SPIDERS CLOSE IN ON 150TH BIRTHDAY
True sporting spirit alive and well at Hampden
For footballers at Queen’s Park it has never been about the money.
It has always been about the history and the chance to play at Hampden Park every second Saturday.
And as their 150th birthday draws ever closer they are still the only amateur team in the SPFL and have stayed true to their Latin motto Ludere causa ludendi – “to play for the sake of playing”.
Since July 9, 1867 , club officials have prided themselves on the development of their young players. Ronnie Simpson, a first teamer at just 14 and European Cup winner with Celtic, and Sir Alex Ferguson, who scored on his debut for Queen’s Park aged 16, are just two of many.
Supporters of the black and white hoops have witnessed top talent passing through the revolving doors at Hampden Park.
There have been many highs and many lows and one fan who has followed the club home and away for 53 years admits he has had his fair share.
Originally from Cambuslang, Keith McAllister has experienced the wet and windy midweek away days but also the magical moments in the national stadium.
What he enjoys most, however, is watching the future stars of the game rise through the ranks and pull on the Queen’s Park jersey before moving on to full-time football.
“The most recent one is Andrew Robertson who, at Celtic, was told he was too wee,” Keith said, surrounded at his home by old photographs of former Queen’s players and teams.
“So he came to Queen’s Park, where he made it into the first team. He was playing for us up at Elgin one midweek and exactly one year later he was in the Scotland team who played a friendly with Poland. So it was a meteoric rise in just one year and now he’s at Hull City.
“We do pick up a lot of guys who are previously with Rangers or Celtic. They come to us and are given more of a chance and sometimes it’s maybe a step back to take a big step forward.
“We are not paying players any money so what have you got to offer them? There is a story that Gus MacPherson told me at the end of last year. He didn’t tell me which player it was but he said they always invite the players in to have a look at the set-up, and the guy walked in the door and said ‘where do I sign?’.
“They didn’t even need to talk to him. He looked at the facilities and he just wanted to sign. And that’s the advantage we have over other clubs.”
Keith marks the Second Divisionwinning season in 1981, Billy Stark’s reign at Queen’s from 2004 until 2008, the play-off win in 2016 and staying in League One last season as some of his best moments as a fan.
He lived four streets away from the national stadium in King’s Park and has been a supporter since the age of seven.
With Queen’s playing in the lower divisions of Scottish football, Keith is used to scarce moments of glory but he is adamant there is something special about the country’s oldest club.
The secretary of the club’s supporters association said: “The whole history aspect is terrific, even daft things like the players playing with their jerseys outside their shorts, which was the old amateur way.
“Some of the big teams in Scotland and even England have not managed to survive but we’re still here, playing at Hampden in front of 600 people.
“Folk say it must be strange, sitting in the empty stands with 600 people It’s not really. This is just our football club. You’re looking at something that is just a wee bit different.”
As well as celebrating 150 years in football, Keith says it is important to celebrate what is happening under the guidance of Gus MacPherson, who has done a remarkable job since his arrival.
“I’m surrounded here in the house by black and white photographs of terrific players and Hampden Park,” he said.
“But while we are celebrating the 150th birthday we’ve got to have a bit of a focus on what we are doing now.
“We, very importantly, have a terrific youth and community set-up which gives us a lot of relevance”
Keith is heavily involved in the birthday celebrations, which involve an action-packed weekend starting this Friday. Visit www.queensparkfc. co.uk for a list of all events.
The whole history aspect is terrific, even daft things like the players playing with their jerseys outside their shorts