Our second millennium
The turn of the Millennium proved a good one for Queen's and our new coach. We charged to the league title in 1999-2000, and saw the Hampden project come to fruition when the doors opened on the new stadium.
Queen's Park then began life in the second division well, storming to the top of the table. It didn't last, however, and we slipped into trouble, eventually being relegated on goal difference after finishing in second last spot.
Cowboy rode off into the sunset to be replaced by former player Kenny Brannigan. But his term wasn't a success and he departed to be replaced by former Scots international Billy Stark.
Billy set about rebuilding the team, and boosting links with the local community. He also turned the clock full circle, going back to the passing style of play adopted all those years ago by the founding fathers of the club. That, and an influx of talent through the club's youth ranks, saw us make a late charge into title contention in season 2006-07.
We fell just short of that goal, but achieved another couple of firsts - winning promotion without winning the league, and achieving the goal at our first-ever entry into the play-offs. That success came at a price, however, and the exploits of our manager earned him the post of Scotland Under-21 boss.
He was replaced at Hampden by Gardner Speirs, who faced a tough task after coming in midway through the following season. Although we retained our place in Division 2 at the end of that term, a number of players moved on, and relegation via the play-offs was our next fate.
Gardner has maintained the passing game philosophy, and has reached the promotion play-offs every season since we were relegated. Unfortunately, that elusive final step has still to be taken, and the club remains in Division 3.
More than 140 years after a number of gentlemen met, Queen’s Park is still going strong. The club remains true to those famous, early traditions, with players playing for the love of the game.
But while the club is no longer the dominant force on the field that it once was, its players are still capable of delivering a severe bloody nose to far bigger professional outfits. Aberdeen found that to their cost when the Queen’s Park of 2007 produced the greatest result in their modern history to send the Dons crashing out of the CIS Cup on penalties.
