Chester Desmond

This season might be a bit of a stretch, given that at the moment we don't know when/if even members and season ticket holder will be allowed in the ground, but next year when we'll hopefully be coming off the back of a successful season and opening a new ground would be an ideal time to be looking to attract folk in the area, global apocalypse permitting. As you say, as things have been, you could walk past Hampden at 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon and not know there's a game on later. As for the challenge of other local teams in the new West of Scotland League set up that Tutankhamen mentions, I've no particular axe to grind with Pollok, I used to go and watch games there years before I started going to Queen's Park, and watching games at an old ground like Newlandsfield is preferable to going to Hampden, but I wonder how long the likes of ex-juniors will be able to maintain success at low entrance prices the further up the leagues they get.

Elgin away is always a highlight of the season. Fingers crossed we'll be allowed up for the game in early November, who knows just now, if not then a Tuesday night in April promises to be a ridiculous trip.

I know f**k all about anyone's plans, intentions or motivations, and what I say should be taken as the thoughts of a happy idiot on a Sunday morning rather than those of someone in the know, but I'd imagine that Willie Haughey and the committee are looking at both the short and long term. Short term the plan is clearly to get promoted this season and, by the looks of it, next season as well so they're buying players to allow them to do that. At the same time I'd think they'll be developing the youth set up at the club in the hope of bringing players through, but also giving local kids a chance to play the game and get decent coaching (as they do just now). Theoretically Queen's could field a team of 16 and 17 year olds next season, but they'd get pumped every week and drop out the league, which wouldn't be great for grassroots football either at the club or in the area. I don't see that spending money just now to bring in players as a means to an end and also developing the youth teams are mutually exclusive. Of course it could all go tits up. McKinnon might be as bad a manager as some folk on this thread are making out. He had a promising start in his first couple of months in the job, but the season ahead will be a different challenge. If he doesn't get promoted with the money that's being spent then he should, and I'd imagine will, be sacked. I don't know a lot about most of the players that have been brought in. Mostly fans of clubs they've played for before have gone down the "should do a job in League 2" route, which is hardly a ringing endorsement but again, we'll see. In the past some classed as oafs at other clubs have done well for us, others coming with a pedigree haven't worked out. The old Baron doesn't strike me as a Brooks Mileson type and, as Spider Rico said, he's put a lot of money into youth and grassroots football particularly in the southside for years without making a fuss about it or looking to be seen as a GREAT GUY. But maybe he's just playing a real life game of Football Manger. Whatever happens, it'll be fucking interesting and hopefully a bit of a laugh. Given where we could have ended up with the pyramid coming in and the Hampden situation, I'm hopeful that Queen's will be a solid and stable club with its own home ground, a wee bit further up the leagues and continuing to do decent things for youth football in the area.

Thanks for your interest, Randy Marsh.

Expected the Morning Star to get the exclusive

Surprised that anyone would share a link to that rag here. Sickening.

Thanks Woobydoo. He started with two up front on several occasions, probably even more often than not, in the couple of months between joining Queen's and the season being stopped so who knows?

Like Bryan Ferry

Do you feel special again?

I'm sure someone will be your new pen pal

It would be the best thing ever if he did

Stenny and Cove (at least, there might be others but they're the ones I've seen) have both said they'll be streaming games so it would seem not. Scottish Premiership teams had to come to an agreement with Sky over streaming games as they have the rights to televise live games. I don't know if there's anything like that for the other divisions.

Typical Hearts, trying to gain an unfair competitive advantage on their Championship rivals.

Pies at Hampden are more likely to knock you unconscious

I know its clearly not what you meant, but you couldn't have picked out two away days I look forward to more.

Webster to be binned

If they do loan him out again you'd think it would likely be at a higher level League 2 if they're looking for him to develop. He's not going to be first or even necessarily second choice for Hibs this year initially, but its long season ahead and their current left-back made his first team debut in 2005 and won't be around forever.

Alternatively, with a drop in income of several millions, they could be looking to young players to make the step up to the first team, especially those who have recently been compared to Andy Robertson.

I'm talking about my own experiences as someone who goes to most games home and away. I'm not really all that fussed about crowds in the English Premier League. I find it more enjoyable when most teams have something to play for later in the season. Its more fun.

With an 18, 19, 20 or whatever team league there's long stretches of the season where a lot of clubs have nothing to play for. The way that Leagues 1 and 2 are set up just now, with the play-offs, means that usually even in the last few weeks of the season at least half of the league could potentially be promoted. More to play for for longer, more excitement, more folk through the gates. I like it.

37 according to Soccerbase. Retired at the end of 2018/19.

They seem to be a good bunch. My step-daughter played with them for a bit and I was impressed by the scale of the operation. Seems to be some really genuine folk involved, who want to do their best for the kids and community around here. Was always seeing kids in their tracksuits on the way to training before THE EVENT. I hope they get the facilities at the Donald Dewar sorted out for the season starting (whenever that might be). They've got a good opportunity to attract a large number of folk in the area who have been involved themselves or have kids who are or have been there. I dare say there would be a decent amount of interest. From what I can tell they've made some ambitious signings as well. Watched Ciaran McElroy when he played for Queen's Park and he had the ability to win games, although he maybe didn't show it as often as he'd have liked in his time there. Ryan Hynes seems always to have scored goals for them, even if he found it more of a struggle when he was at QP as well. I'd hope to get along to a couple of games once everything's up and running.

We've been on a few away buses where practicing social distancing wouldn't have been a problem

Back to Oswestry?

Heartening to see folk adopting the BIG CLUB mentality already. Didn't take long at all. f**k everyone else eh?