Hansard

Football has always played a crucial role in the psyche of most Scots, whether they follow a big team or just the local lads side. Whether because of the emotion of the game, the intensity of the sport, the inevitable characters such as the ones that George Adam refers to or simply being part of the whole picture, soccer remains at the forefront of national sport for most participants and audience members.

The game does crazy and unexpected things to us, including leading us into temptation—and how. I know of someone who, one minute, was standing having a couple of drinks with friends in a bar in Dumfries and then, a few days later, unexpectedly found himself sitting on a plane alongside the team heading to Copenhagen, in Denmark, to watch Queen of the South play in their first, and only, major European cup match—a UEFA cup tie against FC Nordsjaelland on 26 August 2008. The Doonhamers on tour. Who would have thought it? When you are caught up in the sheer emotion of the rare opportunity to witness such a historic sporting spectacle, you sometimes just have to go with the flow. At least, that is what I told my wife—my now ex-wife. The memory of being part of that impressive army of almost a thousand Queens fans will live with me for the rest of my life. I just had to be there, because the chances of it happening again are somewhat slim.

The game has changed in recent years, especially for clubs such as Queen of the South, and my other team, Stranraer, as they attempt to survive in today’s finance-driven climate. Gone are the days of large crowds, except for local derbies.

Clubs now concentrate a lot of their effort on becoming even more community oriented, as is happening at Queen of the South under the excellent stewardship of Dan Armstrong, a former Queens player and now the youngest chief executive officer in British professional football. Dan is a true gentleman and a real asset to the club. His postgraduate degree in football business and his proactive engagement with other clubs in the Scottish Professional Football League and the SFA have strengthened the club’s regional and national profile. He has been incredibly successful in reinforcing community ties, enhancing fundraising, modernising the club’s commercial efforts and bolstering its visibility.

Dan and his crew work tirelessly to connect with the community and to support the people of Dumfries and Galloway. He has successfully strengthened educational and academic links with local schools, colleges and universities, the national health service and local clubs, as well as beginning enterprises to sustain the club and build footfall. First team players are encouraged to take part in as many school activities as possible in order to provide the young people with role models.

Dan and the Queen of the South Community Trust have received national recognition. That has included an invitation to 10 Downing Street and the accolade of being honoured at the King’s garden party at Holyrood because of the club’s regional community impact, along with many other awards.

Among the many initiatives that have been launched recently has been the changing room project to address men’s mental health issues, while walking football, as we have heard, remains a favourite for those seeking a more active approach. Poverty remains a major worry and the club has not shied away from that—it runs three separate breakfast clubs that attract more than 100 young people every day. The club’s extra time project distributes meals to many local families who would otherwise struggle, and local food suppliers are encouraged to make donations to support the club’s food bank.

Similarly, Stranraer Football Club has shown that a community club can be a civic anchor by using the public space at Stair Park to bring people together and by delivering tangible local benefits, such as improved health and increased public participation in sport. Once again, walking football has proved to be a winner with all ages, and it has allowed many seniors to relive their youth. Stranraer’s mini-kickers work with local nurseries to build physical literacy and nutrition awareness, while in-school soccer sessions regularly attract about 700 primary school children. The club is working with grass-roots clubs such as Millennium FC and Lochryan’s boys club to create under-13 and under-15 teams, and it is also involved with Alzheimer Scotland and Arthritis UK to offer safe and sociable activities for older adults.

I do not have much time for my speech today, but it would be remiss of me not to mention other clubs such as Threave Rovers, Dalbeattie Star and my home-town club of St Cuthbert Wanderers, which do hugely important work in our communities.

Football remains a winner, thanks to wonderful community-inspired ideas and initiatives. Long may that continue.