The Big Queen's Park FC Thread

[annan4eva]

20 minutes ago, Arachnophile said:

I agree 100%.  I made the trek to Govan a couple of weeks ago (2 buses) to watch QP v Livingston and thoroughly enjoyed the game. They may not have the technical ability of some of our players but they know where the goals are and play some decent football. Considering the success they are having this season, I don't understand why the club doesn't do more to encourage folk to go along & see them and a game or two at the City Stadium would be an ideal way to do it - with lots of free kids tickets.

It would also be interesting to know what the future plans are for the woman's team. They look to have a decent chance of promotion this season. As I understand it they are still amateur  - would that change if they win promotion?

Are ISA from still game ( 2 buses) FFS  

[Anonymous Spider]

Eagerly awaiting an announcement on the Beuker situation from the powers that be... or the Bulgarian Facebook page... whichever comes first.. 

Copy / paste complaints about stunning lack of leadership and ridiculous comms.. 

How many times have we been promised this would improve now? 

[an86]

3 minutes ago, Anonymous Spider said:

Eagerly awaiting an announcement on the Beuker situation from the powers that be... or the Bulgarian Facebook page... whichever comes first.. 

Copy / paste complaints about stunning lack of leadership and ridiculous comms.. 

How many times have we been promised this would improve now? 

We’re probably still negotiating with Ajax tbf. Will be announced as soon as the shipment of magic beans are delivered to the JB McAlpine. 

[Anonymous Spider]

In fairness it must be a pretty big distraction to the club at the moment... if I'm being even more generous it might even be impacting the players. If I'm being less forgiving, I hope we've no forms to fill in this week. 

[PossilYM]

1 hour ago, Arachnophile said:

I agree 100%.  I made the trek to Govan a couple of weeks ago (2 buses) to watch QP v Livingston and thoroughly enjoyed the game. They may not have the technical ability of some of our players but they know where the goals are and play some decent football. Considering the success they are having this season, I don't understand why the club doesn't do more to encourage folk to go along & see them and a game or two at the City Stadium would be an ideal way to do it - with lots of free kids tickets.

It would also be interesting to know what the future plans are for the woman's team. They look to have a decent chance of promotion this season. As I understand it they are still amateur  - would that change if they win promotion?

No chance New Tinto Park (Benburb) will be up to standard for the top Women's League. No seats and virtually no cover.

Btw gave away the seats to Kilwinning Rangers and stuck a shed with no terracing to obtain a SFA licence.

[Bring Your Own Socks]

Interesting article on the current state of Ajax and it’s inner workings. Bit of a vipers nest. 

https://dutchsoccersite.org/ajax-the-perfect-storm/

Edited October 25, 2023 by Bring Your Own Socks

[Spider1975]

3 hours ago, an86 said:

It’s nowhere near good enough. The players and coaching staff are doing a great job, but they’re an afterthought to the club. It’s shameful, really. 

Wouldn't it be great in this scenario if we had a woman in place near the top of the club hierarchy to really promote and develop this side of the club.

[an86]

52 minutes ago, Spider1975 said:

Wouldn't it be great in this scenario if we had a woman in place near the top of the club hierarchy to really promote and develop this side of the club.

It shouldn’t matter who is at the helm. A club basically reinventing itself in the 2020s should instinctively be treating women’s football with an awful lot more respect than it is.

Sexism isn’t all 1970s jokes and wolf whistling. It’s institutional. We’re telling young boys in Glasgow that they have a ceiling at Queen’s Park to play professional football. We’re telling young girls that they have a ceiling to play for an amateur team that’s attached to our foundation. That’s a choice our club is making. 

What actions like that are really saying is that we can make more money out of the lads, so they’re more worthy of our investment. Whilst it’s true that there is more money swirling around in men’s football, we’re supposed to be about “community values” and equal pathways. It’s demonstrably not the case. 

[Tangled web]

36 minutes ago, an86 said:

We’re telling young boys in Glasgow that they have a ceiling at Queen’s Park to play professional football. We’re telling young girls that they have a ceiling to play for an amateur team that’s attached to our foundation. That’s a choice our club is making. 

What actions like that are really saying is that we can make more money out of the lads, so they’re more worthy of our investment. Whilst it’s true that there is more money swirling around in men’s football, we’re supposed to be about “community values” and equal pathways. It’s demonstrably not the case

Are you saying that we should be using some of our playing budget to set up a full time professional women's team?

[Arachnophile]

12 minutes ago, Tangled web said:

Are you saying that we should be using some of our playing budget to set up a full time professional women's team?

In the medium term, I am.  Doesn't need to be right away but if we get promotion this season, trying to compete against Rangers, Celtic & Glasgow City with an amateur team would just be embarrassing.

Would you disagree?

[an86]

2 minutes ago, Tangled web said:

Are you saying that we should be using some of our playing budget to set up a full time professional women's team?

I’m asking why the club has two pathways that are absolutely miles apart and why real investment only seems to have made its way down one of them.

It’s not an issue of taking money out of a men’s first team budget. We’ve employed an absolute tonne of backroom staff as well. “The project” has found the money to do that, while the pathway for girls remains enormously unequal. 
 

I’m not naive, we don’t yet have a full-time women’s league in Scotland and we’re light years away from having anything approaching equal pay. However, what we should be doing is striving to be at the forefront of evolution of the women’s game in Scotland. The only excuse would be that we don’t think that girls and women are worth proper investment. That’s literally the only excuse. We can’t pretend we don’t have access to resources. 

[Spider1975]

21 minutes ago, Tangled web said:

Are you saying that we should be using some of our playing budget to set up a full time professional women's team?

QP were at the forefront of the development of the men's game back in the 1800's; wouldn't it be fitting if the club mirrored history by striving to be at the 'point of the lance' for the Women's game in Scotland too?  

Besides, if the playing budget was allocated down to performance it could be argued that the Women deserve it.

[Tangled web]

38 minutes ago, Arachnophile said:

but if we get promotion this season, trying to compete against Rangers, Celtic & Glasgow City with an amateur team would just be embarrassing.

Would you disagree?

I don't know. Are those Women's teams professional?

[an86]

9 minutes ago, Tangled web said:

I don't know. Are those Women's teams professional?

All three offer full-time professional football. A number of others offer semi-professional opportunities. 

[williebraveheart]

1 hour ago, Tangled web said:

I don't know. Are those Women's teams professional?

Think you need to do some research before further comment.

[Tangled web]

2 hours ago, williebraveheart said:

Think you need to do some research before further comment.

Where better to learn than P&B? I've made no comment on this subject, just asked questions. I'm grateful for the responses.

[Bring Your Own Socks]

8 hours ago, an86 said:

It shouldn’t matter who is at the helm. A club basically reinventing itself in the 2020s should instinctively be treating women’s football with an awful lot more respect than it is.

Sexism isn’t all 1970s jokes and wolf whistling. It’s institutional. We’re telling young boys in Glasgow that they have a ceiling at Queen’s Park to play professional football. We’re telling young girls that they have a ceiling to play for an amateur team that’s attached to our foundation. That’s a choice our club is making. 

What actions like that are really saying is that we can make more money out of the lads, so they’re more worthy of our investment. Whilst it’s true that there is more money swirling around in men’s football, we’re supposed to be about “community values” and equal pathways. It’s demonstrably not the case. 

The Foundation covers the community aspect, of which there are girls teams. The Women’s team however is part of QPFC. Perhaps the eleven-man committee need to have a closer look.

[Hampden Diehard]

I think we need to sort out the men's team before we tackle any professional status for the women's team. It's a tad challenging at the moment, and that's without considering the potential loss of Beuker. Let's not forget, we're running a fully professional first team squad and a massive youth set up via one man's philanthropy on a home support of about 700.

Unless someone comes in with a big wad of cash to fund the women's team and that allows us to support them adequately to compete with, at least, the semi-professional sides, I can't see us going down that road. I'm not being all "yer da" here, I'm just trying to be realistic. It would be absolutely terrific if we could try to emulate what we're doing with the men's side, and this would complement that setup beautifully, but we would need another Willie Haughey to do that.

[Spider Rico]

7 hours ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

The Foundation covers the community aspect, of which there are girls teams. The Women’s team however is part of QPFC. Perhaps the eleven-man committee need to have a closer look.

The women’s team still sits under the Foundation in the organisational structure. 

[Bring Your Own Socks]

1 hour ago, Spider Rico said:

The women’s team still sits under the Foundation in the organisational structure. 

I’m impressed we have an organisational structure.

 According to the website, the men and women first teams are now the only teams on the Squad page. Young Queen’s Park has very recently been moved to the Foundation page where, oddly, the Men’s and Women’s squads are also listed. 

On the Fixtures page they show the Men, Women and Young all listed which is inconsistent with the Squads.

On the Community tab they have changed things around and it’s not as obvious that this is the Foundation page but if you scroll to the bottom you can see the banner showing it is the Foundation. Within that is the various levels of Community football for both adults and children. Whilst it’s generally believed that “community” is entry level and part of the stream to academy/first team, it’s not. Community, at all clubs, is a revenue stream. The Women’s team is not Community football but the girl’s teams are, ergo the Women’s team shouldn’t be under the Foundation organisation. 

I’d make an educated guess that they are on the same fixture/squad pages as the men because the SWPL is a subsidiary company of the SPFL. But again, this is at odds with the Young team as they too play in an SPFL league. 

I’d love to see an organisation chart but if the structure of the website - which is our window to the world - is to be believed then I imagine the organisation chart is like one of this pinboards you see in crime drama movies with random pictures and bits of string everywhere.