Football Season Guide

There have been big changes at Queen’s Park over the past 12 months and it came as little surprise that they romped to the League 2 title last season. No longer at the Hampden side an amateur outfit, with ambitious owners seeking to lift them to the upper echelons of the Scottish game but turning them into a full-time outfit. Automatically, that should make them one of the strongest teams at this level as they will come up against part-time players in the main. The League Cup performances would seem to back that up, with away wins over Queen of the South and Annan, as well as a narrow home loss against Premiership club Motherwell and a defeat on penalties to Airdrie. In the summer, meanwhile, there was a change of manager. Ray McKinnon was an uninspired and negative appointment last season, and his assistant Laurie Ellis has stepped up to replace him. It is his first main job, although he has plenty of experience at Raith Rovers, Dundee United and Queen of the South as an assistant. There has been no major overhaul of the playing staff, with those players who have departed relatively unimportant last season. The one exception was winger David Galt, who was a menace even when coming off the bench. Meanwhile, the squad has been bolstered by several fresh signings. Perhaps the most impressive of these if goalkeeper Calum Ferrie, who has arrived on a free transfer after failing to make the breakthrough at Dundee. Attacking midfielder Lewis Moore, meanwhile, has plenty of experience at this level on loan from Hearts. QP have been built from their defence forward, and that is evident in terms of the players they have in the rearguard. The likes of Peter Grant, Michael Doyle and Lee Kilday are all experienced players who could be playing at a higher level if they wished. The midfield, meanwhile, is not as impressive, although Grant Gillespie and Darren Lyon are still good players to anchor this area of the side. In attack, there is an abundance of options. Bob McHugh and Simon Murray, who admittedly spent much of last season injured, are forwards that should be far too good for this standard, while in reserve having the likes of Louis Longridge, Jai Quitongo and Will Baynham means there is ample depth.