By Editor • Sept 28th, 2008 • Category: Match Reviews

For those used to the sight of Scotland's national stadium packed to the rooftops with national pride for international matches, it is a truly curious event hard to be matched on any given Saturday in European football.    For around 500 people every two weeks a match in Scotland's League Division Two at the third rung of the league system of the league ladder is played at a stadium rated as five star by UEFA.   In recent times it has hosted the Champions League final; UEFA cup final as well as World Cup qualifying matches involving the Scottish national team.  

On September 27th 2008 it witnessed an event as far from these games as you can get. A domestic match between the amatuer side of Queens Park FC and Alloa Athletic played in front of less than 600 people.   Historically, Queens Park are not as small as the average crowds would suggest, and can rightly be regarding as the oldest team in Scotland and the official second oldest in world football with a history in the 19th Century notable and respected.  Only Notts County of black and white vertical striped shirts are older.   Long before the traditional Scottish giants of Celtic and Rangers grew to fame, the club were twice runners up in the FA Cup final in the 1880's where they lost to Blackburn Rovers and ten times the winner of the Scottish FA cup during the same period.  Oddly as well, QPFC also provided all of the players for Scotland when the first ever international football match was played against England in 1972.   Since then the successes of the club have been mimimal or in laymans terms 'nothing to write home about' if only for the outsider looking in that is.    For the club's hardy band of loyal fans however, Second and Third division Championship wins in 1981 and and 2000 were achievments so noteworthy for a club with its history and tradition. 

As you approach Mount Florida station (the nearest Glasgow suburban station to Hampden Park) there is little evidence that a match is going to occur.  The streets surrounding the ground are empty, no cars and traffic and not even a supporters bus from the visiting Alloa Athletic can be seen.    The first sighting of any possibility of a match occuring is when a group of five Alloa supporters ascend the Hampden staircase near the West Stand to enter the ground.  Inside the main concourse is a sight uncommon at games of this level.   Numerous old programme and pin badge sellers peddle badge collections to other grassroots fans and Queens Park club shirts are on sale to those eager to don the colours of the side.   The shirt is of course the famous White and Black narrow hoops, possibily one of the most traditional shirts still in existance in the league.  Clearly the fans gazing at the badges on sale were no ordinary fans "have you got an Albanian league badges?" asked one fan to the seller before purchasing the latest QPFC scarf.

As the teams are about to enter the turf another unique event bellows out from the sound system.  The Queens Park Club song 'to play for the sake of playing' is sang by what I was later told was a group of Queens Park fans in a recording studio.   The title of the song was also a translation of the QPFC club motto 'Ludere causa ludendi' which is scrawled accross the club crest.  Whilst the Alloa Athletic travelling support numbered no more than 60, the select group of fans who follow Queens Park made themselves heard from the kick off.  Looking on it was a select band, at least when compared to other supporters in Scottish Football.  An assortment of students, teenagers, pensioners and families from what was clearly 'the middle classes'; so very dffferent to the normal complexities of the masses which follow Glasgow's 'other' teams on a regular basis.    At half time we were asked "which team do you normally follow" from a loyal Queens Park fan who had followed the club for 27 years.  He then went on to speak sarcastically or proudly about how Queens Park will never attain any great heights and had no need to as they 'had been there and done it already.'   And with that the teams arrived for the second half.

Surprisingly the football on display was of a decent standard.  Forget the myth of long ball and dirty tackles.  Both teams got the ball down, tried to show skill and play football on the ground.   As the game wore on and tired legs set in both sides had efforts on goal and the Queens Park goalkeeper made a number of outstanding saves that would have graced any level of football.  The winning goal itself for Queens Park was a decent effort from a piece of creative play.   In effect then for the big boys in Scottish Football Queens Park FC are simply amatuers who will never challenge the traditons of the game in Scotland as things currently stand.  However, if you watch any standard of football today there are a number of players playing a higher level who can be tarred with the 'amatuer' brush, at least on an off day.  Yes QPFC have no pretentions as to what they can perhaps become, but the players of the team and its fans are as a club, aware of the history and traditons.  

Before the match of course we did our research into the Queens Park fan base and those that followed the club home and away.    From this expereince it was clear that the supporters were real fans and proper supporters.    Forget people turning up as they had nothing esle to do, as aside from a few curious visitors the vast majority of people decked in Black and white looked like they actually cared and loved the club.    Away from home by all accounts the club can take up to 100 fans.  The QPFC matchday programme making note that supporters buses to forthcoming games against Stranraer and Bechin City were sure to be as popular as ever.  Aparently some of the club supporters have jovially called themselves the 'Irn-Bru Firm' a somewhat comical rather than serious reference to the club main shirt sponsor and a famous Scottish soft drink rather than any hooligan 'firm'.  Moreover a link has been formed with supporters of German Club SG Wattenscheid 09 and about three Queens Park fans wearing official fan items of the German club were seem within Hampden.  The friendship extends further as QPFC have also played a number of pre-season games in the German city.

Not every game at Hampden attracts attendances in the hundreds.    Games against Morton, Partick Thistle, Airdrie United and Raith Rovers can attract around 2000 to Hampden.   The vast majority of these will be visiting fans but Queens Park supporters take great pleasure in goading the fans of the supposedly larger clubs especially if they win or achieve a draw.   Alloa Athletic fans were the subject of a number of chants from Queens Park fans the most memorable of these being "Are you Clyde in disguise?"   This being reference to the supposed traditonal local rivals of Clyde FC.  

In an age when a number of clubs attract glory seeking merchandised decked new football supporters, fans of smaller clubs such as QPFC need to be acknowledged.  A matchday outing at Hampden for a Scottish Second Division match may leave you cold, windswept and offer you space to rest your legs, bags and camera at an open stadia more noted for 50,000 attendances, but you may also see what football means to those at the lower end of the scale.   Entry to a Queens Park match can be acheived for only £2 per game for senior citizins and under 16 year olds.  Moreover a season ticket will cost you only between £40-£120.    Measure that against the £27 you pay weekly to see Glasgow Rangers and its up to the fan, depending on allegiences, to decide which provides the best value for money.  For visiting fans of smaller teams such as Alloa and Brechin City games against Queens Park also provide the opportunity to visit one of the proudest and most famous grounds in Europe.   And, if you are more used to visiting Glebe Park Brechin or Somerset park Ayr, that is no bad thing.
 
By Editor.