become a cabinet minister in the ’60s.

BITTEN BY THE BUG

Alex Ferguson’s debut for Queen’s Park was eventful. The teenager scored in a 2-1 defeat to Stranraer in 1958 and was bitten by an opponent. His coach told Fergie to man up at half-time, with the advice: “Bite him back!”

MADE OF SAND

Ian Durrant (below) snubbed a move to the Spiders after he saw players running up sand dunes. “He was at Hampden for two nights,” said legendary boss Eddie Hunter. “The second to say cheerio.”