The Queen of The South Supporters Site
Friday, 16th May, 2008
Ask Paddy
Paddy Atkinson
A North East Success

By Stuart McLaren


Paddy Atkinson has kindly offered to answer any football related questions anyone may have about 'The Connolly Years'. I've started the ball rolling, so click more to read my investigative journalist type question and answer, and Paddy's reply.

Click Here to Ask Paddy a Question.

Paddy

I was asked by someone at Palmerston today to ask you this question.

What was your favourite goal for Queens? The fact we were playing Airdrie today brought back obvious memories of a goal at New Bloomfield in a Challenge Cup Match a few season's ago. (to be honest, it's the only one of your goals that springs to mind, although I see you actually scored a few :-).). The reason this guy wanted to ask the question through was that he remembers being at a reserve match at the Chrichton when you scored and tried to claim goal of the match and man of the match awards, even through Emilio Jaconelli scored 9 in that game!

So, did that beat the Airdrie goal? :-)

That is correct I did score a goal against Airdrie in the cup away.. It was a little bit special as some people reffered it to a goal scored by Archie Gemmil for Scotland against Holland.What also made it special was that Airdrie had all these so called top class spanish players at the club ie Fernandez (now at Celtic) and we were just in a team building period at the time. We got beat on the golden goal rule and what a goal it was for Airdrie.....Goalkeeper kicked the ball, Andy Martin (our centre half) headed the ball and Fernandez volleyed the ball into the roof of the net after it had hit the bar, bounced on the line and then up into the roof of the net. Thsi all without the ball bouncing once.....Cup exit bah!!!!

But when I think back all my golas I scored for Queens were special to me, like the one against Clydebank in the last minute at Palmerston which went in the top corner. My friend Rob Mckinnon called me a jammy git after the game but there was nothing jammy about it as it was a very good build up leading to the goal and a nice finish to top it off. Oh and how can I forget my goal against arch rivals Stranrar away...It was a little bit windy and I said to John O'neil before the game I will score from a corner today if the wind stays like this..10 mins into the game we got a corner to our right and as I tee'd the ball up the wind was just perfect to whip it towards the penalty spot so that the wind would bring it towards the goal..I could not have asked for a better finish to the corner ball inthe far top corner, keeper in the back of the net right in front of the large travelling Queens fans..... Happy days but unfortunately we drew 2-2 that day..


You always came across as a bit of a joker and someone who liked a prank or two. Are there any classic stories that you can tell us ?
Good luck for the future and thanks for your time at QoS.
DEX_Doonhamer


You are right on that one I always liked a laugh and also had wind ups with the other lads. One in particular sticks to mind...When I used to travel up to Palmerston with Kenny Crighton (physio) in the club car. Scotty (the manager) who was working for Warren Pearson at the time left his digital camera in the car so me and Kenny decided to take a few photos on his works camera. I think we took about 30 photos ie Me and Kenny with a cow, Me and Kenny with a sheep, Me and Kenny with a farmer, me and Kenny with a crowd of strangers waving, naked bums etc. anything we could think of....I think it took us 3 hours to get back to Newcastle that day..Scotty was not too pleased the day he downloaded them on his computer at work and his boss was
leaning over the top of him.

I will let you know others if requied..

thanks for the support


When I did my original reply to you, I checked to see if you played in the Challenge Cup Final, but see you were left on the bench. How annoying is it that with Queens 2-0 and cruising the manager couldn't just give you a 10 minute run out, or do you just take the professional view of whatevers best for the team?

Stuart to be honest I had been suffering from a hematoma in the calf muscle (blood trapped in the muscle) after a nasty tackle I received in the Morton game. Don't know if you can remember it but it was the same game Shaun o Connor received that bad tackle straight afterwards. I made the semi-final against St Mirren but it still wasn't fully healed and to make matters worse I received another whack exactly in the same place.

We had been struggling in the left hand side of the team for a bit so John Connolly asked if I would move to the left back slot after playing so long at right-back..This gave him a chance to sign Robbie Neilson who turned out to be a great loan signing, however he did a great job and I was fighting with fitness to make the final. But a week to go before the final I was fit & was wondering if I was going to make the bench after being out for 4 weeks.

It was a proud moment to be named on the bench and the result made up for not getting on for 10 mins, so yes I am often praised for my professional attitude and having a good squad of players allows you to get on whatever the result.

Hope this answers the question

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