Spiders make move as Broadwood falls through Scots debut was a Faroe time ago
Saunders recalls cap call as sides meet again
Queen’s Park will play their remaining home games of the 2020/21 season at the Falkirk Stadium after an intended switch to Broadwood Stadium fell through.
Last week the Spiders’club president told fans the base for Clyde FC would be their short-term home, with their move out of Hampden to Lesser Hampden delayed until next season.
It’s every young footballers dream to play for his country and for Steven Saunders it came true – even if nobody remembers it.
The Rutherglen man pulled on the famous blue shirt for the first and only occasion of his career against Faroe Islands in Aberdeen 11 years ago.
The former Motherwell defender was promoted to the senior squad after a host of call-offs in Novermber 2010 and, as Scotland get set to host Faroe Islands at Hampden in a World Cup qualifier tonight, it’s sure to bring back memories of a moment Saunders will never forget.
He said: “It will be a nice feeling to watch the game and say that you pulled that strip on for your country against the same team.
“It was the proudest moment of my career.
“It’s hard to say if I’ll reminisce because you want to play in every game you watch on TV if it’s Champions League or Championship.
“It’s such an achievement to play for Scotland looking back when you realise how difficult it is to play for your country. “I never actually got a physical cap. “I didn’t even have my name on the back of my strip or the date embroidered on the front.
“It is a cap but it’s strange when you don’t actually physically have it.
“Even if I asked the SFA for one now, they’d probably need to search the register to find out who I am.
“I played more minutes in my career for the senior squad than the under21’s.
“I’ve got 20 minutes for the seniors but only 15 minutes for the under-21’s - that probably says it all.
“A lot of people are probably surprised that I played for Scotland with the way I’ve played across the last few years.
“People are probably surprised that I ever made it as a footballer, never mind that I ever played for Scotland.”
Saunders was shocked to be handed his debut by Craig Levein as a 71st minute substitute for Phil Bardsley.
He added: “He’d taken a cramp at the
But the Broadwood move fell through amid concerns over fixture conflicts and the Spiders have now agreed a switch elsewhere.
Club President David Hunter said, “After making a final assessment, The Falkirk Stadium looks to offer a more flexible solution, one that is more adaptable to cope with any disruption to the fixture schedule which may time and I remember that Sunderland had just beaten Chelsea on the Sunday for the first time in London for many years.
“I think the Sunderland boys had a nice night out in the capital to celebrate and he had to report on Monday with the national squad.
“Paul Caddis was in the squad and was flying down south with Birmingham, so I was thinking that he’d come on if Phil came off.
“He’d played 100 odd games in his career and he was doing well down in arise.
“Should for any reason The Falkirk Stadium not be available to us, the club has secured agreement to utilise Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir”.
A club statement added:“The club would like to thank the SPFL, Falkirk FC and Stenhousemuir FC for their help and support in finalising these arrangements.”
England – and I just delighted to say that I’d had lunch with Darren Fletcher.”
The 29 year-old has been plagued by injuries throughtout his career and he is currently playing for East Kilbride in the Lowland Leauge.
Saunders was highly-regarded at Fir Park but suffered a serious injury on interantional duty.
“After that Scotland game, I probably only played six or seven games over the next two and a half years,” he recalls.
“I’m not saying that I could have made 100 caps for Scotland, or anything
Things are going extremely well for the club on the pitch and on Saturday a 2-0 win over Brechin, courtesy of early strikes from Bob McHugh and Louis Longridge, kept them seven points clear at the top of League Two.
The club’s first‘home’fixture under the new arrangements will come this weekend when they host title rivals Stirling Albion on Saturday. close to that, but I would have hoped to have kicked on.
“I ruptured my achilles in my first ever start for the under-21’s and I was doing really well for Motherwell at the time.
“They were doing really well in the league every year and finishing in the top four so at the age of 19, you think that your career is only going to go one way. You’ll play 100 games for Motherwell, stay until they accept a nice offer then move to England, but it wasn’t to be.”