Queen's Park 2020/21

[Andy groundhopper]

Hopefully the move towards going full-time works out and is sustainable long term. A jump from part time where you're just adding to the players working wage. Guess clubs can work it out themselves but say an 18 man squad on £350+ a week - that shows how much income will be required. Frightening when you see some small crowds turning up. Good luck to Q.Park, not quite sure they're a Gretna just yet.

[negros y blancos]

Interesting times at Queens you’ve always had a good show of fans at Borough Briggs. Look forward to seeing you again soon . All the best [emoji460]️

[Chester Desmond]

17 hours ago, virginton said:

...because nothing says an interest in grassroots football quite like flinging money at a whole squad of SPFL mercenaries. It's just another modern day fairytale like Gretna (d.).

 

15 hours ago, virginton said:

 

Still, I'm sure that lots of those youth and school players will now get the chance to play for their local and newly professional team. Or mebbe not whenever there's a 30 year old right back looking for a glorified pension deal instead.

 

 

13 hours ago, theoriginalhedge said:

Not often I agree with you but this has a good ring to it. 

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.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Chester Desmond

[Sergeant Wilson]

3 hours ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

The Southside of Glasgow also has numerous clubs in a close vicinity, some of them the most successful in the country. Dumbarton’s closest SPFL club is in Greenock, we are 10 minutes away from Helensburgh, Alexandria and Clydebank who are without SPFL clubs, to directly compare a catchment area like that with Brechin or Cowdenbeath is daft. A steady rise up the leagues doesn’t automatically equal bums on seats and we know that more than anyone. It’s not impossible but it certainly wont be easy. 

Has there been a success story for this type of move? There has been a slight, and probably temporary, change in order with the likes of Alloa and Arbroath higher than usual. Hamilton maintaining a place in the top division. I think all are funded by owners rather than building new support bases.

I doubt very much Queens Park will find enough attendances and commercial activity to be independent of a generous investor.

[The man with no name]

17 hours ago, virginton said:

...because nothing says an interest in grassroots football quite like flinging money at a whole squad of SPFL mercenaries. It's just another modern day fairytale like Gretna (d.).

By my reckoning, of the 19 players we have on professional contracts, 5 are 18 or younger. That number will expand in the coming years.

In a totally unrelated matter, really looking forward to our trip to Cappielow

[an86]

1 hour ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Has there been a success story for this type of move? There has been a slight, and probably temporary, change in order with the likes of Alloa and Arbroath higher than usual. Hamilton maintaining a place in the top division. I think all are funded by owners rather than building new support bases.

I doubt very much Queens Park will find enough attendances and commercial activity to be independent of a generous investor.

Ach well. No point in trying then. 

[vikingTON]

35 minutes ago, an86 said:

Ach well. No point in trying then. 

Because of course the only way of 'trying' as a lower league club involves having an outside backer chucking money and long-term deals at a mercenary manager and players. Every other club is clearly not trying then in the same way that Gretna and their chain-smoking, Lucozade-swilling jakey were the only club showing ambition in the mid-2000s.

 For someone who was all for going professional not too long ago you sure have abandoned the idea of growing organically in a hurry. 

[NathanQP]

There is obviously an argument for going semi pro first and taking our time with this but who would say no to an experienced squad that should get you promoted at the first time of asking.

It’s different to Gretna in the fact that we’ll have a proper stadium so we won’t get to the situation where our fans are having to travel to Motherwell for games.

I do think we’ll see a small bump in numbers next year as people will be keen to try out the new lesser Hampden, we just need to make sure that we keep people going.

Things that can or will improve:

Food and drink prices should go down as we are in control of this.
Hopefully, the stewarding improves with a smaller ground. (I doubt this will happen)
More people should use the bar/bistro before and after the game although their offering does need to improve.

Well see what happens once next July comes around.

[an86]

21 minutes ago, virginton said:

Because of course the only way of 'trying' as a lower league club involves having an outside backer chucking money and long-term deals at a mercenary manager and players. Every other club is clearly not trying then in the same way that Gretna and their chain-smoking, Lucozade-swilling jakey were the only club showing ambition in the mid-2000s.

 For someone who was all for going professional not too long ago you sure have abandoned the idea of growing organically in a hurry. 

Dry those peepers. I was referring to the suggestion that trying to build a support and improve commercial activity was futile. 

[Chester Desmond]

3 hours ago, negros y blancos said:

Interesting times at Queens you’ve always had a good show of fans at Borough Briggs. Look forward to seeing you again soon . All the best ️

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. 

[Sergeant Wilson]

3 hours ago, an86 said:

Ach well. No point in trying then. 

I didn't say it couldn't improve but even if potential is maximised you'll still rely on a benefactor to maintain full time status.

[Dooflick]

23 hours ago, Rob1885 said:

23 hours ago, Dooflick said:

Is that Paul Paton's photo Rob?

it is mate

He came through the QP youth system, good player and nice guy

[Dooflick]

5 hours ago, Chester Desmond said:

 

 

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.

The other thing about WH, and not many people know this, is that he actually played for QP as a youth and did not make it any further, as indeed a lot of young men do at many clubs. so you see he has a soft spot for QP and happy memories of playing for us although it was only at youth level. 

[tamthebam]

I suspect ol' VT wouldn't be complaining loudly about unsustainability if Haughey had put his money into Morton instead of QP.

Anyway I look forward to the SEETHE when you overtake that Clyde lot 

[vikingTON]

18 minutes ago, tamthebam said:

I suspect ol' VT wouldn't be complaining loudly about unsustainability if Haughey had put his money into Morton instead of QP.

We've already had our unsustainable, sweetie merchant duffer of an owner and will most likely pay the price of that this season and for a few difficult years to come. At least we're now heading towards a community ownership model and I wouldn't trade that for Willie Haughey, the bus tycoons hanging around our club or any other single investor getting control of the reins again.

[The Resurrection]

29 minutes ago, virginton said:

We've already had our unsustainable, sweetie merchant duffer of an owner and will most likely pay the price of that this season and for a few difficult years to come. At least we're now heading towards a community ownership model and I wouldn't trade that for Willie Haughey, the bus tycoons hanging around our club or any other single investor getting control of the reins again.

Sorry to upset you even more, we are the original Community owned Club. The Club is wholly owned by its members. Any money put into the Club by anyone gains no shares or ownership rights

[an86]

57 minutes ago, virginton said:

We've already had our unsustainable, sweetie merchant duffer of an owner and will most likely pay the price of that this season and for a few difficult years to come. At least we're now heading towards a community ownership model and I wouldn't trade that for Willie Haughey, the bus tycoons hanging around our club or any other single investor getting control of the reins again.

Deary me. He doesn't have control. The club membership elects a committee to run the club. We'd have been financially sound without Haughey's generous donations, which are just an absolutely tremendous bonus and seethe provoker.

[Arachnophile]

It is entirely natural that a club who is offered money with no strings, accepts that money.

It is equally natural that fans of all other teams will hate that team and pretend that they would never touch such money if they were offered it.

 

[Hampden Diehard]

On 05/09/2020 at 17:32, virginton said:

...because nothing says an interest in grassroots football quite like flinging money at a whole squad of SPFL mercenaries. It's just another modern day fairytale like Gretna (d.).

As a club, we're ranked 12th in Scotland in terms of producing young players who go on to make the grade.  If Haughey's money makes that even better, the fairytale gets my vote.

[Hampden Diehard]

3 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

I didn't say it couldn't improve but even if potential is maximised you'll still rely on a benefactor to maintain full time status.

You're probably right, but I've watched us being pretty pish for most of the past five decades plus and I'm looking forward to (hopefully) a full ten years of being half decent.