McKinnon vows Spiders will have a go next season
Queen’s Park may have won their first league title in 21 years on Tuesday night, however manager Ray McKinnon is not letting the grass grow under his feet.
The Spiders’ League 2 success capped an amazing 18-month period at Scotland’s oldest club.
It has seen them turn professional after more than 150 years as an amateur club as well as move out of their historic home at Hampden.
Throw in the financial backing of Glasgow businessman Lord Willie Haughey – that allowed them to turn full-time and have ambitious plans to keep progressing – and it is no wonder that McKinnon is already planning for his side to thrive in League 1.
McKinnon said: “The work has already started.
“Our head of recruitment, Darren Taylor, and I have started to see what we need for next season.
“We are looking about at what we need for playing in a higher league.”
“We have five or six players signed up and, with everyone else, we will need to have conversations about their plans and what happens next between now and the end of the season.
“We have been focused on winning this league, but now we can start looking to build a squad that can compete in League 1.”
“We will set out to win every game, but there are a lot of good teams in League 1.
“We know Alloa will be there, but you will also have at least two from Partick Thistle, Falkirk, Cove or Airdrie still there.
“Montrose went up a couple of years ago and have thrived.
“First and foremost, we will look to do something similar to them.”
A 1-0 defeat by Stranraer on Friday night ended Queen’s hopes of seeing out the season undefeated, with McKinnon saying: “I am more disappointed for the players as the record was within their grasp. However, it has still been a great season.”
Meanwhile Stranraer are to appeal Joao Victoria’s late dismissal on Friday after officials had studied footage of the incident.
Victoria clashed with the Spiders’ Ross McLean with the Portuguese hit-man suggesting that McLean took a dive with the Queen’s Park substitute reacting angrily.
McLean lent forward with his head and Victoria tried to swat him away without making contact.
Blues boss Stephen Farrell said: “I was not sure at the time that Joao should have been dismissed.
“However, having watched the incident, he was more sinned against than sinner.”