Queen’s Park

Queen’s Park Football Club is a Scottish football team, and is the oldest football club in Scotland, founded in 1867. The club is steeped with much history and tradition, and remains the only amateur club in the Scottish League. The club’s home is one of 29 UEFA five-star stadia, the all-seated Hampden Park in south east Glasgow, which is also the home of the Scottish national team. Queen’s Park have won the Scottish Cup the third most amount of times, behind Rangers and Celtic.

A tour to Ireland to play Caledonians produced so much excitement that the first Irish football club, Cliftonville, was founded soon afterwards.

Queen’s Park, also known as “The Hoops” and “The Spiders”, were founded on 9 July 1867, and are the oldest in Scottish Football. Queen’s had soon developed its own code of rules for football. At this time there was no official code. The first official international match between Scotland and England was organised by Queen’s Park and played under Queen’s Park’s rules. The Scottish side consisted entirely of Queen’s Park players who wore their club jerseys, which were blue. Today, this colour is used by the national team. In 1873 the club changed its home strip to black and white hoops and these colours remain today. This is where the club’s nickname originated.

The club has historically resisted professionalism in the game; former professional players from other clubs were not allowed to play for Queen’s Park and in 1890 the club refused to join the newly-formed Scottish League. The club also feared the League would dominate the game and cause the demise of smaller clubs. Six of the founder members of the League soon went out of existence. Queen’s Park were however being left behind by the League, so in 1900 they took up the opportunity to enter. Special favours were granted by the League; not only were they the only amateur members, they were also protected from relegation to the Second Division until 1922.

Queen’s Park also played in the English Leagues in the late 19th century and even came close to winning the league, when their kit was green for a short time as the owner at the time believed it would bring them luck.

The club has twice finished runner-up, both times to Blackburn Rovers, in the predominantly English competition, the FA Cup. This was in 1884 and 1885, prior to the Scottish Cup, which they now enter. Such was the club’s dominance in the early days of football that it did not concede a goal until January 16, 1875, 8 years after the club’s formation.

Since World War II the club has been comparatively unsuccessful, rarely playing in the top division and failing to make a big impression when it did. Only since the 1990s have former professional players been allowed to play for the club, thus allowing many of the higher quality players to play for Queen’s Park. Only under the influence of coach John McCormack did the club management allow players to come on loan from professional clubs. Although still amateur, the managers are now paid “honorariums”. The Spiders’ last trophy win came in 2000, when they won the 3rd Division Championship.

One of the club’s most famous results in recent years came on 22 August 2006 in the third round of the CIS Insurance League Cup, with Queen’s Park defeating SPL side Aberdeen on penalties 5-3, having held out at 0-0 for 120 minutes.
Contents

1

History

2 Support
o 2.1 Q.P.S.A.
o 2.2 Famous supporters
3 Stadium
o 3.1 Queen’s Park at Hampden
4 First Team Squad
5 League Record
6 Notable players
7 Rivals
8 Trivia
9 Milestones
10

Honours

11 External links

History

Main article:

History

of Queen’s Park F.C.

Queen’s Park F.C. is an epitome of amateurism within the modern game of Association football and was formed after a meeting at 3 Eglington Terrace, on the south side of Glasgow, on 9th July, 1867. The name is synonymous with their ground – Hampden Park, the National stadium of Scotland. Of all the forty-two clubs that make up Scotland’s senior football leagues, only Queen’s Park remains staunchly amateur.

Like his predecessors before him, the present-day player still dons the ‘glorious’ black and white hooped shirt that proudly bears the Latin motto:

“Ludere causa ludendi” – “to play for the sake of playing”.

Support

The Spiders’ support is known for being vociferous, especially during away games, where the loyal support gets behind their team, win, lose or draw. For a relatively ‘small’ team, the fans take impressively strong numbers on their travels, usually more to local games (see Rivals section). The Spiders’ support call themselves the “Irn Bru Firm” and currently share an enjoyable relationship with supporters of German club SG Wattenscheid 09.

The club’s fans traditionally come from the South/South-East part of Glasgow and pride themselves on being anti-sectarian in contrast to factions of the support of Rangers and Celtic.

Q.P.S.A.

The Queen’s Park Supporters’ Association was founded over fifty years ago to help bring together like minded supporters who shared a common interest in the Queen’s Park Football Club.

In recent years membership has increased steadily, with supporters now registered throughout the world. This rise has partly been due to the recent success of the club on-field, but primarily it has been attained through the dedicated work of association secretary, Keith McAllister.

As well as providing a channel to keep members informed of activities in and around Hampden, the association generates much needed income which in turn goes towards helping to maintain the various activities within the club such as donations toward the youth set-up, club website or acknowledging the service of past and present players.

Running a club shop on match days and providing supporters’ buses to away grounds as well a organising social events, are only some examples of the work the Association carries out every season.

The success of the Q.P.S.A is such that a special section for the younger supporters has been established.

Famous supporters

Scotland Bob Crampsey, respected football and sport historian, writes the column ‘Now You Know’ in the Evening Times every Wednesday.

Stadium

Queen’s Park currently play at Hampden Park.
Hampden Park
Enlarge
Hampden Park

Queen’s Park at Hampden

By the middle of the 1880s, Queen’s Park were in their prime, recognised as the best and most famous club across the British Isles. The team could draw in 10,000 spectators to watch a ‘friendly’, hence the club recognising that a purpose built stadia for supporters was the way ahead, and plans where soon put in place for a new stadium to accommodate the huge interest the public was taking in the round ball game.

After leaving their original Hampden ground which incidentally had turnstiles at entry gates already in place – the first of its kind at any sporting venue, Queen’s Park moved into an all purpose built stadium near Crosshill in 1884. This new venue, which retained the original name – Hampden Park (later this was to become home to Third Lanark and its name was changed to Cathkin Park) remained a major sporting venue for nearly 20 years.

As popularity in the game took immense strides, Queen’s Park members’ thoughts turned once again towards accommodating a public turning out in great numbers to watch the game. By 1900, steadfast plans were put in place, starting with the purchase of 12 acres of farmland at Mount Florida. The intention was to build a brand new stadium that would offer comfortable surroundings in a pleasant environment. This, the present day Hampden Park, was finally completed three years later and officially opened on 31 October 1903.

More innovations followed – a press box in 1906 and, towards the end of the 1920s, crush barriers had been introduced as well as a tannoy system and a car park outside the ground. Other firsts followed including the world’s first all-ticket match – a game against the ‘Auld Enemy’ in 1937.

‘Hampden’ is one of the homes of football and celebrated its centenary on October 31, 2003. The stadium also houses the offices of the Scottish Football Association.

Hampden was the largest stadium in the world until 1950, when the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro was completed. After the release of the Taylor Report in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster, among other football tragedies, Hampden Park was converted to an all-seater. The current capacity is about 52,500.

The crowd who came to see football matches at Hampden were renowned for creating the Hampden Roar. The noise created was said to terrify opposing teams who came to play there. In recent times the roar has said to be more muted, with the capacity of the stadium being reduced from its heyday.

First Team Squad
No.         Position     Player
Scotland     GK     David Crawford
Scotland     GK     Mark Cairns
Scotland     GK     Alexander Cowie
Scotland     DF     Damiano Agostini
Scotland     DF     Shaun Molloy
Scotland     DF     Anthony Quinn
Scotland     DF     Richard Sinclair (Captain)
Scotland     DF     Alan Trouten
Scotland     DF     Mick Dunlop
Scotland     MF     Paul Paton
Scotland     MF     Steven Reilly
Scotland     MF     Michael Keenan

No.         Position     Player
England     MF     Jonathan Whelan
Scotland     MF     Steven Canning
Scotland     MF     Stuart Kettlewell
Scotland     MF     Mark Ferry
Scotland     MF     Thomas Murray
Scotland     MF     John Weir
Scotland     MF     Tony Livingston
Scotland     FW     Paul Ronald
Scotland     FW     Richard Bowers
Scotland     FW     David Wetherston
Scotland     FW     Robert Dunn
Scotland     FW     Frankie Carroll

League Record

In recent years, the Spiders have swayed between Division Two and Division Three, but failing to make an impact on Division Two during the seasons they reached there.
Season     Division     Pos     P     W     D     L     F     A     Pts
1993-94     2     11th     39     12     10     17     52     76     34
1994-95     3     8th     36     12     6     18     46     57     42
1995-96     3     6th     36     12     12     12     40     43     48
1996-97     3     8th     36     9     9     18     46     59     36
1997-98     3     7th     36     10     11     15     42     55     41
1998-99     3     6th     36     11     11     14     41     46     44
1999-00     3     1st     36     20     9     7     54     37     69
2000-01     2     9th     36     10     10     16     28     40     40
2001-02     3     10th     36     9     8     19     38     53     35
2002-03     3     8th     36     7     11     18     39     51     32
2003-04     3     7th     36     10     11     15     41     53     41
2004-05     3     4th     36     13     9     14     51     50     48
2005-06     3     6th     36     13     12     11     47     42     51
2006-07     3     2nd     14     8     2     4     21     13     26

Pos = Position; P = Played; W = Won; D = Drawn; L = Lost; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; Pts = Points; = Season Not Yet Finished;

Notable players

Scotland Ronnie Simpson, goalkeeper in the famous 1967 European Cup-winning Celtic team (the Lisbon Lions).
Scotland Robert W Gardner, Scotland’s very first team captain.
Scotland Alex Ferguson, later manager of Manchester United
Scotland Malky MacKay, currently of Watford
Scotland Simon Donnelly, Scotland cap and ex-Celtic player.
Scotland John Lambie, who still holds the record as the youngest Scotland player and captain of all time.
Scotland Andrew Watson, was the world’s first black international football player.
Scotland Alan Morton, was a diminutive Scottish international footballer and “Wembley Wizard”.
Scotland Jack Harkness, was a Scottish international goalkeeper and “Wembley Wizard” while with Queens Park.
Scotland Robert Smith McColl, one of Queen’s Park’s greatest ever players, leading to a long, successful career with the Spiders, Scotland and beyond. Better known in the modern day for his newsagent establishment, RS McColl’s.

Rivals

Partick Thistle, Clyde, and Albion Rovers

Trivia

Queen’s have won the Scottish Cup, Scotlands premier club cup competition, the third most amount of times, behind Rangers and Celtic F.C. and ahead of the likes of Hearts and Aberdeen.
During the inaugural meeting, debate raged over the club’s name. Proposals included: ‘The Celts’; ‘The Northern’ and ‘Morayshire’. Perhaps such choice of names suggest a strong Highland influence within the new club. After much deliberation, ‘Queen’s Park’ was adopted and carried, but only by a majority of one vote.
For the first ever International football match, which was between Scotland and England, the Scotland team was made up entirely of Queen’s Park players.
The Spiders’ dominance of Scottish football in the 1800′s was such that the club was invited to play in the English F.A. Cup, and even reached the final of the famous competition twice.
After Queen’s Park’s tour of Ireland in 1879, it produced so much excitement that the first Irish club, Cliftonville F.C. was founded.
At Lesser Hampden the old farmhouse used for dressing rooms for the Queen’s Park reserves and youth had originally been earmarked for demolition, but this was never carried out, reputedly making it the oldest football related building in existence.
Queen’s Park has the distinction of being the first Scottish club to feature on television. The date was March 1951, when they played a televised friendly match against London amateur side, Walthamstow Avenue. The Spiders won the game 2-0, courtesy of a Derek Grierson double.

Milestones

Date of formation: 9 July 1867

Most capped player: Walter Arnott (14 caps)

Most League points in a season: 57 (Division 2 – season 1922/23) 2 points for a win 69 (3rd Division – season 1999/00) 3 points for a win

Most League goals scored by a player in a season: William Martin (30 goals – season 1937/38)

Record Queen’s Park victory: 16-0 -v- St Peters (Scottish Cup, 29 August 1885)

Record Queen’s Park defeat: 0-9 -v- Motherwell (Division 1, 29 April 1930)

Record attendance:

For Hampden: 149,415 – Scotland v England, 13 April 1937. This is the record for the largest official attendance at a football match in Britain, though The White Horse Cup Final is much higher.

For Queen’s Park: 95,722 v Rangers (Scottish Cup 1st Round, 18 January 1930).

Honours

Division II 1922/23: 1922/23

B Division: 1955/56

Scottish Second Division: 1980/81

Third Division: 1999/2000

Scottish Cup: Winners: 1874, 1875, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1886, 1890, 1893 Runners-Up: 1892, 1900

Glasgow Cup: Winners: 1889, 1890, 1899, 1946 Runners-Up: 1896, 1898, 1929, 1932, 1940, 1965, 1985

Sheriff of London Charity Shield 1899

Glasgow League: Winners: 1897 Runners up: 1898

Charity Cup: Winners: 1877, 1878, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1891. Runners up: 1889, 1890, 1894, 1896, 1906, 1908, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1953, 1957

F.A. Cup: Runners-Up: 1884, 1885

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