Spiders and Bully Wee fixture dates
PAUL THOMSON
Queen’s Park and Clyde have been handed tricky openers when lower league football returns in October.
The Spiders travel to bigspending Stirling Albion to kickoff their League Two campaign, while The Bully Wee host Partick Thistle in a huge derby clash in their League One curtain-raiser.
It all kicks-off on October 17 for the lower league sides, in what will be a shortened campaign due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Clubs will play just 27 games this season and Clyde are one of the sides gaining a slight advantage with 14 home games and 13 away fixtures scheduled. Ray McKinnon’s Queen’s Park will play at Hampden 13 times in the campaign, which ends on May 1.
Both sides missed out on the play-offs in their respective divisions last term and will hope to improve on that showing.
The Spiders have invested significantly in their squad since turning professional last season.
Additions including striker Bob McHugh from Morton and centreback Lee Kilday from Queen of the South have been followed by the arrival of Michael Doyle from Falkirk last week.
Clyde gaffer Danny Lennon, meanwhile, has yet to make any new signings, but there have been some key departures with Gregg Wylde, Ray Grant and Chris McStay leaving, as well as experienced John Rankin announcing his retirement.
Announcing the lower league fixtures last week, SPFL chief executive, Neil Doncaster, said: “These fixtures are a big step towards the resumption of football for all SPFL clubs and I’d like to thank our members for their assistance and patience in the development of this season’s fixture calendar.
“Of course, we are still reliant on the virus remaining suppressed and we continue to work closely with both Scottish Government and the Coronavirus Joint Response Group to ensure that the appropriate protocols are upheld.
“Hopefully this represents some light at the end of the tunnel and gives those supporters something to start getting excited about.”