Queen of the South F.C.

Supporters and culture

Robbie Neilson, former Hearts manager, described Queens from his loan period in 2002 as a well-run, real family club with good spirit. Marc Horne wrote in The Scotsman after the 2008 Scottish Cup Final that the club's songbook contains no songs about religion, violent vendettas, or centuries-old battles in other lands. During a 2008 UEFA Cup qualifying trip to Denmark, Queen of the South fans were praised by Danish police. Inspector Rune Hamann said the approximately 850 travelling supporters were extremely well behaved and a great credit to their club and Scotland, noting a carnival, party atmosphere in Copenhagen.

Chief Inspector Mickey Collins from Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary added that despite the large numbers, there were no arrests, incidents, or issues of concern. Notable supporters include DJ and producer Calvin Harris, who grew up in Dumfries and considered writing a song for the 2008 Scottish Cup Final but scrapped it due to time constraints on his 2009 album. Bill Drummond, musician and former member of The KLF, also supports the club, having grown up in nearby Newton Stewart.

The club mascot is 'Dougie Doonhamer', a human-sized Border Collie dog played for many years by local supermarket worker Brian Harkness. Dougie Doonhamer won the Ladbrokes SPFL mascot race at Hamilton Park on 25 August 2017, having been runner-up the previous year, and won again on 31 August 2018 for the second consecutive year.

Records

Queen of the South's record victory is 11–1 versus Stranraer in the Scottish Cup on 16 January 1932. A 10–0 win over Bo'ness in Division Two on 1 October 1932 was later declared void after Bo'ness were expelled from the Scottish Football League. The record defeat is 10–2 versus Dundee at Dens Park on 1 December 1962, with Queens playing 78 minutes with 10 men after goalkeeper George Farm was injured. Dundee's Alan Gilzean scored seven goals; Dundee were reigning Division One champions and reached the European Cup semi-finals that season.

The record home attendance is 26,552 for a Scottish Cup third-round match against Heart of Midlothian on 23 February 1952. The record home league attendance is 21,142 versus Rangers on 6 October 1962. The record attendance at any venue is 58,975 at Hampden Park on 5 April 1950 for a Scottish Cup semi-final replay defeat to Rangers. The most league points under a two-points-for-a-win system is 55 in Scottish Division 2 in 1985–86; under a three-points system, 92 in Scottish Division 2 in 2012–13.

The first ever Scottish League match under floodlights was Rangers versus Queen of the South at Ibrox Park on 7 March 1956, with Rangers winning 8–0. Queens' floodlights, first used on 29 October 1958, are the highest free-standing floodlights in Scottish football at 85 ft high. The Portland Drive terrace is the highest remaining terrace in Scottish football. The longest serving player is Iain McChesney from 1960 to 1981, with 615 appearances and 79 goals.

The record league scorer in a season is Alexander 'Jimmy' Gray with 37 goals in 1927–28. The record scorer in all competitions in a season is Stephen Dobbie with 43 goals in 2018–19. The most capped player is Billy Houliston with three caps in the 1948–49 season.

Players

For updates on recent transfers, consult the 2026–27 Queen of the South F.C. season page. A list of former players with Wikipedia articles is in the Category:Queen of the South F.C. players. The club’s Hall of Fame inducted players on 29 October 2011, 19 January 2013, 24 October 2015, and 23 March 2019. The official website also recognizes a group of players as 'Queens Legends'.