After a summer of change on the managerial front at Queen of the South when Jim McIntyre came in to replace double winning Manager Allan Johnston who ventured off to Kilmarnock, this winter will see change off the park for the Dumfries side.
Two projects have been running simultaneously at Palmerston Park over recent months and they will soon go live. When they do they will give the people of the local area a chance to play more and more football and give the club the chance to bed themselves in further with their local community as well as opening up new revenue streams.
A new artificial surface was laid at Palmerston during the summer and now new changing facilities have been added to the ground that will enable the pitch to be hired out without opening the Main Stand.
Not content with an outdoor facility Queen’s have built a new indoor football centre on their grounds and Doonhamer Chairman Billy Hewitson is delighted to see two major pieces of work move from the planning stage to construction.
Hewitson explained: “I was involved in the project management of both facilities which sounds very grand but it is what I do for a living anyway. The job needed done and I agreed to do it and that is the way I looked at it as opposed to having any emotional attachment to getting the job done as it was at Queen of the South.”
“We have made the main pitch more accessible to the public and also have turned an old supermarket beside the ground into two 40 yard by 20 yard indoor synthetic pitches supported by a cafeteria and changing rooms.”
“I am still here most days as there is remains plenty to do as the indoor facility has to get a gym fitted out.”
Hewitson explained the creation of the indoor centre saying: “There is nothing like it in the area so we are hoping that it will be very popular. The supermarket was built on our ground adjacent to the Stadium by Tesco who rented it from us however they left to move to bigger premises. That was 8 years ago and we had been looking to do something with it for a number of years.”
“Nothing happened due to the property crash a few years ago so we decided to do something with the property ourselves. The town needs an indoor facility and the club needed it as we were looking to create an additional income stream.”
We want to be a wholly sustainable club so the indoor facilities, as well as the changes to the main pitch are helping us do that. It was also about creating places where the first team and full time under-19 team can train.”
Hewitson explained what has happened on the ground saying: “This week saw new self-contained changing facilities come into use beside the main pitch at the Portland Road terracing end of the ground. The facilities include two dressing rooms, a referees room and two sets of toilets and showers.”
“That means we can hire out the main pitch far more easily and frequently without having to use the Main Stand at the club. That hiring out of the main pitch creates another income stream and again takes us to closer to being a fully sustainable club.”
The local community are behind the moves with Hewitson advising: “The reaction to both developments has been terrific with the opening of the indoor facility on January 6 keenly waited for.”
“On the main pitch Southern Counties side Heston Rovers already train and play their home games on it. Local Lowland League clubs Threave Rovers and Dalbeattie Star now train there in the evenings and what we have now is room for expansion to more teams.”
“We are grateful for the support we have received locally and for a 60% grant for the main pitch from the Football Partnership which was not expected. We had been refused a grant for the new indoor facility however we were offered a grant for the outdoor one which was a great consolation prize.”
There was more support locally with Hewitson advising: “A locally based trust which supports opportunities for young people in Dumfries and Galloway, the Hollywood Trust, kick-started the indoor centre with a grant. I am sure they will see that as money well invested in the future of the town.”
There is also a club benefit with Hewitson adding: “We have three other youth sides at under 13, 15 and 17 level at Queen’s and they are all locally based young boys who can now train either indoor or outdoor here.”
“They play their Club Academy Scotland games on Palmerston as well nowadays which is a huge thrill for them. Having better and better facilities allows us to do more and more for our youth teams.”
It is not just the Youth teams that will benefit with the Palmerston chairman saying: “The first team do some training here and at Broadwood where they have been all season. Having them here helps integrate the players with the fans.”
“Both projects allow us to move more into an embedded position within our community. We are a community club already, the new facilities will provide additional benefit.”
As Hewitson has been keen to stress the moves are all about the Doonhamers ensuring that income continues to exceed expenditure with the Chairman saying: “It is great to be putting more of the 6 acres that the club owns to good use. Like all clubs we need to be generating income other than the money that comes through the gates.”
“The club is in a healthy position and we are debt free. Now we are making better use of one of our main assets - the ground we own and hopefully that will lead to increased income.
“It also gives us an opportunity to develop players from a younger age. Jim Thomson who is a big figure down here is our Head of Youth and the more youth involvement we have the more we can speak to the SFA about opportunities for the club to grow even more.”
Hewitson added: “The only disappointment this week was losing 3-0 to St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup replay. It was a disappointing result and the score-line was harsh. We had gone there hoping to win the tie but it never happened.”
“However there is lot to be excited about at Queen of the South.”
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