Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club formed in March 1919 and located in Dumfries. Queen of the South are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS"Burnsy" www.qosfc.com (as listed on the club badge). Their home ground since formation has been Palmerston Park. They joined the Scottish Football League at the start of the 1923–24 season.

The club's national honours include winning the Division B Championship in season 1950–51, the Second Division Championship in the 2001–02 and 2012–13 seasons and also the Scottish Challenge Cup in the 2002–03 and 2012–13 season. Queens led Scotland's top division up until New Year in season 1953–54 and Queens highest finish in Scotland's top division was fourth in season 1933–34. The club reached their first major cup final in 2008 when they reached the final of the Scottish Cup, where they were runners-up to Rangers.

Formation and early success

Club name and formation Dumfries got its nickname Queen of the South from David Dunbar, a local poet, who in 1857 stood for Parliament in the General Election. In one of his addresses, he called Dumfries "Queen of the South" and this became synonymous with the town.

Early in 1919, a handful of Dumfries football enthusiasts met in their homes to discuss not only the restoration of competitive football fixtures locally (following the end of the First World War) but also the formation, through amalgamation, of a local football club to compete at more than a local level.

A public meeting was arranged in Dumfries Town Hall on 21 March 1919 on the proposed merger and representatives were approached by three clubs from Dumfries and Maxwelltown:

Dumfries F.C. 5th Kings Own Scottish Borderers (Car manufacturer works side) Arrol-Johnston

Another club, Dumfries Amateurs, declined the invitation to join and the other clubs agreed to the merger. Dumfries Amateurs dissolved in November 1920.

Queen of the South United was agreed upon as the name of the new club, and Palmerston Park, an already established football venue, was chosen as the club's home.

The club held their first formal meeting on 26 March 1919 at 38 Whitesands in Dumfries, at the premises of the New Bazaar public house.

After four trial matches, Queen of the South's (the United extension had been dropped along the way) first-ever game took place on 16 August 1919. Invites were sent to local councillors and magistrates, and the presence of Dumfries Town Band added to the sense of occasion. The opposition was Sanquhar side Nithsdale Wanderers, and the challenge game ended 2–2. Among those who played in this first game was Ian Dickson, who would leave in 1921 to play for Aston Villa.

The club badge contains the same motto as that on the crest for the town of Dumfries: A Lore Burne.

Queen of the South are unrelated to an earlier team named Queen of the South Wanderers that had become defunct in 1894.

Early days Queens early seasons were involved in regional set-ups.

Queens first-ever competitive fixture was on 6 September 1919, in the Scottish Qualifying Cup against Thornhill. After a 1–1 draw, Queens went through after a replay, also played at Palmerston. Queens first ever away match and first ever defeat was two rounds later in the Scottish Qualifying Cup, in a replay at Galston.

Very early in their careers, the form of Dave Halliday (1920) and Hughie Gallacher (1921) at Queen of the South proved to be the beginnings of successful careers elsewhere.

Jimmy McKinnell, from Dalbeattie, and Willie McCall and Tom Wylie were sold to Blackburn Rovers around the same time. This, combined with the sale to Aston Villa of Ian Dickson, helped to fund the purchase of Palmerston Park in 1921 for £1,500.

At a regional level, Queens won many cups in the Southern Counties set-up. Playing in the Western League, Queens were runners-up in 1921–22. Queens then created something of a sensation with the signing coup of Joe Dodds from Celtic. With further experience provided on the pitch by ex-Liverpool player Bob McDougall, Queens won the Western League in 1922–23 with a 20-game unbeaten league campaign.

Entering the Scottish Football League Queen of the South had applied unsuccessfully to join the Scottish Football League in seasons 1921–22 and 1922–23. The ambition bore fruit in 1923–24, however, when the club were invited to join the SFL at its lowest tier, the newly created Third Division, where Queens finished in third. The club's most notable achievement that season was in the Scottish Qualifying Cup. Then considerably more prestigious than now, Queens brought the cup to the South West for the first time in its 25-year history. In the final replay, a run through the opposition half and shot from Bob McDermid (on loan at Queens from Rangers before going on to captain Aberdeen) opened the scoring. Next, McDermid's "dummy" let Bert Lister in to hit the second. McDermid's left-foot finish sealed the 3–0 win and Queens were crowned cup winners. The train bringing the players and the cup back to Dumfries were met by crowds of jubilant well-wishers on the platforms and surrounding streets and approaches. The team were then entertained at the Town Hall buildings on Buccleuch Street.

Goalkeeper Jimmy Coupland signed in 1924 and made his debut aged 16. Queens first tangible national league success came in their second competitive season in 1924–25, finishing second behind Nithsdale Wanderers to gain promotion to the Second Division.

1926–27 saw Queens drawn competitively for the first time against Old Firm opposition. Queens took eventual winners Celtic to a replay before being eliminated from the Scottish Cup. Among those playing for Queens was inside left Billy Halliday, brother of Dave Halliday. The 21-year-old's nine goals in fifteen games that season saw Newcastle United offer him a contract. With the offer of higher wages and a signing-on fee, plus his brother's success as a goalscorer at nearby Sunderland, he signed. At Newcastle he joined Hughie Gallacher, who had captained the Geordies to the 1926–27 English League Championship.

1931–32 was notable for a number of reasons. Centre-forward Jimmy Rutherford hit what remains the record number of goals in one season for Queens: 41. The Scottish Cup campaign saw Queens inflict its record senior victory of 11–1. The opposition was south-west rivals Stranraer, whose goal was the last of the twelve scored. In the next round, Queens took First Division club Dundee United to two replays before being eliminated.

In 1932 Coupland was injured and was replaced by John Smith. Willie Savage joined the same year (he make would make 369 appearances for Queens). Willie Culbert also joined in 1932, and with Savage he would form the club's full-back partnership for years to come. Left winger Tommy McCall broke the national record of goals scored in a season from his position, scoring 32 goals. Queens ended their 1932–33 league campaign with a 2–1 victory over Second Division champions Hibernian. After consolidating their position in the Second Division over several of the previous seasons, Queen of the South were promoted to the First Division as runners-up. Ten years after entering the national leagues and with two promotions behind them, the club was ready for top-flight football.

1933 to 1966 and top division football

Top division football

From 1933, excluding war-time interruption, Queen of the South spent only one season out of Scotland's top division until 1959. In this period Queen's ability to live with the elite was demonstrated by its results against Celtic. On eighteen visits to Palmerston Park, Celtic managed just five victories. With three games drawn, Queens claimed full points on ten occasions.

First Season in the Top Division and Finishing Fourth Willie Ferguson joined Queen of the South at the start of 1933–34 season (after four years as a Queens player, Ferguson would become manager). In its first-ever game in the top division, a Queens team featuring Smith in goal, and Savage, Culbert and Ferguson playing outfield, Queens condemned Celtic to a 3–2 defeat. The Sunday Mail headline read, "Queen's brew hot stew, Celtic merely the gravy". The Celtic match programme the week after said, "We would be failing in our duty as Celts and as sportsmen if we omitted to congratulate Queen of the South on their victory over us. And we hope they will continue to serve up good, honest football which brought them their first victory in the league."

That season of 1933–34 saw the club's highest-ever league finish, with fourth place in Scotland's top flight. Irish international Laurie Cumming scored 24 goals that season. Centre half Adam Allan and winger and local player Willie Anderson would also figure prominently. Among the scalps Queens took that season were double victories over Celtic, Hibs and Hearts. Queens reached the Scottish Cup quarter finals before losing to two deflected goals away to St Johnstone.

1936 Overseas tour and Algiers Invitational Tournament In 1935, George McLachlan became Queen of the South manager (as well as playing in Scotland and in the 1927 FA Cup win with Cardiff City his experience included over 100 games for Manchester United and a spell with French side Le Havre). In May 1936 he took Queens on an eleven-game tour to France, Luxembourg and Algeria. In France it played against such teams as Montpellier HSC (losing 4–2) and Stade Reims (winning 5–4).

The tour included competing in a four team invitational tournament in Algiers. With Algeria then under French colonial rule the official programme listed the venue as "Stade-Velodrome Municipal d'Alger" and the participants as:

Le Queen of the South- La Belle Equipe Ecossaise de Première Division

Racing-Club de Santander- Favori des Championnats d'Espagne

Floriana F. C. de Malte- Champion Officiel et Vainqueur de la Coupe

R.U.A.- Champion de l'Afrique du Nord 1935

The match days were 21 May and 24 May.

Home side Racing Universitaire d'Alger (R.U.A. for whom Nobel Prize winning author-philosopher Albert Camus had played in goals for its junior team) had already won both the North African Champions Cup and the North African Cup in the 1930s (R.U.A. would win each twice by the decade's end). Goals by Willie Thomson and Joe Tulip (the Northumbrian was one of the first Englishmen to play in the Scottish League) saw Queens book a place in the invitational tournament final with a 2–1 victory against them.

In the final Queens faced a Racing de Santander side who had just finished 4th in Spain's La Liga notching home and away double victories against both Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona. Norrie Haywood's goal and a 1–0 scoreline saw victory for La Belle Equipe Ecossaise. The trophy can still be seen in Queens club museum today.

Late 1930s On the back of league wins against Dundee and Hibs, on 30 January 1937 captained by Savage, with Willie Fotheringham in goal and with Culbert, Allan, Cumming, Tulip and Jackie Law, Sr also playing, Queen of the South condemned Rangers to a 1–0 first round Scottish Cup exit. The Evening Times reported, "It was more than a merited win for Queen of the South. It was a triumph".