Ross County take on Queen of the South in Dingwall this weekend in a game that will be classed as a ‘Top versus Bottom’ encounter. Striker Colin McMenamin will be doing his best to ensure that the League leaders win against one of his former sides although he is keen to stress that it is no revenge mission.
McMenamin was a schoolboy signing for the Dumfries club however, his career took a few twists and turns before he finally got to play for them last season and was thanks largely to The Doonhamers' fans.
The 30-year-old said: “I was born in Glasgow but grew up in Dumfries and played my youth football with Queen of the South. I was there for a couple of years at most but I was released as the coaches at the time thought I was too small.
“I am nearly six foot now so it is strange how things work out.”
McMenamin finally donned Queens' colours in October 2010 when he was listed as a 'Trialist' in a 5-1 defeat from Falkirk and he went on to make close on 30 appearances and scored 11 times for the side that was managed by Kenny Brannigan at the time.
“I had just been released by Dundee and Kenny asked me to come in and play for them. Money was tight at the club but the Supporters' Trust stepped in and backed me by funding my wages which was great of them to do so. After playing for one time local rivals, Gretna, I was not sure how it would go with the Queens' fans but it was really good of them to do that. I remain grateful to them for it.”
The stops that McMenamin made between his first spell at Palmerston and his second were wide and varied and as well as always being interesting, they were occasionally frustrating and disappointing.
McMenamin said: “After I was released by Queens, I gave up the game for a couple of years before being invited to join Annan before they became a SFL club. I enjoyed it there and won the East of Scotland League with them twice before landing a dream move to Newcastle United.”
The front man and team-mate Ryan McGuffie were transferred from Galabank to St. James Park and he remains as excited about the move now as he was back in 2000 as he said: “That was an amazing experience. Ryan and I both went down together from Annan and it was fantastic to train with the guys we trained with.
"Alan Shearer was there as was Kieron Dyer and a host of other internationalists. What I learned down there has helped me throughout my career and staying down there as a teenager in digs with Ryan helped us grow up a good bit as well.
“I had a squad number and made a couple of substitute appearances in cup ties but I never made an appearance in the first team. That was disappointing but it was still a fantastic time.”
McMenamin moved back north in 2002 when he joined Livingston and he said of his time as a Lion: “I played in the SPL for three seasons at Livingston but I missed out on their CIS Insurance Insurance Cup win as I had been cup tied after playing for Falkirk in an earlier round during a short loan spell. It was a bit of a turbulent time at the club and I played under a few Managers with my last one being Richard Gough.
“I left just before Paul Lambert took over as I signed a pre-contract agreement to go to Shrewsbury and sample English football. I loved every minute of being down there and I was also the top goalscorer in the season I was there. I was really committed to the place and my girlfriend and I even bought a flat but I was made a great opportunity to come home and join Gretna.”
The Raydale Park club were going through, what was to later prove to be a fool hardy expansion drive funded by Brooks Mileson, with McMenamin saying: “I had no thought at all about coming back up the road until then especially to a First Division club.
“Things went really well and we won the First Division on the last day of the season. I played in the game where the title was won by an injury time goal from James Grady, ironically up at Ross County. That was a great weekend and a great week of celebrations.
" I have been reminded since I have been here that County were relegated that day so I don’t mention it that much although I am proud to hold a First Division Championship winners' medal.”
Things began to unravel for Gretna in the SPL the following season and McMenamin re-joined Livingston for a loan spell in November 2007. A move to Dundee in the First Division was confirmed in January 2008 and McMenamin went on to play as a Dark Blue for the next two and a half seasons.
That spell included an ALBA Challenge Cup win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a thrilling encounter that finished 3-2 with McMenamin saying: “I came on as a substitute in that Final and it was good to pick up another medal especially in such a great game when we came back from two goals down.
“We missed out on promotion that season and a bit like Livingston and Gretna, cash flow problems started emerging and I left Dundee in October 2010 when they entered Administration.”
McMenamin added ruefully: “It is good to be doing an interview that is looking at my career and not just asking me about Administration or problems at a club.”
The enforced exit from Tayside allowed McMenamin to finally play for the Dumfries club however, his cup tie hoodoo struck again as he missed out on last season’s ALBA Challenge Cup Final against his new employers after featuring earlier in the competition for Dundee.
McMenamin said: “It was not a good experience to miss out again but it was not a great day overall for Queen of the South as they lost 2-0.”
The stay at his Dumfries home was brief with McMenamin on the move at the end of last season as he advised: “Ross County got in touch with me not long after the season had finished. I had a few options but I came up here and saw the great facilities that the club has and the Manager talked me through his plans. I reckoned this would be a place where I could enjoy my football.
“I think I was the first signing announced during the summer but the Manager had told me there would be more and that they would be experienced players. He never told me their names but to come in on the first day of training and see five or six other players that have played in the SPL was excellent.
“You need experience in this division and we have that. This season has gone well and we have got ourselves into a good position to have a crack at the title.”
No-one in Dingwall is getting carried away with McMenamin adding: “There are still 13 games to go and a lot of points to be played for so we will take things one game at a time.
“I have got myself up to 10 goals for the season which is always a big landmark for a striker. Now that I have done that, I am looking to score more as I know I have more goals in me.”
McMenamin was asked what he felt of the top versus bottom tag to this weekend’s game and he said: “I do not think that means a lot in this division as the teams are that well matched. We played Queen of the South at Palmerston in January and it was a really tough goalless draw.
“I said afterwards that I did not think they would be relegated and whilst they are at the bottom now, they have not lost that many games recently and that again shows how tight this division is.”
The striker finished by saying: “It is great for us to be on a long unbeaten run but this will be a hard three points to win. Hopefully, we can pick up the points this time and Queens start picking up points after this game.”
