The Queen of the South thread

[LeodhasXD]

Just now, Greenacres said:

This we must be full time is going to make it very difficult to sign players .

Todd had a full time offer from us but like many players at our level had decided to drop down to Annan play part time and try and  get a job will make so much more in wages .

Todd stays locally if he had the option of part time with us I am sure he would have taken it Very worried now about the quality Murphy will be able to get in .

On the other hand, Church definitely wanted to leave to be a full-time footballer. I don't think money was objectively the reason. Obviously not worked out with injuries but the point stands. There's certainly some that will expect it to benefit them in the future working at being a footballer every day instead of having another job and making two incomes. 

 

19 minutes ago, Otis Blue said:

I know I'm in the minority here but I see that the Diddly Cup has had it's prize money increased by 50% next season, and the winner receives £100k - not to be sniffed at for our level.

Also no foreign sides - replaced by HL and LL sides.

I'm a big fan of the increase. A competition which has lost its luster in recent memory suddenly starts to feel quite handy to win.

[Homer Thompson]

21 minutes ago, Greenacres said:

This we must be full time is going to make it very difficult to sign players .

Todd had a full time offer from us but like many players at our level had decided to drop down to Annan play part time and try and  get a job will make so much more in wages .

Todd stays locally if he had the option of part time with us I am sure he would have taken it Very worried now about the quality Murphy will be able to get in .

Your geography is clearly as bad as your accounting

[84yards]

Glad Todd has left and was always expected to return to Galabank at some point, esp with Mr Gibson in charge.

Maybe a season or two ago he should’ve departed. Like many, he played one good game then posting missing for five/six.

Trading Benji for Todd is a good deal Imo. 

[parsforlife]

15 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

There's certainly some that will expect it to benefit them in the future working at being a footballer every day instead of having another job and making two incomes. 

Younger players certainly are more inclined to take FT deals on not great wages and it's not always on a direct 'well if I take the hit now but make it FT long term I'll be better off' Attitude, I think there's other motivations for it,  including but not limited too being able to tell young women In shithole nightclubs that your a footballer.  

[19QOS19]

21 minutes ago, 84yards said:

Glad Todd has left and was always expected to return to Galabank at some point, esp with Mr Gibson in charge.

Maybe a season or two ago he should’ve departed. Like many, he played one good game then posting missing for five/six.

Trading Benji for Todd is a good deal Imo. 

He must have played shite for the whole season for him to have been on of our best performer for the last 5/6 games last season then...

[Slipmat]

1 hour ago, Greenacres said:

This we must be full time is going to make it very difficult to sign players .

Todd had a full time offer from us but like many players at our level had decided to drop down to Annan play part time and try and  get a job will make so much more in wages .

Todd stays locally if he had the option of part time with us I am sure he would have taken it Very worried now about the quality Murphy will be able to get in .

It's always about money with you!  Don't forget when Todd played for Dumbarton it was on amateur forms.  Maybe Murphy couldn't guarantee Todd a regular place in the team but Wullie sees him as a key player for Annan.  Maybe Todd wants to see his career out at the club where he broke through.  Sometimes there's more to it than the wage offered, y'know.

Edited May 27 by Slipmat

[Distant Doonhamer]

12 minutes ago, Slipmat said:

It's always about money with you!  Don't forget when Todd played for Dumbarton it was on amateur forms.  Maybe Murphy couldn't guarantee Todd a regular place in the team but Wullie sees him as a key player for Annan.  Maybe Todd wants to see his career out at the club where he broke through.  Sometimes there's more to it than the wage offered, y'know.

All good points. 

Not sure "seeing out his career" should be a priority for someone who isn't quite 30 yet.

[ALOREBURNE]

13 minutes ago, Distant Doonhamer said:

All good points. 

Not sure "seeing out his career" should be a priority for someone who isn't quite 30 yet.

I was amazed he wasn’t even 30 yet tbh. Feels like he’s been about forever. 

[sneeuq]

23 minutes ago, Distant Doonhamer said:

All good points. 

Not sure "seeing out his career" should be a priority for someone who isn't quite 30 yet.

Wow, thought he was well into his 30s, certainly looking at his fitness doesn’t seem to be someone in his 20s.

[QoS99]

I think I might need to scream into a pillow if I read about our shitey budget one more time on here.

[Katboy]

Like a number of other posters I would have been happy if Todd had stayed.  However, I'm not gutted that he's gone.  Was certainly one of our better performers towards the end of the season although the bar was pretty low.  Good luck to him, I think he'll be a good signing for Annan.

Our midfield has been an issue for a few seasons now so a complete overhaul is long overdue.

[Whiteside]

As a Cumbrian football supporter as a whole particularly Workington afc I’ve been taking more notice of Queens with the arrival of Murphy and the threat of losing more players from across the border, luckily for us you seem to be staying full time as that would be a major influence on player’s decisions. Not a massive pool of players of high ability available on this side of the border and a few of annans are always on our shopping list, Kai Nugent already committed to returning to Workington and hopefully Swinglehurst and Douglas. For yourselves think Paul Huntington is the man you need recently released at Carlisle but probably still wanting full time football, good luck in the new season, a pre season game up your end would suit me

[HighlandQueen]

11 hours ago, 19QOS19 said:

He must have played shite for the whole season for him to have been on of our best performer for the last 5/6 games last season then...

I think his legs have gone. Personally I thought he was indifferent last season. Need to do better than last season’s failures if we are to challenge. Not easy to get good players in but I’m hopeful Murphy will find a way. Rather he took his time than the Marv spray and pray approach. 

[Mon_The_South]

On 26/05/2024 at 14:58, the_palmy_pie said:

What’s our budget this year ? 

Couple of Shilling and a few Tanners....

Talking Tanners, I genuinely hope that the Tanner Fund and club kick things off again but to see the fund produce the cash for the first team like it was originally meant to be.... With the boards initial communication (yes i'm a broken record) it is apparent they want to get behind the fund and encourage as many fans as possible to get involved... obviously enabling a bigger pot... Got to be a positive move to bring the fans into its involvement 

[DoonhamerDon]

No idea what sort of budget we have or squad we will be able to pull together - we'll just have to wait and see over the coming weeks. I'll enjoy the excitement of the unknown/possibilites before the crushing realisation/pessimism kicks in.

I'm mostly just popping in to register my astonishment that Josh Todd is still in his 20s  At least 5 years younger than I had assumed.

 

[Otis Blue]

Like some others I'd just imagined that Todd was into his 30s now, guess it must be his thinning hair (welcome to the club Josh lad ...), so there should be plenty football left in him yet for Annan.  In some games you could still see the quality player that's in there, but I got the feeling that he was only showing it less and less often - maybe it was the Marvin disillusionment factor that had kicked in with him too.  Anyhow, seems a good lad and wish him well.

[Fae_the_'briggs]

Todd can certainly still look a good player with a decent but of skill but I felt he often wanted too much time on the ball to do things and in these lower leagues you've got players snapping at your heels too quickly to dwell on the ball. I'd have been ok with him staying but maybe best for him to move on for a fresh challenge. I did think he was one of our best performers in the closing stages of the season, at least I got the impression that he gave a toss about the position we were in, unlike some of the others. I don't know if he's solely reliant on football wages but at least he'll save a bit on petrol travelling to training. Wish him well in all but 4 games next season.

[HIT THE CHANNEL]

Hi folks, I am following up on the idea that I floated in various threads to write to local representatives to try and prevent the ban on artificial pitches in Scottish Premiership. 

If you read the Consultation paper, it is crystal clear that the ban is unfair and regressive - the recommendations for ensuring quality artificial pitches are sound.

Numbers and momentum is everything, so please, please do email (if you have 5 minutes for reading nonsense on P&B you have 2 mins to send two emails!). I recommend sending two emails, one to your MSP and one to your councillor/council lead.

I have created a draft email to copy and paste. I have also included instructions for who to email for rovers fans in Kirkcaldy (perhaps some kind soul could do similar for their own team in Airdrie/Falkirk/Dumfries/Hamilton/Cove respectively. I have left the Rovers version below as a template). I also have included how to find who to email. Thanks folks!

 

EMAIL SUBJECT LINE: RE: Potential ban of artificial surfaces in the Scottish Premiership

 

Dear NAME OF MSP/COUNCILLOR,

 

Purpose of writing

I am writing to raise concerns about the potential ban of artificial surfaces in the Scottish Premiership. There is a proposed vote taking place in the coming weeks. This vote will only be open to current Premiership clubs with the vote being for a blanket ban of artificial surfaces from season 2026/27.

 

Facts of the case

I would like to draw your attention to this joint statement provided by several clubs who presently have artificial surfaces (Raith Rovers, Falkirk, Queen of the South and Hamilton Academical), and especially to the detailed position paper which sets out a series of arguments and recommendations to allow artificial surfaces to continue to be used. The joint statement is here: https://www.raithrovers.net/artificial-pitch-statement; the consultation paper is here (created by the four aforementioned clubs alongside Airdrieonians and Cove Rangers): https://online.publuu.com/516411/1157872

 

Key points: Artificial surfaces are permitted at the very pinnacle of the game, being used in Champions League fixtures. There is therefore no good argument for banning them with regards to quality. Banning artificial surfaces would have a deleterious effect on sporting integrity and, most importantly, have a devastating impact on various clubs’ capacity to act as a sustainable community hub, providing a basis for boys, girls and women’s football to thrive.

 

Request

I would like to request:

a) Public support of the consultation paper and to advocate that a ban on artificial pitches should not be permitted.

b) That this issue is raised with appropriate senior ministers with the request to support the consultation paper and to advocate that a ban on artificial pitches should not be permitted.

c) Raising the issue directly with the SPFL, the Scottish football governing body, to advocate that the consultation paper’s recommendations be accepted and a ban on artificial pitches should not be permitted.

 

Yours Sincerely,

YOUR FULL NAME:

YOUR HOME ADDRESS:

 

 

Find your MSP here: https://www.parliament.scot/msps; find your local councillor here: https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-councillors

For Rovers fans in Kirkcaldy I recommend contacting a) David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy here: David.Torrance.msp@parliament.scot and b) Cllr. David Ross, who is leader of Fife Council and represents Kirkcaldy North, here: cllr.david.ross@fife.gov.uk For Rovers fans, here is the link to Fife councillors:  https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/about-your-council2/politicians-and-committees/your-local-councillors/councillor;

[Alex Nesovic's Barmy Army]

15 hours ago, Greenacres said:

This we must be full time is going to make it very difficult to sign players .

Todd had a full time offer from us but like many players at our level had decided to drop down to Annan play part time and try and  get a job will make so much more in wages .

Todd stays locally if he had the option of part time with us I am sure he would have taken it Very worried now about the quality Murphy will be able to get in .

You looking forward to the new season?

[bod]

Lots being said about Todd and I don't think anyone can disagree he was one of our better and more consistent performers especially over the latter part of the season. I would have preferred if he stayed especially because of his versatility as we'll be having a reduced squad.