Johnston already planning for next season
Alan Johnston is working on a summer plan he hopes will take Queens back to the First Divisiion ...
Reports The Dumfries and Galloway Standard.
The manager has a list of players he’d like to bring to Palmerston.
And another list of ones he’d like to stop going out the door.
With the season just ended he’s knows it won’t be long until the next one comes calling. But the new boss wants to make sure he gets it right.
“We won’t be rushing into anything,” he said.
“There are a number of players that we are considering but there’s nothing confirmed so far.
“I’m hoping that over the summer I can add a few fresh faces.
“Between Sandy and myself we are looking to build a team that will have Queens challenging at the top.”
Johnston and assistant boss Sandy Clark have already signed up Stephen McKenna on a fresh one-year deal and the management duo hope to keep other familiar faces at Palmerston.
Johnston said: “I’m hoping to keep a few of the young boys from last year but we’ll see, it’s very early days yet.”
Queens will now find themselves in the position of being one of the big boys in the second division – something which may attract a level of player hoping to make the leap back into first division football.
But Johnston revealed they are also up against the attraction of players going part time and taking up work outside football.
“The problem we’ve got is that some of the players are going part time and are taking another job as they can make more money that way,” he said.
“Obviously we can’t go for players like that as Queen of the South are staying full time.”
Meanwhile, the Doonhamers Travel Club will have their names on the front of the Queen of the South tops next season.
They were the winners of the shirt sponsorship draw last weekend which is a regular fundraiser for the club.
And in a double for fans clubs, the New Bazaar Doonhamers won the right to have their name on the shorts.
MilkLink were the winners of the Silent Auction again this year, with a bid of £5,000 and will have their name on the back of next season’s tops.