Super-fan fears doomsday for Queen’s Park
Diehard Queen’s Park supporter, Keith McAllister, who has seen the Spiders play nearly 2,000 times, is hoping the SFA do not kick-start a chain of events that could kill off Scotland’s oldest club. McAllister, who first saw a Queen’s game in 1963 and hasn’t missed one since 1979, knows the Spiders are facing the trickiest time of their 151-year history with the SFA set to decide on Wednesday whether Hampden or Edinburgh’s Murrayfield should be the home of Scottish football. The super-fan said: “Queen’s have given football so much. However, we are facing a potential doomsday scenario. “There is a weakness hanging over the club and that is the money provided by the National Lottery for helping redevelop the stadium back in the 1990s. “If the SFA leave, Queen’s have potentially to pay back half of the £24m grant and which covered a 40-year period as the National Stadium. “The club would still own Hampden, but would face a hugely uncertain future.” McAllister added: “If the SFA buy Hampden, the grant does not need paid back provided they do not move for 20 years. “I’m not sure of the monies involved in purchasing the stadium, but the SFA have seen an opportunity to buy our home at a low price. “We want to play at Hampden. However, there has been talk that will not be allowed. “Lesser Hampden could be our new home, but that needs a lot of work done to it. The club would survive in that scenario if there is finance to allow it.” There is a third option which chills McAllister. He explained: “The SFA could choose Hampden but want Lesser Hampden as part of the package. That leaves us without anything tangible. “You only need to look at what happened to Clydebank when they lost their ground. “Clyde have had a difficult 30 years since leaving Shawfield and East Stirlingshire survive as a Lowland League team after leaving Firs Park. “We would have to find somewhere to build a new home. “Ironically, defunct Third Lanark’s Cathkin Park is just up the road, and was once the home of Queen’s. But going back there is not feasible.” “We have to hope a decision is reached that allows our unique club to continue.”