Palmerston Park

3rd February 2001

Queen of the South 1-3 Partick Thistle

This trip to Palmerston Park, Dumfries was another of my convoluted journeys.  I began by driving through to Glasgow to obtain camcorder footage of Glasgow University FC’s ground, before dropping in on Auchinleck, Cumnock, Girvan and Stranraer for the same reason.  

There was then a slightly reckless dash along the A75 from Stranraer to Dumfries to get to Palmerston in time for this match, after which I scurried up to Edinburgh to start an overnight shift at work.  Is this normal behaviour for a grown man?  I doubt it very much.

I had been to Palmerston once before, in 1991, to see a New Year local derby between Queen of the South and Stranraer.  I sat in the main stand on that occasion, but this time I paid to stand behind the goal in the enclosure generally populated by the more excitable and unstable Queens supporters.  

And rarely have I witnessed such a group of angry people.  Angry at seemingly everything – not only at the referee (naturally), opposing fans (also natural), but also their own team, those running their club and even, most scarily, each other.  None of the snarling group seemed to be having the remotest fun – they all appeared just to want to vent their spleen at anything and anyone.  And I could not help but feel that some minor but unknowable indiscretion on my part, could easily result in me being the next recipient of their ire…….with a sore face not far behind. 

Exterior of the Main Stand, Palmerston Park (2001)

Twenty years later, and not a whole lot has changed.

Palmerston Park from Portland Drive (2001)

...and in 2021

Palmerston Park Main Stand (2001)

The main difference is how few folks choose to sit in the main stand in 2021

Although this little Memorial Wall has been started.

I think this is just called the Portland Drive Terrace (2001)

I couldn't quite get to the same spot for my 2021 pic, as the area was COVID cordoned off.

Mind you, they did have a lot to be annoyed about that afternoon.  Their team were playing crap, the referee seemed to delight in making any number of unfathomable decisions against them, and the Partick Thistle supporters at the other end were having a whole lot more fun than they were. 

And the main reason for this latter state of affairs was Thistle’s Martin Hardie who, apart from running the show from the Jags’ midfield, was in the process of helping himself to two goals in a 3-1 win.  HARDIE’s first came along in the 19th minute as he headed in a Danny Lennon cross, with home ‘keeper David Mathieson floundering - a second arriving 13 minutes after the break.  In between these strikes, John O’NEILL had snuck in a wholly unmerited equaliser for Queens on 41 minutes.  

The home fans anger-quotient increased throughout the second-half as Thistle tightened their grip on proceedings, although it did take until 7 minutes from time for the visitors to make the game safe courtesy of Scott McLEAN’s impressive drive.

My fairly primitive 2001 panorama

And a moderate improvement in quality for 2021

*************************************************************************************************

Queen of the South 1-0 Dunfermline

(Connelly 85)

2nd October 2021

If the inside of Palmerston Park has barely changed in 20 years, this place was new to me.
It houses a couple of 5-a-side pitches, and it opened in early 2014.

The wooden sculpture is of three QOS Legends:  Scottish Internationalist Billy Houliston,
Allan Ball (731 appearances for the club) and forward Stephen Dobbie.
I have nothing against Dobbie, but I would have thought club record
goalscorer Jim Patterson would have made the cut.

Palmerston Park - Queen of the South FC

As the sign says...

The exterior to the Main Stand.

Looks as if this door has not been used for years.

There are a whole row of (what are probably) permanently closed off entrances on Terregles Street.

I wondered how long these had been bricked up.
The fact the stand entry price was £1:50, would suggest A Very Long Time.

Portland Drive Terrace entry, and the rear of the East Stand.

Kai Kennedy

Panorama of Palmerston Park

Out of a mixture of boredom and nosiness, I had poke around behind the Portland Drive Terrace.
QOS supporting the greening Scottish Fitba'

HMP Dumfries frowns down upon Palmerston Park.

As my panorama from 2001 above shows,
twenty years ago this wee hut had a neat white door... 

...the years have not been kind...

...although I rather liked someone's frugal DIY approach to keeping the door locked.

A bunch of Doonhamers leaving Palmerston Park, a great deal happier than the did in 2001.