It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all involved with the Queen’s Park Youths and Ladies Teams at the start of season 2010 / 2011. While these sections represent a significant investment by the Club, we recognise the huge amount of work and effort required by many individuals to put 9 teams on the park every week. The dedication of our coaches (who work on a voluntary basis), physiotherapy and medical staff plus of course the players themselves and their families who ensure that they turn up on time for training and for games, and the support that they give, is one of the major strengths of this Club.

Last season our under-17s won the SFL league and league cup double and our under-19s finished 2nd in their league. Our Ladies team, re-formed after a difficult season, also won their league.

Not that our efforts have not gone unnoticed. During last season one of our under-16 players was capped for Scottish Schools, and one of our under-17s was called up to the full Scotland under-17 squad. For the second year in a row, a group of under-17s and under-19s plus coaching and backroom staff will be funded by the Leonardo da Vinci Foundation of the European Community to travel abroad (this time to Turkey) for a fortnight’s training, cultural visits and education. Finally the SFA have recognised the excellence of our youth development programme by granting us Performance status, something normally reserved for premier league clubs.

The opportunities for players to progress are there as well. This season a further 2 players have been promoted to the first team squad from the under-19s, joining the 3 others who were promoted during the course of last season. In the last few seasons it has not been uncommon for as many as 9 of the 16 first team players on a Saturday to have been products of our youth development system, and recent graduates who have signed for premier league clubs include Steven Saunders (Motherwell) and Barry Douglas (Dundee United).

It is the Club’s wish that parents and families of those involved in our Youths and Ladies sections consider becoming Associate Members of the Club. Details of this are available on the website or from the Club office.

Finally it is my hope that I will have the opportunity to meet as many of you as possible during the course of the season. Please accept my very best wishes for an enjoyable and successful 2010 / 2011.

Alan S. Hutchison
President